The recent article concerning utility officials and the expenses regarding the Kentucky Derby trips is somewhat alarming considering the responsibility, purpose, and the outrageous costs for all the trips that have occurred, “Norwich Ethics Board considering ordinance changes,” (Aug. 15). This trip has been attended in the past for several years at great expense with city utility personnel and friends without any apparent effective reports or results from the attendance in any of these so-called retreats.

It appears that the changes under study mostly are concerned with the Ethics Board, where in fact, clearly the most responsibility and concern for the failed projects are with the Connecticut Municipal Electric eNERGY Cooperative (CMEEC) for a number of years. They are solely responsible for the city costs generated in this failed project and not the city personnel, who were asked to attend the session with the desire that material would be of interest to utility business.

The CMEEC group would best be advised to re-organize to improve their functions and minimally repay the city for the losses incurred by their disservice as a utility cooperative. 

Donald E. Leone Sr.

Norwich