Board of Ethics questions commissioners

WINSTED » The Board of Ethics spoke Tuesday evening with the Planning & Zoning Commission members who are accused of having a conflict of interest in considering an application from the Community Health & Wellness Center of Greater Torrington.

Four separate hearings were held in the Lee Ann LeClair room, otherwise known as the Blue Room, each in executive, or closed, session.

Zoning commission members George Closson, Barbara Wilkes, Art Melycher, and alternate Lee Thomsen all elected to have their respective hearings closed to the public, as is their right under the town Code of Ethics.

All four declined to comment after their respective hearings.

“I carried a big stick,” said Melycher with a smile.

Town Planner Steven Sadlowski, Town Manager Robert Geiger, and Charlene LaVoie, the community lawyer, served as witnesses during the Closson and Wilkes hearings, before joining a small crowd of onlookers waiting in the hallway.

Sadlowski indicated that he could not discuss his role in the proceedings, while LaVoie did not comment when offered the chance.

Former Winsted Super Saver owner John Dwan accused Closson, Wilkes, Melycher, and Thomsen of having a conflict of interest in voting on the wellness center application, which would have allowed it to move into the Super Saver property on Main Street, due to their current or past affiliation or association with the Winsted Health Center.

The Winsted Health Center is the landlord of Community Health & Wellness on Spencer Street, after a satellite office on the property was opened in 2011.

Dwan and wellness center representatives have claimed, both in the ethics complaint and an ongoing lawsuit, that the health center stood to benefit from having the application rejected, as CHW would potentially be forced to spend a $1 million federal grant to improve its current home.

Closson serves on the Winsted Health Center Board of Directors, while Wilkes and Melycher are former members.

Each voted to reject CHW’s application to move to Main Street in April, and has since denied having a conflict of interest in the matter.

Thomsen, according to Dwan and CHW, is in a relationship with LaVoie, is listed as the “agent” of the health center in state filings. He did not vote on the application, but took part in the discussion.

Town Attorney Kevin Nelligan, representing the Planning & Zoning Commission in the ongoing lawsuit, in a recent filing denied that any of the four members had a conflict of interest in the matter.

Dwan was in the room during each of the hearings Tuesday — he declined to comment on what went on afterwards.

The board remained in executive session for a period after Thomsen, the last of the four to have a hearing, left the room and returned to the hallway. Chairman Judy Dixon declined to comment on the rationale for this Tuesday.

The next meeting of the Board of Ethics is scheduled for July 25, when, according to Dixon, a decision on each case is expected.

“Our next step is, we need to make a decision, which hopefully we’ll be able to make at the next meeting,” said Dixon.