Sharp words at March 1 selectmen’s meeting

SALISBURY — Selectmen Jim Dresser and Mark Lauretano clashed repeatedly at the regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen Thursday, March 1.The conflict arose during the “selectmen comments” part of the agenda, which was otherwise dedicated to routine business items.Lauretano had six items for this section. He asked that a DVD of the selectmen’s meetings be made part of the permanent record (the board agreed). He asked that nothing be done to the Fitting house until plans for the new transfer station are complete (First Selectman Curtis Rand assured him that “it’s always been on the record that until the transfer station is permitted we will do nothing” with the Fitting house and the 4 acre plot it is on).Lauretano complained that Dresser was leaving him “out of the loop” on certain emails, to which Dresser said he was trying to avoid convening illegal meetings via email. “I will use my judgment and continue.”Lauretano said he had received a plan for the Troop B State Police barracks in North Canaan from state Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-30). Lauretano described the plan as “a puff piece to promote what they’re doing” and said the plan did not answer any of the questions he had about the ultimate fate of Troop B.Affordable housing queryHe said that the Affordable Housing Commission is not keeping the selectmen informed about the possibility of building affordable housing units on land owned by St. Mary’s Church in Lakeville.“Has the town entered into an agreement?” he asked. “I’m asking them to stop being deceptive and secretive.”Dresser, who is on the commission, said that nothing has happened beyond what was announced last month. “If you want to read something between the lines ...”The commission announced Feb. 16 that the town and the church were working with The Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development, which will conduct a survey of wetlands delineation and preliminary soils analysis on the property, which is located between the church’s Wells Hill Road parking lot and Farnam Road and Perry Street.The church will hold the property off the market for 90 days while a survey is completed. The Women’s Institute, a non-profit with offices in Boston and Middletown, is paying for the survey.The town and church will use the information collected during the option period to evaluate the potential of the land for the construction of affordable housing; there is no obligation for either side to complete a transaction, nor has a price for the land been discussed, according to commission chairman Bob Riva.“All I’m asking for is a heads-up,” said Lauretano. “The press release was confusing.”Personal commentsLauretano wound up his remarks by saying that, “Jim has been attacking my qualifications and saying I need to educate myself.” He held up a certificate from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities from a training session he attended recently and said, “I guess this is Jim Dresser’s answer — three hours of training versus 65 years’ experience.“What did I learn from Jim Dresser?” he continued. He said Dresser’s emails to him were “rude, condescending, and vulgar” and mocked Dresser for not setting up a town email account in two and a half years, when he had set his own up within a couple of days of taking office.“I don’t think I’m going to be following the Jim Dresser playbook.”Dresser, in rebuttal, called Lauretano’s remarks “absurd,” and said all he had said in the past was that Lauretano did not understand the limits of a selectman’s authority.“Don’t tell me what I can talk about at a selectmen’s meeting,” said Lauretano.At this point resident Peter Becket put his hand up. Rand recognized him, and Becket said, “I’m not comfortable with Jim getting roasted here. Is there any way this could be discussed privately?”Rand said, “I hope this level of discord slips away, sooner rather than later. It’s not healthy for the town.”Dresser said, “I chose not to take 15 minutes to respond.”Rand said, “Let’s not start it again.” He looked up at the audience and grinned. “I’m glad I got mine in first.”Washinee ParkIn the business portion of the meeting, Janet Kaufman reported on the state of Washinee Park, a 3 acre space behind the old cemetery which is, in turn, behind Town Hall.Kaufman said that the park had been formed from three separate donations, two after World War I (1919 and 1920) and another after World War II (1948). While the park used to be a popular place for walking, it has “succumbed to invasives” in recent years.She said she is working on an initiative to find private funding to get estimates to eradicate the invasives. She noted that it is town property and that nothing will happen without the town’s input and authorization.Rand reported that a bill was introduced into the state Legislature to reclassify the electricity produced by burning trash — which is what happens to the trash from the Salisbury-Sharon Transfer Station — as “renewable,” which would cost the towns involved substantially less. If the bill is not approved, the likely result is the trash would be shipped to a landfill in another state, he added.The selectmen all agreed that a recent CCM workshop on ethics was disappointing, with the part of the program on how other small towns have created codes of ethics and ways to enforce them canceled. The selectmen received a Memo of Understanding from the Faith House Council about the small house at 25 Academy St., which was renovated over the summer by the Affordable Housing Commission. (The accounting for the project has been a bone of contention between Lauretano and Dresser.)Rand said the memo continues the informal agreement that previously existed between the town and the Salisbury Housing Committee, which runs Faith House and Sarum Village and manages the 25 Academy St. house under the Faith House banner.The only change of note is that one third of the rent comes back to the town now, to pay for the renovations.Rand said the house was initially purchased with the intention to tear it down, and that its lifespan was probably no more than 10 years and probably more like five.The selectmen approved the memo unanimously.