To the Editor:

The Board of Selectman appears to continue having problems making appointments to boards and commission.  When the Economic Development Commission was created by the Legislative Council, they specified that there would be term limits of two consecutive three-year appointments. Clearly the Legislative Council felt that more than six years on the commission was not in the best interest of the town.

Recently the Board of Selectman has done everything in their power to circumvent the ordinance which created the commission. First they tried to appoint a member, a Republican, for a third term saying he had not served two full terms. When that turned out not to be true they appointed the individual to a consulting term on the EDC. Now they have appointed the individual to a third term of three years. That means this individual will have been on the Economic Development Commission as a member or consultant for 12 consecutive years. Yet the ordinance was very clear, here is the rule word for word: “No person shall be appointed to more than two consecutive full terms.” This individual has now been appointed to three terms and plus a three-year role as a so called consultant. Can anyone believe this is following the either the terms or spirit of the ordinance.

This however is not the only strange decision being made by the Board of Selectman.  This month they appointed a Newtown private investigator, a Republican, to the Police Commission. The potential for conflict of interest between the private investigator’s activities and the Police Department is so obvious that it is a complete mystery as to why this appointment was made. His web site states specifically that he will accept criminal investigation assignments.  We hold the Police Commission to high standards; they hire, fire, and promote the officers in the department and approver all policies. The interaction of private investigators and the Police Department makes this appointment totally inappropriate and susceptible to conflict of interest issues on all side.

The Board of Selectman needs to be more diligent in making appointments, and more sensitive to the letter and spirit of our Town Charter. Regardless of their individual credentials these two appointments need to be withdrawn.

Bruce Walczak

12 Glover Avenue, Newtown                    October 15, 2014