Board of Selectmen Meeting August 12 , 2019

Board of Selectmen Meeting August 12, 2019

I would like to bring to the attention of the Board of Selectmen an escalation of grievances in many Town departments leading one to believe that the employees in Town Hall are working in a toxic work environment.

Long-standing Officers with a stellar record in the Police Department have been singled out for retribution while others have been “given a pass.”

On June 2, 2019, at 9:38 AM. the Police Department received a call for a “Welfare Check” from family members that a member of their family could not be reached after many calls. According to the Dispatch Tape there is a call of a family member stating his father-in law was in the hospital and there were many unanswered calls to his daughter.

He stated that there might be some problems at the house and when asked about medical issues said that the person was an ex-alcoholic, lost her husband a year ago and is having a hard time. He was afraid that something was going on. He stated the door was locked.

Officer Gray and Sgt Thibault were dispatched to the call. A neighbor provided a ladder for entry into a second-floor window. The report stated,” I (Officer Gray) entered the window landing on the floor. From the floor I could see there was nothing near or under the bed. I did not see any doors from my position and turned left into the hallway.” Neighbors reported hearing music from the house and lights were on. Officer Ball and Sgt. Chase continued the investigation at around 1500 hours (3 PM), approximately 6 hours later and reported that they heard music from outside. They later reported that the music came from the cellphone plugged into the wall. The Fire Department was called to supply a ladder and placed it at the window where the music was coming from. The Fire Department reported that, “there was a woman hanging in the bathroom.” The front door window was removed to gain entry to the house. The Officers opened the bathroom door with a paperclip to gain entry. The family was informed of the loss of their family member.

Six Officers documented a 26-page report on this investigation and many hours were spent copying the dispatch tape.

On June 6, 2019 the father died and there was a double funeral for both family members on June 15, 2019. On June 13,2019 First Selectmen Eric Wellman told the family to pick up a Proclamation at Town Hall that said the father was a WW!! Veteran and on June 15, 2019 First Selectman Eric Wellman declared the day named after the father. Was anyone aware of this special day?

Was this Police Investigation following the proper procedures? Was any officer given a reprimand? Officer Gray is the Union President. Has the Police Department investigated why Officer Gray was allegedly detained and arrested at Bradley Airport by the Police for carrying a gun in his luggage when flying to attend a Police Convention? Has the Police Commission and Town Manager Maria Capriola been notified of these occurrences?

On Thursday August 9, 2019 the Gifts of Love had a fundraising dinner for $90 per person at the Town Farm. There were no gathering permits and when questioned, the Zoning Officer stated, “I have been looking into this with the assistance of the Town Manager’s office. We have reached out to Bob DeCrescenzo (Town Attorney) to garner his input since this is a unique situation as Gifts of Love leases the land from the Town. We anticipate reaching a resolution today, Wednesday August 8, 2019.

The fundraiser went on as scheduled although there were no permits for this event but they received permits in the past for their events? Why the cover-up?

WFSB News reported that Gifts of Love did not receive several Grants and they lost a big donor and as a result could not continue with the camp. The Educational Director lost her job and they are finding new homes for the animals.

Has Town Manager Maria Capriola had serious conversations with Gifts of Love on their future activities and compliance with the Eno Trust, “for the poor of Simsbury?”

The Simsbury Performing Arts (PAC) had over 10, 000 people at the July 26, 2019 Elton John Concert. Cars were parked everywhere, legal and illegal, garbage was left in open over-filled trash containers. This was a BYOB concert where the Ambulance was called for an alleged unresponsive lady on the grass. She was transported to a hospital.

Since Simsbury does not have public transportation and people refuse to park where there is Shuttle Service, the Town should mandate that no more than 6,000 tickets be sold at any concert. This is a Public Safety issue and should be remedied before something serious happens.