Somers Residents Turn Out In Droves To Support Dismissed Buildings/Maintenance Supervisor

SOMERS, CT — For nearly 90 minutes at Monday night's meeting of the Somers Board of Education, a standing-room-only crowd of outraged residents spoke out on behalf of recently-terminated facilities and maintenance supervisor Jim MacFeat. Dozens of people jammed into the Board of Education chambers to show their support for the 30-year veteran of service to the town.

According to several sources close to MacFeat, he was called into a meeting on the afternoon of Friday, June 13, and told the town "is going in a different direction." His employment ended at that time.

Many audience members blamed MacFeat's dismissal on Superintendent of Schools Sam Galloway and school board chair Anne Kirkpatrick. Some other board members indicated they had no idea the termination was imminent.

Kirkpatrick repeatedly stated the board is not allowed to discuss personnel matters. Neither she nor Galloway returned email messages from Patch requesting comment.

Most commenters felt MacFeat deserved a better fate than being summarily dismissed. Others expressed concern that a new person, unfamiliar with the school buildings, will now be asked to guide a $15 million HVAC project at Somers Elementary School.

"No one knows the ins and outs of those buildings like Jim MacFeat," one resident said, while another compared the way he was let go was like corporate America.

"This is not corporate America; this is the town of Somers," the woman said.

Several speakers intimated that friends who work in the school system had been "encouraged not to attend" the meeting.

Following the lengthy period of public input, the board went into executive session. When the members emerged, they unanimously voted to extend Galloway's contract another year, and to give him a 3 percent pay increase, effective immediately.