SABATTUS — An independent investigator has found that Town Manager Timothy Kane committed no wrongdoing before or during his dispute with the Fire Department in the spring.
The investigation began in May after the resignation of Sabattus Fire Chief Troy Cailler. After Cailler’s departure, a firefighter prepared a document expressing no confidence in the town manager. The document was signed by dozens of residents and in response, Kane ordered an investigation into the matter.
Sabattus Town Manager Timothy Kane Submitted photo
The investigation was conducted by Toby Tiner Jr., a licensed investigator who spent months interviewing those involved and collecting other information about the matter.
His findings were recently released to the Sabattus Board of Selectmen, which announced at a meeting Tuesday night that Kane had been cleared of misconduct.
“The investigator concluded that Dr. Kane has not engaged in misconduct and that he has not managed the Town of Sabattus in a manner that warrants a review of his employment contract,” according to a statement issued Tuesday. “The investigator further concluded that Dr. Kane takes his role as town manager seriously and that Dr. Kane is committed to the Sabattus community, including both residents and town employees.”
Kane holds a doctorate in leadership studies from Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.
The letter provided to the Sun Journal on Wednesday was signed by Richard Lacombe, vice chairman of the Select Board. Tiner’s investigative report was not made available.
In May, a document outlining various complaints about Kane was prepared and circulated by firefighter and lifelong Sabattus resident Austin Gayton.
Gayton’s petition implied ongoing issues between the town manager and the people who work under him. Among the complaints lodged by Gayton and Cailler were that Kane refused to properly address a boiler issue at the fire station, which they say resulted in a lack of hot water the department needs for a variety of purposes, including decontamination.
At the time, Kane said publicly that Gayton’s petition “contains a lot of false claims” and immediately called for an outside investigator to look into the matter.
As the dispute became public, the town became divided over the matter of who was responsible for upheaval at the Fire Department. Before his resignation, Cailler had been credited with growing the department through the use of grants and with getting firefighters working full-time for the first time in the department’s history. Some accused Kane of trying to halt the growth of the department, while Kane himself stressed that he was simply protecting Sabattus residents by keeping the tax rate from rising further.
“One of Dr. Kane’s responsibilities as town manager is to hold all town departments and employees accountable, including the Sabattus Fire Department,” according to the letter produced from the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday. “With the support of the Board of Selectmen, Dr. Kane recently has taken steps to address issues within the fire department that have led to a change in administration of the department. While these steps may not have been popular with all members of the fire department, resulting in some opposition and resistance to the town manager, they are a necessary component of the town manager’s job. The board looks forward to continued improvements within the Sabattus Fire Department under the leadership of Dr. Kane and interim Fire Chief Rob Gayton.”
On Wednesday, both Kane and former Chief Cailler declined to comment on the matter.
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