Ex-director doing work for regional agency

They say Bonnie Waninger, who resigned in April as the commission’s executive director, was rehired shortly thereafter as a part-time contractor.

Seth Jensen, who is interim director of the organization, hired Waninger without consulting commission board members, according to Follert.

The regional commission provides short- and long-term planning assistance to the 10 towns and five villages in Lamoille County. Its board of directors has representatives from each municipality, plus five county directors who represent the region as a whole. Its executive committee consists of the four officers of the board of directors and three other directors appointed by the chair.

Historically, the executive committee has approved all hires, Thomas said.

In April, Waninger accepted a full-time job as executive director of the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission. Since May, she has also worked part-time for the Lamoille commission.

Thomas and Follert say this is troubling in light of the findings of a recent audit.

“We’ve been going through a very long audit,” Follert said. “The books are fine; it’s how the books were done.”

According to the auditor, while there were no signs of inappropriate fiscal management, the bookkeeping was inadequate. As a consultant, Waninger has been redoing much of the bookkeeping, as the audit recommended.

The Lamoille commission has no bookkeeper and is searching for a new one. The auditor recommended that, to manage commission finances in the future, the new hire will need significant experience in financial management.

Follert said she was “blindsided” to learn that Jensen had rehired Waninger, and said other board members she spoke to were surprised as well.

“Generally, when an executive director is done, they’re done,” Follert said. “It’s one thing if you have an overlap period, but there isn’t.”

Jensen said Waninger was hired to help develop invoices and other reports that the planning commission needs to operate.

The Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission agreed to allow her to work part-time at first so she could be available to assist the Lamoille group searches for a new bookkeeper and an executive director, Jensen said.

In addition, Waninger has helped prepare backup information needed for invoicing, completed grant-reporting requirements for projects that occurred while she was director, and has been advising the group, he said.

“This arrangement has assisted in ensuring that the transition does not result in disruption of services to municipalities in the region,” Jensen said.

Follert said Jensen should have told the executive committee.

“In most organizations, you couldn’t hire someone without an executive board authorizing payment,” Follert said. Jensen “definitely should have come before the executive board. When you’re paying that kind of money out of payroll, the board should know.”

Last month, Follert and Thomas brought their concerns to the regional commission’s executive committee.

According to minutes of that meeting, committee member David Bergh said that, in retrospect, the committee should have been informed of, and discussed, Waninger’s hiring in advance. At the same time, he said it was necessary, given the Lamoille commission’s lack of a bookkeeper.

Jensen clarified that Waninger has limited access to the Lamoille commission’s offices and files; she is only invoicing and generating reports with information already entered into the system.

The committee agreed that Waninger’s contract should be extended until June 30, but she should be in the office only during business hours when the interim director is also present.