Board of Selectmen Meeting April 22, 2019

Board of Selectmen Meeting April 22, 2019

I am concerned that the Board of Selectmen have totally ignored the continuous special treatment the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center (PAC) has been granted under the management of Town Manager Maria Capriola.

The PAC by its own admission is a private organization although they have privileges that only Town services can and should provide.

The PAC receives waivers on permit fees, has received special status allowing them to pay reduced fees for Simsbury Police Special Duty and now has acquired an Office in Town Hall free of charge. There is a sign at the Performing Arts Center at the Meadows that designates the office in the grey building. Do they now have two offices at taxpayer expense? Why has the Board of Selectmen ignored the fact that the PAC has become a Town organization and is private in name only? Why is this charade allowed to continue?

The solution to this charade is to incorporate the activities of the PAC into a Town agency and eliminate the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center.

The Charter Revision Commission in their August 1. 2016 report recommended creating a Culture Commission, Section 4 pages 15 and 16.

The findings state, “The Commission believes a separate commission will result in more emphasis on the creation, promotion and advocacy for cultural events in the Town.”

I would suggest that the Town incorporate the activities of the PAC into a Cultural Commission under the Direction of the Parks and Recreation Department.

Incorporating the Cultural Commission would be too burdensome for the Director of Parks and Recreation so I would recommend that as part of the reorganization, the Golf Course would be contracted to a private management company to alleviate the management of the golf course by the Town.

The newly established Cultural Commission would return all revenues from events to the Town increasing revenues, lowering taxes and increasing activities.

This would eliminate the charade perpetrated by the Board of Selectmen and Town Manager, Maria Capriola that the PAC is private by returning the controls and oversight to Town Government.

Recently there has been several full-page ads in the Hartford Courant from the JUUL Labs that manufacture and distribute Vaping products. Phillip Morris, a cigarette company has an ownership in the JUUL Labs. The ads state: YOUTH VAPING IS A PROBLEM. HERE’S WHAT WE’RE DOING ABOUT IT. Combustible cigarettes are the number one cause of preventable death. Our mission is to improve the lives of adult smokers by eliminating cigarettes. But youth use of vapor products endangers that mission, so we’re addressing the problem dead-on with actions like: “with four problems and four actions that are totally disingenuous and misleading. These ads are a hedge for continuing with the cigarette companies market share in a market that causes cancer and addiction.

All these products are readily available to school age students with a Convenience Store in close proximity to Simsbury High School that sells cigarettes and JUUL products with many pods with a variety of additives.

Vaping products are more dangerous than cigarettes and more addictive.

Disclaimers don’t justify the use of the product. Vaping Labs and Cigarette

Companies are in the business of distributing mind-altering drugs with major health issues. This is a “bait and switch” move by the cigarette companies to increase their bottom line. These ads are not protecting the public but increasing their market share with new and more dangerous products.

The Associated Press published a report September 24, 2018: “Schools turn to technology to monitor cig usage. The article states: “Fort Smith schools expanded anti-tobacco policy to include vaping and e-cigarettes a number of years ago. Schools around the country are beginning to install sensors in bathrooms, locker rooms and stairwells to detect and alert administrators when vaping occurs. The sensor, Fly Sense 2.5 is installed using a wired school network or through Wi-Fi in various locations where vaping typically takes place. It then looks for chemical compounds found in e-cigarette vapor.

According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 2 million middle and high school students in 2016 had used e-cigarettes in the past month, The CDC also reports the use of these devices could increase the chance of students and young adults who were previously non-smokers to use regular cigarettes or other addictive substances.”

It is time for our Public Officials to take a pro -active stance and install the vapor sensors in our schools.

Recently it was noted that the Administrative Secretary in the Engineering Department was out on Administrative Leave with an alleged reduction in pay.

Has Town Manager Maria Capriola shared the reasoning for her management decision with the Board of Selectmen?

The budget as presented will increase 4.05% which is inconsistent with the Board of Finance guidance and should be rejected at Referendum.