#MiddleburyCT #Selectman
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
An appointed official’s April 3 resignation from two town committees was followed by the April 19 resignation of a selectman. Peter J. Trinchero resigned from the Retirement and Ethics Committees, and Middlebury Democratic Selectman Ralph Barra resigned from his elected position.
Trinchero’s resignation letter said he was resigning due to personal reasons. Asked by this newspaper if his resignation had anything to do with the possibility of a distribution facility coming to Middlebury, he said, “Yes, it is directly associated with that. It’s a wrong move for Middlebury to get involved with something like that right now. We don’t need that type of pollutant in the environment right now.”
He said he felt his being a member of the Ethics Commission meant he couldn’t express his opinion about the facility. He said a lot of residents don’t want it, and those who do want it are not saying so.
He said he believed the Middlebury Small Town Alliance should have been allowed access to the property. The town has said access was denied due to the landowner’s concerns about liability. “If they were worried about the liability, why would they let the Conservation Commission members on the property and not members of the public,” he asked.
He said the other thing that really concerns him is that nobody wants to say what this is. Who is that wants to come into town? What do they want to do? What will they be distributing? He said he felt some town officials knew exactly who it is, and that the applicant wouldn’t have gone to all the expense involved if the town hadn’t given some type of favorable response to their proposal.
Trinchero’s resignation, accepted at the April 17 Board of Selectmen’s meeting, was followed by Selectman Barra’s April 19 resignation. Barra said in his resignation letter that he felt there was a conflict between his beliefs in how the town should be developed and the current situation that is unfolding. He said the conflict includes the code of ethics, which excludes him from expressing his own opinion, and his views on the distribution facility. He noted that he and his family have enjoyed Middlebury’s rural charm for over 45 years and said, “Future changes may have a dramatic effect on the quality of life.”
Middlebury First Selectman Edward B. St. John said he learned of Barra’s April 19 resignation that afternoon and immediately sent Barra a text message asking him to call St. John about his resignation. Selectman Elaine Strobel said St. John was hoping Barra would reconsider.
St. John said Barra did not respond to his text message. “I know nothing about why he resigned. Ralph was a wonderful selectman,” St. John said. “I had a nice conversation with him before the Board of Selectmen meeting (April 17). There have never been any issues. I’m shocked. I don’t know why this came about.”
St. John said the town’s code of ethics governs elected officials’ behavior and the only time it was discussed with Barra was at a Board of Selectmen meeting when attorney Dana D’Angelo explained the code and what it is intended to do.
To fill the vacancy on the Board of Selectmen, St. John said the Board will now wait for the Middlebury Democratic Town Committee (MDTC) to submit some names for consideration so a Democrat can be appointed to fill Barra’s term of office, which ends this November.
MDTC Chairman Curtis Bosco has called for a Tuesday, May 9, dinner meeting at 7 p.m. at Pies & Pub. He has asked MDTC members to submit the names of people willing to serve in this position by May 9.
Bosco said he also encourages any registered Democrats who are Middlebury residents and are interested in being appointed to fill Barra’s unexpired term to come to the May 9 meeting or to contact a member of the MDTC.
