NEVERSINK  — Former Neversink Zoning Board  of Appeals (ZBA) Chairman Michael Dean confronted the Town Board regarding his dismissal from his position.

Dean familiarized meeting attendees on his background, from being born and raised in the Town of Neversink, his Tri-Valley School graduation, and his lifelong Neversink residency. He also described raising his family alongside his wife Joanne in the Town he “love(s) and deeply care(s) about.”

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve 34 years as a ZBA member, and also as the Chairman,” stated Dean. “I was...member of the original Board that started in 1991. I also have been a volunteer fireman at the Neversink Fire District Department for over 40 years.”

Dean also highlighted his building of two family businesses (Superior Building Supply and Dean Construction Corp.) during his working career before his retirement six years prior.

His reasoning going before the Board was his displeasure in the decision by the Town of Neversink Board made against him and “against the Town, basically.”

Dean recounted as far back as April when he stated Town Clerk Staci Conjura phoned him personally on his remaining the Chairperson of the ZBA and term renewal which he accepted, which Conjura confirmed was the truth.

He also described his meeting with Town Supervisor Chris Mathews on May 14, and how Mathews asked if he wanted to remain as Chairperson on the ZBA.

“You told me ‘yes’,” Mathews confirmed to Dean.

He also stated that a similar conversation with Neversink Zoning Board Clerk Rebecca Witthohn happened in which he replied yes to renewing his term.

“The very next day May 15...Chris Mathews called and said he wanted to talk to me [about ‘politics stuff’ discussed the previous day],” described Dean. “He approximately arrived 3 p.m. and informed me the Town Board voted not to reappoint me as the Chairperson of the ZBA and to remove me as a member by not renewing my term.”

He stressed the contrary to what had occurred prior, noting that he “didn’t get it.”

He affirmed that the Town would be in good hands with the new Chairperson Ian Constable.

“I asked Chris why he said he couldn’t tell me anything and he said he couldn’t tell me anything because it was done in Executive Session,” stated Dean. “Why did the Board on numerous occassions lead me to believe that I was going to remain the Chairperson the day before or after the meeting and not renew my term as the Chair of the ZBA?”

“After 34 years, I think I deserve the courtesy and the explanation from this Town Board as to why I was removed as Chairperson and from the ZBA entirely.”

Dean inquired why the Board’s decision was done in such a “Secretive - Executive Session as you [Chris] put it, abrupt, unethical, and disrespectful manner” to him.

“It’s the policy not to discuss personnel issues in a public meeting. We can do it in Executive Session,” stated Councilperson Rick Coombe, asking if the Board wanted to go into Executive Session to discuss with Dean.

Still, Dean wanted to know who made the motion to remove him and why.

“If anyone of you [the Board] this happened to, you’d want to know the damn reason, too,” stressed Dean. “I’m sure you would. It’s not right, it’s backstabbing, and it’s snakelike in my opinion. That’s not the way I want my town to run.”

With a motion by Coombe and a second by Councilperson Nicole Gorr, the Board moved into Executive Session.

Mathews later told the Democrat that Dean was declined his position back by the Board. He also stated that he was “not at liberty to share that information [reason why] right now” due to the nature of Executive Session discussing personnel matters.