Groton City ethics board considers three new ethics complaints
Groton — The Groton City Board of Ethics met behind closed doors Wednesday to discuss one ongoing ethics complaint investigation and to consider whether to investigate three additional complaints connected to Groton Utilities and controversial retreats hosted by the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative.
The board has not yet scheduled a public hearing on a complaint filed by resident Jay Dempsey against Groton Utilities Director Ronald Gaudet, GU General Manager of Utility Finance David Collard and Groton Utilities Commission member Edward DeMuzzio. All three attended the 2016 Kentucky Derby trip, though Gaudet only for one day. The board voted March 15 that there is probable cause to investigate that complaint.
CMEEC has hosted lavish trips to the Kentucky Derby for the past four years, with dozens of board members, staff, municipal officials and invited guests. While the trips were dubbed as strategic retreats, itineraries included no business meetings, workshops or presentations.
The board has received two additional CMEEC-related complaints: one filed March 15 against Groton participants in another CMEEC-hosted retreat to the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia in October 2015 and a complaint filed March 17 against Groton participants in a CMEEC's 2015 trip to the Kentucky Derby.
A third ethics complaint was filed March 21 against “free Thames Valley Cable service,” according to the board's agenda.
Ethics Board Chairman Robert Zuliani said no action would be taken on any of the agenda items Wednesday. The board at this point does not have enough information to determine whether to investigate the three newly filed complaints for probable cause.
Prior to Wednesday's ethics board meeting, Republican city mayoral candidate Harry Watson issued a news release pledging that a “GOP City Council” would reform the Groton Utilities Commission to protect ratepayers and “end the morally reprehensible abuse of city ratepayers,” the release said.
Watson said he also supports proposed legislation in Hartford that would call for adding ratepayers from each of the six CMEEC member municipalities to the CMEEC board of directors. Groton Utilities and Bozrah Light & Power, owned by GU, are members of CMEEC.
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