Harvard Fire Protection District Trustee Joe Clark re-seated to Board of Trustees

Trustee Joe Clarke was reseated to the Harvard Fire Protection District Board of Trustees during its Tuesday morning meeting.

Clarke, who used to be the secretary, resigned from his secretarial duties for the board last year in the midst of multiple harassment complaints, the Northwest Herald previously reported.

In March 2019, the board voted, 3-0, to accept Clarke’s resignation.

Although he stepped down from his secretarial role, Clarke continued to serve the district as a trustee through his current term.

In the days before Clarke resigned from his secretarial duties with the Harvard Fire Protection District, former Board President and current Trustee Tom Condon sent him a letter requesting that he step down and detailing a year of harassment allegations against a district employee.

Clarke’s conduct toward Jeri Loiselle, administrative assistant to the fire protection district, has included threats to reduce Loiselle’s salary, out-of-line comments about members of the public, refusal to sign a loan agreement for a new pumper truck and interference with district business that has cost thousands in legal expenses, according to the letter obtained by the Northwest Herald through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Clarke said he had stepped down as board secretary because he refused to sign the loan agreement unless the board addressed concerns over how to pay back the pumper truck loan.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Clarke took the oath of office. There was no discussion on his reappointment during the meeting.

• Previous reporting by Drew Zimmerman contributed to this report.