Public Works Official Charged In Julian Case Has Been Fired

FAIRFIELD, CT — A Fairfield official who is charged with several crimes in connection with an investigation of contamination at the town public works yard has been terminated. First Selectman Mike Tetreau announced at a public meeting Wednesday that former Superintendent of Public Works Scott Bartlett had been fired.

"Last Friday I did terminate Scott Bartlett," Tetreau said.

Bartlett was arrested earlier this month and is charged with forgery, larceny, taking kickbacks, illegal dumping, illegal discharge and handling waste without a permit. He has not yet entered a plea and is free on a promise to appear in court. His next court date is Sept. 18. Bartlett was placed on leave from his job at the Public Works Department prior to his arrest.

Also charged in the case are Director of Public Works Joe Michelangelo and Jason Julian, owner of Julian Companies, which was contracted by the town to run the public works yard. Michelangelo remains on leave from his job at the town. Director of Conservation Brian Carey is serving as the interim superintendent of public works.

"We are evaluating things on the management side," Tetreau said.

Wednesday's meeting was held to provide information and answer questions after 20 sites, including nine schools, were designated as high priorities for contamination testing in connection with the public works yard investigation. The majority of those locations were closed Wednesday pending test results following the discovery of elevated arsenic and lead levels, and asbestos shingles at Gould Manor Park.

All the priority testing sites received material from the public works yard between 2013 and 2016, when Julian Development was operating the facility. Additional locations will be identified for testing as the town continues to review its records.

Fairfield hired Julian to run its public works yard and reduce the size of a pile of leftover project material on the property from 40,000 cubic yards. Over the course of Julian's three-year contract, the pile more than doubled in size, and days before the contract was set to end, contamination was 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 addition to the criminal case, Fairfield has sued Julian for about $3 million in costs associated with the yard and Julian has sued the town for defamation.