Derby Board Questions Free Use Of Athletic Facility

DERBY – High school football playoff games are happening at the city’s new multi-million dollar athletic facility, but not without heated debate from the Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen over fees.

The elected board met virtually on Monday (Nov. 27) for a seemingly routine matter: to waive rental fees so that the Ansonia Chargers could use the facilities on Tuesday (Nov. 28) and this coming Sunday (Dec. 3).

However, the board’s voting power was nullified after Alderman Rob Hyder left the meeting following a spat with Mayor Rich Dziekan.

Hyder’s departure left the board without a quorum – meaning there were not enough members present to vote.

The audio from the meeting is posted at the bottom of this story.

Prior to leaving, Hyder pointed out the application form submitted to the Aldermen/Alderwomen had the wrong dates and no information on how much money was being waved. 

It’s not the first time Hyder has raised questions about Derby renting its new fieldhouse and athletic fields. Hyder has previously pointed out the city doesn’t seem to follow the process it created.

Monday’s request was brought forth by Derby’s Park and Recreation Director Dennis O’Connell. The request originated from Ansonia Public Schools.

He said the Derby Parks and Recreation Commission had already approved Ansonia’s request to use the field. However, O’Connell brought the request to waive the fee to the BOA/BOAA, as it is the entity responsible for granting such requests, according to Derby Town Clerk Marc Garofalo.

O’Connell said the fee to use the turf football field is $1,400, plus $120 for two game day workers, for a total of $1,520. Derby waived the fees last year so Ansonia could play in the state-of-the-art facility.

Aldermanic President Sarah Widomski said during Monday’s meeting that she didn’t receive the application for the fee waiver, nor was the board aware of what the fee was, prior to Monday’s meeting. 

She said the Park and Rec Commission ​“tasked” O’Connell with relaying that information to the BOA/BOAA after their Nov. 13 meeting. O’Connell said he didn’t recall that.

“The policies and procedures (regarding field use and fee waivers) that were put in place in 2020 are not being followed,” Widomski said.

Hyder said the rental fees are to be used to replace the turf field when the time comes. Hyder said the field is already four years old. The life expectancy is about 10 years, he said. So that will leave Derby on the hook to replace the field in six years.

“We have a fee schedule for the rental of the various fields and facilities in our complex,” Hyder told the Valley Indy Tuesday (Nov. 28) via an email. ​“Those fees are to be used to replace the turf surface when the life expectancy of the turf expires, which is approximately 10 years. If we keep waiving fees for the usage of the field, Derby’s taxpayers will be footing the bill for the entire cost to replace.”

Hyder brought up at Monday’s meeting how Derby is some “$3 million, maybe $4 million” in the hole, blaming that on the current Dziekan administration. He was referring to concerns raised by the state’s Municipal Finance Advisory Commission. Read more here.

“Taxpayers will be on the hook, again, to fix that mistake,” Hyder said. ​“Waiving fees for using the field is only going to add to that hit to Derby’s taxpayers. I am not in favor of waiving the fee to rent our fields.”

Hyder said Derby could have considered a reduced fee for Ansonia, at best, but because the figure wasn’t presented to the board on the application, he didn’t feel there was enough information to vote.

Dziekan at Monday’s meeting repeatedly called for a vote to waive the fee for Ansonia, and cut Hyder off when Hyder was asking O’Connell for more information.

When Garofalo called for a roll call vote, Hyder left the virtual meeting, leaving the board without a quorum and no vote to waive the fee. 

Alderman Ron Sill, Gino DiGiovanni and Kevin Sharkey voted in favor of waiving the fee, Alderwoman Widomski voted against it. A vote of only four members, however, was not valid, because there was no quorum. 

Hyder said he left the meeting due to the application O’Connell presented being incomplete, and Dziekan’s behavior.

“I had additional comments and questions I wanted to make, but the mayor is ending his term with the same obnoxious behavior he has put on display for the past two years,” Hyder said.

Dziekan said the games were happening either way.

“The games are on anyway, so you (the BOA/BOAA) can deal with the fees next month – I’m done with the shenanigans,” Dziekan said.

Monday’s meeting was Dziekan’s last BOA/BOAA meeting as mayor‑a position he has held for the last six years. Dziekan was defeated during the Nov. 7 municipal election by Joe DiMartino, a Democrat. 

Hyder said the fee issue is part of a broader problem – the Alders can’t keep track of city property.

“The BOA/A has been asking Dennis O’Connell for three years to submit a simple spreadsheet letting us know who rented the field and how much they paid. We have yet to see that report. It’s doubtful it even exists,” Hyder said.

At Monday’s meeting, O’Connell said the board could find the info in a section of the recreation budget titled ​“recreation receivables.”

O’Connell said he’s been asking annually for a line item to be created in the Derby budget to replace the turf field.

“I’ve been asking about this forever. That’s on record. Can’t get anybody to do it. Mr McLiverty (former treasurer and interim finance director) was going to do it and then I don’t know what happened. It didn’t happen,” adding later, ​“we made $100,000 last year and you know what? None of it is in an account for the fields,” O’Connell said.

In recent years Derby built a new multipurpose football field using $3 million from state taxpayers. An adjacent field house and baseball field was privately funded to the tune of $20 million.

The audio from Monday’s BOA/A meeting is embedded below.