##VIDEO ID:G5iBwoiaepA## the select board recently acknowledged two longtime Town employees who will be soon retiring welcome Sarah thank you how are you this evening feeling light I'm feeling great yeah yeah a little apprehensive you know it's a it's a big change and uh I'm going to be sad to be leaving everybody at the library but I'm feeling good Sarah has seen us through times of change like no other we have changed as a town over the time that Sarah has been with us we when she started with us we were a town that was much smaller than we are now we were in a library that was much smaller than we are now and she saw us through the renovation she spearheaded that change she saw us through changing how we run as a staff and informed those decisions and most most importantly Sarah has acted as a mentor to every single librarian on staff and she has been the most influential and important human being in our library uh I think uh you being there that long is a testament to uh the job you've done and certainly you know you've helped us navigate some tough waters you know as we did transform as a town and as the library did transform and we thank you for that very much you've earned a fabulous retirement and we hope it is such thank you thank you I appreciate it trying to remember you know I was definitely Young when Matt joined the Department and it was a lot smaller at the time um but I know you know mostly you know through my brief interactions with him over the years and more telling to me you know how my dad viewed him as a fire figh as a person you know that that was enough of an endorsement for me about you know how Matthew was you know with this department the service of the Town um so I really just wish him the best um I know he does nursing as well and I think he's going to focus more on that in his retirement from the fire department so really excited and happy for Matt and we will miss him the select board also recently appointed three new police officers uh so uh Peter Lord uh comes to us from northeas University uh so he's Academy train went to the Plymouth Academy um he'll be what we consider a lateral transfer uh he comes I believe with just over a year experience at nor Eastern uh got his degree at North Eastern and uh is from Ashland living in Milford and uh we're definitely excited to have somebody that has some background some training uh we have we've also stolen another officer officer zenid from nor Eastern so stolen isn't that against the law of to Steel go ahead uh next uh we have uh Jennifer Manning she is um a malor resident um we also stole her from malor um so the uh the day that she interviewed uh with us she also had an interview on malor and uh we made a conditional offer and she accepted uh she went through our process uh she is slated to attend the Boon Academy January 2 uh she's completed all the necessary paperwork uh background physical um P test and she'll be ready to go uh for January okay and Eva can she comes from uh to us from um bedway where she's a dispatcher uh which is a unique um trait to have as a police officer to understand what happens on the other side of the desk and I think she brings uh some great qualities um as a police officer uh with that background she is also slated to attend the Boon academy uh January 21st of next year and she is also completed um all the necessary background um physical training and um and psychologicalscience um after that did some security for a little bit and then went right back to nor Eastern um and dispatched with them for a little bit um then I got the call to go to the academy um graduated Plymouth uh January of uh this year um and I'm uh grateful for the opportunity to be here um I went to high school at Worcester Academy in Worcester um I got recruited to play hockey um for division 3 School in Upstate New York I went to Sunni platsburg spent four years there got my bachelor's in political science with Miners And Criminal Justice and legal studies um post College I graduated in 2020 so we entered into the pandemic which was an interesting world for all of us especially as a recent Gra um from there I decided to take a job in Worcester as the Director of operations for the Worcester White Hawks which is a youth girls hockey program out of the Wester Ice Center um from there I joined the Massachusetts State Police as a Cadet um I was part of their first class that they ever did so we were kind of the guinea pigs of that program um kind of showed us the ins and outs of law enforcement um what it takes to be a member of law enforcement and the Commonwealth Massachusetts and just in general um I'm super we're grateful to the state police for everything that they taught me over the course of a year and a half and I'll take that into my new position here in hopkington um I look forward to working in the town um so far everyone I've worked with through human resources and through the department um has been absolutely amazing very professional um in all of my meetings um so I'm super happy to join um a department in a town um that has great qualities like that as I touched upon before I do enjoy the community aspect of policing which I've have been able to see in my previous experience working in Medway and hop kington offers community events like the fishing derby concert on the common such as that that I would like to be a part of I think my transition over to hopkington and into the role of a police officer will be a smooth one I have experience working in a department that's not only in service partners with hopkington police department but is of similar size and structure as well so I think it'll be a smooth transition please the select board also appointed Scott Van ralton as Deputy police chief a committee was formed to support the recruitment process and this included Chief Bennett myself murel Kramer former select board member Patricia dwarte of the Personnel committee and chief Hicks of the natic police police chief and Jessica Len um the committee reviewed the application materials reviewed written assignments and conducted oral interviews with six candidates uh on April 30th 24 in May 1st 2024 and four candidates were identified to participate in an assessment center that was held on May 16th 2024 uh it's difficult Balancing Act to be a second in command and function as a second in command when you're in the union and Lieutenant V ralton was exemplary so tonight I'd like to ask uh recommend Lieutenant Squad V ralton to the position of deputy chief I feel he's earned it and I feel going forward he's the person for the job you've clearly Chief alluded to been a leader in the department for a little while now but can you talk about how you know that's kind of changed things you've learned from over time you know I think the most important thing is to understand that we're all human um everybody in this room has made mistakes um we've all learned from them um it's not a mistake if it happens twice so um you know I really I believe in that I believe in you know as long as you're doing the right thing for the right reasons um at the end of the day you'll be okay and uh I think in this line of work um we see people at their worst moments when they've made mistakes in their life um and having that compassion and that understanding that um you know they can get through it it's not the end of the world um there is a way to to get through these things manager's perspective any thoughts on the process any thoughts on the discussion tonight anything you want to share do you have any questions I mean you're you're a non- voting member of this board in my mind so uh no questions but it was my first time participating in in a such an exhaustive process as this and I was really impressed with the the depth and the breadth of the process and what all the candidates went through to really um showcase their talents and their ability to serve the town so I was very impressed with the process okay and you feel what good where we're Landing sensing okay thank you okay um I have no further questions or comments I don't think any other the members of the board do if anybody's inclined to do something else please do so I can move the motion if you please I move to appoint Scott Van ralton as Deputy police chief for the town of Hopkinton second we have a motion on the table and a second any further discussion hearing none all those in favor please say I I any opposed it is unanimous and so carries a 40 vote congratulations what do you guys play yeah which position you play um offense and line dine line dine o line D line QB got the Hol ma great uh if there are family members that would like to join in the picture please come forward let's get P oen to sit in one of the chairs see how it feels all right now look up everybody looking at John looking at my twin brother and he has one I'll be quiet one more one more all right