Who Is Supervising The Supervisors?

To the Editor:

The hearings for Carolee Mason may not have been a total waste of taxpayer dollars after all. Much has come to light about the competence of the people charged with her supervision and termination and the veracity of the complaints filed against her.

Everyone attending noticed the absence of those who were instrumental in calling the risks to public safety to our attention but failing to testify under oath to assure us the firing was justified. Isn’t it the duty of the person who hires and fires employees for the town to assure a waiver is signed for required vaccinations? Rabies is only fatal if left untreated (see Connecticut Department of Public Health). OSHA should also be contacted in cases of serious violations of workplace health and safety. The town tried to blame Carolee for not asking questions once she received the piece of paper with her job description. If her duties are so critical to public safety as stated during the hearing, then it’s her supervisor’s responsibility to make her aware of exactly how to accomplish those goals and be following through on her performance. It didn’t sound like the supervisors knew all the state regulations regarding how the pound is to be run either. Perhaps we should scrutinize the job performance of others and how well they followed their job descriptions and duties and questioning whether they should be asking for more training in their positions as they suggested Carolee should have done.

 Carolee’s love of animals and people overlooks all of the misery she sees and hears on a daily basis as well as the deplorable working conditions she faces every day. The day-to-day routine of animal care and leaving for distress calls is difficult enough to deal with. In addition to insufficient training, she drives a vehicle with no heat, returns to an office with no decent working office equipment or supplies and that has to make it difficult to complete necessary reports and paperwork in an organized and efficient manner. How many town officials have to work under the same inadequate conditions? It’s just an animal shelter so why waste time and money to make small improvements to her workplace until the new one is built. Can the town honestly say if she asked for more they would have provided it?

She is more concerned with taking care of the animals and the town should consider itself lucky to have someone this dedicated and hardworking despite the working conditions and what she is being put through to keep this job. Those charged with her supervision and training and termination handled this improperly and unfairly. Steps should be taken to assure us that they don’t continue to play politics with people’s lives and livelihoods as incompetently as they appear to have done this time. When all else fails, read the instructions, aka the employee’s handbook, and what was apparently set forth as policy.

Barbara Field

Serenity Lane, Sandy Hook                                             June 17, 2009