Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 6:47 PM
Fellow Selectman-
This letter is in response to your earlier E-mails.
At this time I don‘t care what you both think, and I‘ve made that very clear. My only concern has always been for the people of Wales, and they have spoken, as a matter of fact I think they are yelling right now.
The ball was dropped and you both did nothing about it until parts of the town hall were closed. When you knew years ago about all of these issues, to include the town garage the library and the school as well. But you both just ignored what the fire chief and the building inspector have been saying for far too long.
When you put public safety at risk it was wrong. It wasn‘t my intention to infringe on your power struggle here. The fact of the matter is that Mike Kas number was given to ALL OF US, and I called on the off chance that he would be willing to talk. Not to negotiate any deals or to negotiate with Mr. Kas at all. There was nothing said that was binding or put into any agreement. That is the job of Pat Mathews, who I called when I got home after the meeting. Then I informed you about this, unlike the two of you about keeping me in the loop in most decisions and discussions I did contact you. Or of course when Mike you make these decisions on your own as we are finding out. It was no fault of my own that Mike Kas called me, not you Mike, Jeff or Pat Mathews, does that tell you something, like maybe he wanted to start fresh with someone else to try and resurrect this deal.
So I met with him what was the big deal, time was short. So what if it was the weekend, when there is an emergency you try to work on it to try to come to some kind of resolve. It has to be done now not weeks or months from now as Mike suggested in the meeting on March 4th, on waiting until May, but at least the meeting was recorded.
Mike we don‘t have weeks or months, we need things done last week, or should I say last month. All of your recent actions are only being done to shore up your tarnished imagine for your action‘s or should I say inactions. Both of you should have acted sooner and not putting the public safety at risk. When you were warned on Jan 20th about the conditions of the town roofs and you were not listening. So most of this could have been avoided. So this is your attempt to intimidate me by threatening me with the town‘s lawyers, (spending more of taxpayers money at your whim), for what trying to pull our asses out of the fire and to try to make it work.
So when does the intimidation stop and with whom, the senior center director, the building inspector, the fire chief, or maybe even the police chief or until everyone in question agrees with the two of you. The only reason why I was trying to talk to Mike Kas, because he called me, it was an attempt to salvage this deal, and trying to help us get us out of this bind, that you both have gotten us into by not listening. But again choosing to ignore the warnings from the fire chief, the building inspector.
I also understand that you had some kind of study with an architect or engineer done on 2 Main Street, (which we didn‘t own). Why couldn‘t they have gone up to the town hall or the town garage, and look at them as well at the same time. How much did that cost and who did the study? Maybe this information would have helped the voters of Wales look at this a little closer and maybe what they might have seen in the report could have changed their minds about their votes. If the voters had only known the true condition of the town hall in writing or the cost to repair all of the problems, maybe how much in taxes it would cost to go that route. Who knows they might have changed their vote.
But this study should have been done 20 months ago when the committee was formed. Not when the town garage is sagging from the excess weight of the ice and snow, the gym at the school is closed because of the snow and ice build up, which was closed by the state. Not when the workers in their haste to clear the roof tore several holes in the roof. The school had to be evacuated because of the water pouring in. When our kids were sent out into below freezing temperature, for what did Dan Durgin say " they were only out there for 18 minutes" ,can you imagine? I know that this was an emergency . But why couldn‘t they have it done it before or after school or on the weekend. Shame on all of you.
Mike, then I was told, that you made the decision to move all the snow removal crews to the school to clear it off. But they didn‘t finish the school first they did the gym, But in my opinion this wasn‘t done for the safety of the kids- it was to clear off the gym for the sake of a vote on 2 Main Street, and it still took a few days to clear off the school.
There was no concern by you both when I said that there were blocked doors at the school, and snow in front of the school windows to the roof. When, again, you were both told of this on the Jan. 20th selectman‘s meeting- but again you weren‘t listening. Both of you were too busy talking to the lawyer (more taxpayers money being spent for lawyers fee‘s on something we already knew-that the town hall was going to be condemned sooner or later) , rebuffing the fire chief for doing his job. Picking apart his letter when you should have been working with him to resolve this issue-not by alienating him as you did in the recorded Jan. 4th meeting as well. When again you chastised him for doing his job.
That seems to be a problem around here getting called to the carpet when you are doing your job (or maybe getting fired for insubordination). When the fire chief left his letter on the table and left, and, how did you phrase it Mike, when you said that he should be fired for dropping the letter and leaving? But didn‘t it make it that much easier to pick apart his letter without him being there?
As you were once again notified about the conditions of the town hall, again you ignored this letter as well-but again you both were not listening.
Mr. Vannais as far your remarks about me running for election using this as a ploy to gain votes, well to me it just shows how shallow you are in trying to distract from what is really going on here in town when you both failed to get a handle on what was going on.
Even when I called the special meeting on Wed. Mr. Valanzola replied that he couldn‘t make the meeting until Friday because he was on vacation.
Isn‘t that why there are three (3) Selectman so if one isn‘t available the other two(2) can hold the meeting? But Mr. Valanzola wouldn‘t have any of that, why is that?
Both of you can say all you want, I don‘t care what you think anymore, and I think that there are others in town who are feeling this way as well. Besides what makes you think that I would want to sit on a board with the two of you?
At this time I‘m kind of disgusted by both of your actions or inactions. Both of you have shown that you have little regard and you will vote as you please no matter what the voters might have to say.
I think that you both should resign, as others in town think you should. So I guess I can ask you both to resign for putting us on the brink of bankruptcy with all of the potential repairs that might have to be made to most of our public buildings.
Why? Because you both were not listening to all the warnings . So you do your best to try take me apart or bring me down , but that only gives me more determination to do what I think is best for ALL of the people of Wales not just a certain few.
It just shows how much you don‘t want to co-operate on getting things done and that you would rather focus your attention on placing the blame on me or elsewhere.
Why? Once again to take the focus off both of you and what is really going on in the town of Wales. This is a feeble attempt by both of you to try and hush up what is really going on.
So say what you will, I will not stop and I won‘t lie and I won‘t go along when it comes to any potential risk to the public.
This has to be an open government in order for it to work, when you hide, edit, delete, misquote, misrepresent, or even worse when you just don‘t listen to the voters of the Town of Wales you lose the trust of the people -then you are lost. Because we are here by the people for the people and not to put anything above the will of the people.
I think that you have lost sight of that, and have your will over the people no matter what. I also understand that the Police Dept. has found a new permanent home in the basement of the Senior Center.
So out goes the food bank in this time of extreme need. And so the seniors and the poor are hit again by those who have plenty (when you said in the paper that you wouldn‘t close the food bank, this was in the paper, so much for your word) it might look good on a resume. When you said at the March 4 meeting that you wouldn‘t take the senior center and it looks like that is what you are doing.
The downstairs will be done over for the Police Dept, and who is moving in the wellness room, or Judy‘s office? So if they don‘t comply will you fire them?
I guess it‘s your way or the highway right Mike? When are you both going to stop when you deplete all of the town‘s funds and more. Raise taxes so it will be unaffordable to live in Wales, unless you are rich or privileged equals the demise of a small town.
I don‘t think Wales can keep going in the direction it‘s going. So you say you looked at most of the town buildings- for what -to make repairs?
No the only one you will be working on is the one that doesn‘t need the work- the Senior Center. Except what was proposed to do with the Senior Center was to move the police or whoever into that building.
By the way- why wasn‘t everyone involved with the tour and decisions that were made on Sunday? What makes you think that you can make all the decisions for me when I‘m not there and I receive no E-Mails on this or any phone calls? So what are you going to try and change policy to suit your needs- not the needs of the people of Wales?
So you say that you will fight about the granting issue at the senior center so that it can be used as you please ? What- more taxpayers money spent for more legal advice and at what cost to fight with the state?
What if you lose and the state said that you violated the granting restriction, where are you going to come up with $600,000 and still have to find a place for all of these departments to go.
Once again it will be balanced on the backs of the seniors, the poor and the already burdened taxpayers of the Town of Wales.
So do what you must I want to live in Wales and see our town prosper, not in receivership by the state, caused by those that don‘t seem to listen to what is going on in their own town- a good one at that. A town I say that I‘m proud to live in. Too many things have changed and not all of them for the good of the people .
Richard J. Learned 245-1150 March 8, 2011
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 8:39 AM
Subject: RE: 2 Main
email from Jeff Vannais to Richard J. Learned, Mike Valanzola, Paul Morin, John Lussier, and Dawn Charette.
So what exactly is your plan? What magic answer do you have for all of us? How is you talking to Mike Katsounakis more beneficial than allowing a trained and seasoned negotiator who already has established a working relationship with Mike Katsounakis going to produce different and, by implication, better results? Sadly, you choose to forget that we have solicited input from others. When we asked if anyone (including you) had any good ideas, you and others were silent. We held a public meeting to attempt to get innovative solutions. Chairman Valanzola told people at that meeting what he thought some of our options might be, including utilization of existing, and safe, town facilities. He specifically mentioned the Senior Center. You said that we have done nothing for 20 months. You could not be more wrong. A committee was established to evaluate all alternatives. We did get certified people to look at not only the property at 2 Main Street, but at our existing facilities. The engineer looked at the current Town Office building. He did not provide a detailed and specific quote for costs, but said instead that the things that would need to be done to bring the building into compliance were too extensive and would not be cost effective. The entire investigative process led us to the conclusion that the purchase of 2 Main Street was the absolute best option. Throughout this period, the safety of our workers and the public have been uppermost in our minds.
“I also understand that you had some kind of study with an architect or engineer done on 2 Main Street, (which we didn’t own). Why couldn’t they have gone up to the town hall or the town garage, and look at them as well at the same time. How much did that cost and who did the study? Maybe this information would have helped the voters of Wales look at this a little closer and maybe what they might have seen in the report could have changed their minds about their votes. If the voters had only known the true condition of the town hall in writing or the cost to repair all of the problems, maybe how much in taxes it would cost to go that route. Who knows they might have changed their vote. But this study should have been done 20 months ago when the committee was formed.”
This paragraph is directly from your e-mail- it is completely and patently untrue. The study was done. The information was provided to the public. It was provided in many ways, on a repeated basis. It was repeated on the Upside Down show. It is only when it has become poilitcally expedient for you to profess to be the savior of the people in our community that you choose to spread this false rhetoric. Some of us have worked long, hard hours on trying to find a solution to this that is affordable and gives us a good handle on the future. You sat by and did nothing- absolutely nothing. OK- now is your chance. Give us a plan that works. Tell us how we are going to do this. As Frazier Crane said all of the time on TV, “I’m listening.”
Jeff Vannais
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2011, 4:39 PM
email from Richard J. Learned to John Lussier, Paul Morin, Dawn Charette, Mike Valanzola, and Jeff Vannais.
From the interloping buffoon, I will not speak with you now that you have gotten the town’s lawyers involved. What trying to get me removed, or jail me. The interloping buffoon. You both don’t get it, it’s not the interloping buffoon that is your biggest concern, it is the people that put us all there.
email from Elizabeth Dickinson to: WalesV@gmail.com, walesmass@yahoo.com, Re: Wales Senior Center
A series of petitions are being circulated around Wales regarding the Wales Senior Center and recent changes made there. I am unaware who initiated these petitions and do not support or fail to support them here; however, I believe that attention to this recent event at the Senior Center is warranted. I have choosen to write and submit my concerns in the below personal letter to Senator John Kerry, Senator Scott Brown, Representative Richard Neal, Governor Patrick, the Community Development Block Grant officials, Attorney General Martha Coakley, State Senator Stephen Brewer, State Representative Todd Smola, and the Wales Board of Selectmen. Below is the copy of the letter sent to the Wales Board of Selectmen. I also enclosed to them, but have not included here, the applicable law and correspondence between the Town and CDBG, which clearly stipulates the law.
Letter
Elizabeth Dickinson
PO Box 609
Wales, MA 01081
March 10, 2011
Board of Selectmen, Wales, MA
This is to advise you that I am soliciting assistance in assessing the Town of Wales’ compliance with Title 24, Chapter V, Part 570 — Community Development Block Grants (specifically Section 570.505 Use of Real Property) by contacting Senator John Kerry, Senator Scott Brown, Representative Richard Neal, CD Manager Mark Siegenthaler, Governor Devel Patrick, State Senator Stephen Brewer, State Representative Todd Smola and Attorney General Martha Coakley. The text of those letters reads as follows:
Wales has a wonderful Senior Center recently built with CDBG funding. The Town also faces the dilemma of deteriorating Town Offices. This deterioration was not a sudden or an unexpected “emergency”, but a worsening decline. After study, one solution was presented by the Board of Selectmen, but rejected by the Town Meeting three separate times. No other choices (which included repairing the existing building, erecting a new building on Town owned land, rental of private property or grant applications) were presented to the Town although they may have been considered at a committee level.
On March 5, 2011 the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Michael Valenzola, declared an emergency in spite of ongoing study and work, and the Board voted 2 to 1 to appropriate the wellness room at the Wales Senior Center and convert it into the “Police Station”, displacing classes, health care and other senior activities. In addition, Chairman Valenzola has publicly stated that the basement of the Senior Center could be converted into Municipal Offices.
This action by the Board of Selectmen (i.e. assigning use of a portion of the Senior Center to general government) appears to violate Title 24, Chapter V, Part 570 (Community Development Block Grants, specifically section 570.505 Use of Real Property), and places our community at risk for review, and for corrective and remedial action, including repayment of grant funds. Even worse, this non—compliance could jeopardize our potential to apply for and receive future CDBG funds, a blow to any grant efforts to rehabilitate other town property.
Attached is correspondence to the Wales Board of Selectmen, received in 2007, and recent correspondence with the Senior Center Director. I wrote and received a CDBG years ago and wrote and received many competitive and non—competitive grants in my former professional career as Director of Curriculum for the Humanities at Tantasqua Regional School District and School Union #61. Misunderstandings about the use of grant funds or materials is not uncommon and I believe this action by the Wales Board of Selectmen should be reviewed so that the Town may avoid corrective action and restrictions or limits on our ability to access grant funding in the future.
Elizabeth L. Dickinson
There is going to be a big meeting at the Wales Senior Center March 15th, 2011, at 7pm.