Board of Selectmen Meeting May 14, 2018

Board of Selectmen Meeting May 14, 2018

I was very disappointed with the results of the referendum on the budget.

Less than 10% of the voters voted for a $96,518,369 budget without any guidance from the ineffective Board of Finance.

The Board of Education appropriation of $23,965,620 for renovations to Henry James that was passed when the approved feasibility study of $200,000 for the Board of Education will be initiated in the next fiscal cycle. Did anyone take into consideration that the enrollment has been reduced over the years and the Board of Education is reviewing a 6-8 grade change for Henry James Junior High School? Why didn’t the Board of Education account for the additional overhead costs for the addition? The cost of this project will encumber the taxpayers for 15 years.

Nobody questioned why $10,000 cash was appropriated initially from the General Fund and was added to the Special Revenue Fund for Simsbury Farms as the Golf revenues diminish and the costs are increased. When is the Town going to contract out the Golf Course as other Town’s have done with good results?

I would like to inform the Board of Selectmen that I reviewed another piece of Jamie Rabbitt’s personnel file as many of his personnel files are scattered throughout the Town Off ices. Jamie Rabbitt is the Director of Town Planning and Community Development from November 23, 2015 to the present. Another section of the file will be forthcoming as stated in a memo from Town Manager Maria Capriola. It states, “In regards to your request for copes of Mr. Rabbitt’s “work related performance evaluations” please be advised that we have no performance evaluations for Mr. Rabbitt on file. In regards to your request for “complaints from staff regarding inappropriate communication,” the relevant documentation is being reviewed with our labor counsel. We will need additional time to fulfill that portion of your request.”

Why have there been no performance evaluations for Jamie Rabbitt and his staff?

According to the documents I obtained Jamie Rabbitt’s available vacation days in 2015/16 was 23.375, 2016/17 was 29.875 days and 2017/18 was 35 days.

Why are town employees allowed to accumulate vacation days? When Jamie Rabbitt leaves this position do the taxpayers have to pay for over a month of his salary?

I did not see permission for out-of- office trips to conventions, comp time or any other communications in his second file. The personal action forms only tracked vacation days, sick days and personal days. Why the omission?

Why was Jamie Rabbitt reimbursed for a restaurant on November8, 2017 in Boston MA without any backup material?

Why do Town employees use their personal accounts for purchases that are not exempt from taxes?

I am looking forward to reviewing another piece of Jamie Rabbitt’s file.

The Simsbury Performing Arts Center is building a ticket booth that was exempt from $650 of building permit fees. This money could have been spent on maintenance. It appears that the Little League Baseball Teams built a concession building at Memorial Park along with other buildings and did not have their building fees exempt. Does Dave Ryan, President of the Simsbury Performing Arts have a special status in Town as a private organization?

Why is Dave Ryan Chairman of the Zoning Commission exempt from disclosing his conflict with the SPAC on his ethics file that was submitted to the Town Clerk?

Recently my Podiatrist, Dr. DiMatteo closed his office and notified his patients that all appointments will be canceled, effective immediately. I checked with the Department of Public Health website and found out that DiMatteo surrendered his license . After submitting a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Public Health I received my requested documents and reviewed the allegations against DiMatteo. The report states, “The petitioner ( name redacted) states that the respondent, Luca DiMatteo, DMP, sexually assaulted her.”

Under DPH Telephone Conversation with the petitioner by telephone the Analysis states,” She states that she reported this to the Simsbury Police Department. She states that the Simsbury police told her that the respondent admitted to everything.” She is worried about the respondent doing this to other vulnerable patients of his such as her.”

On December 6, 2017 Town Attorney DeCrescenzo responded to an inquiry by the DPH stating, “Enclosed please find the Simsbury Police Department police reports and witness statements in connection with the above referenced investigation. Simsbury requests that your office not publically disclose the records. You have confirmed in December 1, 2017 email that your office will not disclose the records if you receive an FOI request.”

Town Attorney DeCrescenzo states that “the records were exempt as ucorroborated allegations of a crime.”

Why did the Department of Public Health’s findings corroborate the allegations of the Petitioner when the Simsbury Police Department found the allegations uncorroborated?