By Nancy Guenther Chapman
NORWALK, Conn. – Oak Hills Park Golf Course Superintendent Thomas Vorio ended what had become a contentious relationship with his employer Thursday night when he resigned his position at the beginning of the Oak Hills Park Authority meeting at City Hall.
The resignation short-circuited an executive session that had been planned for the end of the meeting to discuss a personnel issue.
Vorio, who had been described in an email from authority Chairman Bob Vigulak to Norwalk Common Council members as “a disgruntled employee,” gave no reason for his resignation.
Two on-duty Norwalk Police officers were present at the start of the meeting, which drew a couple dozen people to discuss a controversial proposal to build a driving range at the golf course. One officer remained for the duration.
Vorio silently watched the public comment portion of the meeting from the back of the room, leaving before the authority discussed the driving range.
The resignation had been in the works for 12 days, authority members said.
Vorio had written to members of the Common Council on Dec. 9 to “communicate the frustration of the park maintenance department and its employees” with the Oak Hills Park Authority. His email contained several allegations and questions about the management of the course. The full text can be found in a previous story on this site.
Virgulak’s email to the Common Council was in response to Vorio’s communication.
“Tommy has asked for an exit strategy by March 1, 2013. I propose to the Board that we expedite this much sooner,” Virgulak said in his email.
The exiting superintendent was not present when an authority member called his resignation “a loss” that the authority would get through.
The member thanked him for doing a great job and said the course looks much better this year than it used to.
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