The Seymour Board of Selectmen met Tuesday.
The video at left is the first hour of the meeting, video taped by Seymour resident Frank Loda.
Loda videos Seymour public meetings and airs them on public access television and his Blip.tv profile, Seymour Videos on Demand.
Click here to view the video on Loda’s page.
The remainder of Tuesday’s meeting will be posted on Loda’s Blip.tv profile this week.
Loda’s public access show appears at 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
In response to Mr. Koskelowski’s comments regarding Tri-Town Plaza , I would just like to set the record straight. First, if the former 1st Selectman honestly believes my Co-operative market concept was just a plan to throw up a few stalls to sell produce and put local business owners out of business, then he is yet again completely misinformed. My plan involved the investment of significantly more than $750,000 into the local economy, first creating construction jobs, then long-term employment opportunities, and ultimately adding to the Grand-list for many, many years to come. The concept was to be an upscale, year round market similar to, but much grander than, M&M Markets or Ring Bros. The focal point of the concept was to be an indoor/outdoor dining patio and perhaps what most differentiated our plan from a traditional grocery store, is that all the individual departments would be owned and operated by local Mom-and-Pop or family business’ working together to provide an alternative to the large, foreign owned grocery stores that currently serve this market. In my opinion, turning down such an offer was shortsighted, but what I find completely foolish is someone misrepresenting my plan to satisfy his own personal political needs. With regard to the settlement, the residents of Seymour must rely on their own logic to determine who is truthful. If Mr. Koskelowski’s case was so strong, why did he personally take steps to delay the trial for more than 5 years, all while paying his “best friend” and Town Counsel tens of thousands of dollars in fees, ultimately leaving the Town with a significant unfunded liability? The truth is, the Town could not have done better than the settlement figure and risked losing twice the amount if it went to trial. Smart, pragmatic leaders should not be criticized or scolded for their actions, especially in light of the fact that this was a bipartisan decision among the Board of Selectmen. With regard to local businessmen being incensed by my “free ride”, please understand that Tri-Town Plaza is made up of 6 parcels, and combined, I am still one of the largest taxpayers on the Grand-list. Perhaps these business owners would have a different opinion if asked… How would you feel about paying twice a fair tax rate on your property because I don’t know how to cut back on my spending?