War of Words Heats up Town E-mail

Fairbanks, responding with yet another e-mail, claimed Moody “personally insulted” her at a meeting she attended with Council Chairman Brian Chirichiello the previous week.

The escalation occurred after Fairbanks’ latest e-mailed request for information from Moody. In e-mails made available by the town to the Nutfield News in response to a Right to Know request, Fairbanks wrote Chirichiello March 6 to ask about the status of “no littering” signs for three roads in her district. She wrote she had asked then-Town Administrator Russ Marcoux about getting the signs, and seeing none in place, wanted Moody to look into the matter.

Chirichiello forwarded her e-mail to Moody within the hour.

The next morning, Moody responded to Chirichiello that he had learned from Superintendent of Operations Alan Cote that the state neither provides the signs nor posts state roads. He said the question should be considered by the entire council.

Almost immediately, Chirichiello forwarded the e-mail to Fairbanks, who responded that she was concerned Moody had not answered her directly. “You might want to remind John that at times, councilors may actually represent their districts and make requests of the town,” she wrote.

That afternoon, Moody sent an e-mail to the entire council to advise them Marcoux did not order the signs and had told Fairbanks of that by phone last year, when her original request was made. He also noted the state does not recommend the signs because, among other things, they can become targets for vandalism and do little to stop litter.

The e-mail put the total cost per sign, including labor, at $148.54.

And in explaining why he responded to Chirichiello, Moody wrote he was following up a request from the chairman.

Fairbanks’ e-mail that evening said no conversation between her and Marcoux took place. In addition to taking offense at Moody’s response, she wrote, “It appears that the council is now taking direction from John, rather than the other way around.”

On March 8, Moody e-mailed the council that “it appears that Councilor Fairbanks is calling Mr. Marcoux a liar.” He added that Marcoux confirmed several times his conversation with Fairbanks, and said she was told staff was “looking into this signage for the town.” Moody wrote that Marcoux said based on the information obtained, the town did not buy or erect the signs.

“This item is almost a year old,” Moody concluded. “I wonder why it is being brought to my attention now.”

In that same e-mail, Moody put the council on notice of his concerns about Fairbanks. “I will take whatever action is required to protect my reputation and will not tolerate any further assassination of my character or my performance by a member of the Council,” he wrote.

He wrote he resented Fairbanks’ assertion that the council is taking direction from him. “I am in frequent contact with the Chair, keep the Council informed with regard to the issues and concerns that are brought to my attention and the actions that I am taking. When items are brought to my attention, I take action as quickly as I can, while still maintaining the rigorous schedule of activities associated with being Town Administrator. This matter has consumed several hours of research and discussion of an item that the former Town Administrator has told me was resolved many months ago.”

Fairbanks’ e-mailed response denies calling Marcoux a liar and said that allegation impugns her character. She wrote, “it appears that John is taking the word of Russ over mine.”

In her e-mail, she also denies having a conversation with Marcoux and said she forgot about the signs until a constituent raised the matter again recently.