Simsbury Board of Selectmen Meeting July 11, 2022

Board of Selectmen Meeting July 11, 2022

On August 9, 2022 there will be a Democratic Party primary.

Eric Wellman will be running against Melissa Osborne for Simsbury’s State Representative.

This position became open when John Hampton was not running for re-election.

Eric Wellman is a Woke candidate with positions that are left of Socialist Bernie Sanders.

As Simsbury’s representative, he will have the ability to vote for legislation that will defund the police, promote the Critical Race Theory (CRT) and add sex education in elementary education curriculum.

Eric Wellman will be a tax and spend legislature that will increase inflation, make Connecticut non-competitive and increase taxes.

John Hampton was a moderate Democrat; Eric Wellman is no John Hampton.

Recently there have been allegations by inuendo and character assignation by association with what appears to be coming from the Eric Wellman’s campaign against his opponent Melissa Osborne.

Elections should be won or lost on the character of the candidate and their positions on policies that affect the residents of Simsbury.

We should not vote for a Machiavellian candidate that believes by attacking an opponent with a scorched earth policy with the end justifying the means to gain a position as State Representative, is justified.

As Simsbury’s First Selectman and a member of the Board of Selectmen, did Eric Wellman use his position to catapult into another political office?

Were the residents of Simsbury used as a pawn to enhance his ability to climb the political ladder?

Not only is Eric Wellman a Woke candidate, he is a self-serving opportunist that will stop at nothing to get elected.

Eric Wellman does not have the values of Simsbury’s residents and should not be elected as Simsbury’s State Representative.

The August 9, 2022 Democratic Party primary will determine who will represent Simsbury as the Democratic Party candidate in the November 8, 2022 election.

Melissa Osborne should be the chosen candidate.

Presently the Board of Selectmen are in the process of evaluating Town Manager Maria Capriola’s job performance.

Recently Town Manager Maria Capriola chose candidates for the position of Director of Community Planning & Development and Assistant Town Planner. These vacancies were open for many months while the only employees in the department where the Land Use Specialist, Code Compliance Officer and Land Use/Building Clerk.

None with credentials to support the Land use Boards and Commissions.

After a thorough review for Director of Community Planning & Development, Town Manager Maria Capriola chose a candidate that was not the first choice of her candidate review committee.

George McGregor, Director of Community Planning & Development appears to be overwhelmed with the position and does not have time to answer phone calls from developers and residents. Previous employees in this position were able to satisfy the public and give professional support to all Boards and Commissions.

The opening for the Assistant Town Planner was open for several months.

A candidate for this position was a credentialed employee, interviewed by a panel and selection forwarded to Town Manager Maria Capriola for the final decision.

Town Manager Maria Capriola did not send a letter to the candidate that she was not selected, but told the Town Planner to address the issue.

This is a failure of management

The person selected for the position as Assistant Town planner has a checkered past with several positions that lasted only a year.

Town Manager Maria Capriola’s track record of appointments are a failure as noted with Janell Mullen, Code Compliance Officer who failed to perform her duties and bolted from the position without any notification to staff.

The Director of Community Planning & Development, Jamie Rabbitt, resigned under a cloud of misconduct.

Robin Newton, Assistant Town Planner had several grievances against Town Manager Maria Capriola and finally resigned with a non-disclosure agreement with the Town that was forwarded to the press and published.

There should be a full investigation by the Board of Selectmen to find out who released the document.

The findings should be made public and forwarded to the press.

Town Manager Maria Capriola has abused her power by creating an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that is non-binding, to take over the management of the Police Department and reduce the power of the State regulated Police Commissions.

Police Commissioner Jim Fleming immediately resigned stating that the rule of law was violated.

Recently Senator Dick Blumenthal spoke in front of Town Hall.

He was reminded when he was Attorney General he was accountable, under the Charities Division to oversee the Town’s compliance that Eno Farms Affordable Housing was regulated under the Eno Trust for the Poor, and was not compliant.

The land records reflect that the housing must be for low and very low-income residents.

The Town is now working to bring the complex into compliance.