A lawyer’s review of Valley Emergency Medical Services (VEMS) will be delivered to area elected officials next month.
The Valley Council of Governments (Valley COG) asked lawyer Thomas Welch in April to probe the regional paramedic service’s “practices and procedures” after a VEMS vehicle was involved in an out-of-state highway accident.
The vehicle was being used on a personal trip, which raised eyebrows with some Valley leaders — Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri specifically. VEMS officials had said the vehicle was new and needed to accumulate mileage before being put into use.
Staffieri has questioned whether the organization’s board of directors is accountable to the towns served by the organization.
Valley COG — made up of the top elected officials from Ansonia, Derby, Seymour and Shelton — specifically asked Welch to review:
- The VEMS bylaws, and weigh in on whether there are ways to improve the structure of the organization.
- Whether there are any conflicts of interest on the board.
- An accident summary report the VEMS Board of Directors presented after the out-of-state accident.
During their monthly meeting Wednesday, Valley COG Executive Director Rick Dunne said that Welch is finishing up his interviews related to the review and will have a report next month.
“He will most definitely make his report at our meeting of Dec. 12,” Dunne said.
Officials discussed the issue briefly during the meeting.
“The purpose is?” Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti asked. “What’s driving it? Does this stem from the vehicle incident?”
“It arose from the vehicle incident, but it was really for him to make a review of the policies to determine there were not major conflict of interest that prevented VEMS from operating in the public interest,” Dunne replied. “He’s restricting what he’s doing to an interview and analysis and he’ll make a report to determine if he recognizes any major conflict or areas for improvement in policies.”
“You all right with that, mayor?” Ansonia Mayor James Della Volpe, Valley COG’s chairman, asked Lauretti.
“Yep,” Lauretti said. “More transparency, right?”
“So we should expect a report by December?” Della Volpe then asked Dunne.
“He will definitely make a report Dec. 12,” Dunne said.
Della Volpe, Valley COG’s chairman, thanked Dunne and moved on to the next agenda item.
Welch said Thursday that he only has one person left to talk to as part of his review, an accountant for VEMS, and that he’s scheduled a meeting next week to do so.
“I’m just at the end of gathering all the information,” he said. “I should have (the review) really together by the end of the month.”
Welch declined to say more about the review until he provides his report to Valley COG.
The President of VEMS’ Board of Directors, Shannon McDaniel, who was elected to the position last month, attended Wednesday’s meeting and asked if any of the officials had any questions for her. None did.
McDaniel said Thursday that all of VEMS’ leaders have been cooperative with Welch’s review, and they’re just waiting to see what it has to say.
“From the viewpoint of the board, we’re just waiting to see what they come back with in their report,” she said. “(VEMS Executive Director) Bob Pettinella has been in contact with their attorney, and we’ve provided them with everything they’ve asked for. There’s no real action to be taken on our behalf at this point.”
Pettinella said Thursday that VEMS’ auditor, Charlie Smith, of Shelton-based accounting firm Apicella, Testa, & Company, would meet with Welch next week.
“There’s nothing there to hide. We provided them with all the information they wanted,” Pettinella said.
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