Fairfield Selectmen Raise Questions On Reputation Advisory Firm

FAIRFIELD, CT — Officials recently traded accusations amid discussions about the town hiring a reputation management consultant and the suspension of the legal license for a department head who also works as an attorney for Fairfield.

First Selectman Mike Tetreau issued a statement Friday about the town retaining Chris Gidez of G7 Reputation Advisory LLC. The statement came after Selectman Christopher Tymniak questioned Tetreau at a board meeting Wednesday about the decision to retain a reputation adviser. Gidez was hired around the time that two Fairfield employees and a former town contractor were charged in an investigation of illegal dumping at the public works yard and contaminants were found at sites across Fairfield in connection with the case.

Tymniak, a Republican, expressed concern Wednesday that the Board of Selectmen wasn't aware of G7's work for the town and that tax dollars were being spent on messaging. Tymniak also accused Tetreau of outsourcing leadership. Tetreau, a Democrat, said Tymniak was being political and inappropriate.

A management plan from G7 provided by Tymniak said that the town should "call out those who irresponsibly raised public fears" through surrogates.

Selectman Ed Bateson took issue with the proposed use of surrogates, saying it did not serve the residents of Fairfield.

"Are you doing this for the taxpayer? Or are you doing this because your reputation was damaged in a potential upcoming election?" Bateson, a Republican, asked.

Fairfield's local elections will be held Nov. 5. Tetreau is running a contested campaign for re-election against state Rep. Brenda Kupchick, R-District 132.

In a phone call Friday, Tetreau noted that the plan document that suggested the use of surrogates was labeled as a draft. He said the town contacted G7 in the first week of August, originally to assist with communications related to the anticipated arrest of a town employee, and that the firm stayed on to assist with the webpage, emails, scorecards and other documents related to the contamination controversy.

The contamination crisis happened after Fairfield hired contractor Julian Development in 2013 to operate its public works yard and reduce the size of a pile of unused project material by 40,000 cubic yards. Over the next three years, the pile more than doubled in size, and days before the agreement was set to end, PCBs and lead were discovered on the property.

Former director of public works Joe Michelangelo, former superintendent of public works Scott Bartlett and Julian Companies Owner Jason Julian were charged this summer with crimes including larceny, forgery and dumping in connection with the pile, which was a source of fill material used all over town. Of 60 areas in Fairfield evaluated for contamination, eight sites tested at levels above residential standards. Results are pending for another two areas, and up to 42 more may still be tested. In addition to the criminal case, Fairfield has sued Julian for millions in damages and Julian has sued the town for defamation.

Fairfield hired G7 at a fee of $3,000 per month, with billable hours charged against the monthly rate, Tetreau said, adding that the town will no longer use G7's services after October. The agreement did not require Board of Selectman approval because the initial monthly rate was below $10,000, according to Tetreau.

Board of Finance Chair Tom Flynn said in a phone call Saturday that the town's contract was with Gidez as an individual, not with G7. Gidez billed the town $16,600 for his services in August and his September retainer, according to documents provided by Flynn.

Flynn, a Republican who is running for selectman, also took issue with the categorization of Gidez as an environmental consultant in the August statement the Board of Finance received.

HR director's legal license suspended

Also Wednesday, Tymniak questioned why the legal license of Human Resources Director Emmet Hibson was suspended for nine months in 2018 and 2019. Hibson is paid about $135,000 annually for his work as the head of HR, but he also has a second agreement with the town, allowing him to collect an additional $50,000 per year to serve as labor counsel, according to town documents provided by Tymniak. The side agreement requires Hibson maintain good standing as a lawyer.

Hibson was under administrative suspension from June 2018 to March 2019 after he failed to pay a required $75 Client Security Fund fee, according to state documents, also provided by Tymniak.

Tymniak said Wednesday that Hibson would have negotiated two union contracts during the time of the suspension. In a phone interview Thursday, Hibson said he didn't represent the town in any way that required him to be a lawyer during that time. While he conceded he was in breach of the agreement, he said the breach was immaterial and that he simply didn't see the bill for the fee.

Tetreau told Tymniak on Wednesday that he would discuss the lapse with Hibson.