Possible WPCA Dictatorship part II

It’s so sad, after a two year hiatus from controlling the council, one would think that the Democrats would have learned something from that, but they didn’t. Being in power only two months, the chairman of the Montville Town Council added the ordinance to the January agenda, why I do not know. The same infrastructure that in the past cost taxpayers over $11.7million dollars (including interest) with the Rand Whitney Lawsuit. The WPCA still owes the town money from a bailout that occurred years back. The WPCA’s past Administrator was charged with Embezzlement, taking over 51 thousand dollars.

I said it before and I will say it again. The Council’s vote approving the ordinance gives the appearance of political patronage.  Just look at the picture of a Democratic fundraiser with WPCA Chairman Tim May, WPCA Administrator Brian Lynch, now Chairman Buebendorf, and now current Councilors Tanner, and Longton.  Notice that the fundraiser was held at the Oakdale Fire House, the same one where Councilor Murphy is the Fire Chief.

There were over 70 citizens from our town who attended the
Public Hearing including myself.  During the hearing, a half dozen people spoke opposing the ordinance, only three spoke in favor. The WPCA Attorney, the WPCA Chairman and one other person. The five Democrats on the Council did not give one benefit this ordinance will have for the town. Councilor Caron made a statement that the Town Attorney and the WPCA Attorney were in favor of the ordinance. I disagree. At a meeting I attended both Attorneys disagreed with each other about the language of the Charter. A sub-committee was formed to draft the ordinance. The two Attorneys, two members from the WPCA and two members from the Town Council were on the committee. The ordinance was drafted and denied in January 2011.

Also, at the Public Hearing and the Council Meeting, I noticed Mr. Murphy videotaping people who spoke. He has never videotaped any
meetings prior to this one. One would wonder if that was an attempt to try and
intimidate people who spoke or attended the meeting.

The way the Charter is written, you can come up with your own
interpretation as to what it is actually saying. Perfect example, the Sewer
Authority’s Attorney reads the Charter and according to him it says, the WPCA
is the final vote for contracts and Budget approvals. The past Town Attorney read
the Charter and he interpreted it to say the Council has the final vote on the
WPCA’s budget and contracts. I know, that at no time in 1995 when the Charter was revised, did the legislative body of the town want to give up total control of the WPCA.  The Charter's intent was to treat the WPCA the same way it treats the Board of Education.  I was on the Council when the Charter was
being revised back in 1995. That’s what I remember happened. Never was there a
thought to make a town infrastructure run by volunteers, that are appointed by the Town Council to be totally separate from the town, even if the WPCA had a paid Administrator. I believe it’s Mr. May and Mr. Lynch who wants to be in control of the WPCA.  There really is no other reason for the WPCA to be completely autonomous from the Town.