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09/07/2016 08:00 AMTown officials can’t be allowed to use their positions for financial gain for themselves, friends, or family, but the Clinton Planning & Zoning Commission has a history of members refusing to recuse themselves on matters in which they have clear conflicts of interest. The Watts property was a prime example. Now, we have an unfortunate situation in which five Planning & Zoning Commission members are also on the Republican Town Committee (RTC).
Politics should never influence Planning & Zoning Commission decisions. Last week’s Planning & Zoning Commission public hearing saw a member, Carl Neri, who is an RTC member and a contractor with a storage yard, yell at and attempt to bully a resident speaking against regulation changes I believe Neri wants for contractor storage yards. The lady was obviously shaken. The Planning & Zoning Commission chairman, Gary Bousquet, is also an RTC member. He didn’t attempt to stop Neri, so I did. I made it clear the resident had every right to express her opinion and that he had no right to interrupt her. Unfortunately, the resident was too upset to continue.
Neri had an obligation to recuse himself from the hearing of the application, based on his clear conflict of interest. That required that he leave the hearing room, which he failed to do.
We can’t allow this intimidation by our town officials to continue, and we can’t allow political corruption in Clinton.
Vincent Cimino
Clinton