Intervale Shakedown

BURLINGTON — After weeks of scandal over alleged environmental and land-use violations, Burlington’s Intervale Center appears to have fired its “compost maven.” On Monday, the organization placed Intervale Compost Products General Manager Holly Rae Taylor [1] on “administrative leave.” Taylor confirmed the news on Tuesday morning, but would not comment further.

Her colleagues were outspoken, though. “Administrative leave is another way of firing someone,” one employee said on condition of anonymity. “The last time someone was placed on administrative leave, they didn’t come back.”

The ICP employee reasons that Taylor, who worked there for six years, is being used as a “scapegoat” for the operation’s regulatory woes. “Holly basically overhauled ICP,” the employee insists. “She never had a single reprimand; all of her performance reviews were stellar. They can’t point to anything Holly’s done wrong; they’re just firing her.”

Intervale Center Executive Director Kit Perkins did not return repeated phone calls Tuesday morning.