FORESTVILLE - Former mayor of Forestville Charles Brewster, who resigned from the position on Oct. 11, will become the village's new streets and water supervisor effective Nov. 5 with a one-year probationary period.
This action was not popular Tuesday night with the members of the public who waited for the board to finish its executive session
That session took place at the end of the meeting and took about 50 minutes. When the board returned, Trustee Carol Woodward made the motion to appoint Brewster.
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Charles Brewster
Trustee Kimberly Stott seconded the motion. The two trustees, as well as Mayor Beth Bowker, voted for the motion. Trustee Linda Aures voted against it. Members of the public applauded her.
Earlier in the evening, John Carpenter, a laborer in the streets and water department, gave the report for the department. Carpenter has been carrying on the work of the village since William Bentzoni resigned as streets and water supervisor effective Oct. 4.
At that time, and in the community input section of the meeting, several residents spoke in favor of appointing carpenter. One woman complimented him about delivering a report at the board meeting, something Bentzoni was criticized for not doing. She was also pleased with the work she saw him doing.
Kevin Warner called Carpenter, "a breath of fresh air." Resident Ron Lineman also spoke in favor of appointing Carpenter.
Those who spoke in favor of Carpenter were applauded by the public.
Most of the public remained in place during the executive session.
As the time of the session grew longer, Marge Workoff said, "If Brewster gets this, it's a slap in the face to the village."
When the vote was taken, the room erupted with angry comments as people filed out of the meeting. Remarks such as "How could you do that?" were directed at the board.
The board adjourned the meeting.
Reached after the meeting, Aures, who along with Stott made up the committee which reviewed applications, said, "I want to say that I was very disappointed with the board's decision, but I hope Chuck Brewster proves me wrong."
Aures said she wanted John Carpenter to be appointed since he has worked for the village for five years. He has a CDL license. He was also the only candidate with a water license.
Bowker commenting on why she and others voted for Brewster, said, "His resume spoke for him. The consensus of most of us is that he was the outstanding candidate. While he doesn't have a water license, he is working on that. He has a CDL license, is a heavy equipment operator and mechanic. He has plowed snow. He is also familiar with the specifics of the water project. He has a knowledge of the whole water project. He works well under pressure and he has owned his own business."
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