The Clinton Board of Selectmen (BOS) has decided to begin phasing in one of the measures of the town’s newly adopted town charter in an effort to prevent conflicts of interests on boards and commissions.

On election day, Clinton voters overwhelmingly voted to approve substantial proposed changes to the town’s charter that will go into effect in November 2019. One of the approved changes is a policy that prohibits an individual to hold more than one elected position and three appointed positions concurrently, excluding subcommittees and ad-hoc committees. At its Nov. 28 meeting, the BOS voted 3-2 to adopt that provision of the new charter early for new appointees.

Republican Phil Sengle was joined by Democrats Tim Guerra and First Selectman Christine Goupil in voting for the motion, while Republican Carol Walter and Democrat Jack Scherban voted against the motion.

The issue was not on the agenda for discussion at the meeting, but the board voted unanimously to add it.

One risk of people serving concurrently on multiple boards was brought to light by Walter, who told the board that she had received an email from Republican Town Committee Chairman James Staunton asking that a motion be made so that new vacancies created when Doug Traynor resigned from the Board of Education, Board of Finance, Harbor Commission, and Bonding Committee could be filled. Walter held off on making that motion, stating she felt the request “should come through the normal channels.”

Walter said the normal process is that a town committee submits a formal letter with its nominations prior to the meeting agenda being posted.

Goupil said that due to significant number of votes that changes to the charter received at election day, Goupil thought it was important to begin phasing in certain aspects early. Additionally, Goupil said that she was “concerned about stacking the deck” prior to the adoption of the new charter. “This gives the charter a good start,” Goupil said.

Walter said she disagreed with how the motion pertained only to new appointees, and that was why she voted against the motion.

Walter pointed out that fellow BOS member Guerra voluntarily resigned from his appointment to the Planning & Zoning Commission upon his election to the BOS in 2017, while Sengle has not resigned from the Board of Police Commissioners, an elected position. Goupil said that the BOS could not remove members of boards who were already elected.

The issue of Sengle’s continued service on the police commission has drawn criticism from Walter and other members of the community in the past. An opinion from Town Attorney John Bennet sent to the BOS in November 2017 agreed that there was no conflict between him being a member of both the BOS and police commission.

Sengle told the Harbor News that he and Staunton had been considering a deal where he would step down once Sengle was able to see through certain issues that the commission had undertaken since he became a member. Sengle said part of the concern he has is over the potential choice to be his replacement. However, Sengle said that a deal could not be reached and he is content to serve out his term which ends in November 2019.