Brockport board members discussed police chief contract

Following the regular meeting of the Village of Brockport board on October 3, the board convened into an executive session to discuss the police chief's contract.

At the August 15 board meeting, officials voted by a three to two margin to revoke Police Chief Dan Varrenti's contract saying the prior board "made a mistake" when they approved the 10-year pact with the chief back in January 2002.

Mayor Mort Wexler said at that time that the attorney general's office said that "contracts are not binding on successor boards" and that means the sitting board could make the contract null and void.

Wexler called for a resolution at that meeting to disaffirm the contract. "No one is talking about dismissal," Wexler said of the resolution. "All we're talking about is the contract that we don't think is legal."

Trustees Carrie Maziarz and David Wagenhauser voted against the motion to dissolve the contract. Wagenhauser had said the legality of the contract wasn't an issue but the fact that is was "overly generous" was. He questioned whether the cost of revoking the contract and being faced with legal fees could be worth it to the taxpayers.

Since the revocation of the contract, members of the board have met with Varrenti and have been awaiting his response to the revocation.

Wexler said the personnel matter, that was discussed in the executive session, involved the chief "giving us his opinion on" the contract.

"There were different views expressed and there will have to be further discussion with the village attorney," he said.

The board voted to appoint Michael O'Keefe as the prosecutor for the town court to pursue the matter.

October 9, 2005