Our Right to Know: Dean Pierce

By Jessica Sparks

Dean Pierce was a municipal planner in Shelburne, Vermont, for 20 years before he left his job because of what he calls an “unhealthy” work environment.

The picturesque 8,000-resident town sits on Lake Champlain. When the town manager left for a job in New Hampshire, Lee Krohn was appointed to the interim position. Krohn came into the position with 24 years of experience working in the town of Manchester, only 2 hours south of Shelburne. After serving as interim town manager for 7 months, Krohn was hired into the permanent position in December 2018.

After the leadership change, Pierce felt the workplace atmosphere move to something less friendly than he was used to. He resigned from his position in July 2021 after an extended medical leave.

“Things were not great when I left, but it was the healthy thing to do,” Pierce said. “I had things in the rearview mirror, but then I started reading about a young police chief going through the same things I was going through.”

That’s when Pierce decided to request a look at the Town Manager’s contract only to learn that it had been renewed early and in the renewal, the manager was required to take a human resources course.

On Dec. 24, 2021, Pierce requested documents related to complaints about the planning and zoning department, as well as complaints about the performance and behavior of the town manager. When those requests were denied, Pierce attended a meeting of the selectboard to appeal. It was at that meeting in February 2022 that tension between Pierce and the town manager came to a head. The town manager said Pierce was on a “fishing expedition” to ruin Krohn’s reputation and integrity. Krohn issued an apology after the meeting.

Meanwhile, the case of the police chief ended in a settlement between the town and the officer.

Ultimately, the Vermont Supreme Court sided with the town manager and the selectboard in their decision to deny the records. While Pierce received some of the documents he requested, his legal pursuit to keep the town manager accountable for his actions was faced with many roadblocks. That didn’t stop him from using what he had to make a difference.

“I got some documents,” Pierce said. “So when I heard the selectboard was reviewing the manager again, I sent them a note and said, ‘I read that you’re talking about personnel at the next meeting so here’s some information.’”

In July 2022, Krohn and the town came to an agreement to end ties. Pierce said the process to hire Krohn’s replacement was much more transparent than before.

“The process of hiring municipal managers in Vermont is a crucial decision but it varies,” Pierce said. “I like to think that I had an impact, but I don’t think everybody would have a favorable light… I feel like I had a positive impact on the community. I feel like my work is not done. That just it’s beginning.”

One thing Pierce learned through this process is that the price tag can be hefty. “It shouldn’t cost the price of a car,” he said.

In the future, Pierce said he would consider doing another case without the assistance of an attorney. “The lawyers have histories with the judges and they have other cases that go in those courts. I would not have held back. As a layperson, I think I would have said more.”

Pierce also said citizens shouldn’t always rely solely on the media to work on transparency missions. In this case, the former town manager regularly had photographs published in the town newspaper.

“It wasn’t getting covered because he was essentially on the staff,” Pierce said. “As a person who worked in municipal government, I felt benefitted most by the community access streaming of the meetings. Our community access station is called The Media Factory. I’ve gotten on the board of that because I truly believe in the transparency.”