Board of Selectmen Meeting March 26, 2018

Board of Selectmen Meeting March 26, 2018

The Public Audience section of the Board of Selectmen Meetings is there for people to address the Board with their concerns. Public Audience has been mandated by a Court order, with the resolution affixed to the wall in the Main Meeting Room.

The mandate only requires Public Audience at all Selectmen Meetings with at least 5 minutes to address the Board of Selectmen. This mandate does not require the Board to listen or inquire about the concerns.

At the March 12, 2018 Board of Selectmen Meeting, Selectman Cheryl Cooke was extremely concerned about the Brick Pavers on Hopmeadow Street as a serious risk to people with disabilities.

However, on November 28, 2016 and December 12, 2016, I addressed the Board of Selectmen about the dangers of the Pavers. Did Selectman Cheryl Cooke listen to my concerns? My concerns should have been addressed immediately.

My comments to the Board of Selectmen on November 28, 2016 were as follows:

“During the last budget process $550,000 was approved for a Streetscape on Hopmeadow Street. Raising the level of the sidewalks with the brick pavers over the cement sidewalks makes a difficult transition with utilities that have to be raised to level the walk. Other transition areas require an engineering nightmare to make all transitions level. In a rush to complete the task to implement the $550,000 Streetscape, First Selectman Lisa Heavner did not consult the Chairman of Aging and Disabilities who would have raised concerns about dangers of the uneven surfaces for the disabled and elderly causing tripping hazards and vibrations of wheelchairs. Many of the new brick pavers were compromised with broken bricks installed creating an imminent danger. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires continuous smooth surfaces for safety, not brick pavers on sidewalks. First Selectman Lisa Heavner spent the last meeting discussing her caring and needs of the senior community. There seems to be a huge disconnect with the unsafe brick pavers. Brick pavers require continual maintenance for safety. Anyone walking on Hopmeadow Street will notice the crumbling and uneven surfaces that increase the risks for tripping. My pictures show just a small area of hazards resulting from the brick pavers. The Board of Selectmen should evaluate the risks associated with brick pavers.

The Pavers should be removed and a smooth surface should be returned to the sidewalks on Hopmeadow Street. A waste of taxpayer dollars!”

At the March 12, 2018 meeting of the Board of Selectmen, I brought to your attention the concerns I had about Town reimbursements that were made on Jamie Rabbitt’s personal credit card that appeared to be of concern.

Jamie Rabbitt is the Director of Planning and Community Development with a salary of $117,880.

I stated at the meeting of March 12, 2018,” these reimbursements appear to be cause for concern. I am asking for a review of my allegations.”

I addressed the Board of Selectmen about my concerns with Jamie Rabbitt on September 26, 2016, November 14, 2016, February 15, 2017, March 13, 2017, July 27, 2017, November 27, 2017, January 8, 2018, January 22, 2018, February 26, 2017, March 12, 2018, without any acknowledgement of my concerns. All my concerns are posted on Simsbury Patch for your review.

There are allegations that Jamie Rabbitt has used Compensatory Time for days out of the office. According to the Town’s Personnel Rules, “Exempt employees are required to work as many hours as necessary to satisfactorily perform their job duties and therefore are generally not entitled to compensatory time. However, in extraordinary situations exempt employees may be granted compensatory time in the sole discretion of the First Selectman.” Did Jamie Rabbitt get approval for compensatory time?

According to Town Personnel Rules, “Town employees are employed on an “at-will” basis. This means that they may be terminated at any time and for any lawfully permissible reason.”

Are there any lawful permissible reasons for Jamie Rabbitt’s termination?

The Personnel Rules should be revised to reflect a Town Manager.

I am concerned that money is being spent for additional employees in Social Services to address the addiction crises. The problem with addiction cannot be solved with employees; it all starts with the family, physicians and pharmaceuticals.

The doctors are overprescribing amphetamines for people with hyperactivity (ADHD) and misdiagnosing the disease for others. This creates a high preponderance of prescriptions, with doctors running prescription mills.

There is a documentary on Netflix called “Take Your Pills,” which addresses the epidemic of people prescribed ADDERALL, a performance enhancing drug that is used by students, professionals and athletes. Since ADDERALL is over prescribed, many families have this drug in their medicine cabinets available to family members and easily accessible to anyone. The best source for mind altering drugs is in the home, with easy availability to mind-altering pills, alcohol consumption and marijuana use. Cope with your issues, don’t mask them with drugs.