TC appoints Two to Planning Commission

In case you didn't see this in the KC Times from 11/13/08. My comments in italics.

Outgoing council adds to planning committee

Thursday, 13 November 2008
By HANNAH CLARKIN
hclarkin@ricentral.com



COVENTRY—As a parting gesture on Monday night, the current Coventry Town Council made two appointments to the Planning Commission.
Ignoring requests from council members-elect Laura Flanagan (R-Dist. 2) and Raymond Spear (R-Dist. 1) that the current council forgo making the appointments in favor of letting the new council handle them when it was seated, current Council President Justin Pomfret (D-Dist. 1) nominated George Colwell (correct spelling is Caldow - WA) and Michael Baird to the seats on the planning committee. The two nominations were seconded by Anthony Colaluca (D-Dist. 2) and passed on a vote of 3-1 with Kenneth Cloutier (R-Dist. 5) dissenting.

Prior to the appointment, Spear requested that the council focus on the consent agenda and items that needed immediate attention and leave the appointments and resolutions to the incoming council. When the council began considering the appointments, Flanagan made the request again, through a point of order. “I will consider your comments,” Pomfret said, before making the nominations.
There was no argument about the appointment of Colwell (Caldow), but Flanagan said she disapproves of Baird’s appointment.
“In my opinion, that appointment was not in the best interest of the taxpayers,” she said. “The electorate spoke last week — there was no immediate reason to make an appointment to the planning board, there is nothing urgent that is pending and it clearly should have waited until next week,” Flanagan said.
At the meeting, Republican Town Committee Chairman Charles Vacca said he was concerned about appointing a developer to the planning commission. Hyde indicated he was surprised the incoming council reacted so strongly against Baird’s appointment.
“Mike Baird is a Republican,” he said. “It sounded to me like a good way to make a non-partisan appointment, to put a Republican on when we were going to have a Republican-dominated council.”

If Baird has conflicts because of his work as a developer, “he’ll have to address that on an individual case by case level,” Hyde said. “But the fact that you have a Republican on the planning board once again shows our non-partisan approach to try to work together and the fact that he’s a developer means that he can bring another perspective to the planning board that’s never been spoken about. He’s had to come before the board before — I would think that would be an asset.”

Baird’s experience was the reason he supported his appointment, Colaluca said. “He’s been in town for a while, he has a lot of business and planning experience and I feel that he’s more qualified than some of the members on the board that have less experience,” said Colaluca. Pomfret could not be reached for comment.

As for allegations leveled by those opposing his appointment that Baird had multiple planning violations in past years, Associate Planner Jacob Peabody said he could not comment. As a member of the commission, Peabody said, Baird would not be able to sit on any discussions or make decisions concerning his own developments.

Town Planner Paul Sprague could not be reached for comment. Local developer John Assalone said he was very disappointed in the council for this appointment. “To my best knowledge, Baird is one of the greatest zoning violators and continued violators in the Town of Coventry in recent history,” Assalone said.

Although he supports the sitting council, Assalone said, this action was inappropriate. “This was done to take a shot at the new town council and stick this town with someone who is going to sit and judge others with planning concerns when he is one of the greatest violators that have ever been. This is wrong, unseemly, and sleazy and I am completely disappointed in that action,” he said. Assalone alleged that Baird has a court date on Friday for zoning violations, and said the council should suspend Baird’s appointment until he is in complete compliance with the town. “You have time to undo what you’ve done,” Assalone said to the sitting council. (I don't recall John being at the Council meeting that night -WA) “For the good of the thousands of people in this community, for the planning of Coventry, this man should be removed instead of leaving it to the new council.” He did not apply to be on the planning commission for his own interests, Baird said.

“I submitted an application like everyone else and [the council] called me up and told me to be at the meeting,” he said. “What throws me for the loop is the fact that I’ve been running on a Republican ticket for the past 41 years of my life but I wasn’t welcomed very well by the incoming Republican council.”
He is in complete compliance with the town, Baird says, and the Friday court date mentioned by Assalone involves a controversy with Nicholas Gorham — and has nothing to do with planning violations. He already has an injunction against Assalone for previous harassment issues, Baird added. “When I build something, I go by proper channels,” he said. “If I make a mistake, I fall under the same guidelines as anyone else — I’m not asking for special treatment. I asked to be on this board because I think that there should be small businessmen on the boards in this town and right now I don’t think we have anyone.”

As a member of the commission, Baird said, he hopes he can “help speed the processes up so that it doesn’t make things harder for small businessmen. I will help in any way I can, I will put my best foot forward. I don’t build without permits; I do not operate illegal businesses. There are things that need to be fixed in this town and I want to help to fix them. I am a ‘get it done’ guy — and anyone who knows me knows that. If they’re afraid of me, it’s because they’re afraid to get things done.”

He does not intend to play favorites while on the commission, Baird said.
“Everybody in this town should get a fair shake and that’s one of the things that I’m interested in doing. I want to make the town of Coventry look more like Kittery, Maine, than the mess that it is now. I just want to help,” he said.


Also, here is the Projo's article on this issue:
http://www.projo.com/ri/coventry/content/COVENTRY_APPOINTMENT_11-15-08_06C9IKP_v18.39df70f.html