Town Meeting Sends Message to Selection Committee: Bring Back Sgt. Brennan

Supporters of fired Hopkinton police Sgt. Tim Brennan scored a major moral victory Tuesday at the Hopkinton Middle School auditorium, as the special town meeting overwhelmingly supported a citizens’ petition asking the special council to reappoint Brennan.

The vote was 220 to 99, with a simple majority required for adoption.

Resident Karen Crum showed up on behalf of Brennan’s supporters and acknowledged that “this motion is symbolic” because the town meeting is not the appointing authority for police officers.

“But what we have the ability to do is send a clear message about what we think is the right thing to do and what we want them to do,” Crum said. “It’s up to them to decide whether they will respect our wishes or not.”

Brennan was fired by a 4-1 vote for failing to report a woman’s accusation that she had been sexually assaulted by another HPD officer, John “Jay” Porter, while she was a student at Hopkinton High School. At a hearing in Loudermill in January, Brennan explained that he was trying to protect the alleged victim, who apparently was not ready to take legal action. His supporters say his desire to be sensitive to the woman’s trauma — as well as issues with HPD senior leadership and department policies — justifies his return to the force.

Crum said, “This vote is about putting a man who faithfully served his city back on the streets. »

Resident Gayle Ober added: “There are so many problems with the decision to fire Tim Brennan. This city now has the opportunity to ask the Board of Trustees to right its wrongs. It’s never too late to make the right choice. »

Mike Shepard, a former member of the select committee, said he believed the current board made the wrong decision and that “putting him and his family through this is the ultimate travesty.”

Resident Timothy Boivin said he knew the alleged victim. He called the special committee’s decision to fire Brennan and the trustees’ overall handling of the matter “morally reprehensible, and the city should be ashamed.”

“By firing Sgt. Brennan, this advice has continually traumatized this woman – over and over again,” Boivin said.

Brennan appealed the decision, and some residents expressed concern that the city could face financial penalties.

Paula Garland asked the Select Board to “impose more reasonable discipline so that we, the residents of Hopkinton, are not exposed to as much liability.”

Although most spoke in favor of the article, a few residents expressed support for the special council’s decision and noted that the council was aware of more information that could not be shared with the public.

Resident Rachel Klein, who said she has previously filed lawsuits in domestic violence and sexual assault cases, said approving the section is a precedent the city should not set.

“Reporting policies exist in law enforcement and are not just intended to protect individual members of the community. They exist to protect travel as a whole and to protect the operation of services,” she said. “And when we allow law enforcement officers to deviate from these highest standards, we risk undermining both community safety and the rule of law.” »

Amy Groves, chairwoman of the Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee, said that as a child in Indiana, she was repeatedly raped by an older adult member of her family, starting when she was 12 years. She asked her neighbors to be careful not to assume what a rape survivor wants.

“I don’t pretend to tell another rape survivor what they went through or how they should feel about it, because everyone is different,” Groves said. “But in my case, my life would have been infinitely better, it would have been changed forever if someone had come forward and spoken on my behalf. If we had had mandatory reporting laws, and if my family members hadn’t looked away, if doctors hadn’t looked down in embarrassment and said a word, my life would have been different. So while I don’t pretend to know what anyone else’s life is like, I would like to urge people not to assume that rape victims always want their stories to remain secret and that children can handle this kind of things. We need champions. We need adults to be adults.

Resident Beth Malloy said the vocal group of Brennan supporters did not speak for the entire city.

“A lot of people say ‘we.’ “We want this. “Well, there are a lot of ‘us’ people in the city who are not here tonight who agree with the select committee, who agree with our police chief,” Malloy said.

Malloy added: “Good men make bad mistakes. And sometimes, when they make big mistakes, they pay for them in the worst way. People make mistakes. He made a mistake. He should have reported it, and none of this would have happened.

After the vote, which was the last item on the extraordinary municipal meeting’s mandate, the annual municipal meeting resumed. Below are the results for all articles as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. The rest of the articles will be updated at the end of the annual municipal meeting.

ARTICLES/RESULTS OF THE ANNUAL CITY MEETING

Article 1: Acceptance of municipal reports
Approved, 304-23

Article 2: Additional credits and transfers
Approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 3: Unpaid invoices from previous years
Approved by voice vote (four-fifths majority required)

Article 4: Cancel the authorized but not issued debt
Vote to take no action approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 5: Bond surcharge
Vote to take no action approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 6: Fix the salary of elected officials
Approved by voice vote (simple majority required)

Article 7: Operating budget for fiscal year 2025
Approved, 280-70 (simple majority required)

Article 8: Expenditure ceilings for revolving funds for the 2025 financial year
Approved by voice vote (simple majority required)

Article 9: Access to the PEG and financing linked to the cable
Approved, 236-70 (simple majority required)
Amendment to increase HCAM funding with an additional $50,000 from available city money approved, 233-102 (simple majority required)

Article 10: Chapter 90 Road Funds
Approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 11: Transfer of post-employment benefit liabilities to other trust funds
Approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 12: Transfer to the general stabilization fund
Approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 13: Transfer to the Capital Expenditure Stabilization Fund
Vote to take no action approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 14: Payment to the Reserve Fund for specialized school education
Approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 15: Allocation of Opioids funds
Approved by voice vote (simple majority required)

Article 16: Distributed capital expenditure
Approved by voice vote (simple majority required)

Article 17: Digitization of all municipal registers
Approved, 297-46 (two-thirds majority required)

Article 18: District-wide HVAC system replacement
Vote to take no action approved by voice vote (simple majority required)

Article 19: Expansion and renovation of Hopkins elementary school
Approved, 242-102 (two-thirds majority required)

Article 20: Improvement of the drainage of Ash and Fenton streets
Approved, 209-46 (two-thirds majority required)

Item 21: Roadway and sidewalk improvements, DiCarlo Road, Peppercorn Road, Barbara Road
Failed, 151-82 (two-thirds majority required)

Article 22: Replacement of the Granite Street culvert
Approved, 183-42 (two-thirds majority required)

Section 23: Citywide Water Pipe Flushing Program
Approved by voice vote (simple majority required)

Item 24: Howe Street Water Treatment Plant – Ozone Treatment
Approved, 239-42 (two-thirds majority required)

Item 25: Grove Street Water Reservoir Design
Approved by voice vote (simple majority required)

Article 26: Replacement of the main water main on East Main Street
Approved by 235 votes to 34 (two-thirds majority required)

Article 27: Replacement of Water Service vehicles

Article 28: Replacement of Water Service vehicles
Vote to take no action approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 29: Replacement of Water Service vehicles

Article 30: Replacement of Sewer Service vehicles

Article 31: Wastewater treatment plant membrane

Article 32: Assessment of the sewer system, Hayden Rowe pumping station

Article 33: Municipal parking

Article 34: Testing of toxic chemicals

Article 35: Petition relating to Home Rule – Tax exemptions for seniors, school construction projects

Article 36: Adopt the specialized energy code

Article 37: Community preservation funds

Article 38: Recommendations for preserving the community

Article 39: MBTA Communities zoning regulations

Article 40: Modification of the zoning plan, 1 Colonial Avenue, 81 Hayden Rowe, 83 Hayden Rowe

Article 41: Modify the regulation on non-criminal provisions

Article 42: Modification of the general statutes – Conditions of composition of certain committees

Article 43: Modification to the general regulations – admission to the municipal assembly hall

Article 44: Modification of the general statutes-law leaves

Article 45: Accept the donation of land, Whisper Ridge subdivision
Approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 46: Accept the donation of land, Connelly Farm subdivision
Approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (simple majority required)

Article 47: Accept the donation of land, Elmwood III subdivision

Article 48: Servitude, operation and maintenance of the Maspenock Lake dam

Article 49: Disposition of property, 0 Duffield Road and 0 Beach Street

Article 50: Transfer of custody, custody and control of Echo Trail plots
Vote to take no action approved via consent agenda, 292-39 (two-thirds majority required)

Article 51: Modify the municipal maintenance charter

Article 52: Creation of a government study committee

SPECIAL CITY MEETING ARTICLES/RESULTS

Article 1: Replacement of public works vehicles
Approved by voice vote (simple majority required)

Item 2: Main Street Fire Station HVAC Upgrade
Approved by voice vote (simple majority required)

Item 3: Repairs at the Woodville Fire Station
Approved by voice vote (simple majority required)

Article 4: Layout of the land – 0 Hayward Street
Approved, 282-11 (two-thirds majority required)

Article 5: Appoint Sgt. Timothy Brennan
Approved, 220-99 (simple majority required)