Simsbury Board of Selectmen Meeting June 16, 2025

Board of Selectmen Meeting June 16, 2025

According to the listing in the Law Offices of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, Town Attorney Robert DeCrescenzo has been Town Attorney in Simsbury since 1998.

Twenty -seven years as Town Attorney in Simsbury, DeCrescenzo has guided the Town throughout the years.

However, it appears that over the years, Attorney DeCrescenzo has served himself with additional responsibilities in other Town’s and providing services for the Silverman Group as a developer of housing with a development in Simsbury by representing the Silverman Group for a development in East Granby, clearly a conflict.

Town Attorney Decrescenzo has been assigned to assist the Charter Revision Commission with legal opinions and required to attend the meetings.

However, at the recent meetings Attorney DeCrescenzo, where his legal guidance was necessary, left the meeting due to a conflict, servicing another client.

Another meeting was required to continue discussing the section on the duties of the Town Manager.

As years went by Town Attorney Decrescenzo added more clients under his direction, leaving Simsbury with delays in action and conflicts requiring hiring outside Attorneys.

On June 5, 2012 meeting of the Eno Farms Sub Committee was convened to vote for a change in the current lease.

The minutes of the meeting states, “Attny. DeCrescenzo advised that the Town is governed by the language of the ground lease that is clearly in place and it is specific., it says very clearly that (Sec. 3.1) low and moderate was amended. Moderate does not apply today because it’s been amended. It is now low very low.”

To date the Town has not complied with the ground lease.

Not only was Town Attorney Decrescenzo aware of the violation of the ground lease, over the years he has not given guidance to the Town to comply with the ground lease and allowed CHFA, the owner of the property to continue to lease the property to moderate income applicants that is in violation of the law.

It is time for another Attorney to serve Simsbury.

The Board of Selectmen could either initiate an RFP for a Town Attorney or provide a Corporate Council with an office in Town Hall.

The contract for the Corporate Town Attorney should provide an additional service as a Grant writer, adding revenue to the Town.

The residents of Simsbury approved a spending budget of $128 million with 1,001 residents voting, a 5.4% of the Town’s 18,453 voters cast a ballot.

A low turn-out allows special interest groups to dominate the voting process.

Special Education funding has taken the budget process hostage, leaving other expenditures eliminated or delayed, with much needed maintenance unfunded.

The Board of Education Facilities Master Plan stated that the 6th Grade should be placed in the Junior High.

As a result of the failure of the Board of Education to implement this suggestion at the time of the renovation, an addition to the Junior High is required to place an additional 400 students in the school.

This suggestion was not instituted and now the discussion continues as the Elementary Schools need more space requiring redistricting.

A prime example of maintenance delayed is the tennis/pickleball courts at Henry James that has become a safety issue.

Squadron Line school needs funding that has been postponed.

As funding is delayed, the costs escalate, increasing the expenditures to future budgets.

Real Estate Holdings, LLC 140 Nod Road and Flamig Farm Earth Products have not paid taxes to the Town.

Real Estate Holdings, LLC has an application before the Zoning Commission for a Zone Change, Application ZC #25-07, of Simsbury Real Estate Holdings, LLC, Applicant, for a text amendment to the Simsbury Zoning Regulations Section 3 (Residential Districts) and Section 17 (Definitions) to allow an additional use--Special Recreation Area—in the R-40, R-80, and R-160 Zones.

Flamig Farm Earth Products has a lawsuit against the Town on a tax appeal.

Both these businesses and others that are in arrears in their taxes are allowed to ask for special exceptions or expansions.

A person cannot register their motor vehicles if they have not paid their taxes.

The Town should follow the DMV and develop a policy restricting anyone from applying to the Town for approval of applications or other related activities until they comply with the Town regulations.

The Charter Revision Commission has been discussing the Town Manager form of government and has made suggestions that the Board of Selectmen have 4-year terms and continue with a First Selectman elected separately.

Before any action is taken, I would suggest that the Charter Revision Commission review the Avon Town Manager/Council form of government with 2-year terms and the Chairman selected by Council members for Simsbury.

The Avon Charter has served the Town well over decades and is in keeping with other Town’s Manager/Council forms of governments.