MINUTES
BOARD OF PUBLIC SAFETY
JUNE 9, 2004
A REGULAR MEETING of the Board of Public Safety was held on Wednesday, June 9, 2004, in the Council Chambers.
Those in attendance included Mayor Owen J. Quinn, Jr., members of the Board of Public Safety, Richard L. Zaharek, Douglas J. Benedetto, Christopher H. Cook, Carolann Kennedy-Pucino, Michael Colangelo, and Thomas T. Telman, Jr., Corporation Counsel Al Vasko, Deputy Police Chief Robert Milano, Fire Chief John Field, Deputy Fire Chief Jaye Giampaolo, and Torringford Volunteer Fire Chief Brian Cornell. Absent was Traffic Officer Robert Shopey, Drakeville Volunteer Fire Chief Aaron Picz, and Burrville Volunteer Fire Chief Jason Noad.
Mayor Quinn called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M.
MINUTES #050
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Colangelo, the board voted unanimously to accept the minutes of the special meeting held April 28, 2004 on promotions.
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Benedetto, the board voted unanimously to accept the minutes of the regular meeting held May 12, 2004.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC # 070
On a motion by Commissioner Colangelo, seconded by Commissioner Cook, the board voted unanimously to open the meeting to the public.
Glen Royals said he hoped party lines would not be a consideration when choosing a new Police Chief for the City of Torrington. He commended the men and women of our local Police and Fire Departments for always going above and beyond their duties. He stated that Chief Janelle and Deputy Chief Milano complemented each other with their expertise, and the new Chief should be chosen on merit. He felt there was no need to waste taxpayers’ money by testing and looking outside of town for a new Chief, when a number of people already on the force were either born, schooled, or brought up in Torrington. Deputy Chief Milano had brought college education into the Police force, and he would be most fitting to help the one chosen to fulfill the deputy’s position. He knows
more about the force than anyone else at the moment, and no orientation or training would be necessary.
An unidentified person asked to speak anonymously in regard to skate boarders. Mayor Quinn asked her to speak with his Administrative Aide on the matter.
PROMOTION: LT RICHARD MEYER #320
On a motion by Commissioner Benedetto, seconded by Commissioner Zaharek, the board voted unanimously to accept Chief Field’s recommendation to appoint Lt. Richard Meyer as a permanent Lieutenant for the Torrington Fire Department.
SWEARING-IN #400
Capt. Michael Maniago, Lt. Michael Emanuel, and Sgt. Bruce Whitely stepped forward to get sworn into their new positions by Mayor Quinn.
PATROL / SUPPORT REPORTS #600
On a motion by Commissioner Colangelo, seconded by Commissioner Bennedetto, the board voted unanimously to accept the Patrol Division and Support Services Report for May 2004.
INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES REPORTS #610
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Colangelo, the board voted unanimously to accept the Investigative Services Reports for April and May 2004.
ABANDONED VEHICLES REPORT #620
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Benedetto, the board voted unanimously to accept the Abandoned Vehicles Report for May 2004.
TRAFFIC BARRIERS - VOGEL WETMORE SCHOOL #630
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Colangelo, discussion took place in regard to traffic barriers for the playground area at Vogel-Wetmore School.
Deputy Chief Milano stated that this issue had been brought up approximately a year ago by a gentleman who was part of a parent/teachers group. This gentleman had informed Deputy Chief Milano that he had spoken to the Superintendent of Schools and was assured that the Board of Education would take care of the matter. Deputy Chief Milano explained that he had recently received a call from the Maintenance and Facilities Manager for the school system Dave Bascetta, saying that nothing had materialized and inquired about its status and how it could be funded. Deputy Chief Milano was looking to the Board for some direction and/or permission to continue talks with the Superintendent of Streets and/or the Public Works Director about what could be done on a limited basis and the cost factor. He agreed
that it was an area for potential danger to children playing in the school yard.
Mayor Quinn said it would make sense to have key personnel meet to see what can be done prior to bringing it back to the Board of Safety.
TRAFFIC UNIT REPORT #710
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Benedetto, the board voted unanimously to accept the Traffic Unit Report for May 2004.
TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SQUAD REPORT #720
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Colangelo, the board voted unanimously to accept the Traffic Enforcement Squad Report for May 2004.
CT BIKE WEEK MOTORCYCLE RALLY #740
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Benedetto, discussion took place in regard to Officer Shopey’s request for permission to seek a permit from the State Traffic Commission to close Main Street from Water to Church on Sunday, August 1 and Sunday August 8, 2004 from 9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. for the annual Connecticut Bike Week Motorcycle Rally.
Commissioner Pucino pointed out that several events had already been scheduled for August 1.
Deputy Chief Giampaolo thought it should be standard operating procedures for Fire, Police, and EMS personnel to meet with the organizers of events to avoid any problems at the last moment.
Mayor Quinn said he was sensitive to the fact that Bike Week was usually quite involved and required a lot of police work.
Administrative Aide Dave Rivera reported that Officer Shopey had informed him that there was a way to do it, but he had to talk to Mr. Buley first.
Commissioner Pucino made a motion to accept Officer Shopey’s recommendation for the Connecticut Bike Week Motorcycle Rally as long as it didn’t interfere with the August 1st 3 on 3 Basketball. Commissioner Zaharek seconded the motion. Unanimous.
Deputy Chief Milano would get in touch with Officer Shopey in the morning.
LITCHFIELD HILLS BICYCLE RIDE AND WALK #1000
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Benedetto, the board voted unanimously to give Officer Shopey permission to use City roadways and permission to seek a permit from the State Traffic Commission to use State roadways for the Tour of the Litchfield Hills Bicycle Ride and Walk on Sunday, August 1, 2004 beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at approximately 2:00 p.m.
OLIVER WOLCOTT RVT SCHOOL GRADUATION #1020
On a motion by Commissioner Colangelo, seconded by Commissioner Benedetto, the board voted unanimously to accept Officer Shopey’s recommendation to seek a permit from the State Traffic Commission to close Main Street between Water and Mason on Wednesday, June 17, 2004 for the Oliver Wolcott RVT School graduation at the Warner Theater between the hours of 5:00 p.m and 10:00 p.m.
BIRD STREET #1030
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Benedetto, a discussion took place in regard to Officer Shopey’s recommendation to post both sides of Bird Street from School St. to Joseph St., as “2 Hour Parking During School Hours” to eliminate the overflow parking problems created by students from Oliver Wolcott.
Deputy Chief Milano stated that the past suggestion to let Oliver Wolcott students use the Torrington High School parking lot had never fulfilled the promises they had hoped for. Basically, there is very little property for the size of the school. As a result it impacts the neighborhood. The Police Department met with the School Director and a neighborhood group and fairly good progress resulted. They hoped students would use the Torrington High School parking lot when parking on one side of Fern Drive was prohibited, but some found it easier to park all day long in front of homes on Joseph Street. Officer Shopey reviewed the situation once again and determined that the best course of action would be to post both sides of Bird Street from School St. to Joseph St., as “2 Hour Parking
During School Hours” to eliminate the overflow parking problems created by students of Oliver Wolcott RVT School.
Deputy Chief Milano reported that Mr. Cushman the Director of OWTS had lamented about not having the right amount of property, and that perhaps someday the state would purchase or even take over by eminent domain some of the property in the immediate area. That would be a very cumbersome process and perhaps years away from fruition. He commended Mr. Cushman for working with the city and the neighborhood, to the point where students served their detentions by picking up litter in the area.
The board voted unanimously to approve Officer Shopey’s recommendation.
STONEHOUSE WAY #1150
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Benedetto, the board voted unanimously to accept Officer Shopey’s recommendation to seek a permit from the State Traffic Commission to post Stonehouse Way as a 25MPH speed limit zone.
CHIEF FIELD’S REPORT #1170
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Colangelo, the board voted unanimously to accept Chief Field’s Report for May 2004.
FIRE MARSHAL & TRAINING OFFICER’S REPORT #1180
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Colangelo, the board voted unanimously to accept the reports from the Fire Marshal and the Training Officer for May 2004.
INCIDENT REPORT #1190
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Benedetto, the board voted unanimously to accept the Incident Report for May 2004.
BUS: DEPT. HEADS #1200
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Colangelo, the board voted unanimously to consider business presented by Department Heads.
Due to shortages in manpower and increased levels of activity, Deputy Chief Milano said he directed the Traffic Enforcement Unit to pick up the slack on day and evening shifts when necessary, and appropriate by doing some of the overflow of traffic accidents. He was bringing it to the Board’s attention as an advisory issue because they had enacted the unit as a group, based upon certain criteria, and he was changing it somewhat. Unless he is told to do otherwise, he will continue with his plan of action at this time.
Chief Field indicated that the Arbitration Award was received from the State of Connecticut Mediation and Labor Board and the Fire Fighter’s contract has been settled after three years.
Chief Field said he has been notified that the City of Torrington will receive $196,384.00 from the Department of Homeland Security for costs associated with planning, training, and equipment that may be used during terrorism incidents.
Deputy Chief Giampaolo stated that members of the Fire Department were able to witness the Police Department’s Traffic Division operate during their “Click It or Ticket” Program on Water Street and were amazed at what they saw. He commended all the officers involved because they had their hands full.
Mayor Quinn agreed.
Commissioner Pucino suggested creating a calender for downtown events in order to prevent any overlapping. The calender could be provided to the board each month so they could actually see at a glance the events that are scheduled.
Mayor Quinn said the city had made a direct attempt to get a number of events for downtown Torrington, and now that we have multiple events, they do need to be coordinated. He thought everyone was on the same page on this matter. He thanked the board for their suggestions.
Deputy Chief Giampaolo thanked everyone for their support during his time of loss. He also thanked Chief Field for the latitude he was extended in order to do all the preparation for the parade.
Mayor Quinn complimented Deputy Chief Giampaolo for the Memorial Day Parade. It was an excellent event.
Torringford Volunteer Fire Chief Brian Cornell thanked all commissioners who attended their Pancake Breakfast. He reported that their Annual Dinner was scheduled for the second Tuesday in July and their annual Car Show was scheduled for July 16 from 5 to 9 p.m.
Chief Cornell notified the board that one person just completed his Firefighter I training and mentioned that the cost of the course was $400.00. Members of the department also asked him to convey their disappointment in not being allocated any additional funding from the Board of Finance.
BUS: MAYOR AND MEMBERS #1620
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Colangelo, the board voted unanimously to consider business presented by Mayor Quinn and members of the Board of Public Safety.
Mayor Quinn stated that he met with Deputy Chief Milano prior to Chief Janelle’s retirement to discuss at length expectations, ideas, etc., and Deputy Chief Milano left his office saying that he would run the department.
Mayor Quinn requested adding an item to the agenda by 2/3rds vote to make Deputy Chief Milano the Acting Chief of the Department. Since he was doing the job of the Chief as well as Deputy Chief, it seemed fair that he be compensated for it and that the title be conferred upon him until such time as a permanent successor is named.
Secondly, Mayor Quinn stated that he had been in contact with experts who had conducted the process of hiring, testing, examining, and evaluating, and it was his intention to open that process to the general public to conduct a search that will include local candidates. It was also his intention to follow the dictates of the Charter to show preference to local candidates. He said “I have met with members, not only people that are of the law enforcement community that are consultants, but that have also conducted a series of Chiefs that form a panel to examine potential candidates. I’ve been in contact with the State of Connecticut Police Officer’s Standards and Training Council, which is the Connecticut Police Academy, and it is my intention to ask the Board of Public Safety to
immediately begin the process of selecting the next Chief with no delay. I’ve been meeting to that end, conferring with the Corp. Counsel and the Personnel Director, and I think we are prepared to do so. I would recommend to this board that three members of the Board of Public Safety assist me in reviewing job descriptions, process, and those people involved, just in a broad state, because most of this will be done by Personnel and by the testing organization. Those Commissioners would be Commissioners Cook, Zaharek and Colangelo.”
ADD TO AGENDA #1800
Commissioner Colangelo made a motion to add an item to the agenda by 2/3rds vote in regard to the naming of Deputy Chief Milano as Acting Police Chief for the City of Torrington effectively immediately. Commissioner Cook seconded the motion. Unanimous.
Commissioner Colangelo made a motion to add an item to the agenda by 2/3rds vote to begin the immediate testing and hiring process for the position of Chief of Police for the City of Torrington. Commissioner Cook seconded the motion. On a 5-1 vote, the motion carried. Commissioner Telman opposed.
MOTIONS #1850
Commissioner Cook made a motion to name Deputy Chief Milano as Acting Police Chief for the City of Torrington, effective immediately. Commissioner Benedetto seconded the motion. Unanimous.
Commissioner Colangelo made a motion to begin the immediate process of hiring selection and testing for the position of Police Chief for the City of Torrington. Commissioner Cook seconded the motion. On a 5-1 vote, the motion carried. Commissioner Telman opposed.
The entire Board offered their condolences to Deputy Chief Giampaolo for his loss, and commended him highly for a job well done on the Memorial Day Parade.
ADJOURNMENT #1930
On a motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Colangelo, the board voted unanimously to adjourn at 8:20 p.m.
ATTEST: JOLINE LeBLANC
ASST. CITY CLERK
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