More Updates
June 11th, 2009 by CindyUPDATE TO THE UPDATES!!
Here is the email response I received on Friday afternoon from Cheshire Public Works Director Joe Michaelangelo regarding the “Wesson” property-AKA-the field next to Seven-Eleven with the Barrels STILL on them!!
Hello Cindy:
After our phone conversation yesterday, I placed a call to the engineering firm, Lenard Engineering of Storrs CT, that is handling the work at the above property, located at 266 South Main Street. I relayed the question that you asked me regarding the two black 55 gallon barrels on the property. According to Mr. Bob Poole of Lenard, when they obtain the samples for quarterly testing that is performed at the numerous observation wells, they have to “purge” the wells which yields a several gallons of “wasted water” per sample. Although this is not hazardous, it is regulated. Lenard cannot remove this water and they have an environmental firm empty the barrels periodically. Although he said this is how this is done everywhere, I explained to him the concerns and perceptions regarding having these barrels located on this very prominent location, and he will see if they can change the operations to accommodate this concern.
Incidentally, the DEP is involved in this project, and here is a link to the specific office: http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2717&depNav_GID=1652&q=325322
Joe
I was not able to get in touch with the FOI attorney on Thursday, because of a tight schedule, but I am linking you to a few articles from actual Ct Freedom of Information hearings that do deal with emails between municipal officials WHICH ARE PUBLIC INFORMATION and must be released to the public upon request.
Now as far as storing emails, well I don’t see how a municipality cannot store emails or any type of correspondence if all of this has to be readily available to the public if they so desire.
On the subject of emails to Town Council representatives from a constituent-I still do not have the FOI attorney opinion, but it looks to me like any contact-email or letter with a Town Official or representative discussion town business-is PUBLIC!!
I did speak with Cheshire Town Attorney Dwight Johnson on Wednesday and he did agree with me about the emails and letters being public information.
I found a good article on how other states and municipalities across the nation are handling this type of situation with emails.
And here is an FOI “Advisory” I know it is old but the subject is still timely: what happens when a Board, Commission or Council-meets “informally” to discuss an issue-no minutes are taken-and THEN following this informal meeting-FORMAL CONVENES THE MEETING.
Is the “informal” meeting public information?
Here is a 2006 FOI decision regarding a constituent’s request for ALL emails between a Board of Education and a local municipal official:
Here is a 2009 case where the complainant asked for emails and all “telephone messages” between a Police Department and a municipal official:
On another ongoing issue: Yes, I did contact Joe Michaelangelo, director of Public Works in Cheshire, and did alert him to the barrel on the old Huxley Garage property adjacent to the Seven-Eleven on Rt 10.
You CAN see the barrel or barrels, I only made out one-it is located in the extreme right hand corner slightly hidden by a tree branch on the property.
I told Mr. Michaelangelo that I hoped this was not a barrel or barrels that I had photos of last year when I saw them on the old Huxley property, but nearer to Rt. 10.
Mr. Michaelangelo told me the DEP is overseeing this project which is some sort of soil reclamation-He told me he would be “poking around” and contacting the DEP.
I thanked him and asked him to contact me when he got an answer-You know, we do have people who CARE about Cheshire like Sue Zentek, she contacted me and told me about the barrels in the corner of the old Huxley lot.
I am grateful to her and to any citizen of this town or any town that is willing to step to the plate and not leave it up to someone else to take action.
I will be keeping you updated on this situation.
And, as far as Arby’s goes, the SIGNS I saw on Wednesday were GONE on Thursday-I also will be following that.
Lastly, I know many of you saw the gentleman from Avon Boulevard that addressed the Town Council on a ongoing noise situation in his neighborhood involving dirt bikes on some sort of private dirt bike track.
Well on Wednesday, my spouse and I drove down Avon Boulevard. I had my digital camera WHICH NOW WORKS!! and I was hoping to be able to either tape the dirt bike action and/or record the noise.
Unfortunately, I did not hear anything-it was pretty quiet but that probably because IT IS ALWAYS RAINING NOW!!
WHAT IS IT WITH THIS RAIN?? AND THEN TO ADD SALT TO THE WOUNDS-THESE BRAIN DEAD WEATHER FORECASTERS ACTUALLY SAID WE WERE STILL IN A DROUGHT!!
Yes, we are in a drought–A SUN DROUGHT!! NO SUN!! DID THE SUN IMPLODE?? IS THE GOVERNMENT JUST NOT TELLING US?? WHAT GIVES JEFF FOXX??
If the sun doesn’t come out soon-I fear we will all get rickets!!
So to get back to the noise story-I did speak to the gentleman who went to the podium to address the Town Council-I noticed while this nice man was speaking-SOMEONE WASN’T TOO INTERESTED!!
You KNOW WHO YOU ARE–SHAME ON YOU!!
But, the town of Cheshire does not have a noise ordinance-if they did-that would be the end of me-I AM NOISY, ESPECIALLY MY BIG MOUTH-they probably will enact a noise ordinance now to keep me quiet!!
Of course, we all had to hear how “well several years ago the subject of a noise ordinance came up but was not passed”
Come on-work together on this Town Council and forget the petty stuff-this man and his family and the other families on that street deserve some sort of peace and quiet.
I know it can’t be quiet all the time-but noise from a dirt bike or dirt bikes can be extremely loud-I know-I used to live in back of the Grateful Dead motorcycle club in Bridgeport years ago-They made A LOT OF NOISE-but I DIDN’T COMPLAIN!! YOU CAN GUESS WHY!!
The people who have the dirt bikes have a right to use their property and enjoy themselves also-I hope there can be some sort of compromise-if not-then I STRONGLY URGE the Town Council to consider a noise ordinance-not just for the people on Avon Boulevard-but for all people in this town.
So to help out our Town Government-here is an article on: