Antonioli Resigns From Pool Board After Town Letter

At the June meeting of the Whitehall Town Council, held Monday, June 17, in the Town Hall, it was announced that longtime volunteer and Pool Board member Steve Antonioli had resigned just four days before the pool's summer opening.

Audience member Maxine Samuelson commented that Antonioli had been an asset to this community, funding the pool via a personal loan along with Glenna Waltee and Helen McCarthy, and that the town owed Antonioli a sincere thank you for his years of dedication. However, many other audience members were left confused by the announcement of Antonioli’s resignation, as it came as a huge surprise.

Upon contacting Antonioli, the Whitehall Ledger received a digital copy of the letter sent to Antonioli on June 4th by Whitehall Town Treasurer Kennedy Kleinsasser on behalf of herself, the Mayor, and the Council. Antonioli also presented his response to the letter, which included his resignation.

As it is always better to get information directly from the source rather than paraphrase, the Ledger presents both letters in their entirety.

FROM THE TOWN:

Dear All,

I’ve included the mayor and council in this message to ensure clarity for everyone involved. It has come to my attention that there has been discussion about utilizing the Pool Pals fund for various projects related to the pool. While it’s acceptable to use it as a fundraising account, I’d like to reiterate that for these funds to be spent at the pool, they must first be donated to the town, with the town making the final purchase. This approach ensures that no private entity is considered an owner of the properties.

We’ve recently encountered issues with another private entity following a similar path with a town facility, and both the council and I are adamant about not repeating that experience. As the town treasurer, I am responsible for all purchasing related to town facilities, under the oversight of the mayor and council. I am confident that the majority of them will support this approach.

Should you wish to make any improvements or changes to the pool facility, these proposals will need approval from the council, and funds must be donated to the town for the purchases. This is the only workable method for utilizing this separate account, and frankly, it’s the only way I will allow operations through the pool to safeguard the Town’s interests.

Alternatively, if you prefer not to follow the above option, the town could consider leasing the pool to Pool Pals for an agreed-upon yearly amount, or establishing an interlocal agreement, which essentially serves the same purpose. Under this arrangement, you would have access to the Pool Pals account without the need for a donation to the town for purchases. However, you would be solely responsible for hiring, firing, payroll, operations, maintenance, etc., while the Town’s involvement would be only limited to the collection of the yearly rent fee and no funds would be provided to Pool Pals by the town.

I hope the concerns I’ve outlined in this email are clear, and I’m confident that we can find a positive path forward. Let’s work together to devise a constructive plan of action.

Another thing, I must address an issue regarding the hiring process for lifeguards for the 2024 year, which was not done correctly. The adopted hiring process entails the submission of applications followed by interviews with the mayor, manager, and one council member. After interviews are conducted and it is agreeable to those parties the applicants move forward to the council consent agenda for final approval. Regrettably, these interviews were skipped, and individuals were hired without prior authorization.

It is imperative that we adhere to the established hiring protocol moving forward. For the upcoming year, I propose implementing an earlier cutoff date for application acceptance and enhancing communication channels with both the council and the office. This will ensure transparency and accountability throughout the hiring process.

I trust that we can rectify this oversight and uphold the integrity of our hiring procedures going forward.

Any questions or concerns can be directed to any of the council members, Mayor, or myself.

Thank you,

Kennedy Kleinsasser

Town of Whitehall

FROM ANTONIOLI:

Town of Whitehall,

I recognize that the Town has full authority to manage their properties in the way they judge appropriate.

However, I absolutely reject the terms put forth and I am resigning from the Whitehall Pool Commission effective immediately. I have removed my tools from the pool property and will place my keys in the drop box at Town Hall.

Have a great day.

Steve Antonioli

Antonioli, his wife Nancy, Waltee, and McCarthy, as well as many other volunteers in the last two decades, had spent tireless hours writing grants, maintaining the pool, and more - often via their own funds. Liens had been placed on several of the group’s homes for the loan taken out to fund the creation of the pool; the loan was only recently paid off after more than two decades of Antonioli’s volunteering. They created the Pool Pals 501c3 to keep the town’s children active, healthy, and swimming in a safe atmosphere.

Nancy Antonioli, in a conversation with the Ledger, said that submitting purchase orders and going through the Town to utilize money they themselves had raised was not feasible and would have taken too much time compared to how things have been done in the past.