Board of Selectmen Meeting March 8, 2021

Board of Selectmen Meeting March 8, 2021

I would like to remind the Board of Selectmen that they have been elected to represent the people’s voice. Concerns brought up at Public Audience should not be filtered through the Town Manager’s Office by Town Manger Maria Capriola.

Since the Board of Selectmen is the policy body of the Town and Town Manager Maria Capriola is the executive to implement the policies, it is the Board of Selectmen who decides what to show at their meetings for open government, not Town Manager Maria Capriola.

Town Manager Maria Capriola has a reputation of being vindictive, retaliatory, abuses her power and is a control freak, using her power to control the Board of Selectmen by refusing to show my picture attachments at Board of Selectmen Meetings.

The Board of Selectmen are the cheer leaders for Town Manager Maria Capriola for fear of her vindictiveness.

Town Manager Maria Capriola has consistently stated that employees should

be certified in their fields.

However, Town Manager Maria Capriola is not an ICMA Credentialed Manager as are Town Managers Matt Hart, West Hartford and Brandon Robertson, Avon.

Is the Board of Selectmen going to require Town Manager Maria Capriola to get her certification?

At the February 22, 2021 Board of Selectmen Meeting Deputy First Selectman Sean Askham thought the issues concerning the Police Department with Chief Boulter’s prosecutorial discretion regarding the conclusions of Internal Police Investigations were before his tenure and therefore Chief Boulter could not assume the blame is incorrect.

All the Internal Police Investigations were initiated under Chief Boulter since he was appointed in 2018. Deputy Selectman Sean Askham cannot hide behind technicalities that are untrue.

Now that it has been determined that Chief Boulter has assumed all responsibilities for the Internal Investigations and their conclusions, will Deputy First Selectman Sean Askham confront Chief Boulter with the concerns of the public?

Deputy Sean Askham is the Board of Selectmen liaison to the Police Commission.

The Police Internal Investigation regarding the Vandalized Footlocker was inconclusive although, many alleged that they are aware of Police Officer that lied.

According to testimony in the hearing of a terminated Police Officer, Chief Boulter stated that lying is grounds for termination.

Do these standards apply to Chief Boulter?

I have received many pages of content through my FOI requests for all communications between Ed Kosinski, IBPO National Representative and Town Manager Maria Capriola.

It seems quite unusual that Town Manager Maria Capriola has a running dialog with Ed Kosinski, the IBPO National Representative.

In a complaint written October 25, 2019, from Ed Kosinski to Chief Nick Boulter, Town Manager Maria Capriola and the Police Commission the subject is the Internal Affairs Investigation/Complaint

It states,” I am writing this on behalf of the IBPO, Local 458. It is our stance that during the termination hearing of Sgt. Trombly, Chief Boulter was untruthful in his testimony, which he provided under oath and penalty of perjury. Within the sworn testimony, Chief Boulter answered a question posed by council that directly contradicts a memorandum that Chief Boulter sent to Local Union President Gary Gray on May 17, 2019.

Accordingly, we demand that an Internal Affairs investigation into the conduct of Chief Boulter be conducted under General Order 52-1. As such, we further request under General Order 52-1, Section D,6, that this investigation be conducted by an outside agency.”

Has the Police Department investigated these serious allegations or were they ignored, with the overseers abdicating their responsibilities?

Has Town Manger Maria Capriola asked for a complete investigation and reported her findings to the Police Commission and the public?

Has Ed Kosinski received answers to any and all questions he posed in his FOI requests?

Town Manager Maria Capriola presented the Town budget to the Board of Selectmen at the February 22, 2021 Meeting,

The Mill Rate will be increased from 37.09 to 37.26. This is without the Fire

Department.

With the Grand list increases, revenues higher, lowering assumptions on tax collections there should be a 0% increase in the budget and no additional permanent positions.

Giving $22,000 to the Spirit Council to collect data and provide an analysis of the data should be used for Mental Health and Developmental Issues with data and analysis that have inflicted possibly permanent damage from the Pandemic that needs long-term professional intervention.

Many of the buildings that will become vacant due to changes in the workplace could be repurposed to increase facilities for outpatient and long-term psychological intervention.

There is an increase in family violence, children with psychological issues that have increased due to the Pandemic and family issues resulting from alcohol and drug dependencies.

The Developmentally challenged have had major setbacks that would require intense intervention.

Addressing these mitigating issues should be priority one.