Acushnet holds off on cheaper retiree Medicare plans, leaves matter with attorney

ACUSHNET Acushnet selectmen took no action Friday on Medicare plan options for town retirees, leaving the matter with an attorney after Chairman Kevin A. Gaspar Sr. said cheaper plans could save money for taxpayers and retirees but that the risk of a switch outweighed the reward for now.

"We have an option, an ability to save some money for taxpayers, but as well as our retirees," Gaspar said near the end of the Oct. 30 meeting, which aired live on Acushnet Cable. He said deadlines left the board unsure whether it could move forward. "But at this point, the risk reward is not there for us to just say we're gonna move," he said. "So we're gonna leave it in the attorney's hands."

For now, he said, "it's possible we will be staying with the same firm." Gaspar then said "no action is necessary," and the board adjourned.

Why the board turned to a lawyer

Gaspar said the board had been told about the renewal late. "It is extremely unfortunate that we weren't properly notified on this scenario of renewal," he said. He said he brought in an attorney who had represented the town in past litigation, and that the attorney will keep talking with the parties involved.

The board first had the item on its Wednesday, Oct. 28, agenda, listed as "Retiree Medex Renewals." That night Gaspar said he had spoken with counsel and moved it to a Friday session. "I'm waiting to hear back from counsel on this," he said on the town's video of that meeting. "We cannot move forward until we hear back from legal." Friday's agenda listed the item as "Retiree Medicare Plan options."

Deputy chief contract agreed

Friday's meeting opened with a closed executive session to plan contract talks for the new deputy police chief post, a non-union position. The board returned to open session about two hours later.

Gaspar said the board and the officer it had chosen Wednesday reached agreement on a contract. "We still have some minor editing to do to language," he said, but the parties "put our signatures on a piece of paper" listing the changes they agreed on. The board then voted to make the appointment official.

"I'm glad that it was amicable," the new deputy chief told the board. "I just look forward to getting to work and moving things in a positive direction." Gaspar credited Police Chief Gary Coppa for the staffing changes and said he believes they set the department up "probably for a decade to come."

On Oct. 28 the board had approved the appointment, pending successful negotiations, of the first deputy police chief of the Acushnet Police Department. The same night it accepted the retirement of John Bolarinho, effective Jan. 1, 2027, and the resignations of officers Adrian Fontes, effective Oct. 10, and Nathaniel Turgeon, effective Oct. 22. Coppa told the board the two officers had left for the State Police.

What happens next

The retiree plan question stays with the attorney Gaspar brought in, and he said an answer could come in two to three weeks. The board members are Gaspar, Robert J. Hinckley and Ryan Rezendes. Retirees and residents with questions can reach the Board of Selectmen's office at 122 Main St. or 508-998-0200; Town Administrator Adam Lamontagne is at extension 9. Acushnet Cable posts meeting recordings at tv.acushnet.gov.

Medicare's own fall open enrollment, for people who pick their own Medicare Advantage or drug plans, runs through Dec. 7. Our guide to open enrollment has the dates and 2027 premiums.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.