The BOS Report Card for 2006

Back in March of 2006, I conducted the following poll on YACKon.com asking people how they felt the BOS at the time was doing. As you’ll recall, the BOS at the time was composed of Bruce Watts, Brian Chadwick, Doug Bennett, Whitey Willauer and Chairman Mike Glowacki. The results were pretty telling.



As you can see, 44% thought the former board was doing either a “poor” job or an “awful” job and 24% considered the performance of the BOS worthy of the labels “good” or “exceptional.”

This past week, I duplicated the poll and the results were equally interesting.



As you can see, the situation has turned completely around. 45% feel the BOS is doing a good or exceptional job and 17% feel the BOS is doing a poor or awful job.

Clearly many people on YACKon.com are feeling better about the latest iteration of the Board of Selectmen. It appears that many issues — sewers, growth, traffic, and harbor management — are being addressed under this administration and that the government is making some progress.

But the BOS is not exactly a cohesive body. The five members (in the case of 2006, six members) are not equal in their contributions or their actions on the board. Here, therefore, is my report card for the BOS members for 2006.

Michael Kopko: A
When Mr. Kopko was elected in April, he promised to “kick some ass” and get town government to do the work they are supposed to do. So far, he has made good on that promise by pushing forward initiatives like the Sewer Advisory Committee, prodding the Planning Board to complete the 41-81D master plan, maintaining a family atmosphere at the Jetties Beach concession, promoting a community arts center and getting growth management on the agenda for the board. His participation on YACKon.com earns him extra credit points for being willing to listen and discuss important issues with islanders of all stripes.

Chairman Whitey Willauer: B+
As Chair, whitey has not been as vocal as Mr. Kopko in meetings, but the progress and high marks of the current board could not be achieved without his leadership and cooperation. The meetings he runs are not as streamlined and flawless as those chaired by his predecessor, Mike Glowacki, but a great deal more is getting done. The proof is in the pudding. Chairman Willauer’s only low marks are for his performance with regard to the Great Harbor Yacht Club. Whether his conflicts are real or merely the perception of conflict is immaterial. He promised to recuse himself from GHYC votes if elected two years ago and not keeping that promise means that many voters feel they cannot trust him.

Doug Bennett: C
With a race for state senate that took up much of Doug’s time in 2006, a great deal of work that could have gotten done did not get done. Doug’s only committee appointment, the Mid Island Area Work Group did not meet in 2006 and many of the mid-day and morning workshops and meetings that the BOS held were not attended by Doug. In addition, he exhibited some rather rude and untoward behavior in the past 12 months that was in no way befitting the office of the Board of Selectmen. Still, Doug was the swing vote on many critical policy decisions and appointments, so one cannot give him a failing grade. If he runs for Selectman again when his seat is up in 2007, it is doubtful that he will win, but one hopes he continues to play a role in local politics. We need more young people in the game. And he does have an undeniable charm and energy that is often missing from the political scene.

Brian Chadwick: C-
Elected with the highest number of votes in Selectman History two years ago, Brian Chadwick continues to be lackluster performer on the job, choosing instead to police the actions of others (The Rector Rule, the open meeting law, reading from the town charter), remove valuable and instructional links to YACKon.com from town web pages, and obstruct programs that are obviously good and valuable (The Sewer Advisory Committee for one) spurred by motivations that can only be described as “questionable.” His only redeeming quality is that he shows up and attends meetings and appears to grasp the material and issues before him. But all in all, unless he is able to champion some positive programs and ideas for 2007, the name Brian Chadwick will be synonymous with disappointment and squandered potential and the likelihood that he will serve a second term is small.

Mike Glowacki: D
As the former chair of the BOS, the poor showing of last year falls squarely on Mike’s shoulders. As chair, his accomplishments were abysmally few. In addition, his performance on the Board in 2006 was punctuated by rancor, ill will and several long rants that berated the work of so-called special interests such as Sustainable Nantucket — an organization whose only “agenda” is to make the island a better place to live. Glowacki’s tenure on the board was underscored by the worst brand of local politics. Obstructionist. Status quo. Destructive. Negative. Cronyism-filled. Only after he resigned from the board in August, due to health reasons, did the tenor of the board change and become more productive and positive. Personally, I hope Mike Glowacki’s health improves and he lives a long and prosperous life. But by the same token, I hope he steers clear of island politics as his involvement has been disastrous for the island and he seems to bring out the worst in everyone around him.

Catherine Stover: Incomplete
With only one month on the job, it is difficult to gauge Catherine’s performance. But if her exemplary conduct during her election to the interim seat and her even-keel approach to the emotionally-charged recount process are any indication, she could prove to be one of our most valuable BOS assets. Her motto, “Kindness Counts,” is clearly evident in her words and actions. Plus, she, like Mr. Kopko, is a regular participant on YACKon.com which means she is open to both listening and talking to the people of this island.