By Charles Stannard
ESSEX— Town Republicans have selected a 27-member Republican town committee for 2010-2012 that includes seven new members. Republicans, dominant in town government during the 1990s, waged an active campaign in last year’s town election. But party nominee Joel Marzi’s challenge to the fourth-term bid of Democratic First Selectman Phil Miller fell short. Marzi was elected to the board of selectman, replacing Vincent Pacileo in the minority party seat on the three-member board.
Incumbents returning to the town committee include Gary Baier, Susan Beckman, Herb Clark, Edward Cook, Keith Crehan, Alexander Daddona, Paul Dubey, Lynn Faulstick, former First Selectman Bruce Glowac, Jim Hill, Roger Kern, Jim Markland, Marzi, Neil Nichols, Winifred Olson, Vincent Pacileo, Elizabeth Schellens, Marshall Schofield, Rick Stebbins, and Terry Stewart.
New members are Ann Dixon, D. G. Fitton. John Heiser, Mark Pratt, Stacia Rice-Libby, Debbie Scholes, and Jeff Woods. Leaving the committee are Debra Sasena, Coral Rwan, Richard Rybak, Michael Perkins, Virginia Williams, and former Selectman Kenneth Wexler, who has moved out of town.
By Charles Stannard
ESSEX– The Board of Selectmen began discussion of a possible town anti-blight ordinance Wednesday in the final meeting of the board’s current two-year term.
It was the last meeting for Selectman Vin Pacileo, who was out-polled in Tuesday’s election by his running-mate, Republican First Selectman candidate Joel Marzi. Marzi received 1,061 votes to Pacileo’s 1,041 in an election where Democrat First Selectman Phil Miller and Democratic Selectman Norman Needleman were re-elected for a fourth term. Pacileo has served on the board since 2003. Miller, Needleman and Marzi will take office for the 2009-2011 term on Nov. 10.
Miller said he was raising the proposed anti-blight ordinance at the request of several residents who live near three vacant homes that remain standing after being severely damaged by fires over the past two years. One of the damaged homes is in the Ivoryton section, two are in Essex.
Miller said he is reviewing several anti-blight ordinances from Connecticut cities and towns that were provided by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. Miller said he would favor an ordinance that includes a penalty if the property owner does not respond to repeated town requests to clean up a property.
The board agreed to resume a discussion of the proposed anti-blight ordinance at its Nov. 18 meeting, after Marzi has joined the board. An anti-blight ordinance would require approval from voters at a town meeting.
LocalOnlineNews.TV reported on Guilford’s anti-blight ordinance this past February. Watch our video story below:
By Charles Stannard
ESSEX— Democratic First Selectman Phil Miller won a fourth term Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Joel Marzi on a 1,437 to 1,061 vote.
Democratic Selectman Norman Needleman was re-elected to the board of selectmen with 1,428 votes. Marzi, a board of finance member, outpolled his running-mate, Republican Selectman Vince Pacileo, to win the third seat on the board. Pacileo, who has served on the board since 2003, received 1,041 votes.
Miller’s margin of victory, 376 votes, was lower than the more 800 vote margins recorded with his first election in 2003 over Republican Kenneth Wexler and in 2005 over Republican Richard Stebbins. Miller was uncontested by town Republicans in 2007.
Miller, after receiving a congratulatory handshake from Marzi in the crowded town hall auditorium, said he looks forward to working with his election rival during the next two years. “We ran a very positive race,” he said. “I am looking forward to working with Joel on the board of selectmen and I think he brings instant credibility to the board.” Miller acknowledged he was “a little uncertain,” about the outcome in the final days of the hotly contested race, adding “I am grateful to the people of Essex for their support.”
Democrats won all of the other contested races on the ballot. About 2,500 of the town’s 4,572 registered voters cast ballots Tuesday, a turnout of approximately 54% percent.
Democrat Megan Dwyer Haskins was elected as tax collector, defeating Republican Mark Pratt on a 1,539-891 vote.
Incumbent Democrats James Francis and Fred Vollono were re-elected to the board of finance, outpolling Republicans Jeffrey Woods and Roger Kern. Francis, who serves as board chairman, received 1,394 votes, with 1,293 votes for Vollono. Woods had 1,071 votes, Kern received 1,005 votes.
Democrats Jennifer Clark and Chris Riley were elected to the Region 4 Board of Education, defeating Republicans Gregory Cassells and Philip Reynolds. Clark polled 1,380 votes, with Riley garnering 1,320 votes. Reynolds had 1,031 votes, with 958 votes for Cassells.
All three candidates for the Essex Board of Education will be seated on the board. Democrat Lon Seidman, who serves as board chairman, received 1,394 votes for the six year spot, with 971 votes for Republican Don Fitton. Incumbent Republican member Suzanne Helchowski received 1,550 votes for a two year seat.
Incumbent Town Clerk Frances Nolin and Town Treasurer Robert Dixon were uncontested for new four-year terms. Incumbent Democrat Anne Dougherty was also uncontested for a new term on the board of assessment appeals.
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Lon Seidman is a partner in LocalOnlineNews.TV LLC
By Charles Stannard
ESSEX— The board of selectmen Wednesday acted to close the dispute over a police dog with a motion declaring the town “has never obligated itself in any manner in connection with a police canine unit.”
The issue arose at a Sept. 2 meeting where Republican Selectman Vince Pacileo confirmed that Democratic First Selectman Phil Miller had paid gasoline expenses last January for officer Sal Bevilacqua to travel to Ohio to pick up a German Sheppard. Bevilacqua paid $600 from his own funds to acquire the dog and has been keeping it at his Deep River residence during the succeeding months. The board of selectmen had received a presentation on a possible police canine unit last December, but never formally authorized the acquisition and training of a police dog.
The motion, approved on a 2-1 vote with Pacileo opposed, notes the dog “has never been accepted and/or placed in to town service,” and the town has “never obligated itself for compensation of any kind” in connection with Bevilacqua’s “personal pet.” It declares that Bevilacqua “apparently misunderstood these circumstances when it should have been clear to him that he and his pet were never going to be trained and accepted in to town service.”
Pacileo, who unsuccessfully attempted to insert his own account of the Sept. 2 meeting in to the board’s offiical meeting minutes, said the motion was “frankly fiction,” because Miller had referred to a town police dog in a letter of appreciation sent after the town accepted free medical checks of the dog from the Essex Veterinary Clinic.
In response to a question from Pacileo about any possible claim for compensation, Bevilacqua said “it’s been left to my attorney and the town’s attorney and that’s all I was advised to say about it.” Bevilacqua said after the meeting he has retained New Haven lawyer Alphonse Balzano to represent him and has submitted a claim to the town for compensation of expenses related to the dog. Bevilacqua declined to specify the amount of his request for compensation.
But Miller said any claim from Bevilacqua would be not be honored by the town. “He’s not entitled,” Miller said.
Bevilacqua said he plans to keep the dog even if there is no compensation from the town. “It wouldn’t be fair for him to end up in the pound because of all this,” he said.
ESSEX–First Selectman Phil Miller Friday advised town police officer Sal Bevilacqua the town has no obligation to compensate him for expenses related to a German shepherd he acquired in January as a prospective town police dog.
The issue of the police dog surfaced at Wednesday’s meeting of the board of selectmen, where Republican Selectman Vin Pacileo contended that Miller’s authorization to pay Bevilacquas’s gasoline expenses when he drove to Ohio to pick up the dog represented an implied approval of Bevilacqua’s effort to initiate a police K9 program in Essex. The board of selectmen had received a presentation on police K9 programs last December, but took no votes to authorize the program or appropriate funds for expenses incurred in keeping a dog.
In an e-mail that was also sent Friday to Pacileo and Selectman Norman Needleman, Miller advised Bevilacqua that while he was “originally interested in the possibility of exploring a K9 unit given your expressed interest, upon further assessment of your capabilities and the preliminary assessment of the dog, I determined that this activity was not appropriate and therefore was never actively pursued.”
“Thus while I may have compensated you for gasoline expenses at the time the concept was under consideration, you know at no time was your dog accepted and placed in to service. Furthermore you are not a qualified K9 handler. The town has no obligation as to compensation of any kind connected with this dog,” Miller concluded.
Bevilacqua, who was hired as one of the town’s four full-time officers in 2007, said he expects to present a claim for compensation of expenses related to the dog to the board of selectmen within the next month. Bevilaqcua added that he has retained a lawyer, New Haven attorney Alphonse Balzano, to represent him in the matter.
By Charles Stannard
ESSEX– The Board of Selectmen clashed Wednesday over a prospective police dog that was acquired by a town officer without a formal authorization from the board.
The issue was placed on the agenda by Republican Selectman Vincent Pacileo, who questioned Officer Sal Bevilacqua about the status of the dog that Bevilacqua picked up from a breeder in Ohio last January. Pacileo contended that Democratic First Selectman Phil Miller had acted on his own to initiate a police K9 program because he allowed the town to pay for Bevilacqua’s gasoline expenses for a 12-hour ride to Ohio to pick up the dog. “Clearly this is a town dog and you know what dogs can do,” he said. “There is a liability here either expressed or implied.”
The board had received a presentation from town officers on a possible police K9 program at a meeting last December. Pacileo and Democratic Selectman Norman Needleman expressed concerns about the cost of the program during a tight budget year, and there were no votes taken to authorize a local police K9 program.
But Bevilacqua travelled to Ohio in January to pick up the German Shepherd named Primo, and has been keeping the dog at his residence in Deep River. The dog has been treated at the Essex Veterinary Hospital, with Miller sending a letter to Veterinarian Robert Olsen offering thanks for helping “to take care of our newest police recruit, Primo the alsatien puppy.”
Under questioning from Pacileo, Bevilacqua said he spent $600 in personal funds to acquire the dog, and believed the dog would eventually be sent for police K9 training sponsored by the town.
But Bevilacqua, who was hired as one of the town’s four police officers in 2007, also acknowledged that he “can’t recall any commitment” from the First Selectman that Essex would start a police K9 program. Bevilacqua said he has also incurred additional personal expenses from keeping the dog at his residence over the past eight months.
Needleman said he “was never comfortable with the idea of getting a dog,” and suggested that Bevilacqua should have understood “the town was not going to assume any liability for this dog.” Needleman urged Bevilacqua to present a formal claim for reimbursement if he believes the town owes him for expenses related to the dog. Bevilacqua said after the meeting he is considering the option of making a claim to the town for reimbursement of expenses related to the dog.
Miller said Thursday he had “erred in judgement” by having the town pay for Bevilacqua’s gasoline expenses for the ride to Ohio to pick up the dog. He said the Board of Selectmen would consider any claim for reimbursement made by Bevilacqua. “I’ll do whatever I can to try and make this right,” he said.
By: Charles Stannard
ESSEX— Democratic First Selectman Phil Miller and Republican challenger Joel Marzi received rousing nominations from party supporters Wednesday night to face off for the town’s top job in the Nov. 3 town election.
Miller, seeking a fourth term in the town’s top job, drew support from five top state Democrats in accepting the nomination from about 60 supporters gathered on the front lawn of town hall.
State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was joined by two Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, in expressing admiration for Miller’s record over the past six years. Also on hand were state Sen. Eileen Daily, D-Westbrook, and state Rep. James Spallone, D-Essex, with Spallone declaring Miller had provided “innovative and responsive leadership in Essex.”
Democratic Selectman Norman Needleman was nominated to seek a fourth term as Miller’s running-mate for Board of Selectmen. Needleman said Miller, who was uncontested for re-election by town Republicans in 2007, had shown “he is ready to make the hard decisions when he has to,” in the current difficult economy.
Marzi, a six-year board of finance member and former member and chairman of the zoning commission, was nominated by about 30 Republicans gathered in the town hall auditorium. In prepared remarks, Marzi questioned decisions made by Miller in February that included reorganizing town hall staff and laying off the town sanitarian, Carol Lord. He described Miller’s moves as an “unwarranted disruption” that was based on “misguided budgetary planning.”
Republicans nominated incumbent Selectman Vincent Pacileo for a fourth term as Marzi’s running-mate for board of selectmen. Pacileo accused the board’s Democratic majority of a “failure to communicate and a failure to reach out to others.”
Miller also referred to the February reorganization in his prepared remarks, describing it as “a tough decision for difficult economic times.’ Miller said he welcomes the Republican challenge, declaring “I’m glad it is a contested race this year so that we can present all of the pertinent issues to our residents.”
Both parties nominated new candidates for tax collector to replace Republican Tax Collector Nancy Stadalnik, who is retiring after nearly two decades in the job.
Democrats nominated Megan Dwyer Haskins, an Essex native who returned to town ten years ago after working in the financial services industry for A.G. Edwards and Sons and the local Ferrucci Company. Haskins, 37, is the mother of twins. Republicans nominated Mark Pratt, a retired Hamden firefighter. Pratt, 61, is a Vietnam War veteran and the first male member of the Essex Garden Club.
Republican Town Clerk Frances Nolin and Republican Town Treasurer Robert Dixon were cross-endorsed by Democrats for new terms. Nolin has served as town clerk since January 2000, Dixon has been town treasurer since 2003.
Democrats nominated incumbents James Francis and Fred Vollono for new six year terms on the Board of Finance. Francis has served as chairman of the finance board since 2003. Republicans nominated Jeff Woods, a member and former chairman of the Zoning Commission, and Roger Kern for Board of Finance.
Democrats nominated Jennifer Clark, who is a medical doctor specializing infectious diseases and wound care, for a six-year term on the Region 4 Board of Education. Republicans nominated Gregory Cassells for the six-year term on the Region 4 board. Republican Terry Stewart, the current chairman of the three-town board, is not seeking re-election.
Democrats nominated Chris Riley for a two year vacancy term on the Region 4 Board of Education. Riley was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board in May. Republicans nominated Philip Reynolds for the two-year term on the Region 4 board.
Democrats nominated Lon Seidman for a new term on the local Board of Education. Seidman currently serves as board chairman. Republicans nominated Don Fitton for a full six-year term on the local Board of Education, with incumbent Suzanne Helchowski nominated for a two-year vacancy term on the local Board of Education.
Democrats nominated incumbent Anne Dougherty for a new term on the Board of Assessment appeals. Republicans did not nominate a candidate for board of assessment appeals, but formed a vacancy committee that could endorse a candidate before a July 29 state ballot deadline.
Links:
Essex Democrats
Joel Marzi’s Website
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Lon Seidman is a partner in LocalOnlineNews.TV LLC
By Charles Stannard
ESSEX–The board of selectmen Wednesday rejected a grievance filed by town police Corporal Mark Pisciotti that involved Pisciotti’s removal from an administrative position by First Selectman Phil Miller.
The board acted after a grievance hearing that was required under the union contract for the Essex local of the International Brotherhood of Police officers. The union represents the four town police officers.
Pisciotti, who serves as president of the union local, said he was removed from the position of administrative officer by Miller in April. The local’s current contract with the town includes the positions of administrative officer and training officer that are available to officers with the rank of corporal.
While the four officers are supervised by the town’s resident state trooper, the administrative officer has a role in scheduling and the training officer coordinates training programs. Pisciotti had been serving as both administrative officer and training officer.
Pisciotti contended that Miller had “retaliated” against him based on concerns he had raised last fall about the management of town police by Resident State Trooper Mark Testoni. Pisciotti said Miller told him he had “poisoned the well” and was a major factor in “all of the problems between the state police and the town.” A previous resident state trooper had been reassigned in 2007 amid friction with the local officers.
Miller said he had exercised his authority to shift the administrative officer position to another corporal, officer Russell Gingras. Pisciotti retained the position of training officer. “We had one person with an inordinate amount of responsibility,” Miller said. “I did it to spread out the teamwork.”
Pisciotti contended Miller’s action represented a “demotion, and union representative David Hebert agreed that Pisciotti had experienced a “loss of status.”
Town labor counsel Scott Karsten, with the West Hartford firm of Karsten, Dorman and Tallberg, noted that Pisciotti remained a corporal and had experienced no reduction in pay as a result of Miller’s action. He said the reassignment was “not a grievable matter.”
The selectmen rejected the grievance on a 2-1 vote, with Republican Selectman Vincent Pacileo opposed. Pacileo said he wanted more time to review a packet of memos and other information presented by Pisciotti.
