Update On Fill Pile Mess

In a previous post, I commented that my hometown is in the midst of a toxic waste scandal.  Here's what has been happening recently regarding this issue. 

Last night, the Fairfield Board of Selectmen (the top executive committee in town politics) held a meeting to address, among other things, the fill pile controversy.  All three members of the Board (Democrat First Selectman Michael Tetreau, Republican Selectman Chris Tymniak, and Republican Selectman Ed Bateson) were in attendance.  (1)

Mr. Tymniak began the discussion by reading several statements into the record, and then turning his attention to the First Selectman.  "I absolutely believe this is a complete lack of leadership on (the First Selectman's) part from the beginning", said the Republican Selectman. 

This is where things began to get heated.  Citing "Robert's Rules of Order", Mr. Tetreau opined that Tymniak's remarks were not allowed.  In reply, Selectman Bateson commented that he was "allowed to criticize" the First Selectman's job performance.  Tetreau rejected this notion, saying "not while you're sitting in a Board of Selectmen meeting". 

Later debate centered around a warrant for the arrest of two former town employees.  In an attempt to explain the charges alleged, Selectman Tymniak began to read the statements contained in said warrant.  Town Attorney Stanton Lesser objected to this, pointing out that the relevant allegations must be proved in court, and may not be "necessarily true".  Fairfield Police Commissioner (and Chairman of the Fairfield Republican Party) Jamie Millington later remarked that signed warrants are "true and accurate to the best of (any police officer's) knowledge".  (1) (2)

Here's some other things that we know about this case. 

• In 2015, Police Chief Christopher Lyddy sought to meet with the First Selectman over concerns in what had become a criminal investigation.  This notwithstanding, First Selectman Tetreau chose not to meet with Chief Lyddy.  

• Town activity on this case goes back to at least 2011, when a state investigator looking into corruption charges (against former public works superintendent Scott Bartlett) requested to meet with the First Selectman.  Through legal counsel, the above meeting request was rebuffed.   

•  E-mails and other records seem to confirm that town officials previously knew of this matter, but did nothing about it.  (3)

• During the past week, lawyers for the Town sought to (by means of legal maneuvers) prevent a group of citizens from meeting with the State's Attorney.  (4)

• First Selectman Tetreau continues to vehemently deny that he had any previous knowledge of the situation.  He has also stated that he "did not remember" the investigator's request for a meeting (this request was apparently made in 2011).  

Obviously, things are beginning to get hostile in town, with each side throwing out accusations and charges of impropriety.  

This is my take on the matter; perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but it seems to me that SOMEONE is not being completely forthcoming.  Whether that is the First Selectman's office or the "whistleblowers" in this case is a matter of opinion.  

That being said, there is WAY too much bickering going on; the situation has gotten to the point of being a "he said, she said" case.  Hopefully, my fellow Fairfielders will realize that this serves nobody.  It's time for Fairfield to come together as a community, and solve this problem once and for all.  

More updates as I am made aware of them.  

Sources:

1. Bybee-Schier, Anna. "Hostility, Accusations Dominate Fairfield BOS Contamination Talks". Fairfield Patch, 2019, https://patch.com/connecticut/fairfield/hostility-accusations-dominate-fairfield-bos-contamination-talks. Accessed 21 Sept 2019.

2. FairTV Government. Board Of Selectmen 9-18-2019. 2019, https://youtu.be/9vNv351VNuw. Accessed 21 Sept 2019.

3. Kery, Dana, and Tim Kery. "The Fill Pile, Gould Manor, And Why We Spoke Up…". Fairfield First, 2019, https://fairfieldfirstdotorg.wordpress.com/2019/09/17/the-fill-pile-gould-manor-and-why-we-spoke-up/. Accessed 21 Sept 2019.

4. Tepfer, Daniel. "Judge Won't Block Fairfield Dumping Meeting". Connecticut Post, 2019, https://www.ctinsider.com/local/ctpost/article/Judge-won-t-block-Fairfield-dumping-meeting-14449607.php. Accessed 21 Sept 2019.