The town manager in Wilmington has resigned, after he and the Select Board came under fire for how they handled the town government’s response to Tropical Storm Irene.
Irene wreaked havoc in Wilmington, damaging many businesses and homes.
Last week, the Select Board accepted Fred Ventresco’s resignation.
Volunteer firefighters in Wilmington had criticized Ventresco and the Select Board for what they say was the town’s delay in repairing flood damage at the firehouse.
Ventresco had been on the job for less than a year, and he says although he was very concerned by the feelings of the firefighters, that discord did not factor into his decision to leave.
Some board members are concerned about getting an interim town manager in place quickly. The board plans to meet Tuesday to begin the search for a replacement.
Other town managers in communities affected by the flooding have also been criticized for their flood response. In Bethel, for example, some residents say the local government has been out of touch with the needs of families displaced by the storm.
Read the latest minutes from Wilmington and more than 50 other Vermont cities and towns at VPR’s Public Post.
CORRECTION: In the original version of this post, we incorrectly reported that the Town Manager alone had come under fire for disaster relief management. Both the Town Manager and the Select Board have been criticized.