Board of Selectmen Meeting June 11, 2018

Board of Selectmen Meeting June 11, 2018

Over several years the Board of Ethics under the Chairman, David Moore has continued to review the conflicts that may arise when Mike Paine, the President of Paine’s Rubbish Removal during his tenure on the Board of Selectmen.

David Moore is Vice President of the Democratic Party and Mike Paine is on the Town Committee of the Republican Party.

Mike Paine has always inserted on his Conflict of Interest form that he is President of Paine’s Rubbish, has a contract with the Town for rubbish removal and has a contract for collection of waste at the Town Dump.

However, David Moore has asked for information that no other person is required to provide,

The Advisory Opinion of the Board of Ethics, April 30, 2018, pertaining to Mike Paine, “Regarding conflict of interest disclosures going forward, Mr. Paine, like other members of Town government, must continue to file the required form with the Town Clerk.” Mike Paine has always filed his conflict of Interest from with the disclosures.

“To the extent that he continues to have contracts with the Town or other sources of conflicting interest, he should note on the disclosure form (in addition to the nature of the contracts, and approximate amount of each contract, with the understanding that the Town Manager will make that document available to the Board of Selectmen.”

It appears to me that David Moore, Vice President of the Democratic Party has a vendetta against Mike Paine, as a Republican, asking him to supply information above and beyond required by anyone else.

The Advisory Opinion suggests that David Moore was concerned about Mr. Paine’s candidacy for First Selectman and the additional conflicts that would arise making it almost impossible for him to assume the First Selectmen position if he were elected.

David Moore should be asked to resign from the Board of Ethics.

David Moore does not have any concerns that Dave Ryan, President of the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center (SMPAC), did not file any conflicts under areas of exception, with the Town Clerk although the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center has come before the Zoning Board where Dave Ryan is Chairman. Dave Ryan is on the Democratic Town Committee.

It appears that being on the Democratic Town Committee gives you special status in Simsbury.

On December 5, 2017 the Conservation Commission sent a letter to Dave Ryan in his capacity as the President of the SMPAC to alert him about spraying for Mosquitoes on the Simsbury Meadows prior to concert is no longer permitted.

The letter states, “Recently published authoritative scholarship has made clear that we were misinformed in that regard. (Pesticide application). Pesticides are not different from other material under the state wetlands law and our town regulations…. Any application of pesticides in a wetland area, within ond hundred feet of wetland area or indeed, any other place where the application will affect wetlands is a regulated activity that requires a permit from this body.”

Dave Ryan has ignored the requirements to submit an application for a permit through the Conservation Commission and will continue to spray for mosquitoes prior to events. This is a violation of the law and Dave Ryan will be fined for ignoring the application process if he continues to spray prior to the concerts.

The application for mosquito spraying at the Simsbury High School graduation at the Simsbury Meadows was denied and there will be no mosquito spraying prior to the graduation.

The SMPAC will be starting events at the Simsbury Meadows and as noticed in the agenda items, they will be required to adhere to their contract with the Town and pay fair market value for all services.

Since the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center is a private organization with a contract that requires them to submit an audit report to the Town with many other contractual requirements.

The SMPAC should be required to pay fair market value for the use of the Town land.

The SMPAC should not be allowed to use Town parking areas for tailgating prior to concerts. Marijuana use should not be condoned.

The Terrapin Band playing music from the Greatful Dead on a day long concert should have police presence for the entire event. There will be beer, wine and food supplied on Town property throughout the concert.

The SMPAC and the Town should be mindful of the impact of noise, excessive alcohol consumption and use of illegal drugs at the concerts placing the Town at risk for irresponsible behavior.

Curaleaf, the pot factory, will be coming before the Zoning Commission on June 18, 2018 at 7 PM for a public hearing on their application to move from 100 Millers Way to 34 Hopmeadow Steet, the CL&P site. According to the DEEP this site is listed as one of the contaminated sites in Simsbury. Does the Town have any requirements for remediation on the site before the transfer of property?