Valley Independent Sentinel

posted by: Art Gerckens on February 2, 2012  12:53pm

Ken, I assume you have seen the television series Seinfeld.  In one memorable episode, the main character (Jerry Seinfeld) is trying to pass a lie detector test.  His pal, George Costanza (played by actor Jason Alexander), gives Jerry the following advise with regards to how to beat a lie detector test, “Remember, it’s not a lie, if you believe it.”

I have the email messages as well and although your “article” contains some of the truth, it certainly doesn’t contain the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Just because you seem to be on your email constantly does not mean the rest of us engage in the same behavior.  Is email the official correspondence for the City of Derby?  I think not.  This would explain why Aldermen packets are mailed to each Alderman when there is an upcoming meeting.

Anyways, if you want to preach to the people that you are telling the truth, it may be fair to include all of the email correspondence so the public can have the whole story.

There were an additional three email messages that were part of the discussion.  For one reason or another you did not include them in your tale.

Since I believe that copying and posting someone’s email address and messages raises a trust issue, I will not use that tactic.  I will simply refer you to the messages and the time and date stamp.  Of course, if you need me to forward the original email messages, I will be glad to do so…in private.

Email 1
From Mr. Hughes dated Wednesday, January 4, 2012 and sent at 10:19 a.m.

In Email message 1, Mr. Hughes has apparently decided to no longer include Mr. DiCenso in the correspondence.  He has invited the alternate member of the subcommittee.  In this message he writes, “Ok, we have enough for a quorum, tomorrow at 630. I will forward an agenda as soon as I get one from Laura.”

Email 2
From Mr. Hughes dated Wednesday, January 4, 2012 and sent at 4:29 p.m.

In Email message 2, Mr. Hughes has apparently decided to include Mr. DiCenso in the correspondence as well as the rest of the subcommittee (including the alternate member).  There is no narrative from Mr. Hughes, he simply forwarded a string of email messages between himself and the Town Clerk.

The first message in the string is from Mr. Hughes to the Town Clerk.  In this message, Mr. Hughes asks, “Any luck with the agenda?”  The date and time stamp is Wednesday, January 4th at 2:57 p.m.

The next message in the string of messages is from the Town Clerk to Mr. Hughes and the message reads, “All set…”.
The date and time stamp is Wednesday, January 4th at 3:03 p.m.

As mentioned, Mr. DiCenso is now included in the correspondence.  If Mr. Hughes was informed at 3:03 p.m. that the agenda was “All set”, why did he wait 1 ½ hours to distribute the information to the subcommittee?

Email 3
From the Town Clerk to the subcommittee (including the alternate) dated Wednesday, January 4, 2012 and sent at 4:34 p.m.

Email 3 is the official email message from the Town Clerk with the agenda and contacts of the subcommittee members.  Again, the time stamp is 4:34 p.m.  (26 hours before the meeting).

Based on the timeline of the email messages, Mr. Hughes probably met the minimum FOI requirement.  That is of course, if email is the official form of correspondence for the City of Derby.

My main concern with the way this meeting was called was that the message was sent after I had left my office for the day.  City Hall was closed by the time I arrived home and it wasn’t open when I left for work on January 5th (the morning of the meeting).  This left me a mere 15 minutes to review the information packets. 

I will not vote on any issue without understanding the facts.  Remember, we were voting to add people’s properties to a blight list.  Our actions could affect people financially and the property owner names would be published.  I believe most people in the public would appreciate knowing that someone was going to vote one way or the other after being informed and not blindly voting because it was on someone’s agenda. 

In your article you write, “In my opinion, notifying an alderman of a meeting 25 hours before it starts should never happen, and is something I would never do.”  To be clear, 25 hours is something you would never do, but apparently 26 hours is fine?

Finally, you have no idea when Mr. DiCenso opened his email messages.  Here is a recommendation for you that may assist you when you are planning a meeting.  If the email message is not generating a response, pick up the telephone.  We all provided the Town Clerk with our cell phone numbers.  I want to congratulate you on getting this piece published, showing us the truth (at least your side of the truth), and for allowing me to add one more email address to my “junk” folder.

posted by: James Mascolo on February 2, 2012  3:54pm

Mr, Gerkens,

“Based on the timeline of the email messages, Mr. Hughes probably met the minimum FOI requirement.”

There is NO PROBABLY Mr. Gerkens, either you do, or you don’t. Mr. Hughes and Ms. Wabno conducted City business according and in compliance with the Freedom Of Information laws. There is no in between, its a black and white law.

“That is of course, if email is the official form of correspondence for the City of Derby”

Billion Dollar business deals are conducted solely through email these days. This is an accepted form of communication in the entire world except to you Mr. Gerkens. Why is the City of Derby a special case where someone has to pick up their phone and call. For that matter 95% of all phones on the market have some form of capability to get email on that device, most of them can be setup via POP, IMAP, or Exchange to have mail delivered without having to press a button. If anyone on the Board of Aldermen needs a lesson on technology I would be glad to give you a few pointers, as I have been in the business going on 15 years.

“Finally, you have no idea when Mr. DiCenso opened his email messages.”

Ken Hughes does not have an obligation to make sure someone opens their email. You are on the BOA you have a responsibility to check any kind of correspondence that may pertain to the city in a timely fashion, and respond therein.

“City Hall was closed by the time I arrived home and it wasn’t open when I left for work on January 5th (the morning of the meeting).  This left me a mere 15 minutes to review the information packets”

You, yourself, of sound mind and judgement decided to run for elected office in the City of Derby. If you cannot fulfill those obligations, please reconsider running again.

Finally to put this all in perspective, we are talking about one Special Meeting the sub-committee had so an issue we’ve been talking about since NOVEMBER and some new business could get on the agenda for the next meeting, a meeting in which the current President of the Board, a democrat, oversaw. From now on the meetings will be scheduled and posted for the year so this won’t be an issue unless there is a issue of importance and another special meeting needs to be called. So if you’re trying to make this a DEM/REP thing please stop! As a matter of fact, and this is a piece if friendly advice. Take a few meetings, 3-4 months and learn about how the city runs, FOI laws, process, and the charter. You have a great asset in Ron Sill on the Board with you, use him as much as you can, he will help you with the transition, I know he will.

Being in the spirit of Black History Month I will invoke the words of Rodney King “People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?”

posted by: Thomas Harbinson on February 2, 2012  4:08pm

I’m not a resident, but a business owner and tax payer who feels I must say that Derby is embarrassing itself lately with wacky conduct.  Collectively: confusion as to which name/person is elected or on a ballot, who gets to sit at the adult vs “kids” table for meetings, and now debate over simply proper/timely posting of agendas.  It is unacceptable.

I also Chair a City Commission in Shelton, and offer the following comments:

1. It is not proper to reveal personal email addresses in a public forum unless permission has been granted.  Bad form.
2. If a member of a board provides an email address for communication, it should be expected they will read their messages regularly.  For some that may be live on the mobile, but at the least it should occur daily. Not having an email address and reading communication at least daily is unacceptable in the modern day if you are to function effectively, and thus should be a requirement for serving in office.
3. Using email to communicate to a quorum of your board is fine for sending out information (such as an agenda packet rather than physical mailings), but if dialogue on a subject begins to occur - it becomes illegal under FOI regulations (recorded discussion among a quorum is a “meeting”).
4. Email is not a substitute for the official required posting of agendas and notice of meetings. That must be done via the City Clerk, who should time-stamp the receipt of the document before posting notice publicly.  In Shelton, all Regularly Scheduled meetings are informed to the City Clerk before start of the calendar year as to date/time.  Anything outside of that is a “Special” meeting.  Anyone serving should know the dates of their Regular Meetings. Special meetings should give proper notice with minimum 24hrs, and the perpetual use of “special” meetings should not be common.

There is a lot of work to be done in Derby toward making it a place of opportunity for residents or business, and there should be less time squabbling and bickering over issues that are not productive toward accomplishing those tasks.

posted by: Mark Adams on February 7, 2012  1:05am

Hallelujah to Mr. Harbinson’s post. Thank you!!

I have been saying this for two weeks on “Clearly Derby”‘s Facebook page (there you go Judy a little free advertising for your page), that this childish bantering back and forth is devaluing the purpose of these elected positions and making a mockery, best word coming to my mind right now, of what you are suppose to do for the town.

Seriously what do you expect to accomplish for the town if all you do is fight about the most unimportant of topics?

Get it together, people, and step it up.

And just so you know, if you think the topics you are talking about (i.e. seating, etc) and the way you are handling it (i.e. public forum) is “correct”? - Think again.