The selectmen issued a statement saying they could not comment on “ongoing negotiations’’ with town employees. They have scheduled another meeting with Coughlin tomorrow, also in executive session, but Coughlin has asked that the session be an open meeting.
Coughlin, who earns $115,000, started work in August. Chosen from 80 applicants, the 53-year-old took over in a turbulent time from an interim town manager who had covered the post for about nine months.
Selectmen said then they were looking for a “take-charge’’ manager who would shake things up after an independent audit had revealed serious shortcomings in Cohasset’s financial record-keeping. Those problems led to large deficits in the Water Department and the resignations of the town manager and finance director.
But while town employees praised Coughlin for team-building and decisiveness, his style led to conflict with some of the volunteer boards in town, particularly the water commissioners.
Coughlin and Water Commission chairman Peter DeCaprio have been in a dispute over the commission’s plan for a 20-year private-public partnership to run the Water Department. The current five-year management contract expires June 30.
Coughlin questioned whether there was enough time to vet a new, more comprehensive contract before it came before the May Town Meeting. And he questioned whether DeCaprio had a potential conflict of interest since his investment firm had been financed by the company that is majority owner of Aquarion Water Co., a possible bidder on the Cohasset contract.
DeCaprio has denied any conflict and complained that Coughlin was sabotaging the contract because he wanted to control the process.
Control of the Water Department has been a recurring issue between Coughlin and the water commissioners. Coughlin points to the 2010 Town Meeting vote that gave the town manager joint financial oversight with the commissioners over the department. The commissioners say that vote is trumped by an 1886 state law giving them sole authority.
