Driscoll to remain on board despite new position
Date: 7/17/2012
By Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.comEAST LONGMEADOW — Selectman James Driscoll recently stressed that he has no plans to leave East Longmeadow or his position on the Board of Selectmen.
Driscoll confirmed to
Reminder Publications that he has accepted a position with an out-of-state company, but said he has no intentions of moving.
"I accepted a position with a smal medical technology start-up company and I will be their national sales manager," he said. "It's a fair question, but I'm not going anywhere. I have a remote office, so I will be able to work out of my home."
Driscoll added that he does not begin work for the company until Aug. 7.
Speculation was abound in the wake of a new posting on Driscoll's LinkedIn online resume that stated that he now works for Secure Bill Pay of St. Paul, Minn., serving as the company's national sales manager. Rumors were further exacerbated by a perceived lack of presence in the community recently.
Since May 1, Driscoll has been absent from just one meeting — the most recent one that took place on July 10 — but has only been physically present for four of the seven meetings during that time period.
He participated in two meetings — May 9 and May 29 — via speakerphone, in accordance with the new remote participation statute offered by the Attorney General's office and accepted by the Board of Selectmen. He was physically present at the May 1, May 21, June 12, and June 26 meetings, however, he was late to the May 21 meeting, which took place prior to the Annual Town Meeting and left the Annual Town Meeting prior to its adjournment.
Similar speculation arose in the fall of 2011 when Driscoll was listed as an employee at Skeletal Dynamics, located in Florida. During that time, Driscoll, who was the chairman, was absent from the Aug. 26, 2011, Sept. 6, 2011, Oct. 7, 2011, Nov. 4, 2011, regularly-scheduled meetings and the Oct. 30, 2011 emergency meeting in the wake of the Oct. 29, 2011 snowstorm. The minutes from the emergency meeting noted that Driscoll was away on a previously planned business trip.
In addition to these absences, the November 2011 newsletter for The South Florida Emerald Society Inc. in Miami included a message welcoming Driscoll and his family to the group, stating, "Jim and his spouse, Carol, have four children and they live in Coconut Grove. Jim is proud of his Irish heritage; he attends the Annual O'Driscoll Clan Reunion and is a past member of the [John] Boyle O'Reilly Club in his native Springfield, MA."
When asked about his residency by
Reminder Publications in November 2011 in response to these findings, Driscoll denied living in Florida, stating that he had worked for Skeletal Dynamics for a brief time, but no longer held a position with them and pointed to the tax rolls that prove his ownership of a home in East Longmeadow.
