Powerful Resident Group, New LEP Part Of RTM Dems Fill Pile Fix

FAIRFIELD, CT — A resident commission is what Fairfield needs to properly address the town's recent contamination controversy, according to a group of local Democrats.

Fairfield's Representative Town Meeting Democratic Caucus laid out its proposal in a letter to the Board of Selectmen nearly two months after two town employees and a former contractor were arrested on charges connected to illegal dumping at the town public works yard. In the weeks following the arrests, contaminants were found at sites across Fairfield.

"Inaction from the bipartisan Board of Selectmen, which is the only body in town that can appoint such a commission, threatens the health, reputation and financial security of our town," the letter said.

An independent, nonpartisan commission made up of residents is best suited to uncover the facts and help the town heal, according to the letter.

Under the caucus' proposal, the commission would study the history of the public works yard from the time the problems started, review town policies regarding oversight of purchasing and contracting, and make recommendations on Fairfield's standards of ethics. The commission would also work with an independent licensed environmental professional to determine the reliability of contamination tests and remediation work already conducted for the town and make recommendations, according to the letter.

"Many residents feel betrayed and angry. People in town deserve to learn the facts," the letter said.

The caucus' plan is similar in some ways to an environmental safety committee proposed two weeks ago by First Selectman Mike Tetreau, but the new proposal gives the resident group much more wide-ranging authority.

"It's a broader scope of responsibility," said Tetreau, a Democrat.

Tetreau said Friday he needed to spend more time reviewing the proposal, but added that he did not want to do anything that would minimize the impact of the town ethics commission.

Republican Selectman Christopher Tymniak said the letter indicates that the caucus has lost faith in Tetreau.

"If they're worried about inaction in the Board of Selectmen, it comes from Mike Tetreau at the top," he said.

Selectman Ed Bateson, also a Republican, noted the current board has only two remaining meetings before the local elections Nov. 5.

"I think it's best left in the hands of the new board that comes in to establish that oversight that they're looking for," he said.

The board is expected to discuss the caucus' proposal at its meeting Wednesday, according to Tetreau.

Fairfield hired 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. But 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.

After conservation officials said the transportation and dumping of contaminated material could have violated state or federal law, police opened an investigation in 2017. 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 the past six weeks, 60 areas in Fairfield have been tested for contamination, the town announced Friday. Eight of those sites tested at levels above residential standards, and results are pending for another two areas.

In addition to the criminal case, Fairfield has sued Julian for millions in damages and Julian has sued the town for defamation.