Mayor David Cassetti said he fired the city’s economic development director after just six months on the job because he wouldn’t implement the city’s economic development plan; didn’t launch a website to promote economic development, and he needed too much help from other staffers to complete tasks that were assigned to him.
The information comes from a letter dated March 11 from Cassetti to Peter Kelly, who was hired as the city’s economic development director in September.
Cassetti announced Tuesday Kelly’s duties were being given to Sheila O’Malley, the city’s grant writer. O’Malley previously served as director of economic development in Derby under former Mayor Anthony Staffieri.
The Valley Indy submitted a Freedom of Information request Tuesday afternoon to get a copy of Kelly’s personnel file, which is a public document. The mayor’s office released a copy Wednesday morning.
Kelly’s personnel file does not contain any complaints about his job performance other than a March 3 letter from Cassetti giving Kelly notice of a “pre-termination hearing.” March 3 was the same day Cassetti put Kelly on paid administrative leave.
The file also contains a three-page termination letter dated March 11. The file does not include responses from Kelly regarding the mayor’s assessment of his job performance.
Kelly has referred questions about the matter to his lawyer, John Androski, who has been unavailable for comment this week.
The Termination Letter
The mayor’s termination letter does not tie specific dates to the allegations in it.
Cassetti’s termination letter states city officials conducted a hearing on March 4 on whether Kelly should be fired.
Those in attendance included Chris Tymniak, the mayor’s chief administrator; John Marini, the city’s corporation counsel and Lisa Grasso Egan, an attorney who represented the city during the proceeding.
Kelly was represented by Androski.
It wasn’t much of a hearing, the mayor’s letter indicates, because Kelly’s lawyer objected to the hearing procedure, “and the parties engaged in a substantial period of debate on this point.”
Androski and Kelly then opted out of the hearing, according to the mayor’s letter.
“Therefore, you did not provide any information for me to consider,” Cassetti wrote.
The letter then lists the things Kelly allegedly did to run afoul of Cassetti.
The first transgression was allegedly failing to take steps to implement the town’s economic development plan. According to the mayor’s account, Kelly thought the plan was ineffective and requested $80,000 to come up with a better plan for the city’s economic blue print.
The mayor then accused Kelly of having a “negative attitude” toward the city’s planning document that eventually grew into “insubordination,” in the mayor’s opinion.
Kelly also didn’t dedicate enough time to putting together a website designed to promote the city to potential businesses and investors, Cassetti alleged.
Cassetti also cites two instances where Kelly needed help from other staffers to complete routine economic development tasks, such as a monthly “director’s report” to the city’s Economic Development Commission.
The mayor, in his letter, also takes Kelly to task for not having a “can do” attitude, and failing to engage with existing merchants and business leaders.
Aldermen React
Kelly’s dismissal prompted some complaints during an Ansonia Aldermen meeting Tuesday (March 11).
Alderman Edward Adamowski said the city’s legislative body isn’t being kept apprised of what’s happening in City Hall.
“It would have been nice if we all knew what was going on. There are 14 of us here,” Adamowski said.
Alderman Charles Stowe, who serves as a liaison to the Economic Development Commission, said Kelly’s dismissal wasn’t out of the blue.
“This kind of started before the current administration took over,” Stowe said, referring to the November election which saw Cassetti unseat former Mayor James Della Volpe.
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Alderman Jerome Fainer said Kelly’s firing will cost the city money because he had a two-year employment contract with the city.
“It never ends. Why do we just keep firing people?” Fainer asked. “You can’t say they all aren’t doing their jobs.”
When Kelly was hired in September, he had the support of both Republicans and Democrats, all of whom were happy to fill the position which has sat vacant for more than a year.
