A Fire Engine Is A Waste Of Money

            “This budget...(except for the wasted 80 

grand for the fire dept, a dept that has more than enough of its own money) ..

this budget is a perfect example of "a death of a thousand little cuts"

Wasted $80,000? That money will be going to replace one of the MVFD’s aging apparatus. Four pieces of apparatus now over the age of 20 years, because Mr. St. John did nothing to replace them since the MVFD requested action back in 2002.

Who was it who said, “That Fire Department will never see a new piece of apparatus as long as Paul Perrotti is Chief.”  ... ???

Would Mr. DeAngelis feel the same way if his house was on fire and Engine 3 failed?  Who would he be blaming then?  

What is being wasted here is common sense.

Who Is Supporting Who?????

 “Let's face it, Tom G. was able to rustle up less than 300 votes for

his budget. So what help were his allies: Paul Perrotti , John Dayton and 

the Finance Bd. and Steve with his legal bull?”

Wait a minute here.  I thought Paul Perrotti was a Fran Brennan supporter.  When did he become a Tom Gormley supporter?  Something is not right here.  During the election and RTC primary Mr. DeAngelis painted Chief Perrotti as a Brennan supporter, and against Tom Gormley.  Mr. DeAngelis can’t seem to make up his mind.

Also, when did it become the Fire Chief’s responsibility to make sure budgets get passed?  That is a new one. What makes you think the MVFD was supporting the budget in the first place?

You think firefighters can afford higher taxes?  Do you think that firefighters are not under the same pressure paying for the high cost of heating fuel, gasoline and food?  Wake up!

The Town would not be under such financial stress if it were not for Mr. St. John’s $900,000 “win/win deal.” Funny, we never hear Mr. DeAngelis talk about that. 

He is too preoccupied with the fact that the Town put down real beach sand on the BEACH of the MRA instead of road sand.  Now, thats a waste of money.  Forget Straw Pond litigation, forget $20,000 worth of frivolous FOIs, forget over blown PW budgets, and certainly don’t bring up the $900,000 Washington Dr. deal.  Such hypocrisy.

Tom Gormley did not create the problems Middlebury is now facing. He inherited them from the former First Selectman.

Rank and File Lies

“The rank and file fireman we spoke to don't understand why the

fire dept "leadership" won't open the ledger books. In fact, most of the 

ones we spoke to didn't even know that the Fire Dept was sitting on such 

a large sum of assets ( $ 800,000.00 )

            We'll have to wait until July 7 to begin the process of full 

disclosure to taxpayers, but it is worth the wait.”

“The rank and file members of the Fire Dept don't seem to mind showing "the books". Why does the leadership resist?”

Are these rank and file members actually real? Doubt it.  What are their names? More make-believe friends for Mr. DeAngelis? 

I also don’t believe that rank and file members would be going to Mr. DeAngelis to get information about an organization that they belong to and Mr. DeAngelis does not. It does not make a lot of sense.  But, its not suppose to.  The truth is not important to Mr. DeAngelis. Pushing Mr. St. John’s agenda is. 

Mr. DeAngelis keeps repeating the same old lies over and over again, hoping that someone will listen to him.

Each officer of the MVFD has the same vote as each rank and file member when it comes to financial matters of the MVFD Inc.

So what is true?

Mr. St. John seems to be the only member talking to Mr. DeAngelis.

The MVFD does not have $800,000.00.

The MVFD, by law, does not have to show Mr. DeAngelis any MVFD Inc. documents since these funds are not derived from taxpayer money. He already knows this, but the truth is not what is important. The real purpose is to turn public opinion against the MVFD, by spreading lies about the organization.  What he does not realize is that with every attack on the MVFD, on the Selectmen, on the BOF, he is losing support of what is left of his original supporters. Any credibility he may have had has been lost attempting to fight the battles of Mr. St. John.  

A Lot Of Good Men And Women?

“The Fire Dept is a TOWN DEPARTMENT. It is not a separate 

institution acting as its own profit-making business. There are a lot of good men and women who volunteer there, in that town department.

However their leadership, for some unknown reason or reasons, refuses to “open the financial books”.

The State of Ct will intervene soon and when it does the books that are opened will let the sun shine into just how the town does its business and how it accounts for all monies

Tom G. has the authority to say: “let a citizen examine the financial books of that town department ( fire dept ) and don't drag the whole town into an audit.''

That's what a smart person would do. That's what a leader would 

do.

Will it happen before July 7th.? Either way we will get the information allowed by law.”

Wrong again,  the MVFD Inc. is not a Town Department.  It raises its own money and does not receive taxpayer money, so therefore Mr. DeAngelis is NOT entitled to see the books of the MVFD Inc.

No one at the MVFD is interested in Mr. DeAngelis’s backhanded compliment. He has shown his true colors, and his daily attack upon that great organization is hardly making anyone at the MVFD warm and fuzzy.   

He has become the spokesman for Mr. St. John. Mr. DeAngelis knows what can be legally shown to him and what cannot. Mr. DeAngelis and Mr. St. John want to gain access to information that they are NOT legally entitled to.  This has already been explained to them by the FOI Commission, yet they persist in trying to force the MVFD Inc. to open up books they are not entitled to see.  It is not the law that these two are interested in.

Mr. DeAngelis keeps eluding that somehow the MVFD leadership is trying to hide information. It is not the leadership that controls these funds or anyone’s access to them.  It is the voting members of the Department who decide what the money should and should not be used for.

The MVFD has already stated that all funds generated from ambulance billing go back into the ambulance service.  Taxpayers are not burdened with having to maintain the ambulance, purchase a new ambulance, or pay for all the equipment and supplies needed to operate it. The MVFD also pays for ALS service, an unfunded state mandate.  This saves Middlebury taxpayers $80,000 per year.

The MVFD Inc. has also contributed to the Town with other non taxpayer funds.  They purchased state-of-the-art, Holmatro extrication equipment to the tune of $25,000. That is $25,000 that taxpayers would not have to fork-over. The MVFD Inc. purchased four new defibrillators that will be placed at various locations around town. This was MVFD Inc. money, not taxpayer money.  They installed an audio-visual system in the training room and the Meeting room, which has been utilized by many organizations in Town, making the Firehouse the perfect venue for training and audio/visual presentations.  Again, no Taxpayer money involved.

We keep hearing overtures that Fire HQ is a Town building and the MVFD members should not really have a say in what goes on there.  But do you know that besides the apparatus and equipment related to it, the MVFD Inc purchased all the rest of what is in the building?  All the tables, chairs, kitchen equipment and supplies are purchased by the MVFD Inc, and not taxpayer money. 

So, when Mr. DeAngelis came to the firehouse to use the room for his Straw Pond meetings, he was using all equipment purchased by the MVFD INC, and nothing from taxpayer money. He was not complaining about the MVFD back then, was he?

MVFD Propaganda For Protecting Public Safety

  "Check out paragraph two of the Fire Dept charter/by-laws.  The Middlebury Firehouse prohibits the "disseminating of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislations..."

Now, did Mr. Perrotti ever attempt to "influence legislation?"

---------------

Mr. DeAngelis gets it wrong again. Keyword, “substantial.”  The MVFD had approximately 800 and some calls in 2007, 14 or so meetings, 5 or so days of fund raising, and 1 day to come out and protect the Town of Middlebury from Mr. St. John’s Fire Commission.  I would not call that substantial.

Another keyword, “legislations.”  Definition, “the act of making or enacting a law.”  Laws are created by congress, not by First Selectmen.  The MVFD did not lobby congressmen, they stood in the pouring rain for one day to protect the residents of Middlebury.

In addition, the MVFD as a group was not supporting any candidate during the election.

It would seem that Mr. St. John just can’t get over the fact that the Charter change to include his permanent Fire Commission failed by almost a two to one ratio, and appears to be using Mr. DeAngelis to continue his attacks on the MVFD to this day.

 
The charter change would have allowed the Fire Commission to choose their own chief, and ignore the election of chief by the actual firefighters, a tradition since 1941.  In reality, the Fire Commission could have chosen a chief who was not even a firefighter. That was never in the original draft of the Charter, but something Mr. St. John added later, and the Charter Commission approved.  Mr. St. John wanted to control who was chief of the MVFD and most notably, it gave him an avenue to get rid of Chief Perrotti.

The Middlebury residents overwhelmingly support the MVFD, and they showed that by voting down the charter.  It is not the politicians who will be at their house at 3 AM, but the members of this great organization. The MVFD is the best run organization in Town, and should be allowed to function independently from the whims of politicians.

The MVFD believes that the Fire Commission was a direct threat to firefighter as well as public safety.  It was not formed to help the MVFD, but rather to hurt it.  During it’s tenure, it stonewalled apparatus replacement, attempted to disrupt the fireground chain of command, and attempted to delay repairs of lifesaving equipment.  

The members of the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department were not going to stand idly by while Mr. St. John tried to drive their 67 year old organization into the ground, all for the sake of his own political vindictiveness.

Wrong About The Westover Fund

" Threw the Westover "donation" which is really money in lieu of 

taxes into the General Fund where it always belonged anyway. "

Wrong again.  The gift from Westover is not money in lieu of taxes.  Westover, once again, is a school, and not subject to taxes.  Westover targets their GIFT to certain agencies in Town.  That includes the Library. It does not belong in the “General Fund.”

The BOF confiscated this money from these groups , and it is our guess, that Westover will not be very happy about their gift being taken out of the hands it was intended for and placed in the General Fund.

Perhaps it is time for the Town to return the money to Westover so they can distribute their gift the way they intended it to be distributed.

Hydrants Finally Out Of MVFD Budget

“But of course both pots go to the Fire Dept so that the real cost 

of the Dept is well over $ 300,000 NOT the $ 214,000.00 the 

Fianace Bd would have you think.”

Not true. Former First Selectman Ed St. John  put the hydrants in the MVFD budget to make the PW budget look smaller.  Although MVFD uses the hydrants it is a PW function.  NFPA has taken hydrant testing out of its standard.  

The cost of creating and maintaining hydrants should never have been put into the MVFD budget in the first place, so it is good that it has finally been moved.

The MVFD budget is $214,000.  They are one of the largest organizations in Town with the smallest budget.

Freedom Of Speech And Frivolous FOIs.

“At the Finance Bd meeting last night Mr. Ned Love saw the need , for some reason, to mention someone who wasn't there, Mr. Pat DeAngelis.

 It appears that Mr. Love criticized Mr. DeAngelis for "frivolous" FOI requests that remained "un-picked up". Mr. Love also indicated that he, for one, doesn't mind paying a "few extra bucks" for present town services."”

Mr. DeAngelis criticizes the Board of Finance for not cutting the budget to his liking, yet he does not voice his opinion in the public forum.  This is the reason why the meetings are public, isn’t it?  Taking cheap shots at organizations in Town from your computer is not quite the same is standing up at a meeting and expressing yourself.  Criticizing someone from across the table is a little different than criticizing him from across cyberspace. 

Mr. Love’s characterization of “frivolous” FOIs are right on the money.  Why be so concerned about excessive spending in Town, and cutting the budget when you yourself  are adding to the burden Taxpayers must carry.  Town Hall reports your FOI costs to the Town are in excess of $20,000.  How has any of this benefited anyone, especially if you don’t even bother to pick them up?

Mr. DeAngelis Gets It Wrong About The Fire Commission

“How can Gormley and Desmariais abolish Fire Commission when said Commission was established by legislative action, i.e.,a town meeting? “

Mr. DeAngelis has a very short memory. Elaine Strobel and Ed St. John established a Temporary Fire Commission at a Selectmen’s meeting, not a Town Meeting. There was no vote from the residents, only from Mrs. Strobel and Mr. St. John.  The late Hal Lynch (see http://www.middleburyfire.org/hal.htm) was not in attendance.  Mr. DeAngelis even attended the meeting, and at that time, was supporting the MVFD. What made Mr. DeAngelis turn from being Mr. St. John’s  biggest adversary to his chief spokesman?

Watch the whole thing happen.  Click on the video link.  Nothing illustrates the arrogance of the previous administration quite like this.  It speaks for itself.

  http://www.middleburyfire.org/meeting1.mov

Temporary commissions can be created at any time by the Selectmen.  They can also be abolished at anytime as well.  Permanent commissions need a charter change.

During the Charter Revision process the MVFD urged Mr. St. John and Elaine Strobel to separate the question regarding the formation of a permanent Fire Commission

be placed on the ballot.  Elaine Strobel was quoted saying splitting the ballot was “too complicated” for our residents.  Mr. St. John agreed, even though Chief Perrotti had accumulated almost 200 signatures from residents who wanted it listed as a separate question.  See http://middleburyfire.org/petition.pdf.   Consequently, many good things that could have been implemented in the Charter were not.

The Charter containing a permanent Fire Commission was defeated by almost a two to one margin in November of 2007. Tom Gormley and Bob Desmarais abolished the Fire Commission and fulfilled the wishes of the voters who flatly rejected it.

The establishment of the Fire Commission was an act of arrogance and was politically motivated.  In the eyes of the MVFD, they accomplished nothing, but stalled much needed apparatus replacement that will now cost taxpayers thousands of dollars, attempted to interfere with the fireground chain of command, attempted to stonewall repairs on lifesaving equipment, and attempted to interfere with the operational side of the MVFD.  Allowing untrained, uninformed, and politically motivated individuals to interfere with any of the above is a threat to firefighter and public safety.

MVFD Is Hiding Incentive Spreadsheet From The Community?

 “According to historical record the original intent of the "incentive" plan was to form and plan some sort of retirement fund for firemen. A good idea. We believe that the fund devolved into another sort of fire call pay. We would like to see how the fund is used, i.e., are individuals being paid out of the fund? When we asked for the info we got what follows below, a lump sum figure. This is not what we asked for and why we are willing to take all legal steps to get what we asked for. We want to know how the taxpayer's money is being spent.”

The original intent of the MVFD was to create a “retirement fund,” however it was determined at the time, that it would cost the Town far too much to try to get the program going.  The problem was, how far do you go back? Where is the cutoff? How much should Veterans who have been with the Department for years receive? All the available money would have been paid out to the Veterans leaving the program basically unfunded for actively participating firefighters. It just was not going to work out in the form it was presented for either the Town, or the MVFD.

An alternative program was proposed and accepted by the Town.  Instead of paying firefighters for what they have contributed over the years, why not create a plan that would be an incentive for firefighters to participate now.  Thus the “Incentive Plan” was created.

A point system was created to take into account, years of service, the total number of fire calls, total number of drills, and the total number of meetings. To receive any payment from the incentive fund, a firefighter needed to make a certain amount of points.  A formula was created by firefighter Mike von Kannewurff that could take the total amount in the incentive fund and calculate what each firefighter’s share was of the total. A spreadsheet was then created in Excel that was able to accomplish this difficult task.

A copy of this spread sheet has been posted at Fire Headquarters since July of 2007, and at the request of the State FOI Rep,  it is also posted at the MVFD’s website since March 18, 2008.  http://www.middleburyfire.org/Incent2007.pdf.

Mr. DeAngelis has been told this by the Fire Department’s attorney and by the State, yet he claims he is being denied the information, and keeps sending the innuendo that the MVFD is doing something illegal. Both the Incentive Pay and the Fire Pay are posted on the MVFD website for the entire community to see. 

The system is fair.  The more you participate, the more of the total you get.  If you do not make enough points, you get nothing.

Reaping Benefits

…some of the “critics” of today were reaping benefits for 

those 24 years…hmm.

Former First Selectman Ed. St. John delayed important MVFD apparatus replacement since 2002.  Who is benefiting from that?  How is it a benefit to now have four pieces of fire apparatus over the age of 20 years?

Wrong About Ambulance Profits

"We have a copy of the proposed ambulance “agreement” 

between the Fire Dept and the Town. Why we need this when Campion 

serves the town is anybody's guess but:

Basically what it says is,

1. You ( the town ) give us ( Perrotti Fire Dept ) money and

2. We ( the Perrotti Fire Dept ) keeps the profit.

There’s some other verbiage in there that we’ll print later, but that’s 

basically it."

-----------

Wrong again.  First, no ambulance agreement has been voted upon by the MVFD., so no valid agreement exists.  

Since the 1950s the MVFD has successfully operated an ambulance within the Town without an agreement. However in his quest to destabilize the MVFD, former First Selectman Ed. St. John attempted to seize the ambulance billing funds by insisting that the MVFD sign an outrageous and unrealistic ambulance agreement with the Town. 

The MVFD unanimously rejected Mr. St. John’s take over bid of the billing funds that save the taxpayers of Middlebury thousands of dollars a year. During this period before last fall’s elections, the MVFD and the Town wasted thousands of dollars in legal fees fighting over Mr. St. John’s agreement. 

When Tom Gormley was elected, he threw the St. John agreement out the window, and instructed the Town’s attorney and the MVFD attorney to come up with a realistic agreement, that everyone could live with.  That is what is happening now, but no final agreement has been voted on.

The notion that the Town gives the MVFD money and the MVFD keeps the profits is nothing more than a lie.

The Town Pays for:

The building in which the ambulances are stored.

Insurance for the vehicles.

Fuel for the vehicles.  That’s it.

The MVFD raises and pays for everything else.

The vehicle itself - The MVFD just ordered a new ambulance at a cost of around $170,000.  That is $170,000 that does not have to come from the taxpayer.

All maintenance for the vehicles.

All supplies including oxygen for the PD.

Training and certification charges for EMTs

Approximately $80,000 a year in ALS charges.  Again, saving $80,000 in taxpayer money per year.

Motorola pagers for the EMTs.

All other costs are picked up by the MVFD.

There is no profit.  What is not spent in the operation costs goes into an ambulance replacement fund to pay for a new ambulance down the road.

This is what is called good financial planning.

What the MVFD is lacking at this time are people to volunteer, and train to run on the ambulance.  The ambulance and all the taxpayer savings will mean nothing, if we lack the staff to operate it.  If Mr. DeAngelis is really concerned about the Town’s ambulance, he should get into a classroom and train to become an EMT. That would be the productive thing to do, and a benefit to the Town.

Hiring Campion to replace the MVFD ambulance would be a disaster and would result in much higher taxes.

Can Paul Perrotti See Into The Future?

In a prestigious feat of foretelling the future Paul Perrotti stated in a local 

newspaper that  Ed St. John’s picture was taken down at the firehouse 

because of the “filing of  a Freedom of Information request for minutes 

from a Fire Dept. Meeting approximately two weeks ago…”

Amazing!  Perrotti actually took the picture down almost two weeks 

BEFORE St. John filed the FOI request.  Perrotti MUST have been able to 

see into the future so , knowing St. John was going to FOI the minutes,

he took the picture down, HUH?

He knew what was going to happen BEFORE it happened!

We can believe this to the same extent that most of what Mr. Perrotti says can be believed.

----------------------------

Mr. DeAngelis gets it wrong again.  Read the Voices June 8, 2008 edition below.

--------

“Fire Chief Paul Perrotti confirmed that the picture of Mr. St. John, who once served as fire chief, was taken down from a wall at the Fire Department.

He said the issue was discussed and voted on at a department meeting, 28 to 1, in favor of removing the picture.

He cited Mr. St. John's filing of a Freedom of Information request for minutes from a Fire Department meeting, approximately two weeks ago, as part of the issue.

Chief Perrotti told Voices Mr. St. John did not need to file a FOI request since Mr. St. John is entitled to look at the minutes. He said he mailed Mr. St. John the minutes via certified mail and has not received a reply confirming receipt yet.

Chief Perrotti also cited fire apparatus as part of the problem.

"He [Mr. St. John] dragged his feet in 2002, not giving us the right equipment," he said.

Chief Perrotti said the Fire Department had all specifications ready for new apparatus and Mr. St. John delayed the process and jeopardized the safety of firefighters and the community.

He said Mr. St. John established a Fire Commission that did not accomplish anything. He also mentioned the lawsuit filed by his brother, Neil Perrotti, alleging sexual misconduct by Mr. St. John in 1987, when Neil was a junior firefighter.

"That all factored into it," he said.”

-------

The FOI request was not the reason for taking the picture off the wall, and no one same so.  Jaimie Cura used the words “part of the issue,” in the sense that there was more to the story, i.e.; The former First Selectman did not need to FOI the MVFD Minutes, since he is a member of the Department and entitled to read them. Mr. DeAngelis left out  the very next paragraph in the original article.

That is not the same as “Paul Perrotti stated in a local newspaper that  Ed St. John’s picture was taken down at the firehouse because of the “filing of  a Freedom of Information request for minutes from a Fire Dept. Meeting approximately two weeks ago…”

Once again, Mr. DeAngelis is not accurate.  A FOI request for minutes that Mr. St. John was entitled to see was never a reason.  How could it be if it happened after the fact? 

Why Waste Taxpayer Dollars On Beach Sand At The MRA?

“Sure as hell the “brain trust” from the “hill” should have gone to the Conservation Commission before they messed with the sand and the lake.

Otherwise a pile of sand will be the everlasting symbol of the

Gormley administration.”

It is called beach sand for a reason.  It’s suppose to be on the beach.

Apparently Mr. DeAngelis wants Middlebury children to be playing in dirt at the MRA, at least that is how Keary Barnett of Middlebury described the old sand to Mellissa Jones in last week’s Bee Intelligence. The new sand according to Greg Perrin is “Awesome.  It is soft, warm and feels great.”  Krista and Tom Carroll, Middlebury Taxpayers, say the sand was “definitely a good investment for the Town.”

What would the Conservation Commission have told Tom Gormley about the sand? When the lake was formed, all that was in it was sand and rock? It is what goes into the lake from living or once living plants and animals that threatens the ecology of a body of water. Its called Eutrophication. 

Several years ago residents may remember that the lake turned green, not from sand, but the build up of nitrogen in the water that caused severe algae blooms.  At that time there were a great many Canada Geese on the lake.  That along with chemical fertilizer and septic system runoff from cottages, created a eutrophic condition.  That is what threatens a lake.  Not the sand.

In fact sand becomes the base of a biological filter within the system. It promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria that will convert toxic ammonia to nitrites and then to nitrates.  Denitrifying bacteria will then convert the Nitrates to atmospheric nitrogen which will be released into the atmosphere.

Beach sand instead of road sand may seem like a waste of money for Mr. DeAngelis, but this is a prime example of residents actually getting something back in return for their tax dollars.  The thousands of dollars spent on litigating your Straw Pond fight, or to pay for your $20,000 in FOI costs means little to a child, who just wants to play in the summer sun in soft, fluffy beach sand.

Oh, by the way... That beach sand was less expensive than the road sand.

The MVFD Is Not Being Honest?

“He [ Mr. St. John ] dragged his feet in 2002 , not giving us the right 

equpment…the Fire Dept had all specifications ready [ in 2002 ]

This is a strange thing to say because according to the Fire Commission 

Perrotti still did not the specifications ready as late as 2006 when the Fire 

Commission wanted to take action.

Somebody is not being honest. We wonder who.”

Mr. DeAngelis is saying that the Fire Chief and the Fire Department are not being honest.  The MVFD has the original Engine 2 drawing that is dated 2002. The above photo is the cover page of a revised spec.  Please note the date is February 11, 2003. The Fire Commission was formed in the Spring of 2006, four years after the original drawing.

As far as the Fire Commission’s involvement, again you get it wrong.  The Fire Commission never asked for any spec until April of 2007. The  April 18, 2007 Republican/American article reported that the “Fire Commission will review the Fire Department’s specifications for equipment and retain the services of the fire consultant.”  See http://www.middleburyfire.org/spec1.pdf.

This in itself illustrates how ineffective the Fire Commission was.  It was established in June of 2006. The Department was told that there would be no decision regarding apparatus replacement until September of that year.  (As reported by the Republican/American.)  By April 2007, no decision. Even the minutes of the January 28, 2008 Fire Commission reflect that they had still made no decision. It has been the MVFD’s contention that one of the main purposes of  the establishment of the Fire Commission by Elaine Strobel and Ed St. John was to derail the entire apparatus replacement process.

It worked.  It is now June 2008 and no apparatus has been ordered and Middlebury faces the daunting reality that there are now four pieces of apparatus over the age of 20 years old.

You are right Mr. DeAngelis, someone is not being honest, but it is certainly not the MVFD.

Want To See How The MVFD Spends Taxpayer Money - Ask Mr. DeAngelis

 Why can't the taxpayers of Middlebury be allowed to see how the Fire Chief spends public money? A five point expose.

The taxpayers of Middlebury are allowed to see what the Fire Chief spends with taxpayer money.  The MVFD budget is paid out of Town accounts.  Mr. DeAngelis FOIed the Town, so he should have those records.  Mr. DeAngelis’s little FOI hobby has cost Taxpayers in Middlebury over $20,000 according to Town Hall.  He attacks Tom Gormley, Bob Desmarais and the BOF for not doing enough to cut taxes, yet our taxes will go up this year to pay for Mr. DeAngelis’s FOIs. 

As for “Fire Pay” and “Incentive Pay.” These figures are published on the MVFD website, and have been there since March 18th, 2008 as requested by the FOI Rep.  Not much of an expose, when the information has been there for months and Mr. DeAngelis still can’t find it.

Prestigious Veteran's Status Bestowed Upon John Dayton By MVFD

 "Chairman of the Finance Bd. , John Dayton, was awarded "veteran" status by the Fire Dept at a dinner. Want to know how many fire calls he made between 2004 and 2007 None. That's right, according to the documents turned over to us by the Fire Dept. under the FOI laws John Dayton made NO fire calls during the time period 2004-2007. Gee, do you think there was some "other" reason he was 

awarded this special status?"

Yes, Mr. DeAngelis there was some “other” reason... 

 

Going to the Veteran's list has nothing to do with the number of Fire Calls one attends, but rather has everything to do with how many years a member has been with the Fire Department. John had reached the minimum requirements years ago, yet stayed on the Regular Member roster.  It was John’s decision to transfer his name to the Veteran’s list. Basically if you are still breathing after so many years on the Fire Department you can go on the Veteran's list. Not much news there...

Troubled By Pictures

In the June 8, 2008 issue of Voices, Mike McCormack was quoted that he was “troubled” that the portrait of former First Selectman Ed. St. John was taken off the wall at Fire Headquarters. Instead of asking what Mr. St. John did to the MVFD to make them vote to take his picture down, he immediately decries the action.  

The MVFD was very troubled over the antics of Mr. St. John over the past several years. The list is a lot longer than what was described in Voices. 

Decorating ideas for the MVFD is not what Mr. McCormack should be concerned with. Perhaps, cutting the Town budget may just be a bit more important. Paying high taxes in this town is very troubling to all of us.

It seems odd that the man who is chairman of the Public Works Commission, also sits on the Board of Finance.  Is that a conflict of interest? Making financial decisions that directly affect the commission that he chairs should be troubling for everyone in Town.

It seems that the Firehouse was not the only location where Mr. St. John’s pictures were removed. His pictures came down at Town Hall, just as former First Selectmen Longo and Calabrese pictures also came down. 

Cutting taxes is more important than what is hanging on the walls of the MVFD. That is where all of our efforts should go. 

The Junk Vehicles Of The MVFD

“How does not wasting money on junk cars imperil public safety?”

According to Mr. DeAngelis, it is NOT okay for the MVFD to be driving a 1999 vehicle, because he considers it a junk car, BUT, it IS okay to be driving around in 1978, 1981, 1987, and 1988 fire trucks.  Would he consider them “junk vehicles” as well? 

What imperils safety is allowing your apparatus to reach a point where the likelihood of it failing when it is needed the most increases with each year it is not replaced.  When it does fail, people may be killed and property may be lost.

Mr. St. John ignored the MVFD’s request for a comprehensive apparatus replacement plan since 2002.  Now the Town has four pieces of apparatus over the age of 20 years old. 

Mr. Gormley understands that public safety is crucial, and that the red trucks just may be a bit more important than the green ones. 

High Oil Prices Mean Higher Paving Costs - Time To Take A Break From Repaving In Middlebury

Many states, counties, and cities across the nation will not be repaving their roads this year due to a 25.9% increase in asphalt prices.  See Link:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080606/1a_bottomstrip06_dom.art.htm

Shouldn’t Middlebury consider doing the same thing.  One way to cut the budget this year is to cut out paving and resurfacing our roads. That would save a great deal of money.  Think about it.

Chip Longo Says Like It Is In The Bee

Former First Selectman Ed St. John wants to come back and save Middlebury from the troubles he created.  As a Republican voter and tax-paying citizen of the Town of Middlebury, I say, “No thanks.”

Middlebury is in its current financial mess due to the mismanagement of the former administration.  St. John had his chance and overstayed his welcome.

First Selectman Tom Gormley has done a great job cleaning up the mess he was handed. St. John left Middlebury in worse shape than he found it.  I call on Middlebury Republican the Town Committee (MRTC) to honor its promise to support Gormley.

How about it Chairman Smith? Where does you allegiance lie, with First Selectman Gormley or MRTC member St. John?

The One Million Dollar Firemen

       As far as the Fire Dept is concerned it is just plain absurd not to have oversight over a million dollar department. Even more so when the Chief refuses to comply with reasonable requests for full disclosure.

There he goes again, singing the same old tired song.  Check the budget again Mr. DeAngelis. - $214,448.00, not 1 million.  As for MVFD INC. your figure is completely incorrect.  Just because a large amount of money was once run through a tax return, does not mean that is what is in the bank or ever at the MVFD’s disposal.  Again, please reference:

http://www.middleburyfire.org/letter2_1_08.pdf

Mr. DeAngelis can keep repeating the same old mantra hoping people will believe it, but no matter how many times he says it, the result is the same.  It is just not true.  His numbers actually keep increasing. For months it was $800,000.00.  Now we are up over 1 million.  

Well, you can take $170,000 or so off your total, because the MVFD has ordered a new ambulance.  That is $170,000.00 that will NOT have to come out of taxpayers pockets.  The ambulance fund has been successful, and the Taxpayers of Middlebury will benefit.  Mr. DeAngelis should appreciate that, being a taxpayer in Town.

The Fire Commission is dead.  The voters overwhelmingly rejected it last Fall, and they did that for one reason, because they trust the MVFD. We are the ones who will come and help them.  We have earned their trust.

Mr. St. John promised Tom Gormley he would ride off into the sunset when he left office.  He broke his promise to Tom, and Mr. DeAngelis is helping him break it. Tell that to those who once rallied behind Mr. DeAngelis regarding Straw Pond. Has fighting Mr. St. John’s battle hurt his own? 

Cut The Budget!

The Finance Bd plays stupid ass games with minuscule cuts in  Public Works 

when: 

The revenues are off because there is NO BUILDING GOING ON IN 

MIDDLEBURY.

So why do we need to pay salary and fringes to three building inspectors?

That one is correct.  We need deeper cuts to the Public Works in order to bring down taxes.  If I am not mistaken, the PW budget is much higher in Middlebury than it is in other towns our same size.  Why?  Was it not former First Selectman, Ed St. John who built the Middlebury PW empire?  Why is the budget still high?

The PW budget proposal was $1,457,233, with an increase of $35,421.43.  With a new administration the hope was that this budget would be decreased, not increased.  The budget will never be passed unless there are some cuts here.

What about the MVFD?  It is one of the largest departments in Town with the smallest budget. The budget shows a reduction of $71,279.48.  That may look like a big cut, but in reality it is not quite accurate.  Some years ago Mr. St. John put the hydrants in the MVFD budget for some reason.  Hydrants are more a function of public works than Fire.  In fact, NFPA 2008 has taken out hydrant testing from the National Standard.  In this budget, hydrants were taken out of the MVFD line, which was the correct move.  To my knowledge the actual FD budget may have been cut slightly, because the high-band radios are still under warranty, so there is little reason to have a line item for maintenance of those radios.

If you look at the Library budget it is over twice the size of the Fire Department’s budget. Why is that?  Why is there an increase of $77,980.27?  If the Fire Department runs using volunteers, why can’t some of the costs be reduced at the library using volunteers as well? I was told that the librarians must be trained and certified.  Well, firefighters must be trained and certified as well. It is a 160 hour course.  EMTs must be certified also.  Another 160 or so hours. Our volunteer firefighters in Middlebury save the taxpayers over $4,000,000.00 a year.  How much could volunteer librarians save the Town?  Mr. DeAngelis used to be a Librarian.  He would be a perfect person to look into this tax savings for the Town. 

As for the Building Department, why does a Town this size have three building inspectors?  Why do we need three?  What is the matter with having one?  Just asking.

The taxpayers of Middlebury cannot be asked to step-up-to-the-plate year in and year out for these increases.  Government should get smaller, not larger.  In your personal life, if you do not have enough money to pay all your bills, what do you do? You do without some things.  Middlebury may have to do without somethings as well. Just because it is listed in the budget does not mean it cannot be taken out. 

The Town of Middlebury does not generate the money to feed this bloated budget.  Town Government does not make a penny.  It just taxes those who allow it to exist. It is the residents who have to get up each morning and go out and work to earn a living.  They should not be working for government. Cut the budget.

Not Enough Houses Catch On Fire In Middlebury

We hear that there is a structure fire in Middlebury once every 16 months.

Wrong again.  According to the MVFD website www.middleburyfire.org. In a little over one year period there have been three structure fires in Middlebury.

 

March 3, 2008 - Maples Restaurant.

October 12, 2007 - Ridgewood.

May 16, 2007 - Nantucket Way

---------------------------

The facts speak for themselves.  But, what is the point? Do you want people’s homes to burn?  The MVFD does not.  Structure fires are incredibly dangerous, and the members of the MVFD do not enjoy putting their lives at risk trying to save the lives and property of others. It is a sacred duty that the Firefighters of Middlebury have accepted since 1941.  Instead of listening to rumors, why not go to the source?

By the way the MVFD saved all 3 structures.

How Fast Are Calls Dispatched?

Most people in Middlebury are amazed that if they dial 911 from their house 

to call for a fire truck the call goes

1. from their house

2. to the police station

3. to Prospect CT

4. to the fire dept

to firemen

Actually, once again Mr. DeAngelis has that wrong.

From your house --> To Middlebury Headquarters ---> To Quick Tone To Middlebury Firefighters.

That is how fast it gets to the MVFD.

The MVFD is notified immediately.  The call is then patch to Northwest C-Med who will tone out the call again.

This is actually faster than the old system when the dispatcher remained on the phone to gather more information from the caller.  Under the older system, the dispatch was slightly delayed, because of the time needed to gather additional information.  Middlebury actually gets quicker service now.

However, if you are totally against any of the dispatching being done at Northwest C-Med, again you will have to thank former First Selectman Ed St. John.  He was the one who outsourced communications.  To comply with the new EMD requirements from the state of Connecticut, this had to be done.  At least that is what the MVFD was told by Mr. St. John at the time.  It was not Paul Perrotti nor Rick Bona who outsourced the dispatch. They did not have the authority.  Only the First Selectman has that authority, and that was Mr. St. John.