HARDWICK – Hardwick Electric Department (HED) seems to have replaced its general manager without a public record or explanation. Minutes of the board of commissioners regular November 18 meeting indicate the general manager’s report was given by Scott Johnstone, general manager of Morrisville Water & Light, who served as HED interim general manager in 2024.
In November 2024 it was announced that Sarah Braese would take over as general manager in January 2025, which she did, replacing Johnstone.
Braese gave the general manager’s report at the regular October 21 meeting, with no indication that anything was out of order at that time. She did not attend the November 18 meeting.
At that meeting, both Braese and Business and Finance Manager Beth Essary were removed as authorized signers on bank accounts and replaced by Johnstone. Minutes of that meeting indicate, “Beth Essary presented the financial report, including new information about projected cash flow. Scott Johnstone and Beth Essary will continue to expand cash reporting.”
The Hardwick Select Board’s November 20 meeting minutes indicate Hardwick Town Manager David Upson referred to Johnstone as “the Interim General Manager for Hardwick Electric,” indicating that at least some outside HED are aware of the change.
The HED web site no longer lists Braese as general manager, but instead shows that position is now held by Johnstone. No public record exists of Johnstone being appointed recently to serve HED in any capacity.
An emergency meeting of HED Commissioners was held October 8 at which an executive session was held with Braese present, but minutes of that meeting do not specifically include or exclude her from the executive session. Minutes of that meeting indicate no action was taken during the executive session and the meeting adjourned immediately afterward.
Inquiries last week about the status of Sarah Braese or the appointment of Scott Johnstone to chair of the board of commissioners Michael Ambrosino, Vice-chair Myles Kamisher-Koch and another board member have not been responded to.
Johnstone responded last week, saying only “Hardwick Electric Department does not discuss personnel matters and is committed to sharing any public information at an open meeting as soon as it is available, regarding any and all of the business that HED conducts.”
These questions about HED’s management come as Vermont Department of Public Service Commissioner Kerrick Johnson has asked all of the state’s small public electric utilities to submit data on their finances, grid reliability and staffing issues, according to a November 25 Vermont Public report.
“Johnson said the goal is to make sure the utilities are healthy as they contend with increasing costs and challenges from new technologies, cybersecurity, climate change-induced storms, and demand from electric vehicles and heat pumps.”
That report indicated problems at Hyde Park and Burlington Electric have prompted the inquiries.
Hyde Park’s customers are expected to see a 20% increase in their rates following the resignation of that utility’s general manager. Johnstone, a former secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, has led the Morrisville municipal utility since 2022 and has now been appointed to help oversee the Hyde Park utility.
A November 10 report by the Caledonian Record indicated electric utilities in the region met Oct. 27 to explore ways to cut costs, improve system resilience and tackle capital projects together.
At that meeting, The Lyndon Electric Commission, Barton Village Board of Trustees and Orleans Village Board of Trustees discussed regional collaboration that “would likely also include the Hardwick Electric Department, which was unable to attend the Oct. 27 meeting,” noted the Caledonian Record article, which said, “The discussion was prompted by a looming smart meter upgrade.”
A November 26 News & Citizen report said, “Johnstone is also currently interim director at the Hardwick Electric Department, and he said, if only because managing a public utility is difficult, the town of Hardwick is considering a merger with Morrisville Water & Light.”
Morrisville Water and Light and HED are members of the Vermont Public Power Supply Supply Authority (VPPSA), which supplies services to many small Vermont electric utilities, along with the Lyndon, Barton, Orleans and Burlington electric utilities.
Braese worked at VPPSA before taking the general manager position at HED.
Editor’s note: A December 5 revision of this story has corrected a typographical error and added text to indicate the Hyde Park utility’s increase was to its rates.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
