By Mary Kronholm
BLANDFORD– Responding to a Dec. 30 request for an interview, Selectman Robert Roy Nichols said Sunday evening, “I don’t want to be recalled, I don’t wish to be recalled. I won’t quit. I promised everyone I won’t quit.”
Nichols said he responded to the initial notice of recall, given to him by Town Clerk Staci Iglesias on Jan. 4, with a request filed under the Freedom of Information act for copies of the recall petition and the voting list. He requested these items so that he and outside groups, “other than interested town members” could check for “legality.”
He said he had read the petition and was “quite disheartened,” and added, “Luckily 90 per cent is false.” He said “luckily” because he believes it is easy for people “to see through the veil of self interest.”
“I would pick on issues of Blandford, not a single person. I would speak to the record of where they served, or not.”
Nichols considers the petition a, “personal attack because it does not speak to the issues,” and said, “This (petition) attacks my moral character and how I am perceived to represent the town.”
When asked how he felt he represents the town, Nichols said that at the Jan. 4 selectmen’s meeting, the board unanimously agreed that he should represent Blandford at the Mass. Municipal Association’s conference this week. “I would be happy to attend,” he said, and added that he will cover the cost of all his expenses himself.
“I serve in the best interest of Blandford first and foremost by insisting on close financial monitoring of our town’s financial status.”
Because of this, he said he takes no pay, “No free accessory, no cell phone, laptop, and no pay as a Water Commissioner.”
Nichols said he has always maintained that the town was, “in dire financial straights, and all town officials have said that there is over $200,000 in free cash coming in, but,” he added, “our free cash is now certified at negative $73,000.”
He cited specifically the upcoming $3.5 million wind turbine project in Blandford on Mass Turnpike Authority property, and his own actions at a selectmen’s meeting to bring more money into the town by making a motion that the “town’s fee increase from a flat $75 to a 1.5 per cent of the total cost of the project.”
Regarding misconduct, Nichols had this to say. “I’m a carpenter who became a successful construction executive. Unfortunately, I get colorful emails every day.”
He said that he “admitted and apologized” to the town and to the highway department for the one single adult e-mail “mistakenly sent to their yahoo email account.”
Initially, according to Nichols, the e-mail was discovered by Selectman Chet Broughton who was following up on unread received emails from one of the town’s vendors to the highway department. “Broughton never came to me, but addressed the other board members privately about the erroneously appearing email.”
Nichols said, “If I didn’t have the moral character that I have, I wouldn’t have my wife, my children”
He said he had informed the board at a June 8 selectmen’s meeting that he had, since being elected in May, received “a horrendous amount of off-color emails,” and, “I got no help.”
He added, “If morality is such an issue, why was there no response?”
Following the language in the petition, Nichols responded to the question about his conduct at meetings by saying that he had asked Constable Jack Haight if he had ever been out of line.
“He told me that I have acted professionally and correct, and that the only outbursts had been from the public,” said Nichols.
He added, “Currently, in order to be crystal clear, I am the only person who raises his hand” to be recognized each time, “and I will continue to do so.”
Regarding the petition statement about his lack of courtesy, Nichols said, “I feel this is an outrageous claim. I am courteous, polite and professional to those who show me the same. To those who are rude, outlandish and difficult, like any other man,” and he restated, man, “I react passionately. I ask the elders of Blandford who are in attendance how I am doing, and the response is, ‘great; talk less.’”
Nichols said that he, as a construction executive, is “used to being in charge.” He said he is currently responsible for a multi-billion-dollar project at his work.
Right now he said he does not enjoy the weekly selectmen’s meetings because he believes there is a “predetermined agenda that I am not privy to.” He said he is, “not a member of the tribe, even though he is descended from the Blairs and his grandparents lived here.”
“When I’m wrong, I admit it. I have apologized twice, once for the email and a second time to the town clerk for using ‘stupid’ in an email,” he said.
Nichols said he questions the legality of the recall petition. He said that on Friday the Attorney General and the Secretary of State offices told his representative that if the individual who is petitioned to be recalled does not have the time and materials to authenticate the petition, then a judge could dismiss the recall altogether.
Nichols is still waiting for copies of the petition, “if it’s legal.” He questioned the timeframe of the actual serving the notice of the petition and the certification process and cited section two of the recall law, “One hundred or more qualified voters may make and file with the town clerk an affidavit containing the name of the officer sought to be recalled and a statement of the grounds for recall. The town clerk shall thereupon deliver to the 10 persons first named on the affidavit a sufficient number of petition blanks demanding the recall, copies of which printed forms he shall keep available.”
Nichols believes the first 100 signatures were not certified, and according to Town Clerk Staci Iglesias, they were not. They were only counted and upon finding 100 signatures, or more, this merely begins the petition process. The petitions then must be distributed to the first ten names, who then solicit signatures to total 25 per cent of the registered voters. The initial signers may sign the actual petition. Then the petition is certified, but it is only the actual petition that must be certified by the registrars and not the initial affidavit with the 100 or more signatures; the verbiage is the same for both the affidavit and the petition.
Regarding the time frame “If the officer to whom notice is directed by the town clerk does not resign the office within 5 days following receipt of the aforesaid notice from the town clerk, the town clerk shall give notice in writing to the board of selectmen not later than 1 work day following the expiration of the foregoing 5 days,” as stated in the recall law.
In any case, Nichols said, “I hope the voters will make the right decision.”
He added, “I am going to do my job, work for Blandford and not take any money. There is too much self-interest for appointed and elected officials in Blandford.”
countryjournal 