Simsbury Board of Selectmen Meeting July 10, 2023

Board of Selectmen Meeting July 10, 2023

The Board of Selectmen have now begun their political campaign for the upcoming November 7, 2023 Municipal election.

The Democratic Town Committee meeting on June 21, 2023 was an example of political infighting and a display of vicious attacks against First Selectman Wendy Macksttutis.

The nominating committee presented their slate of nominees for First Selectmen and Board of Selectmen to the Town Committee for a vote of approval.

As presented, all members of the Board of Selectmen were announced with Selectman Eric Wellman nominated for First Selectman, taking the place of the present First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis

First Selectman Eric Wellman ran for State Representative and Wendy Mackstutis became the candidate for First Selectman

Eric Wellman lost the election to Melissa Osborne for State Representative.

A divided Town Committee between the Woke members and the moderates expressed their concern about the nomination of Eric Wellman taking the place of First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis.

The heated and nasty barbs against First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis was like viewing a group of bullies shooting nasty barbs at the First Selectman.

It appeared that the Selectmen were more interested in their personal feelings against First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis than governing the town in the interest of the people that elected them.

Members of the Board of Selectmen not only castigated Wendy Mackstutis’s style of governing but stated that if she were nominated as a candidate for First Selectman they would remove their names from the slate of candidates.

Many meetings of the Board of Selectmen were used as a platform for the board’s bullying of First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis.

The Board of Selectmen were acting like a bunch of self-serving bullies, not in the best interest of Simsbury and should resign their position on the Board of Selectmen immediately.

On June 23, 2023 Eric Wellman changed his party affiliation from Democratic to Unaffiliated.

Eric Wellman circulated a petition, needing only 78 elector’s signatures to place his name on the ballot for First Selectman.

Eric Wellman will become a candidate as an unaffiliated candidate for First Selectman in the November 7, 2023 Municipal election.

The Referendum for a vote on the issue of Cannabis sale in Simsbury will be on the ballot with the petition gathering enough signatures.

The referendum vote will be on the ballot in the November 7, 2023 Municipal election

Recently the Silverman Group presented a Preliminary Application Presentation-Hartford South-Ridge at Talcott Mountain South before the Zoning Commission.

This application would increase the apartments to 504 units.

The original application presented to the Zoning Commission was a mixed-use development that was never completed.

Instead, the Silverman Group asked for a special exception to increase the scope of apartments without retail spaces.

A bond was requested in a good faith agreement that retail spaces would be built.

This appears to be a breach of contract since the Silverman Group stated that the downturn of the economy made building retail spaces not cost effective.

Although the Silverman Group did not fulfill their obligations that were promised on the first section, the Planning Department is allowing them to present another application for a new development with an additional 504 rental units.

Town Attorney DeCrescenzo, representing the Silverman Group in East Granby should disqualify himself from giving Town Planner George McGregor any advise on the Silverman Group developments in Simsbury.

Town Attorney Bob DeCrescenzo did not notice that he had a contractual agreement with the Silverman Group on his Conflict-of-Interest form.

It appears that the Silverman Group has received Sweet-heart deals on all contractual agreements in Simsbury.

Giving Sweet-heart deals to the Silverman Group by the Zoning Commission will place the Town in litigation from other land use developers that are not politically allied with the elected Zoning Commissioners when their developments are denied.

The TA-QUE Food Truck as an addition to the Millwright restaurant was required to have a separate liquor permit for the distribution of alcoholic beverages.

However, Town Planner George McGregor was not aware of the regulations that required a separate Liquor permit and placed the TA-QUE Food Truck in violation of the Liquor Control Division.

The recently approved Wordsmith Bookshop on 1 Grist Mill Roads was recently sold.

Town Planner George McGregor has not been pro-active in reaching out to the new owners to discuss their future plans.

Several Simsbury Police Officers have received the Molle System Vest to alleviate back stress by distributing the equipment on the vest.

The Molle System Vest should be purchased for all Police Officers in the Simsbury Police Department that would lessen the back injuries and lower overtime to cover for absenteeism.