A request to financially reward West Tisbury assistant emergency director Jennelle Gadowski for her role in the migrant situation in September opened up a larger conversation surrounding pay for West Tisbury emergency management workers.
According to West Tisbury town administrator Jennifer Rand, the request came from Oak Bluffs Fire Chief Nelson Wirtz, not Gadowski. Rand said Gadowski filled in while West Tisbury emergency management director Russell Hartenstine was absent when the migrants arrived on the Vineyard unannounced.
“It was a long night and a long couple of days,” Rand said. “They had an incident command center and so forth, and Jennelle was pretty deeply embedded in that the whole time.”
Gadowski also works at the Oak Bluffs Fire Department as an administrative assistant, and Wirtz told The Times he could not “legally or ethically” give pay for the emergency respondent role she took from his budget. Wirtz thought Gadowski should be paid for the “extra hours,” but her position is not paid an hourly rate and is a stipend position. However, considering the amount of work Gadowski put into the situation, Rand said, “It might not be unreasonable” to consider payment “in recognition of the fact she stepped in while Russell was away, Omar [Johnson, West Tisbury health agent] was away.”
Rand added that this request opens up another point of discussion.
“Russ and Jennelle do a great deal of work on a regional basis and … I don’t think either stipend covers what they actually do,” Rand said, adding that a conversation should be taken soon on whether these emergency management positions should become jobs with hourly rates. The change would need to be taken to a town meeting.
Board chair Cynthia Mitchell read parts of Wirtz’s letter stating Gadowski worked over 30 hours during the ordeal, and “he made it clear he couldn’t pay her, but if there was a way we could squeeze out a little bit of money.” Rand said this is “tricky” because many people stepped up during the incident, including Chilmark Deputy Fire Chief Tim Carroll, Edgartown Fire Chief Alexander Schaeffer, and Hartenstine. However, Rand proposed making a reserve fund transfer of about $1,000 to “recognize what happened.”
Board member Skipper Manter said “not that [Gadowski] is undeserving,” but “lots of people rise to the occasion” when there are emergency situations, such as blizzards or hurricanes. He was concerned about singling out one person to reward among the many who cooperated on the regional effort, and felt they could be setting a precedent if they gave out the payment. “I’m not against it, I’m just concerned about the process and how we go about it,” Manter said.
Board member Jessica Miller agreed with Manter and was “not totally sold on this idea.”
Hartenstine pointed out Gadowski receives about a $7,000-per-year stipend, and how she went “above and beyond.”
“It was very [extraordinary] circumstances. Her budget doesn’t afford that, I have nothing for that. Again, it all expands on the problem,” Hartenstine said, continuing by underscoring the increased number of emergencies they responded to. “Since I’ve been emergency manager for five years, it’s been nothing but more and more and more, and our budgets are growing rapidly because of it, and I don’t see it shrinking.”
In the long term, a policy about pay will need to be discussed, because Gadowski was the only stipended respondent, while the other Island town representatives were full-time employees, according to Hartenstine. Rand told The Times that Hartenstine’s stipend as the emergency management director is $25,000 per year.
“West Tisbury only has stipend employees, where everyone else has full-time, and when these emergencies happen, those people get to take an hourly rate, and we simply do not while we work for West Tisbury,” Hartenstine said.
Manter expressed doubt that the emergency response chiefs who were involved in the migrants situation were paid for their additional hours, but he agreed with Hartenstine that the issue of pay “should be addressed during the budgeting process.”
No vote was taken by the board.
“Again, repeating our gratitude, certainly, how she stepped up. She always steps up,” Mitchell said. “She’s a local hero, for sure, and I have to say among many local heroes.”
Rand said a conversation should be held “sooner rather than later” about the position and budgeting, when both Gadowski and Hartenstine are available.
In other business, the board had committee appointment requests to consider. The board unanimously appointed Manter to the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School building committee. Meanwhile, changes were needed for two appointments because they were not advertised beforehand. The board unanimously tabled the request for Ted Jochsberger’s appointment to the West Tisbury diversity committee until next week’s meeting, since it is not time-sensitive. The board also wanted to wait to discuss the committee’s membership makeup. However, the select board unanimously appointed Kate Warner to the Eversource working group with an interim appointment that has a 60-day term, because of her expertise and because it relates to energy issues. The group will “support the work of Eversource engineers in developing a strategic plan,” including meeting the Island’s increasing electrical needs and ensuring preparation for prolonged power failures, according to a letter Warner wrote.
The board unanimously approved opening up the oyster season. Recreational oystering will allow for half a bushel a week, starting on Nov. 1, and commercial oystering will start on Nov. 14, with an allowance of 800 pieces per day for three days a week.
The board unanimously approved the state election warrant.
Agreed this is a bad precedent to set. Mostly everyone that helped out did so out of the goodness of their heart and the charity that was needed at the time. More what is usually done under these circumstances is a plaque or medal outlining the exemplary performance. I do not think it’s necessary to go down this rabbit hole of spending more taxpayer money every time somebody does something special.
Bob, are you good with spending north of $200,000 in tax dollars on private jets (DeSantis Dumpsters)for escapees from Communist Venezuela but not one dime on Islander’s doing the Right thing?
Doing the “right thing” doesn’t require compensation.
Compensation, perceived as standard for spontaneous acts of kindness changes “acts of kindness” to “good deeds for hire”.
Why isn’t the bill for everyone’s efforts being sent to DeSantis?
With all due respect “lots of people rise to the occasion” when there are emergency situations. I think $7K is a good chunk of change especially seeing we are a “Sanctuary Island”!
Many island folks go “above and beyond” every day for a small yeary stipend or volunteer and get no stipend(s) at all. What about all the volunteers who donated their time, money, clothing etc etc? I think only a Thank You is in order..
Where are you getting your figure ? And you might be wise to track down the source of those funds ! SURPRISE !
I was one of those people who donated clothing to the Venezuelans cause, and a simple “thanks “ was payment enough for me!
It was a great opportunity for people to clear their closets of things they don’t wear and feel good.
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