Tisbury town administrator Jay Grande is the focus of a complaint to the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission that sources say concerns his upcoming position with a Tisbury-based construction and engineering firm that has done work on some controversial projects in town, including work for Vineyard Wind.
The controversy has emerged amid Grande’s plans to retire at the end of this month after serving as Tisbury administrator for nearly a dozen years, and just as he has been cleared for training for a position with Sourati Engineering Group, a local firm that carried out the construction of the Vineyard Wind offices on Beach Road, and worked on a development on Spring Street that has roiled the town.
Town select board officials say they cleared Grande around a month ago to train for his job with Sourati Engineering Group, and that there is nothing in the arrangement that they believe constitutes unethical behavior.
The complaint was filed with the State Ethics Commission against Grande by Tisbury planning board administrator Amy Upton, according to a source familiar with the filing. Upton recently returned from administrative leave imposed by the town.
Upton filed the complaint on Oct. 29, the same day that Grande notified Upton that the town had placed her on paid leave. According to the source, the complaint concerns allegations that Grande insisted against delaying a development on 123 Beach Road, a project that planning board members have said is being used as workforce housing.
The complaint alleges that when Upton informed Grande that 123 Beach Road required a special permit in Tisbury, Grande responded that time was of the essence for occupancy, according to the source.
The complaint also states that Grande has a professional email with Sourati Engineering, which The Times has confirmed. Grande also has a voicemail set up in the company’s phone system.
Sourati Engineering has worked on more than just 123 Beach Road. It has also helped build Vineyard Wind’s Operation and Maintenance building on Beach Road, and worked on 97 Spring St.
A Sourati employee also confirmed to The Times on Tuesday that the company plans to employ Grande after his retirement, and that he is not employed there currently.
Grande has not responded to The Times’ requests for comment, despite attempts to reach him including at a public, remote select board meeting, where a question from The MVTimes to Grande was interrupted by chair John Cahill, who called the question not appropriate and not relevant.
While Upton is alleging an ethics violation, select board officials say that Grande received clearance from the board to train for the position at Sourati, and that he is not violating ethics.
Earlier this week, Cahill confirmed to The Times that Grande approached his board around a month ago about training at Sourati Engineering.
“We as a board were OK with him being able to start spending a very limited amount of time learning the tricks of the trade, and what he would have to do at his new position, which I believe he would start after his town administrator role,” Cahill said on Tuesday. “We were OK with him doing some weekend or evening work to prepare.
“I think Grande has the opportunity to continue his professional career. He’s doing so ethically and reasonably,” Cahill added.
Cahill also said the matter of Grande’s employment would not have been raised publicly at a select board meeting.
Sourati Engineering Group is based in Tisbury, and provides engineering and surveying services; it is one of a few prominent Island-based companies in those industries.
The group was involved in creating site planning documents for 123 Beach Road and 97 Spring St., both Aghassipour projects for or intended for workforce housing. 97 Spring St. is intended to house Vineyard Wind workers in a residential district.
Sourati Engineering also constructed the Vineyard Wind operations and maintenance building in downtown Vineyard Haven, which was approved by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission in 2022. Sourati was responsible for the construction of the 36,000-square-foot combined office, storage, and parking structure.
Speaking to The Times on Tuesday, Cahill said that Grande has been a dedicated town administrator who is looking to continue his career.
“You have got to realize that [Grande] has been working for the town for 11 years, and has done so with dedication,” Cahill said.“This is in the twilight hours of his departure, [his] preparing for new opportunities. It’s not like he’s been working on the side 30 hours a week and not showing up to work.”
Cahill added that Grande has been focused on his work as town administrator since being approved to train at Sourati Engineering.
“Jay has been dedicated to the town the entire year. There’s no question of his work ethic in relation to the town, nor was there ever any doubt about whatever he has been trying to do to prepare [for] his transition,” Cahill said.
According to Grande’s contract for his town administrator role, he is to be exclusively employed by the town. “The Employee agrees to continue to remain in the exclusive employ of the Employer,” his contract reads.
State ethics law also prohibits an official from knowingly acting in a manner that would cause a reasonable person “to conclude that any person can improperly influence or unduly enjoy his favor in the performance of his official duties, or that he is likely to act or fail to act as a result of kinship, rank, position, or undue influence of any party of person.”
Upton, who filed the complaint, was placed on leave amid her criticisms of the 97 Spring St. project.
Grande oversees all Tisbury town personnel, and on Oct. 29 he notified Upton that the town had placed her on paid leave pending a review of allegations of misconduct. Upton was escorted out of town offices by local police, according to her lawyer, Casey Dobel. Her leave followed the release of a number of her unflattering text messages about the developer of 97 Spring St.
This came after 97 Spring St.’s developer, Xerxes Aghassipour, publicly released Upton’s private text messages critical of the project and multiple town officials who had overseen it, including Grande and town building inspector Greg Monka.
The town is yet to publicly state why it placed Upton on leave, but Dobel told The Times in October that the town’s action was retaliation for the texts, which Aghassipour provided to the town before releasing publicly.
123 Beach Road has seen scrutiny this year from the town planning board. That project is currently under an appeal from the planning board, filed against Monka’s decision to issue a building permit for the project.
The Times has reached out to Bennett, as well as town counsel David Doneski with no response.
Town administrator Grande was not available for comment, despite repeated attempts to reach him through his cellphone, office phone, and work email.
Upton could not be reached either.
The State Ethics Commission told The Times that they do not confirm, deny, nor share details regarding pending complaints or investigations.
