Selectmen refuse to pay $3,000 legal bill to ‘Jack’ Sisson’s widow

Enough is enough, say majority; Sisson cases already too costly

EastBayRI.com ·

Enough is enough, say majority; Sisson cases already too costly

In a split vote, the Board of Selectmen rejected late last month a bid to pay $3,000 to the widow of former Highway Surveyor Jack Sisson to cover the balance of an old legal bill.

Selectman R. Michael Sullivan said he had researched the matter and concuded that “I have to move reconsideration (of the board’s earlier refusal to pay) because no one else is going to.”

Town meeting last spring approved, for a second time, payment of $7,000 of Mr. Sisson’s remaining legal costs, he said, but it appears that no more than $3,000 of that was ever paid, Mr. Sullivan said.

Mr. Sissons widow Ingrid “would be appreciative if we would follow through on that small amount to put this matter behind us,” he said.

Shana Shufelt agreed … “Town Meeting twice directed us to pay these bills,” she said. While she said she understands that that vote does not obligate the selectmen to make payment, she thinks selectmen should abide by the voters’ will.

But the rest of the board sided with Selectman Brian Valcourt who argued that Westport has paid already paid too many bills related to Mr. Sisson.

“We have considered this matter numerous times and we have come to the conclusion numerous times that Mr. Sisson has cost the town enough money.”

“Mr. Sisson sued us on the grounds that we took away his power to hire and fire …he never had that power,” Mr. Valcourt said.

Mr. Sisson fired an employee, that employee sued him and the town, “and Mr. Sisson, (against the legal advice of the town solicitor), went out and got his own lawyer to defend himself in this suit when the town had already defended him … and the town settled for a significant amount of money because of Mr. Sisson’s wrongdoing.

The matter cost the town $100,000 — “that’s two teachers, that’s a town administrator,” Mr. Valcourt said. “This went on and on and on and on.”

He also argued that a fundraiser collected money to help Mr. Sisson with these same legal bills but there is no clear accounting of how much was raised.

Yes, there was a fund raiser, Mr. Sullivan said. It “may have raised $3,000 but I am told it cost around $3,000 to put the fund raiser together.”

Mr. Valcourt said he appreciates that Town Meeting voters approved the payment, but due to executive session meeting rules, selectmen were not at liberty to disclose all they knew about the case.

“Jack was a good guy but he put us through a lot.”

Harold J. "Jack" Sisson Jr., was 61 when he died on October 29, 2015.

Town surveyor for years back when that was an elected position, Mr. Sisson had frequent disagreements with various town administrators over the years.

In the summer of 2014, he was convicted on a charge of larceny involving the trade-in of a town-owned Cub Cadet riding mower and other items that were found at the home of a Highway Department employee.

He told police the tractor and other items found were to be traded to 146 Supply Co. in return for discounts on future town purchases — Mr. Sisson had said such transactions are done in an attempt to save the town money.