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Health & Fitness

Board of Selectmen Meeting September 9, 2013 My Comments

Board of Selectmen September 9, 2013

From now until November elections, we the people should review the accomplishments of our elected officials. If we could give them a report card I would give them a failing grade. We have been lied to and cajoled into thinking that our elected officials are spending our money wisely. However, the budgets and rhetoric are geared to get them reelected.  It appears that this is the last election cycle for First Selectman Mary Glassman. The new Charter has delegated the First Selectman’s position to a ceremonial position and all authority delegated to a pseudo Town Manager. When Mary Glassman ran against Tom Vincent she stated that she was in favor of a Town Manager. However, with a six figure salary for a ceremonial position and 5 weeks of paid vacation, it was too good to give up. Now that the pseudo Town Manager, Tom Cooke has expressed a review of the First Selectman’s position and reduction of the salary to a ceremonial position, it is time to decide on having a Professional Town Manager for Simsbury. Many consultants have stated that it is time for Simsbury to have professional management.  Cooke stated that he would hire a consultant to review the salaries and duties in the selectman’s office to reflect the new Charter requirements and salaries for the staff. This will be implemented after this election cycle. Cooke should have the consultant review having a Town Manager as the Executive Officer of Simsbury as do the surrounding towns.  It is time for Simsbury to have professional management. At the present time our highest taxpayer, The Hartford has a sign out for the sale of the property. The Big Y has not placed a shovel on the property and is still in talks with the town about the road easement taking 4 years through the approval process. No shovel, no taxes. We have spent money on Charettes  and we continue to have lowered property values and a reduction in our Grand List. Why has the Town allocated $30,000 for a study on The Hartford land and building when the responsibility and sale is determined by The Hartford’s shareholders? Why have the taxpayers pay $50,000 for Main Street Partnership, a non-profit organization?   We are told that our budgets have not increased but $400,000 was taken from the Reserves for the Pension Fund. This was off budget as is many other revenues taken from the Reserves. The golf course is not self sustaining and taxpayers are paying for the deficit and will continue to do so in the future. Eno Farms affordable Housing is not affordable and there have been allegations of fraud and misappropriation of funds and embezzlement. . The Community Farm, under the management of the elite Ethel Walker School has a mission inconsistent with the Eno Trust and this is just the beginning. The town dump managed by Paine’s is part of the Eno Trust for the poor and the fees keep increasing year after year; all this under the watchful eye of Nancy Haase and the Board of Selectmen.

The town has leased 5 acres of land on the Meadowood  Triangle to Farmer Anthony for $300 a year and at the present time is a mismanaged manure dumping ground. Paine’s has dumped manure from Folly Farm and Ethel Walker School on the property. According to Joseph Wittenann from the  State  DEEP the Us Agricultural  Department requires a nutrient management plan for the stockpiling of  manure on the property and the manure should be transferred to the back of the property.. According to town records both Ethel Walker and Folly Farm sent identical letters attesting to the identical contents of the manure and the signatures were from the same pens. These letters were dated June 15, 2013 and stamped received by the town August 9, 2013. They stated.”To whom It May Concern: Regarding the Manure from Folly Farm and the other letter inserts  Ethel Walker which is delivered to Anthony’s Farm, it contains no synthetic inputs, such as odor reducing, or fertility stabilizing additives.”  One letter is signed Asst. Barn Manager Melissa A. Birgh and the other was signed C. Chopel Folly Farm Stable, LLC.. I would like to have an explanation as to the veracity of these letters. There are additional piles of manure dumped by the side of the road on Barn Door Hills, away from Farmer Anthony’s Farm. This land belongs to the taxpayers and the town should provide oversight to all town properties.

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According to town records Hop Meadow Country Club and Girard Bros. are delinquent in paying their taxes. Today I called the tax office for information and the recording stated  that the office was closed, Monday, September 9.. How can First Selectman Mary Glassman run on a platform of open government when we have a shut down in the tax office?

Recently I called the Finance Department and asked to review the Town Attorney file. I was told that it would be made available to me when I arrived that day. When I arrived I was confronted with the Finance Director and denied access to the file and was verbally abused. I would suggest that the Finance Director receive anger management training when dealing with the public. 
Eventually I was given the file and reviewed the contents. The file was incomplete ending in April. There was also a payment of $25,746.39 in January above the $8,000 monthly fee. Who is monitoring the files?

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First Selectman Mary Glassman prides herself with transparent government. However, the agenda emails distributed for town meetings are inconsistent in distribution. The links on the town website do not deliver the accurate materials. The website is difficult to navigate and there are many omissions. As of now the website is not transparent and is in need of many upgrades. How can First Selectman Mary Glassman advertise Town Hall Office hours as open on Monday from 8:30 AM to 7 PM with all offices open except the First Selectman’s Office? Is that open government?

While driving on the roads at Dorset Crossing I noticed the new substation that was erected on Town land. As you see in this picture it is a huge transmission station.  There has been much discussion and scientific evidence that these sub stations emit large quantities of stray electricity and create a dangerous electro-magnetic field and could cause bodily harm. When the Town approved the Dorset Crossing Development was the developer aware that the substation was in close proximity to his development? Has the town been given a report from Northeast Utilities on the amount of stray electricity they anticipate will be emitted from this Substation and high powered electric wires on the poles?

I would like to report that I received conformation on my Freedom of Information complaint alleging that Tom Cooke, First Selectman Mary Glassman’s Administrative Assistant  entered into an executive session of the Eno Farms Sub-Committee meeting in violation of the Freedom of Information Act. I also questioned how Sean Askham can participate in an executive session through an unsecured phone conversation since he was not present at the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 





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