Trinks, Simon Respond to Ethics Violations Claims

When it comes to claims of misconduct and ethics violations levied by a few residents at Monday's town council meeting, there's much to be analyzed, according to Town Manager Peter Souza and Mayor Don Trinks, who have been in touch with each other in an effort to figure out what steps they will take in handling the claims.

According to Souza, the town's ethics ordinance states "a town council member or the town manager need to make an official referral or request to the board of ethics for an advisory opinion."

That written request, Souza added, must be made during a regular town council meeting.

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In addition to proper procedure, Souza and the town council will take a look at each claim, although the bulk of the claims did not involve the town council.

"I don't know how planning and zoning works, which part their meetings have public comment... I know our posting requirements, but that's something that at least a few eyes can look at so we can help each other out," said Trinks, who responded to the claims in general by saying "The citizens are concerned enough about it. We have to take a look at it."

The council plans to take a look at each claim of misconduct, but Trinks and Deputy Mayor Al Simon have made it clear they see no wrongdoing with regards to encouraging residents to vote "Yes" in the May 15 budget referendum.

Monday night, Windsor resident Jane Mansur presented the town council with a copy of an e-mail sent by Simon to residents involved in Windsor Little League and high school baseball,

"I was advocating for the passage of my town council's budget. I've done that forever," said Simon. "I've done that as a private citizen. I've done it as an elected official. I have free-speech rights, too. 

"This is a budget that I voted in the majority on, that I believed in, that I felt was good for this town. Why wouldn't I advocate for that? Why wouldn't I try to persuade people to vote for it, to come out and vote for what I thought was good for the town? It seems like commonsense to me."

Trinks, who said he ran an infomercial prior to the referendum, also expressed his feelings that Simon was not in the wrong, saying "If he's guilty, I'm guilty too... I really think it's our duty to explain what the budget has, and my position on it."

"The e-mail, I read it," Trinks continued. "There wasn't a threat if it failed, there wasn't a promise if it went through. There was factual information that was pertaining to that group he was addressing. When I speak to the seniors about the budget, I tell them what's in the budget for them... You talk the positives of that budget to whatever group you're talking to, and this happened to be the baseball group."

Simon described the claims as being "baseless," and said they stem from a group of residents who have "found everybody in the process of reviewing the Dollar Tree proposal to be somehow corrupt or incompetent or on the take."

"I'm not surprised," said Simon of the claims. "I'm just the latest in a line of people in town they have accused of a lack of integrity or confidence... They don't like the way the town manager or the assistant town manager handled it. They don't like the way the town clerk handled it. They don't like the way the inland wetlands committee handled it, and I'm the latest target for their frustration."

Simon continued, saying, "There's nothing unethical about advocating for a public position. There's no private financial gain that I got from doing that, and that's really what the crux of an ethical problem is — it's putting yourself into a position that you gain from, and that's not the issue here at all."

While Trinks said the council and town manager will continue to look at each claim and follow procedure regarding the board of ethics, neither Trinks nor Simon said they see the need to hire an independent investigator.

"Most of this stuff I think we can do administratively ourselves," Trinks said. "I don't think we need an outside person looking at it if we doing it all out in the open, as it should happen anyway. The board of ethics certainly meets out in the open, and they will have their own discussions if it comes to that."

The bulk of claims levied Monday were regarding procedure during town planning and zoning committee meetings.

When asked Tuesday, Committee Chair Anita Mips said she would not comment on the claims.