During the Feb. 20 Town Council meeting, Town Councilor, Ron Dunn, addressed concerns he had heard from residents following the State of The Town Address given by Town Manager, Mike Malaguti, at the Feb. 10 Deliberative Session.
“Since this time I’ve spoken with over 25 local residents,” Dunn said, noting that he got phone calls, emails, and texts.
He said “They’re all very concerned about the comments that we’re made,” noting that most of them said they were “inappropriate and shouldn’t have been addressed in a state of the town address.”
Dunn said he hasn’t had the chance to discuss it yet with Malaguti yet, but he will address it with him when Malaguti returns from his vacation. He also thanked residents for bringing their concerns to his attention.
Resident, Kristine Perez, during public comment said she was concerned with the remarks made.
“I have to admit that I was taken back and somewhat offended by our town manager’s town address,” she said.
She stated that during the state of the town address, he spoke about ongoing events that are a “wonderful part of our town, but occur every year.”
Perez noted that she also heard many attacks made “on individuals and or groups and some praises of individuals that took more than half of his 15 minute and 35 second speech.”
She said she heard him express wants on specific warrant articles “and then went on for an attack on a community member knowing full well as he is a lawyer that she can not go after him with lawsuits.”
After passing out a handout to the Town Council, Perez explained what she thinks should be included in those types of speeches, noting that it should’ve included things about the budget, economic, development, and small businesses.
She also noted that there should’ve been mention of key objectives ahead saying “water is not the only problem that we have in this town. There are other key objectives.”
Perez also stated that it’s not a public forum to “chastise and belittle people anymore than being a Town Council member is.”
Resident, Jonathan Esposito, said he encouraged people in the community to watch that “15 minute tirade,” referring to Malaguti’s speech.
He also said that people on the Town Council should’ve raised a point of order.
Esposito said he thought Malaguti was being hypocritical since he has used his public office to “express his opinions on how citizens conduct themselves in letters to the editor in that very same paper,” referring to comments Malaguti made about the Londonderry Times.
He also noted that the Town Clerk, Sherry Farrell, has a column in the Derry News, which he enjoys reading, but said “she certainly expresses her opinions on what’s going on in the community and signs off as the Town Clerk.”
No other Town Councilors made comments regarding Malaguti’s speech.