Fate of Police, Fire Commissions Now in the Hands of the Council

Partisan lines remain drawn in respect to whether or not to eliminate the Southington police and fire commissions, but after a heated discussion and pleas from several residents to reconsider, the commission has officially passed the decision along to the town council.

The commission voted 3-1 Wednesday evening to create revisions to the charter that eliminate the police and fire commissions, instead having five-member advisory boards and having the police and fire chiefs answer to the town manager. Democrat Dennis Conroy was opposed, while commissioner Bruce “Zeke” Zalaski was absent.

The recommendation now moves to the town council for discussion, a public hearing and vote. If approved by the council, voters would have the final say during a referendum in November.

“In this proposal, the chief maintains all the same authority he has now. I think this is truly an effort by Southington Republicans on the town council to promote the former chairman to the position of chief,” Conroy said.
The accusation sparked outcry from Republican commission members and led to a heated discussion in which Commissioner Andrew Meade said he believes the political statement may have cost Police Capt. Edward Pocock III, former chairman of the council, any future opportunity at the chief position in town.

Meade and Commissioner William DellaVecchia also defended the decision and need for change, saying the power to hire or fire was one of the least important discussion points leading up to the vote.

“As Southington continues to grow, our government needs to be able to adapt and grow with the community,” Meade said. “This is not about politics. It is about doing what is best for the town of Southington.”

Conroy, however, said he saw no operational efficiencies created with the new language.

“We have seen absolutely nothing said that indicates the need for change. No efficiencies whatsoever,” Conroy said.

While members of the commission were split on the vote, so was the public as five people spoke out on Wednesday with three opposed to the change and two others commenting in support of the need for changes to the existing system.

Former 15-year police commissioner Bill Welch and newly appointed fire commissioner Michael Bunko both criticized the change, saying the commission did not do it’s due diligence in looking at all sides before coming to a decision.

Bunko said the commission heard from a city manager in Lawrence Kendzior who recently saw one of his officers – the son of the Meriden police chief – convicted of police brutality and a town manager in Cheshire’s Michael Milone who oversees a fire department that has just five paid employees, but failed to talk to numerous people impacted by the effort.

If the commission had talked with the police and fire chief, police and fire commission chairmen or even the town manager, he said he would be more comfortable in accepting the decision made by the Charter Revision Commission.

“The fact that this commission is prepared to pass judgment without input of either board completely shocks me,” Bunko said.

“This proposal nuts, there is no empirical evidence whatsoever,” he told the commission. “If you taken time to address all angles, all responsible parties, there would be no reason for me to address you tonight. The goal of making this change remains unclear. What started as creating more efficiency has turned into a discussion chain of command issues.”

Residents including Art Cyr and John DeMello each supported the change, however, and said there are issues with the commissions over the past couple years that need to be addressed.

“The discussion is dealing with commissions that are appointed and it all depends on how people are being selected. Right now, it is all political,” he said.

The charter revision recommendation will go before the Southington Town Council for the first time when the council meets on Monday, June 10.

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