BREAKING NEWS: Bennett demoted from selectmen vice-chair

As last night's Nantucket Board of Selectmen's meeting on standard budget issues wrapped up, selectman Whitey Willauer suddenly called for Doug Bennett's removal as board vice-chairman. Brian Chadwick was named to take Bennett's place.

"[His behavior] undermines our ability to run the board," said Willauer.

Though offered the chance to postpone the matter for further open discussion or take up the matter in executive session, Bennett wanted to forge ahead, saying "Let's discuss it in front of the public. Let's just do it now. Politics is a difficult game. If you don't like the heat, you should get out of the kitchen. I love the kitchen."

Willauer later explained that he took the action for a number of reasons. They include Bennett's voiced displeasure at a meeting about a month ago when police officers he felt should have been promoted were passed over. Willauer said Wednesday night, as was stated at the prior meeting, that such a personnel matter is not proper for a public selectmen's agenda. He also maintained, as he has in the past, that Bennett does not understand the town charter on many matters.

Willauer further cited a meeting when Chairman Michael Glowacki tried to maintain order, but Bennett was disrupting, and failed to provide due respect to the board chair. He also said Bennett has not met his commitment to serving on the Contract Review Committee, only attending one of eight or nine meetings.

In addition, there has been a back and forth argument between Bennett and police officers on the Yack website, which Yack owner Grant Sanders finally removed a couple days ago because it was bordeering on libelous material, and also removed Bennett from posting on the site.

"We checked with Town Counsel. We afforded him the rights of due process and the right to go into executive session," said Willauer. "He waived his rights."

Bennett, reached after the meeting, maintained that selectmen had illegal meetings to orchestrate his removal because he speaks out on issues, such as the police promotions, as well as his striken down insistence a couple weeks ago to allow more testimony on alleged taxi regulation violations.

As to his web postings, Bennett said, "It's all child's play. It's people who trash other people, and it's counterproductive. All they do is talk about personalities and gossip."

Following the vice-chairman's shift, selectmen Chairman Glowacki said, "The long term important things that affect the town have to do with the budget. It is frustrating when they keep getting eclipsed by lesser issues."