During his first full week on the job, new Hinesburg town manager Todd Odit had a meeting with Al Barber, the townâs fire chief, to discuss a controversial meme Barber shared on his Facebook page.
At that meeting, the fire chief and the town manager agreed Barber would retire and the town would begin to look for a full-time paid fire chief, Odit said in an email.
The next day Barber informed Odit he did not want to retire, the town manager said.
The controversy came to a head last month when town officials were sent an email from Hinesburg resident Cathy Ryan that included the meme Barber shared â a picture of two men eating a banana simultaneously which read, âHow men who want to ban guns eat bananas.â
The title they will get, though, is still unknown.
Among articles presented to voters on the Town Meeting Day ballot, residents will decide on Article 3 â whether the town will switch to the town manager form of government or stick with its current town administrator system.
Who that person is should be known soon. In fact, selectboard chair Phil Pouech said, the board might vote for which of three finalists it wants for the position at its Wednesday night meeting on Feb. 17, after press time for this newspaper.
Renae Marshall served as town administrator since October 2017 and in November resigned to take a job as deputy town manager in Colchester.