A new payment deal for the town's health agent of record is in the pike, and still no one can say exactly what the agent does or how much he gets paid
By Sharon Bass
Jack Horvath offered the new and former mayors a deal he thought they couldn't refuse.
But he was wrong.
For the last six years, Horvath was Hamden's health care agent of record, or the middleman between the town and the insurer. His job -- a political appointment -- was recently given to Lew Panzo of Associated Plan Administrators.
In October, Horvath said he told former Mayor Carl Amento he would do the job for $100 next year. "What I said to Amento was, this is the first time the town of Hamden will be able to negotiate what it wanted to pay the agent of record," said Horvath, an owner of Grasso Associates Financial Planning & Insurance Services on Dixwell Avenue in Hamden.
Starting July 2006, he said, Anthem is changing its commission practice to allow the client (municipality, private company) to come up with the dollar amount agents will be paid. It's currently unclear who in Hamden Town Hall would make that determination.
Also next July, Anthem will begin revealing how much its agents and brokers are being paid, Horvath said. Asked how much commission he made while Hamden's agent he said he didn't know because "I have a lot of accounts."
Messages left at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut's North Haven office were not returned.
Paid by the Hamden Taxpayers
"So prior to July of 2006 if a municipality was insured through Anthem -- whether or not they had a broker -- they paid the same thing," Horvath said.
While agents get paid by Anthem, "it is ultimately coming from the municipality, of course," he said. "Now it is coming directly out of the town's pocket because the town can get the net cost of insurance minus the commission for the agent of record."
And so he named his fee of $100 for the first year of the new deal, meaning Hamden would only have to throw in one hundred bucks on top of the amount it pays Anthem to process the town and school self-insured health plans.
"I met with (Mayor) Craig (Henrici) and said these are our accomplishments. We've done a great job and we'd like to continue in that role. We have some very proactive measures that would save money," said Horvath. "He didn't say anything. He basically listened."
"He might have said that (he'd do the job for $100) during our conversations, but anybody can say they'd do it for nothing," said Henrici. "I'm not going to get involved with Anthem cutting someone or not cutting someone a check. Sometimes it's not the fee, it's the fit. If you talk to people who say they're not happy with Mr. Horvath, who cares if he'll do it for $100?
"That is especially the case in this instance because we're not paying a fee," said Henrici. "I have never discussed with Anthem how they pay their agent of record, nor do I plan to."
Board of Education Chair Michael D'Agostino, who deals with the agent of record for the school side, basically agreed with the mayor.
"We've been seeing the same problems, the spiraling costs and no new solutions being offered," he said of Horvath's performance. D'Agostino said he recently spoke with Panzo and got a "good feeling" about his cost-savings ideas, such as going out to bid for the stop-loss portion of Hamden's health plan (when an employee's medical costs go over the maximum per-patient amount in the Anthem contract, another company takes over the bill), and maybe for prescription drug coverage.
"We're just excited to have a new perspective because I don't think we had that in past years," said D'Agostino. "Lew brings an advantage to the table as he knows a lot of players on the town side, on the Board side. You need someone who understands the grand scheme. I'm hoping that institutional knowledge he has will help us realize savings."
About Panzo's lawsuits ("Craig's Choice," "More Lawsuits Against Panzo"), the BOE chair who is also an attorney said, "I agree with the mayor that it's not surprising that a company that handles that many claims a year finds itself being sued once in a while." However, both Horvath and Councilman Jim Pascarella, prez of Orange Insurance Center, said they've never been sued.
Horvath said he understands he lost the job to "pure politics" and bears no resentment. Asked what exactly the agent of record does, he said, "He's the middleman, the intermediary. There is a lot of work that goes along with this kind of account. You can't just sit back and collect commission."
D'Agostino said the BOE has over $11 million in its self-insurance fund, which goes up 10 percent to 20 percent a year, primarily due to increased medical costs (hospital, doctor and drug fees).
The town has $7.9 million in its self-insurance fund, said Finance Director Michael Betz. He said he's unsure how much it increases annually, but believes it's less than the school side.
Leng Wants To Know
Upon hearing about the changes Anthem is making in July 2006, Councilman Curt Leng said he wants details.
"I want to understand the change and how it impacts the town financially. I would like to request that the Legislative Council get a full debriefing on how the agent of record is paid, how much he or she gets paid and what are the different things that the agent of record can do to save the town some money, because that's what it's all about at the end," he said.
Leng said the town's health insurance fund was
in deficit under Amento, and was supposed to be pulled out
of the red with proceeds from the roughly $10 million sale
of Hamden's Water Pollution Control Authority. About half
of that money went to pay off a sewer bond debt, he said.
The Mayor (Probably) Gets the Car
Despite stating during his campaign that he would not use a town vehicle, Henrici has strong Council support for a new SUV
By Sharon Bass
During the primary, the Henrici team mailed out a campaign piece entitled: "Craig Henrici: A plan to restore Town Finances." It included this sentence: "Craig will cut cars from the Town fleet in favor of more cost-effective car allowances, and he will lead by example, forgoing a Town car as mayor."
Tuesday evening, the Legislative Council's Planning and Development Committee was asked to consider a bid waiver for a $30,000 2006 Ford Explorer for the Democratic mayor.
While there appears to be a contradiction there, most councilors say Henrici needs a town car. Period. And the mayor told the HDN he never said he wasn't going to ask for one.
"I said I would use my own car if I was able to get a car allowance. And we're looking into that," Henrici said yesterday in a phone interview. "So hopefully this car that I'm going to drive for a short time will go to another department."
However, the Ford Explorer -- if that's what the Council votes for next Tuesday -- will be designated for the mayor "as long as I need it," Henrici said. "If you drive around town you see a lot of Ford Crown Victorias. They're 8-cylinder, gas-guzzling cars that used to be in the police fleet and become town cars. And I think we can do better."
Councilman Jim Pascarella said he remembered the mayor promising he wouldn't use a town car, but said it was an uninformed statement.
"At the time he made that promise was during the primary, and I thought that it was not a practical promise," he said. "When he got into office he became aware of that."
Pascarella was referring in part to former Mayor Carl Amento's Ford Crown Victoria sedan, which was stocked with communications equipment for police and fire. "I remember (Amento) telling me that the police and fire department liked him having that in his car so if something was going on he could communicate with them," he said.
The councilman also said that Henrici probably didn't consider that using his own car would have "jeopardized his own insurance." In other words, his rates would have gone up.
Councilman John Flanagan said he had no comment. "I'll see you next Tuesday," he said.
To the contrary, Councilman Willie Mewborn had quite a bit to say.
"In politics, you have to say things to look good and make the other person look bad," he said about the town car contradiction.
"Sometimes people say things and they find out it doesn't work exactly as it's planned. We say things a lot of times we have to take back. I don't see why the mayor shouldn't get a car. If somebody's going to represent me I want them to look good and drive something that looks good," Mewborn continued. "I'm trying not to be a troublemaker. I'm a community person. I don't like to play politics.
"I don't think it's an issue. You have to trust people in the profession and the lady (Purchasing Agent Judi Kozak) who's handling it. I think she's doing a good job getting the price down on the car."
Furthermore, Mewborn said, if the mayors before Henrici got cars, then so should he, regardless of the written statement in his campaign literature.
Councilman Bob Westervelt said it's best for the mayor to have a town car, and said he didn't recall Henrici saying he'd forgo one.
"The mayor is the chief executive and he's got to respond to certain emergencies and I just think it's a good idea that he have a vehicle so he can get there," he said. "That's why I think he's going for an SUV rather than a regular vehicle. We've had a tornado blow through town. We have ice.
"Having said that, if he said he wasn't going to take the town vehicle, that's something he has to explain to me. I don't pay attention to that sort of stuff," said Westervelt.
Councilman Ron Gambardella, one of two Republicans on the Democratic-controlled Council, maintained his opposition from Tuesday evening about the mayor's town car.
"The hypocrisy and mendacity is sickening to me," he said. "It didn't take long for the Council to coalesce around the political agenda of the mayor and to defend the mayor at all costs, whether it's best for the town or not. The car is a clear example of how something that should not have been passed was passed by a Council dominated by Democrats.
"You're beginning to see the wisdom of having two seats for the minority party so there's not a clean sweep. In my opinion there's no need for the mayor to have a 4-wheel drive $30,000 SUV," said Gambardella. "It's for emergency purposes? Let's dissect that for a moment. What kind of emergency are we talking about? If it's that much of an emergency, let the fire or police pick him up. It's a ridiculous assumption that that's why he's getting the car.
"It's extremely frustrating and you know, there's nothing you can do about it. All I can do is point it out to the citizens of Hamden. There's at least someone who can bring the truth to them," the at-large councilman said.
Another issue about the car that came up at Tuesday's Council meeting was whether it should be energy-efficient and environmentally sound.
"I'd like to see the mayor set an energy-efficient example (by getting) a hybrid," said Councilwoman Kath Schomaker. "I'd rather focus on that. If they're going to purchase a car it should be energy efficient."
Pascarella said that's what Amento was looking at as a replacement for his Crown Victoria, which was getting on in years. "Carl was slated for a new car. He was thinking of getting a hybrid as a symbolic gesture for environmental issues. He was passionate about that," he said.
And his commissions
By Sharon Bass
The heat stole the show at yesterday's Legislative Council committee meeting. Make that the intolerable, suffocating heat. (The women's room was a literal sauna.) The kind where all the windows in the Council Chamber were wide open and even though it was pretty cold outside, it didn't seem to make a dent inside. "Drive by the high school," someone said, as the meeting was about to commence. "All the windows are open there, too."
People said the waste of energy was inexcusable, especially with the high cost of oil. It's eating up their tax dollars. Hopefully, the temperature situation will soon be remedied and the town can then use the savings to buy a "media" car (just joking).
Talking about cars, the one on last night's agenda for the new mayor brought about the most spirited conversation in the hot, sweltering room. Before the Planning and Development Committee voted on a bid waiver for a $30,000 2006 Ford Explorer for Mayor Craig Henrici, a couple of councilors had questions.
Councilman Ron Gambardella asked Purchasing Agent Judi Kozak why the car didn't go out to bid. She said the town has done well with Fords and dealing with Bob Thomas Ford.
"Why not a Chevy or a Chrysler?" asked Councilwoman Betty Wetmore.
Police Chief Jack Kennelly came to Kozak's aid. He said Ford is the best. "It holds up much better."
"How about a Jeep?" said Wetmore.
"They don't hold up," said Kozak.
Gambardella said the Council almost always engages in competitive bidding and hoped "this won't set a no-bid precedent."
His voice grew more emotional. "I just don't think the mayor needs an SUV to drive around Hamden!" For the second time (he withdrew the first) he proposed amending the item to $20,000. But it failed in committee, with only Gambardella and Wetmore supporting the reduced price tag.
The original agenda item, to waive a bid for a $30,000 town car for the mayor, then passed through committee, with just Gambardella voting against it and Wetmore and Councilman Jim Pascarella abstaining. (Pascarella recused himself saying he does business with the Ford dealership.)
In other business, all of the mayor's commission appointments made it through committee. The only one that didn't sail right through was Ann Altman, former councilwoman going for the Planning & Zoning Commission.
Gambardella said he would not vote for Altman because he felt she had tried to sabotage former Mayor Carl Amento by certain actions she took against him when she was on the Council. He also said Altman's Web site runs "disparaging" comments by her and others. Bottom line, Gambardella said, he thinks Altman might make "irrational" decisions on the P&Z.
"Comments should be aimed on the objective side rather than the subjective," said Councilwoman Carol Noble.
"I would like to remind my neighbors that we are voting on (ability), not personality," said Council Prez Al Gorman.
Councilman Matt Fitch said Altman "grasps issues well."
Gambardella and Councilwoman Kath Schomaker were the only votes against Altman.
Most of the other appointees received high praise. For Police Commission, Meg Nowacki, Joe Brandi, Janet Mills, Elliott Kerzner and incumbent Marty Ruff were easily ushered in by the Council's Public Safety Committee.
Likewise, the committee voted unanimously for Henry Candido, Duane Wetmore, Michael D'Andrea and incumbents Gordon Miller and Gerald Migliaro to be the Fire Commission.
And Edith Sokoloff got all five "yes" votes from the Human Services Committee to do another term on the Hamden Housing Authority. The full Council will take a final vote on all commission candidates and other items next year.
December 27, 2005
The mayor says getting sued is common for businesses like the one owned by the town's new agent of record
By Sharon Bass
With the discovery last week of two more civil suits -- waiting to be heard in New Haven Superior Court -- against Lew Panzo's Associated Plan Administrators (APA), town councilors say their concern is deepening about his appointment as the health care agent of record for the town and school.
Last week, the HDN reported that Panzo was sued by the U.S. Department of Labor ("Craig's Choice). The department claimed that APA "failed to sufficiently disclose all of its service fees to its clients." Panzo was ordered to pay $247,524 to "certain client companies" for infractions that occurred between Jan. 1, 1996, and July 31, 2001.
That disturbed some councilors, who said Panzo was not a prime choice and wished the mayor's selection process for agent of record had been broader. (The Legislative Council has no say over this appointment.) Upon hearing of the latest suits -- both filed this year -- their ambivalence has grown.
Mayor Craig Henrici said he was unaware of the new lawuists against Panzo, but said he is not at all concerned.
"Disputes happen when you're in business," the mayor said. "A company that handles thousands of claims, it's not unusual to have lawsuits against them. So until the time a judgment is rendered, it is premature" to comment.
Legislative councilors also said they didn't know about the lawsuits, but contrary to the mayor's reaction, they said they're quite concerned.
"I'm shocked to hear about current legal cases against Mr. Panzo's corporation. I'm sure the Henrici Administration wasn't aware of them either," said Councilman Curt Leng. "While everyone's innocent until proven guilty, I think it's very important for the town not to contract with companies that have legal issues."
Likewise, Councilwoman Carol Noble said, "I'm shocked. I will join those members of the Council who will initiate some sort of research process on this issue." She said the Council would need legal counsel to pursue any action.
The Suits
This year, two companies filed lawsuits in New Haven Superior Court against APA, citing Panzo as the CEO.
Lorensen Enterprises of Old Saybrook filed a complaint on July 21. APA entered into a contract with the company in April 2003, to act as a third party to administer its health plan, according to court documents.
The complaint reads: "Employee Glenn D'Amico incurred high medical bills submitted to APA for processing … APA negligently failed to process said medical bills … APA failed to notify D'Amico the outstanding bills were not processed … APA fraudulently misrepresented to the plaintiff that it was properly processing Glenn D'Amicos medical bills … As a result … the plaintiff (Lorensen) has been damaged in that it has been forced to pay for Glenn D'Amico's medical bills out of pocket …"
The complaint names another employee, Atlee Yarrow, with an identical story. " … the defendant (APA) knew that it was not properly processing Atlee Yarrow's medical bills in an accurate and timely fashion, and that Atlee Yarrow's medical bills were unpaid and further was aware that all of this was unknown to the plaintiff."
The amount Lorensen is suing for is unknown.
Pitney Bowes also slapped a suit on Panzo on Nov. 1. The Jacksonville, Fla., corporation claims APA has defaulted on three lease agreements for business equipment. In its court filing, Bowes states that on Sept. 14, 2000, APA signed a lease on which he has an outstanding balance of $57,552; on Feb. 15, 2004, lease with outstanding balance of $14,704; and on March 10, 2004, lease with outstanding balance of $24,816.
Reached at his home by phone yesterday, Panzo said the Bowes' claims are "lease disputes." He also said the lawsuits have "got absolutely nothing that's relevant to me as far as being Hamden's record of agent.
"Anyone can say anything they want in a lawsuit," said Panzo. Mayor Henrici, a lawyer, said the same thing pointing out how litigious society is.
Panzo refused to comment further, directing questions to his Hartford lawyers, Lloyd Peterson who's handling the Lorenson case, and Josh Winnick who's taking on Pitney Bowes.
"My initial feeling is I wish the mayor had made a larger selection process (for agent of record) and had a more objective panel doing the interviews," said Council President Al Gorman. "There are hundreds of these guys out there. All said and done, it is a political appointment. It's kind of interesting that Mr. Panzo (a former Democratic Town Committee chair) represented the town when we had a Republican mayor (Barbara DeNicola)."
Gorman said the town's previous agent, Jack Horvath, telephoned him the other day. "He wanted to make sure that I was aware that Mr. Panzo has been involved in some improprieties in the past. That he was unhappy that the mayor hired Mr. Panzo instead," said Gorman. "He realizes it's a political appointment but feels that it was a poor choice by the mayor."
Said Leng: "Perhaps if there was a more open process some of these issues would have been studied in depth."
Asked what the Council could do if it's unhappy with the mayor's choice of Panzo, Gorman said, "I'm not sure what could be done. The Council has no authority over the matter. Maybe we should."
Councilman Matt Fitch, the mayor's campaign manager, said he too knew nothing about the recent lawsuits against Panzo. But said he would need to see the documents before commenting.
Furthermore, Noble questioned the purpose of having an agent of record.
"If Anthem processes all of the bills, what is it exactly the agent of record does that benefits the town? Where does it benefit me to have that person there? Are we looking over the shoulder of Anthem Blue Shield?" she said.
Basically, yes, said Henrici. While he said he didn't know exactly what the health agent does, he said he or she "looks out for the best of Hamden and deals with insurers."
Picking
Up Pieces of Amento's Legacy
Carl Amento (left) concedes to Craig Henrici
minutes after the mayoral primary results came in Sept. 8.
30 unfinished building projects are on the new mayor's to-do list
By Sharon Bass
During this year's mayoral primary, two things were often heard: former Mayor Carl Amento said he started a lot projects and wanted another term to see them through. At the same time, Mayor Craig Henrici's campaign argued Amento took on too many building projects to handle. And if mayor, Henrici vowed not to start any new ones until the ongoing ones are done.
So the HDN paid Henrici's No. 1 aide, Scott Jackson, a little visit last week to see what was happening.
"That's one of the things Craig was talking about during the campaign -- to close projects," he began, from his office next to the mayor's.
There are 30. Twenty-eight are existing municipal and school buildings that need repair. The other two are new: the middle school and Hamden's first animal shelter, neither of which is completed.
Jackson offered a rundown on what needs what:
1) Ernest Borgnine Park, at Putnam and
Dixwell, more benches, landscaping.
2) (2-4) The town's three libraries, Americans With Disabilities
Act improvements to bathrooms, electric front door. "We
are really trying to be proactive," said Scott, "not
just doing the minimum required for disabled individuals."
5) Memorial Town Hall, interior rehab, exterior mortar
work.
6) Keefe Community Center, lower Dixwell Avenue, water-entry
repair. "It's really troublesome. Water entry will kill
your building," said Jackson, who thinks water is getting
in via windows.
7) Lockkeeper House, upper Whitney Avenue, rehab into
a police substation and museum. "It's used for nothing
right now because it's in very bad shape," said Jackson.
8) (8-12) Firehouses, electrical repair.
13) (13-17) Schools: Hamden High, $1.4 million air-conditioning job; Louis Astorino Ice Arena, roof and flooring repairs; Bear Path, fix "cold rooms"; Wintergreen, general upgrades; Shepherd Glen, insulating windows.*
Jackson said he's been surprised at how many bureaucratic layers each project has to squeeze through. "There really are a lot more people at the table than I had thought, to make sure the work gets done," he said.
A House for Fido
The animal shelter is the only project that hasn't broken ground. Jackson said in the long run it would "absolutely" save the town money although in the short run it will cost. How much is not known.
Currently Hamden uses North Haven's shelter. The contract was to expire Dec. 31, 2005, but was extended six months while Hamden decides what to do, and how. Amento and the previous legislative council approved building a shelter.
But it has yet to go out to bid, Jackson said. No location has been identified. Whether it will be a no-kill shelter hasn't been determined. However, Jackson said he's fairly confident that Hamden will build its own shelter in a timely manner.
State law requires towns to take care of abandoned animals, and also dead animals found on public property. If an animal takes its final breath on private property, however, it's the landowner's responsibility to have the body cremated and incur the costs. Of course, many don't follow the law and instead put dead animals in the trash or bury them.
Jackson said he was put to the test about a couple of years ago. It was a hot July afternoon when he pulled into his driveway and spotted a dead cat in rigor mortis. He figured someone dumped it there.
He put the poor kitty in an empty VCR box and left it in front of his house overnight. Jackson said the box weighed about the same as when the VCR was in it, so maybe someone would take it.
Didn't happen. The mayor's aide said he put the boxed dead cat in a plastic garbage bag because the stench was horrendous. He put the bagged, boxed cat in his trunk and headed for East Hartford to get the body cremated. "I'm a stickler for rules," he said.
Jackson said en route he lowered all the windows because even in the box, the bag and inside the trunk the smell was overwhelming.
A little interesting side note to this story.
The next day "someone" left a box at Jackson's front door. "I was very hesitant to open that box," said Jackson, laughing.
He lifted the box, which said, "Cat's Meow," some kind of child's game, and peered inside. No dead anything. Just the pieces to "Cat's Meow." And a rather strong message.
* The two new structures and various smaller projects are not mentioned in the list.
on camera: the mayor, department heads and other public servants our tax dollars feed skipping work to party over some holiday Friday afternoon
(Photos/Sharon Bass) Apparently, Mayor Craig
Henrici deemed it more important to party with Soul Tempo, a
Hamden/New Haven R&B vocal group, than do stuff like make
commission appointments.
There's the new Town Planner Leslie Creane
with Parks & Rec's Frank Cooper.
Councilwoman Kath Schomaker can party whenever
she wants. She gets paid squat.
Daughter-and-dad Town Hall employees at the
elegant holiday-Christmas-Hanukkah-Atheist's Day--Agnostic's
Day--TheSunRisethDay party: mayoral-aide-in-waiting, Holly Masi,
and Traffic's Bob Masi.
Beloved block-watch queen Connie Vereen poses
with the mayor's righthand man, Scott Jackson.
Oops, there's the mayor again. This time
hanging with Brooksvale Park Ranger Vin Lavorgna.
Merry Christmas from Debbie Gaiolini, Parks
& Rec character
And Happy Hanukkah from the Hamden Daily News.
Craig's
Choice
Lew Panzo with former Mayor Lillian Clayman
during this year's mayoral primary win for Craig Henrici.
To some town councilors' chagrin, the mayor appoints Panzo to handle the municipal health account
By Sharon Bass
The new mayor is in the midst of making Town Hall appointments -- the ink not dry on most -- and already there's some rattling on his cage.
On Dec. 12, Craig Henrici named Lew Panzo Hamden's health care agent of record. That means Panzo, the CEO of Associated Plan Administrators on Whitney Avenue, will manage the town's and Board of Education's accounts with Anthem. And Anthem, the world's largest health insurer, will pay Panzo.
This is a repeat performance for Panzo. He did the job during the Barbara DeNicola Administration.
While Henrici's appointment requires no OK from the Legislative Council or competitive bid, some councilors say they're unhappy with how Panzo was chosen and wished they could have had some input. They also pointed out that Panzo was one of the mayor's biggest campaign contributors, suggesting he "bought" his job. (According to the Nov. 1, 2005, campaign finance records for Henrici -- the latest filed -- Panzo donated $1,500 to the Democratic mayoral effort, one of the highest contributions.) He replaces Jack Horvath, who was chosen agent of record in 2000 by former Mayor Carl Amento.
"I have concern about the process mostly," said Councilwoman Carol Noble, "that a mayor can just pick someone for that particular position without any input from the Council. It's also the mayor's prerogative, but to just get a broader base of who's out there and who can give us the best service.
"I don't really have much of a problem with Mr. Panzo," she continued. "He's from the past. That's the only thing I can say. He's a name from the past and they're bringing him back. I can't judge anything he's done because I've never seen any paperwork he's done."
Yesterday, Councilman Curt Leng sent Henrici a letter stating his disappointment.
He wrote: "I would like to express my sincere discomfort with the process. In the previous Administration, an RFP (request for proposal) was advertised; a panel of experienced people from the health insurance field was assembled and interviews were conducted."
Leng told the HDN, "I look forward to Mayor Henrici's response to the questions that I posed in today's correspondence. The administration has been very cooperative with information and I'm sure that either the mayor or (his aide) Scott Jackson will be on the case. I hope that we can fix this problem cooperatively."
The councilman went on to say that he wanted a "more public, inclusive process that would have allowed the town to get the best proposals possible. The handling of our health insurance is a key component to improving our financial problems and I'm not sure if the administration truly got to see the best options available."
Henrici solidly defended his decision. He said after talking with newly elected BOE Chair Michael D'Agostino and School Super Alida Begina he was convinced he made the right choice with Panzo.
"(D'Agostino) wrote me a letter Dec. 1 saying hands down he could work better with Lew than the other. And so can I," the mayor said. He said Begina also expressed disappointment with Horvath.
Henrici said he looked at three candidates before selecting Panzo: Horvath, Jack Abrams, an independent broker from Newtown, and Panzo.
"No matter what you do, some people are not going to like it. And if the Board of Education and the town can work well with somebody … I've been there (he said of his 14 years on the Council), and I've criticized mayors. So it's not uncommon and I respect them for it. I don't want a rubberstamp, but I hope the items I send to the Council are looked at favorably on their merits," the mayor said.
Panzo emphasized that he won't get a dime from the town coffers and feels he is well suited for the post.
"I would hope that I was chosen for my ability to do my job the right way and not because of my involvement with (Henrici's) campaign," he said. "I know what to look for. I know what's going to make a difference in their rates. I have some ideas on how to save them (the town) money. I think they're being a little premature on my appointment."
In reaction to the criticism, Panzo said he was a councilman for six years so he understands, but the Council's job "is to legislate not to administer. You can't take the power away from (the mayor). The mayor has to live and die with his appointments, not the Legislative Council," said Panzo.
Noble agreed. "People have to understand there's a separation of powers here. We can't tell the administration what to do. We can express our displeasure, but the Council has to accept it and work with it if we're going to be stuck with it," she said.
Different Strokes for Different Mayors
Town Purchasing Agent Judi Kozak said Amento asked her to get various companies' qualifications for the record of agent position because he didn't know whom to choose. But that was his choice.
"The mayor picks someone," said Kozak. "He can take anyone he wants because it's not a competitive bid." Of Panzo's performance last time around, she said, "He did a fantastic job. He had fantastic numbers."
Former Mayor Lillian Clayman said she also put the job out to bid.
"My style was to put everything out to bid," she said during a phone interview from her new Long Island home. She said a committee reviewed the proposals and gave her a recommendation. She chose the Guerra Agency in Shelton.
But, she acknowledged, she didn't have to take that route. The mayor makes the appointment. Period.
Clayman also said, "An agent of record doesn't want an RFP (request for proposal) because they have to tell you how much they're charging and how much they're going to be paid. There's no full disclosure. There's absolutely no full disclosure. And there doesn't have to be because they're not using public funds. Lew Panzo doesn't work for the town. He works for Anthem."
She echoed Noble's words saying the Council will have to live with Henrici's selection. "While they may disagree on a theoretical perspective, they can raise their issues but they don't have a choice. It's Craig's choice," she said.
Panzo said it's unclear how much Anthem will pay
him. Last time he held the account, he said his compensation
was probably between $30,000 and $40,000 a year. He said he
doesn't clearly remember. He said he won't know what his commission
will be until he gets a check from Anthem in January.
The Fine
Leng said he's also disturbed by a 2003 U.S. Department of Labor fine on Panzo's Associated Plan Administrators (APA). According to a labor department document, "the company failed to sufficiently disclose all of its service fees to its clients." Panzo was ordered to pay $247,524 to "certain client companies" for infractions that occurred between Jan. 1, 1996, and July 31, 2001.
The document further states: "The judgment requires future administrative services contracts entered into between APA and employee benefit plans to clearly disclose all fee arrangements for services provided by APA, and requires APA to adopt billing and reporting procedures that are consistent with these agreements and that disclose when amounts billed include fees. The defendants agreed to the entry of the consent judgment while neither admitting nor denying the allegations contained in the Labor Department's lawsuit."
However, Panzo said those were private accounts he was cited for, not municipal. "It's like comparing apples to oranges. It has absolutely nothing to do with being agent of record for the town of Hamden because Anthem is the one who initiates all contracts and disclosures," he said.
Asked for comment, Councilman John Flanagan said Panzo's assignment is none of the Council's business. "(The appointments for agent of record) had come to us as a Council before from previous mayors but they didn't have to. I'm not going to argue with the mayor. It's not a Council responsibility. We've got enough problems to deal with as a Council," he said.
Either
Turn It Off or Keep Moving
Hamden's Energy Use and Climate Change Commission
(back row, l-r): Giovanni Zinn, Chris Vargas, Mary Snyder, Chris
Marchand (in front) Azalea Mitch, Michele Helou
Energy commission yearns to cut down on idling vehicles
By Sharon Bass
An idling vehicle is bad. It's bad for the pocketbook. It's bad for the environment. It's bad for human health.
A nascent town commission met last night in Government Center to brainstorm ways to make certain idling in town a no-no. Its first targets are school buses and cars on school property. While the Energy Use and Climate Change Commission would like to put a ban on all idling town vehicles (particularly police and Public Works), it decided to tackle one doable piece at a time. It also discussed having the town switch to bio-diesel fuel and construct "green buildings."
Formed last August, the nine-member commission exemplifies the importance of local efforts -- especially since the Bush Administration has made gargantuan funding cuts to programs that strive to improve the quality of this country's air, water and land, and has given carte blanche to its polluting corporate cronies.
The Energy Use commission evolved from a task force former Mayor Carl Amento started last year. Its job is to educate the town on why energy-efficient measures are not only healthful but also money-wise, as well as to come up with ways to accomplish its mission.
Commissioner Chris Vargas said he recently witnessed six Public Works trucks and six PW employees picking up leaves at the same spot on Daniel Road, where Vargas lives.
Six workers and six vehicles from Public
Works came to the rescue of fallen leaves on Ralston Avenue
earlier this season. Photo/Azalea Mitch
"There were three vehicles idling," he told the group. He said there were three pickups, two dump trucks and a front-end loader, half of which seemed to be just idling around.
"Please tell me they were taking these leaves to compost," said Michele Helou, a "green building" consultant. So-called green buildings are designed to be energy efficient, conserve water and have good indoor air quality.
Then Vargas brought up idling school buses. Not only is it a waste of money, he said, but it also pollutes the air around children. He said state law forbids buses from idling at schools for more than one minute. Idling emits sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, particulates and carbon dioxide, he said, which further deplete the Earth's ozone.
"What's the best way to bring this to the attention of the people who need to hear it?" said Helou. (For a child's point of view, read "How Colorado Changed Me.")
Fellow commissioners tossed around the idea of creating a flier to spread the word about a municipal anti-idling policy. "It's a good sound policy," said Azalea Mitch, an environmental engineer. "It saves the town money and it's good for the environment."
Helou asked what would make people read it.
Mary Snyder said it comes down to the almighty buck. "Highlight the cost savings. That's what will get them to read the next paragraph" of the flier, she said.
Vargas said he'd gather data on how much the town would save in fuel costs by reducing idling, as well as how it will protect the environment.
Chris Marchand, not yet an official member of the commission (he's awaiting approval from Mayor Craig Henrici and the Legislative Council), said he'd talk with mayoral aide Scott Jackson about how to get a town-wide policy on the books. The group also wants to communicate with Laidlaw, the company that owns the school buses.
Commissioners said buses start idling at 3 a.m. to heat up for the morning run. They said that seemed excessive.
"Even if we can get them to bump it up one hour, that'd be a savings," said Vargas.
December 17, 2005
Mayor
Makes Police,
Fire Commish Appointments
By Sharon Bass
Late yesterday afternoon, Mayor Craig Henrici released his selections for the Police and Fire commissions, and for two Planning & Zoning slots. His picks are expected to go before the Legislative Council for a vote on Jan. 3.
Town commissions have staggered terms, save police and fire where all terms are up every two years when a new (or re-elected) mayor comes on.
Here's the lineup so far:
Police Commission
Joe Brandi, Democrat, former police commissioner, used
to own Brandi's Market
Elliot Kerzner, Henrici's campaign treasurer, Democratic
Town Committee member
Janet Mills, Democrat, 7th District neighborhood activist
Meg Nowacki, Republican, temporarily switched teams to
vote for Henrici in the primary
Martin Ruff, Unaffiliated, incumbent
Fire Commission
Henry Candido, Democrat, former councilman, political
activist
Mike D'Andrea, Democrat, attorney, served a brief appointed
stint on the Legislative Council, DTC member
Gerald Migliaro, Democrat, incumbent, DTC member
Gordon Miller, Republican, incumbent
Duane Wetmore, Republican, volunteer firefighter
P&Z Commission
Ann Altman, Democrat, former 5th District councilwoman
Joe McDonagh, Democrat, incumbent, DTC chair
More P&Z and other commission appointments coming very soon.
December 16, 2005
Town
Hall Update
John Busca returns. Courtesy photo
More appointments, with more to come
By Sharon Bass
Former short-lived Public Works Director John Busca is coming back.
Democratic activist Gloria Sandillo will join Mayor Craig Henrici's staff.
The mayor's former legal secretary will also work in his new Government Center digs.
A new assistant town planner should soon be named. (Leslie Creane was recently promoted from that post to be the full-fledged town planner.)
A zoning enforcement officer and an assistant are being sought. (Currently those spots are vacant.)
And some key positions in the Finance Department should be filled before too long.
The Henrici Town Hall is coming to be.
"It's gonna be a nicely run ship," the mayor said.
On Jan. 3, Sandillo, Marybeth Perry, Henrici's paralegal from his private practice, and Planning Clerk Holly Masi will officially take their roles in the mayor's office. Sandillo and Perry will each serve as part-time "confidential secretary" (combined, his third aide). Masi will run the new help desk, and more.
"She's going to be doing everything, like constituent service," said Henrici. Gerry Tobin, who has a classified position, will continue as the mayor's administrative secretary. And as earlier reported, Community Development head Scott Jackson has been appointed the mayor's No. 1 man. (Oh, yeah, a new CD director is being sought.)
The Bus(ca) Man
Next Monday John Busca will sit in Public Works Director Joe Velardi's seat as an interim, until the Legislative Council either approves or nixes him in early January. For two months in 1985, Buska held that position until then-Mayor Peter Villano gave him the ax.
"I think he's up to the task, and that department's ready for some change," said Henrici. "Actually, I was on the Legislative Council when he was there in 1985 and thought he was very capable."
Apparently not everyone agreed about Busca's competence.
"I guess I was too aggressive," Busca, a lifelong Hamdenite, said about his two-month stint in the mid '80s. "I was monitoring the dump and it seemed like we had a lot more trash coming into this town than we were supposed to have." And Villano, now a state rep, fired him. "He never gave me a reason."
Some refer to Busca as the "Bus Man." That's because when he campaigned for mayor as an Independent against Democrat Lillian Clayman, he drove around town in a white and blue bus with loudspeakers. It drew a lot of attention, but did little good. Clayman won.
Until 1997, he owned Parkview Paving Company on State Street. After that, he said, he stopped working to care for his ailing parents, both of whom have since died.
Busca will be paid $72,340 a year to return to Public Works. He said Velardi will stick around for a couple of weeks to teach him the ropes.
"I can't wait. I'm ready to serve the mayor and the taxpayers 110 percent, 365 days a year," Busca said.
"We talked in earnest for the last four or five months," Henrici said of his decision to appoint Busca. "I knew he was interested."
"I think there's a lot to be desired in Public Works," the interim director said. "There's a lot of things I see wrong. I think the town could be spruced up a lot more. I'm going to be responsive and respectful to the public and the taxpayers."
Busca said he's going to do stuff like expedite the waiting process for residents calliing for service. Whether it's a sidewalk repair, tree removal or snowplow job, "I'm going to get service to the people. They won't have to wait four to seven years to get things done," he promised.
Asked how he will do that, Busca, now a Democrat, said, "I really can't talk until I get in there."
In 1984, he was a police commissioner, resigning the next year when chosen to lead Public Works. He's also a past president of the Hamden Father's Football Association and Hamden Soccer Association.
And …
Civil Service Commissioner Cathryn Reynolds.
Courtesy photo
Also previously reported in the HDN, Republican
Hartford business attorney Cathyrn Reynolds has been named and
Council approved to serve on the Civil Service Commission, a
six-year appointment. She will join John Iacobucci and Carlton
O'Neal. Reynolds is Henrici's first commission appointment.
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Dear Local 2863, Dear Local 2863
The Town Hall bargaining unit gets contrasting letters
By Sharon Bass
This week members of AFSCME's Local 2863 got a letter from their president Carol Riccio telling them to beware. Another union wants them, and has been sending letters to their homes trying to garner support to stage an election ("Uncivil Union").
"People were concerned why they were getting solicited by another union when we all believe a window (for an election) is not open," said Riccio, a counselor for the town's Elderly Outreach Office.
But Wayne Gilbert of UPSEU (United Public Service Employees Union) said Local 2863 wants him to come on board. At least some do.
"We've got some real enthusiastic people from Local 2863," said Gilbert. "They're telling us they're unhappy with AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees), that grievances are not being addressed. About three or four people told me that AFSCME refused to pursue their grievances up to arbitration."
Riccio's letter to her members says: "In recent days, Hamden Town Hall Employees, Local 2863 of Council 4, have received some bizarre communications from the United Professional Service Employees Union … UPSEU is an independent organization that makes its living by trying to prey on already organized workers or otherwise interfering with legitimate organizing and contract campaigns. What is good for us as Hamden town employees is not their concern.
"Council 4 (of AFSCME) is not like that at all. They help us empower ourselves while providing the highest quality representation possible." The letter is signed, "In solidarity, Carol Riccio, president, Joe Cirillo, vice president, Joanne Cifarelli, recording secretary, Ed Parczyk, treasurer."
Gilbert sent a letter to the same members a couple of weeks ago, with authorization cards attached.
"Basically the people who call us and signed the cards believe if something's not done in the near future the jobs will go nonunion because AFSCME has not been protecting the bargaining unit," said Gilbert. "A lot of people are concerned about job security. The town has been bringing in part-time positions under AFSCME's watch. There are less people in the bargaining unit now than when AFSCME was elected. That's a real concern. Has the population gone down? Have services gone down? No. The town is filling vacancies with two part-time people to avoid paying benefits. And AFSCME is not doing a thing about it."
Gilbert needs at least 30 percent of Local 2863's Town Hall clerks and school crossing guards to agree in writing to switch unions before petitioning the state Labor Board for an election. It is unclear whether there's an open window for an election.
"They're still coming and we still have people calling us. We need a few more and we'll be filing a petition," he said.
Riccio said UPSEU's action is an annoyance.
"We have bigger fish to fry. There are other things that need to be dealt with. We don't need to have someone stirring up a pot that doesn't need to be stirred," she said.
December 15, 2005
Longobardi
Challenges Henrici
The outgoing Police Commission (left to right):
Allen Page, RaeAnne Curtis, Neil Longobardi, Bill Raccio, Marty
Ruff.
By Sharon Bass
Yesterday was to be the final meeting of the current Police Commission.
But it may not be.
Chair Neil Longobardi had planned to make three lieutenants at the meeting, but he made none. Mayor Craig Henrici decided to withhold the list of the five cops vying for the lieutenant spots until the new commission takes over next month. And Longobardi wasn't exactly happy about it.
"The candidates were expected to be interviewed and three expected to be promoted," he told his fellow commissioners last night. "In my opinion and in the opinion of a lawyer, the mayor does not have the authority (to pull the list)." Longobardi said he'd decide in a day or two whether to call a special meeting for the promotions.
Earlier in the week, Henrici told the HDN he had asked Personnel Director Ken Kelley not to send the list down. The mayor said he made that decision a couple of weeks ago.
"I think it's appropriate for the old commission to defer to the new commission," he said. "I think it's inappropriate for an old commission to be making so many new promotions. It only has two weeks left." Over the last month, a new deputy chief and captain were made.
Longobardi contended that the mayor's move might run counter to the Town Charter. He said in his six years on the police board this has never happened. "No one has the power or authority to stop the commission from hiring people," he said.
According to Hamden's Charter, "The Police Commission shall have the power to appoint or promote personnel by majority vote, from the top three (3) candidates on any applicable Civil Service eligibility list. The Chief of Police shall provide a recommendation for such appointment or promotion."
"The Charter is silent on the issue," said newly appointed Assistant Town Attorney Michael Kamp, who is assigned to the Police Commission. Kamp was one of Henrici's law partners. Since elected mayor, Henrici has taken a leave from his practice.
Longobardi said he consulted with an attorney on Tuesday. "We're checking into the legality of whether the mayor has the authority to order the personnel director to send the list or not," he said.
The outgoing chair said promotions are based on
a number of factors, such as the officer's personnel file, education,
Civil Service test score and interview with the commission.
"It's not fair to expect a new commission to make the decisions
after one or two meetings," he said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A proposed hotel for West Woods Road stays stuck in committee
By Sharon Bass
Water was, at the surface, the topic of a three-hour meeting Wednesday about a hotel for northern Hamden. Beneath the squabbling between the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission and the hotel property owner are folks who don't want to see their quiet neighborhood disturbed by a 101-room structure. About 15 showed up to listen and to speak their minds.
"It just doesn't fit into the surrounding landscape," said Andy Brand of Brooksvale Avenue, about a mile from the proposed hotel site. "I think there's a better location, maybe in the center of town."
"It encroaches into the private neighborhoods and would ruin the rural character," said Gail Traester, also of Brooksvale Avenue and a member of the West Woods Neighborhood Association. "That is something our organization is very concerned about."
However, neither Brand nor Traester made their remarks publicly. As during prior hotel/commission meetings, time ran out before the public got a chance to speak.
For the sixth time since June, Mark Romano of Westwoods Properties said he and his consultants have come before the commission for approval. And for the sixth time, the commission has said, "Whoa. Not so fast."
Romano and company presented a second site proposal last night for a hotel at 55 West Woods Road. Changes, per order of the commission, were made to the storm-water discharge plan. Commissioners grilled Romano's project engineers -- Juliano Associates of Wallingford -- a soil scientist and an environmental consultant on how they would protect the nearby Mill River from rainwater, which would travel from the hotel's pavement to a tributary that flows into the river, potentially carrying pollutants, causing soil erosion and killing stocked trout.
Christopher Juliano, a partner of the Wallingford firm, explained his intricate plan to slow down, purify and cool off the storm water before it empties into the tributary. It includes crushed rock, pipes and a huge retaining wall.
Commissioners asked:
"How many gallons per minute will come out of that pipe during a 2-inch rainfall?"
"What kind of soil will that go through?"
At one point Commissioner James Doherty raised his voice while conversing with Juliano. "Don't interrupt!" he said, while posing a question about water volume pressure and erosion. Futhermore, he told Juliano, he would not necessarily accept his "testimony."
During a 10-minute break, Juliano was asked to comment on the approval process.
"It's definitely dragging. I believe the town, for whatever reason, doesn't want this hotel even though (the site is) zoned for a hotel," he said. "It's unfair." In order for the project to proceed to the next level -- the Planning and Zoning Commission -- it has to get Inland's stamp of approval.
Juliano said in 2003 IWW Ok'd the regrading of the site, which is just off Whitney Avenue. Last March, Juliano and Romano submitted their proposal. Hearings began in June.
"I think it's an asset for the town," said Romano, a developer who launched Westwoods Properties expressly for the hotel project. "It will bring tax revenue. Another thing is, none of the neighbors here could see it from their homes."
If IWW gives him the green light, Romano said he can start pitching his idea to four major hotel chains: Sheraton, Marriott, Weston and Hilton. He said he's confident he'd fill the rooms in his "upper-end hotel/conference center" with people visiting the nearby colleges, including Yale, and groups holding conferences.
"I don't even think we'd compete with the clientele of the Day's Inn (on Whitney Avenue). Our rooms would be two to three times the price," Romano said.
Chair Steven Sosensky ended the meeting right before the clock struck 11, to be continued Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.
"We were able to get a gravel pit on Brooksvale denied two years ago," said Traester. "We try to get things stopped here." At the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission.
