Groton — Groton Utilities wants to have better control over its representation on the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative and will instruct its board members to seek city approval before voting on any new agency projects.

The Groton Utilities Commission on Wednesday voiced criticism and asked questions pertaining to the energy cooperative, owned by six member utilities in the state, including Groton Utilities, which also owns CMEEC member Bozrah Light & Power.

Mayor Marian Galbraith, chairwoman of the utilities commission, said she was disappointed with action taken by the CMEEC board of directors in December to set guidelines on so-called board strategic retreats, workshops and conferences.

The action was taken in response to public outcry over lavish trips to the Kentucky Derby hosted by CMEEC for its board members, some staff and dozens of invited guests, including municipal leaders and family members. The trips have cost $1.02 million over the past four years.

A CMEEC ad hoc subcommittee made recommendations approved by the board to limit future retreats to the Northeast — New England, New York or New Jersey — and to ensure that specific utility business be conducted with agendas, minutes and public reports back to the board.

But Galbraith said the action didn’t go far enough, and especially criticized a provision that “50 percent” of the trip must be spent on official business. Galbraith wants clarification on that wording, as well as a provision that the CMEEC board must receive and approve ahead of time the itinerary, expenses and purpose of the trips.

“You can be pretty lavish in New York City,” Galbraith said.

Groton commission member Jeffrey Godley, who later was appointed to the CMEEC board Wednesday, suggested the language read “50 percent per day” on such a trip must pertain directly to utility business.

Commissioner Edward DeMuzzio, a CMEEC board member who attended the Kentucky Derby trip in May, said the ad hoc committee is expected to make additional recommendations to limit retreats and conferences, and he will seek clarification of the "50 percent" wording.

“I think this was a rush to get something on paper, to have some guidelines,” DeMuzzio said of the December CMEEC vote to approve the recommendations.

Galbraith also questioned a recent CMEEC operational report that stated “non-fuel operating expenses” were expected to be higher than budgeted. DeMuzzio said those expenses include legal costs of an ongoing arbitration case against the Town of Wallingford over its contract with CMEEC.

But in response to a question from Galbraith, Groton Utilities Director Ron Gaudet said that same account, which covers CMEEC administration costs, also could include the legal costs for the attorney representing four Norwich and three Groton utilities’ CMEEC board members in ongoing ethics complaints in the two cities.

Gaudet, who also attended the derby trip for one day in May, said CMEEC’s insurance also might be covering the legal fees in the ethics complaints.

On a separate matter relating to CMEEC, Galbraith received unanimous support from the three utilities commission members in attendance on a resolution that calls for Groton CMEEC board members to seek approval from the Groton commission before voting on any new projects proposed by CMEEC.

Without citing any specific utility-related projects, Galbraith said because member utilities generate the funding for any such investments, those members bear both the financial risk and the potential benefits.

The Groton Utilities Commission also has been lax about its own membership on CMEEC. Current Groton Utilities members DeMuzzio and David Collard, the utility's general manager of finance, expired in 2013. But CMEEC bylaws changed to call for members to eliminate language calling for three-year terms, leaving it instead up to the municipality.

The Groton commission also had one CMEEC board alternate vacancy, filled Wednesday with the appointment of commissioner Godley starting Feb. 1.

Galbraith has scheduled a utilities commission workshop for Monday to discuss several recommendations she suggested for future board appointments, including one that would call for the utilities’ commission chairman be appointed to serve on CMEEC. The group also will discuss whether to set timed terms or term limits on CMEEC representatives and whether the utilities commission or the City Council should approve the appointments.

The commission also will discuss whether Groton CMEEC board members would be asked to waive all or part of the $600 per meeting compensation paid to board members who are not utility paid staff.

Galbraith said Groton could direct that future payments be placed in the rate-stabilization fund CMEEC would pay to Groton Utilities.

c.bessette@theday.com