Monday night’s Board of Estimate and Taxation’s meeting agenda was fairly short, and the meeting was brief. Peter Mynarski delivered his reports and the board voted to release conditions on $125,000 for DPW’s Shore Rd Sidewalk project and $551,000 for Police overtime.
Under new business, BET chair Harry Fisher said the Human Resources Committee chair, Karen Fassuliotis, had requested to discuss her committee’s approval of an RFP for a Managerial Confidential Salary Study.
Of the four member HR Committee, there are two people from each party.
Recently, the two Democratic members – Scott Kalb and Elliot Alchek – resigned.
BET Chair Harry Fisher; BET HR Committee chair, Karen Fassuliotis; and Stephen Selbst at the April 14 2025 BET meeting.
Fassuliotis said it was just a report from the committee, and that the committee had already approved the RFP by a vote of 4-0-0.
Mary Pepe, Town’s Director of Human Resources has filed a complaint against the HR Committee. GFP sent a FOIA request for that complaint to Director Pepe.
“Typically we would move ahead, but I don’t believe this board should be moving ahead with that project until the issues between the HR Committee and the Director of HR are resolved,” said Democrat Leslie Moriarty.
“That is confidential information you are talking about,” Fassuliotis warned.
“I was told it was not confidential,” Moriarty said
“It is. It is,” Ms Fassuliotis said.
“Why is it confidential?” Mr. Fisher asked.
“It’s an HR matter,” Fassuliotis said.
“I don’t think it’s an HR matter,” Fisher said.
“If you’d like to discuss that, I certainly will, but I don’t think that has any bearing with respect to this RFP,” Fassuliotis said.
“Why are we putting it on the agenda?” David Weisbrod asked.
“I was told by the chair of the BET that it had to be on the agenda…” Fassuliotis said.
“I did not tell you that,” Fisher said. “You made a request to put this item on.”
“I disagree with that. I can show you your emails,” Fassuliotis said. “This was a request that was asked to be put on the agenda for discussion…”
“By you,” Fisher said.
Fassuliotis disagreed and said there was no reason for the Managerial Confidential Salary Study RFP to be discussed by the full board.
“Again, I don’t know why it’s on the agenda,” Fassuliotis added.
“Because you requested in an email last week,” Fisher said. “I did not insist. You requested.”
Ms Moriarty suggested the board not move ahead with the RFP until the full BET determined whether to proceed.
“You’re singling out one RFP because you have an issue with the HR Committee,” Fassuliotis said.
David Weisbrod disagreed. “The town HR Director has an issue with the HR committee,” he said.
Fassuliotis said that situation had nothing to do with the full BET reviewing the RFP.
“It certainly does because we have two fewer people on the HR Committee. The HR Committee doesn’t have a quorum,” Weisbrod said.
“It’s by the choice of the Democratic caucus who have decided they are not participating in the HR committee,” Fassuliotis said, adding that the Democratic caucus declined to replace Mr. Alchek and Mr. Kalb after they resigned.
“The HR Committee is in shambles right now, for a host of reasons,” Mr. Weisbrod said.
“Given the chaos and lack of even a quorum, I think it’s unusual that an item is being placed on the agenda relating to an RFP. It’s on the agenda, but I think it has no relevance because when a committee has no substance and no legitimacy, frankly, the notion of putting on an RFP for discussion is inappropriate.”
Fassuliotis said the agenda item was simply a report that the committee had voted to approve the RFP, and as to the accusation of chaos on the HR Committee, there was none.
“You may feel that way. You may act that way and certainly the Democratic caucus has acted that way by refusing to seat two Democratic members to the HR Committee, and having two resign for whatever reason – I don’t even know why,” Fassuliotis said, adding that the rules, procedures and responsibilities of the HR Committee were spelled out and had been adhered to.
Mr. Kalb said his and Mr. Alchek’s decision to resign were personal, not a decision of the Democratic caucus.
“There was a complaint filed with the legal department about the committee. There’s been a level of tension and friction between the head of our HR Dept and the head of our HR Committee. It was the decision of myself and my colleague that we didn’t feel comfortable that the committee could function properly under the cloud of a legal complaint,” Kalb continued.
“We submitted a letter and respectfully indicated that until such time this matter is cleared up, it’s difficult for the committee to be performing its function, especially in an atmosphere that is somewhat toxic,” Kalb added.
“We think it’s best to step back and wait for this matter to be resolved,’ Kalb said. “It had nothing to do with politics of any kind.”
Fassuliotis said the complaint had not been made against the Chair of the HR committee, but rather it was made against the HR Committee in total.
She said since the complaint had been filed there had been no tension at meetings.
She added that Democratic substitutes for Alchek and Kalb had been requested, but were denied.
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“To say there’s no politics involved at this point is not merited,” Fassuliotis said.
Mr. Alchek said like Mr. Kalb, his decision to resign was personal, not political.
“This committee has been dysfunctional for, not a few weeks…” Alchek said.
“Out of order, please. Point of order. He’s saying this committee has been nonfunctional,” Fassuliotis said.
“It’s not against anybody,” Mr. Fisher said.
“He’s basically impugning the committee as being non-functional,” Fassuliotis said.
“I don’t accept that as a point of order,” Fisher said.
“Oh my God,” Fassuliotis said.
Alcheck repeated his description of the HR Committee as dysfunctional.
“Several months ago that Ms Fassuliotis was yelling at the top of her lungs at Mr. Fisher, the (BET) chair, completely unnecessarily,” Alchek said. “This committee has been dysfunctional for a long time.”
“I tried on numerous occasions to broker a truce between the Head of HR (Mary) Pepe and the Chair of the HR committee (Ms Fassuliotis), several attempts were made in public in the meeting when we requested a time for Miss Fassuliotis, who is a liaison to HR, along with myself, to meet to try to clear the air,” Alchek continued. “That was turned down.”
“One of the central reasons behind Mr. Kalb and my resignation is because there is a catch. We can’t resolve any of the differences between the Chair of the HR Committee and the Director of HR if they’re not willing to talk.”
“The situation is untenable, and that’s why we resigned from the committee,” Alchek said.
Ms Fassuliotis said once a complaint was filed, an investigation ensues.
“My exact words to you were, number one, there was a complaint filed against all of us – 4 individuals – and I did not think it was appropriate, being a lawyer, to engage in discussions when there was an investigation ongoing,” she said to Mr. Alchek.
Further she said that while there was not quorum at the last HR Committee meeting, there was a “a very productive, informal conversation.”
“We worked together to get an RFP together. To characterize it as being dysfunctional is absolutely untrue, and is absolutely being done to malign my reputation at this point, and I totally reject it. If you would like to continue this offline, I will. But I will not be having this debate further. And if it does go further, I am leaving the meeting.”
As Mr. Alchek started to respond, Fassuliotis stood up and packed her materials, saying, “I’m leaving. This is ridiculous. To say that this is not political, you are absolutely out of your mind.”
Karen Fassuliotis departed the Board of Estimate and Taxation meeting in progress. April 14, 2025
“You can leave. You can do whatever you want,” Alchek said. “Nothing I said was untrue.”
“I’m done,” Fassuliotis said. “You’re defeating your purpose and your goals.”
“Nothing I said was untrue,” Alchek said.
“It was. It was,” Fassuliotis said as she headed toward the exit.
“It’s impossible for that committee to function while it is under investigation. So I welcome the investigation, and I welcome clearing the air. And I particularly welcome the opportunity for the town to clear the air with the Director of HR.”
Lucia Jansen, the other Republican member of the HR Committee, did not participate in the conversation.
After Ms Fassuliotis departed, Ms Moriarty noted the RFP had not been circulated to the other members of the BET, and that the salary review project was different from other RFPs.
She said while the HR Committee’s responsibility was to “take the lead in recommendations,” she suggested it would be a good process, before spending consultant money, for the full BET to review the RFP before it goes out to bid.
She said she hoped the RFP would not move forward until issues were resolved.
After the meeting, BET chair Mr. Fisher declined to comment.
Ms Fassuliotis provided the following on Tuesday afternoon:
“What should have been a simple report from the Chair of the HR Committee about the status of a RFP, that was approved by that committee on a bipartisan basis(4-0-0), instead devolved into personal attacks and the public airing of a matter that was unrelated to the RFP and that clearly should have occurred in executive session and not in public.”
“The agenda item, a RFP approved by the HR Committee, is a bipartisan request for proposals aimed at determining basic benchmark data as well as a fresh look at pay grades, ranges and compression issues relating to our most valued town management and confidential employees.”
“As I was on Monday night, I will remain passionate, emotional, and outspoken in defending what was, until recently, the bipartisan work of the HR Committee. As a volunteer I was disappointed that certain members of the BET, including former members of the HR Committee, are seeking to undermine this. I only hope that Leslie Moriarty will forward the names of replacements to the committee so that we can continue to do the important work of the town.”
See also:
BET Cuts $4.1 Million from Greenwich Schools: Audience Chants “Shame on you”