Board of Selectmen Meeting December 4, 2017

Board of Selectmen Meeting December 4, 2017

We are now witnessing the beginning of the transition towards a professional Town Manager.

However, the transition has become a ship without a rudder although there has been a year to plan for the transition.

Tonight the agenda reflects:

5) Appoint Melissa Appleby as Deputy Town Manger with an adjustment in salary.

Melissa Appleby started her employment in February 2017 with a salary of $95,000 as Deputy Director of Administrative Services and will become Deputy Town Manager at $106,900.

6, 7 ) Appoint Sean Kimball as Interim Town Manager with additional compensation. Sean Kimball was hired as a Risk Manager with a salary of $57,500 with a background in municipal government through a Mary Glassman Head Hunter in 2011. Sean Kimball will move from his position as Finance Director with a salary of $97,000 after several positions within the Town with adjusted compensation to become the Interim Town Manager with a salary of $131,000. Is this transition so that Sean Kimball can enhance his resume when applying for a Town Manager job in the future?

8.9) approve the severance agreement and approve the employment agreement of Tom Cooke as Interim Director of Finance/Treasurer.

Tom Cooke, Administrative Assistant to the First Selectman was hired in 2010 through a Head Hunter in the Mary Glassman administration. Tom Cooke was hired due his expertise in labor law with no municipal experience at a salary of $102, 500 to negotiate union salaries as a pseudo Town Manager. Over the years Tom Cooke’s salary escalated to $124,000.

How can Tom Cooke ask for a severance package when he has already retired and will be returning as a consultant with a per diem salary of $62.50/hr for 2 days a week with a maximum of 16 hours as Finance Director/Treasurer? Why is the town paying for his health benefits when no other part time employee is afforded these benefits?

Presently there is a reshuffling of duties and more increases in salaries.

All these employees have been given a 2% increase in salary and will now get another bump in salary during the transition.

The transition has become a costly endeavor for the taxpayers with adjustments in salaries that have been increased immeasurably over the years within the administration.

g) Reappointment of Town Counsel, Labor and Employment Counsel and Retirement Plan Counsel should be reserved for Town Manager Maria Capriola to appoint. These actions should be tabled.

I t is my opinion that Bob Decrescenzo has outlived his ability to serve the Town, becoming the Rainmaker for Updike, Kelley & Spellacy.

Mayors in surrounding towns do not get a stipend, neither should the First Selectman for Simsbury.

The Town Manager will receive a salary of $152,500 with an increase of $2,500 in a year, $3,000 for travel and $5,000 for moving expenses.

Why is there a delay in the start of the Town Manager until the end of January with a plan in place for a year?

Why do we need a full time Finance Director when Tom Cooke is given the responsibility of the job on a part-time basis with no accounting experience?

Is this shuffle of duties placing the Town at risk?

Recently it was discovered that the Town had a short-fall of $15,000 in the Capital Expenditure budget. Why doesn’t the Town have some stop gap software before Capital projects are over expended?

Many of the taxpayers in Simsbury are working in organizations where they have increased responsibilities without any increase in pay. Why are the taxpayers asked to subsidize these inflated salaries?

Although this transition has had a rocky start with the Town running on Autopilot for 2 months, I am looking forward to a professional Town Manager to manage the Town with dedication and clarity of duties.

I recently filed a complaint with the Freedom of Information Commission asking to have the Simsbury Performing Arts Council declared a public agency. The Hearing Officer denied my request.

However, there will be a hearing with the full Commission on January 10, where I will be able to defend my position and have them reverse their decision.

I am concerned that the SPAC under the direction of Dave Ryan and Tom Vincent, if given the status of a private organization on town property will become an unaccountable organization with unfettered authority. The concerts will increase without any challenges. I am concerned that there will be an increase in pot smoking at the concerts and tailgating will increase on Town, State and private property without any enforcement. Use of the Trailer Park will increase during concerts without any monitoring of the activity.

Under the amended SPAC contract, “the Town further reserves the right to terminate this Agreement for its convenience at its sole discretion.”

The SPAC has become a public nuisance and the contract should be terminated.