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Health & Fitness

Board of Selectmen - Public Audience - May 30, 2012

Issues dealing with public policy

Board of Selectmen – May 30, 2012

I would like to urge this board to reject the Charter, as written since it creates more problems that it corrects.  Having an elected First Selectman become a highly paid figurehead relegating these duties to a pseudo-town manager leads to inconsistencies and fractured government not serving the taxpayers of Simsbury.  When First Selectman Mary Glassman ran for First Selectman she assured the public that she would promote a town manager form of government. Now that she is receiving a six figure salary with five weeks vacation Mary Glassman testifies before the Charter Revision Commission that Simsbury is evolving towards a Town Manger but not on her watch. This is not government for the people.

I recently noticed that there is a bike rack in front of the entrance to Town Hall with four bikes and helmets on a shelf in town hall. Since Simsbury has become Bicycle Friendly we now have First Selectman Mary Glassman giving the public free bikes and helmets. Why is the town government in a bicycle rental enterprise? It appears that this enterprise places the town at risk if someone gets hurt on these bikes.  This is truly a nutty idea and should be eliminated.

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If anyone has driven down Iron Horse Boulevard they would have noticed that all the joggers and walkers with and without strollers are few and far between. The bicyclists have hijacked the walk on Iron Horse Boulevard and have become bicycle bullies taking over the entire walkway, leaving nothing for everyone else. Bicycle riding is not compatible with walkers and joggers and should be eliminated from the Iron Horse walkway. I recently was driving down Iron Horse Boulevard when I stopped at the cut way that was recently constructed with lines for passage of bikes and almost caused a three car accident. This is another nutty idea, promoting a bicycle friendly community. These cuts should be eliminated to create a safer road.

Another observation I made when driving on Iron Boulevard at around 8 AM was that there are geese on the Meadows near the soccer goal post. Geese don’t only eat the grass but also leave deposits that are slippery and unhealthy and leave deposits on children’s clothing and hands that are full of bacteria. I would ask that the town find a way of removing the geese from the fields or make the grass safe for children playing on field.

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Recently the town was very aggressive in capturing in kind services to the WPCA at about $100,000. However, the town has never captured the costs of the Performing Arts Commission that are using many hours of town services and not charging the PAC for the costs associated with the consultant fees. How many organizations have used town staff where costs were not captured?  Where is the consistency in this aggressive approach?

Recently a letter was sent to Jim Clifton, Director of the Sewer Department from Mike Girard, Tony Giorgio, Ron Janecszko and Rick Wagner asking for special treatment in sewer connection charges. They wrote that they supported Hiram Peck’s approach. What authority does Hiram Peck have to encourage developers to subvert the authority of the WPCA? Hiram Peck is a bully as exemplified when he verbally attacked me at a Blight Hearing when he disagreed with my testimony. Should bullies be in a position of authority?

I recently asked Superintendent Diane Ullman for the staff end of year evaluation, 2010-2011,  that she calls an Annual Report. This was done electronically and submitted to the Superintendent. There were five categories that were transmitted.

  1. Suggestions for improving the school/department, school system
  2. Areas of success that you want to recognize
  3. Problems/concerns you like us to know about
  4. People who should be recognized for doing something special
  5. Achievements you would like us to know about

All this raw data was given to me in a hard copy with reams of information. Since this data would be invaluable to anyone on the Board of Education and on a search committee for a new Superintendent, I was surprised that I am the only one in possession of this data since this information gives an insight into the concerns of staff and issues that should be corrected.  I had asked for a summary sheet of the information and was told that no summary was written and the information acquired was discussed privately.  I would be willing to share these reams of information with anyone interested in reviewing the material.

I have seen the sculpture anchored on Winslow Place and I am concerned that the project was not brought to the land use commissions and no site plan was submitted. There appears to be a question as to whether this land is owned by the town or the State.   Since First Selectman Mary Glassman stated that she is not responsible for land use issues, why was this project approved only by the Board of Selectman? This sculpture is in an area where it is open for vandalism and could create a hazard. Has the Building Official inspected the sculpture for its structural integrity and safety?

Now that the Amendment to the Eno Farms Land Lease was defeated by town vote, I would suggest that the First Selectman’s Office work closely with the Attorney General’s Office when drafting the lease for compliance with the Eno Trust, for the poor of Simsbury.  Previously, the Eno Affordable Housing was an alleged fraudulent development with allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of funds that continued for years because the Town neglected to advocate for the poor. I would hope that the Attorney General’s Office will take an active role in determining the future of Eno Farms.

A recent article in the Hartford Courant, Labor Department Halts 13 Projects, one of the projects was the Dorsett Crossing Development in the north end of Simsbury. Has the town received any information on the deficiencies? Have the deficiencies been corrected? How has this affected the integrity of the development?

I recently went to the Democratic Caucus and found that the room at Eno Hall for this meeting was the ceramics room, certainly not the best spot for this process.  I also noticed that the town lectern was placed in the room and was told that John Hampton had ordered staff to place it there for his acceptance speech. I was listening to my scanner and heard the police were dispatched to 33 West Mountain Road, where the owner of the house was arrested. Also, I noted through the judicial website that this house is in foreclosure proceedings. This is the house where John Hampton, Simsbury’s democratic candidate for State Rep. is renting a room with Kitchen privileges. Is this the appropriate place for a State Representative candidate to reside? Since both First Selectman Mary Glassman and Lisa Heavner enthusiastically endorsed John Hampton, perhaps they can rent him a room in their homes with kitchen privileges. This would lead to a safer environment for the democratic candidate.

 

 

 

 

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