The possible nomination of Allan Klepper as Chairman of BCWA should not move forward due to the appearance of prior irregularities during his prior term as BCWA Secretary.

During the mid 1990's, an eminent domain land taking was signed off by Mr Klepper in his capacity as BCWA Secretary on behalf of a company owned by a prior BCWA Board member. The details of this land taking show that the property was flipped by the ex board member via a company owned by this ex board member resulting in a substantial financial gain.

It has been alleged that at the time, Mr Klepper was sufficiently aware of the background details to have questioned this transaction.

This may represent an ethics violation that may still be investigated under the Bristol County Water Supply Act.

The record of this event, and the possible investigation that could occur under the Act, appears to question the viability of Mr Klepper's candidacy as Chairman of the BCWA Board.

John Jannitto nominates Allan Klepper for Board Chairman.

Then what?

Chairman Klepper appoints John Jannitto Vice Chairman?

Marina - when were the nominations made? How did that process work?

Today is the Annual Meeting and the "Revised Agenda" for that indicates that the votes will be taken today. And then the new Chairman will appoint a Vice Chairman.

Were the nominations for the slate made at a previous meeting? Can you point us to that agenda item?

Do you know if anyone else was nominated during the nominating process? Was it done by voice or ballots or what? Was there discussion? Is there a formal acceptance process whereby those nominated indicate to the board whether or not they will accept the nomination? Who are the nominees for the other offices that are also on today's agenda for a vote?

This is all very interesting, Marina. Thank you!

It is sad that, there continues to be no real change at the BCWA. Questions, yet again need to be asked about, why a clean house was not done, including the legal council. The good old boy syndrome seems to be the status quo.

Remembering g the many times Mr. Klepper was rude crude and just plain arrogant toward ratepayers, the last couple years, should be a red flag, as that has been the status quo of the current Chairman Jannetto. To include going as far as threatening ratepayers with legal action, for merely point out flaws and then for then to seek redress from the AG, when the BCWA ignored those flaws,(which were actually direct violation of the open meetings act).

Yes they were found guilt of many of those violations, what they were found not-guilty of, (and is subjective in my Opinion), is willfully violating it, an almost impossible standard to prove, without having evidence of a board member actually saying out loud they plan to violate the law.

Mr. Klepper has shown beyond a doubt, that he is part of the problem, not the solution, by past action, and his past excuse of, ”well I am an old curmudgeon so I get a break” is laughable. Yes he has said that after he had tirade at a ratepayer trying to get clarification on information at a meeting. Sad very sad.

Too Mr. Gossilin’s, is withdrawing his name, also sad, if for personal reasons, no problem. Other than that, the wonderment of same old same old continues to plague this BCWA Board.

Fact mr. Klepper didn't do anything dishonest. The board voted to purchace the property in question for watershed because it proximately to the resivior. State funds were used for the purchace. Why doesn't people get their facts correct. Bill is supporting Klepper so now where does he stand with special interest. Let the authority more on and see where it goes. If you don't like the progress put in to be a board member or run for a tc seat

Klepper and Jannitto are unfit to be directors, let alone Chairman.

They caused the BCWA demise, and obviously there are going to have to be some big rate increases to fix the broken infrastructure, and pay for a redundant water supply, etc.

Seems that they are keeping the lid on the extent of the problems.

And Ms. Mack at $375 per hour is still there.

We need some honesty and integrety at BCWA, and these two guys are hardly the answer.

Let's hope the new directors will not stand for this.

Check your facts on that land deal, Brian.

The documents are available. Check the time stamps carefully.

Sometimes, Brian, 2 + 2 does have to =4, even over there at the BCWA.

Brian, here are the facts as I've been shown (by prior Warren Town Council members):

There were two properties involved in this transaction, one being on the Kickemuit, and one not on the Kickemuit.

There was one owner of both lots.

That owner applied for a subdivision to the Town of Warren on the lot not on the water. The record shows that the Town of Warren let it go through without Warren Planning Board approval (that is in the record).

On January 31, at 1:11 in the afternoon, the subdivision was filed with the town of Warren by the original owners. According to the continuing records, one minute later, the land containing the subdivision (i.e. the land not on the Kickemuit) was purchased by a former BCWA Board member via his company.

Within a month, the BCWA Board voted to take this subdivision and the other lot on the water via eminent domain under the Bristol County Water Supply Act. Mr Klepper in his capacity as Secretary signed off.

Six months later, a bill for the first piece of property being the subdivision land was submitted to the RI Water Resources Board for payment, but marked up by around $90K from the purchase price in January.

One month later, the second property actually on the Kickemuit was submitted for payment to the RI Water Resources Board.

Of interest is that it seems most everyone on the Warren Council is aware of the irregularities of this transaction, as well as some members at the RI WRB.

Brian,

The duties of a fiduciary are what is in question here, not any broken laws. A fiduciary (e.g. BCWA Board member) must act not only on information they know, but on information they should have known. That is the oath they take as a board trustee.

The issue has nothing to do with Mr Klepper breaking any laws, but of his duty to follow prudent care, which in this matter, it appears he did not.

It is the lack of proper due diligence that is in question.

If BCWA bylaws don’t speak to the issue of nomination process, and if the board members are doing by email or otherwise what should be done under an agenda item entitled “Nominations” and/or by a sub-committee with an agenda (per Roberts Rules of Order & RI Open Meeting Laws), then it appears that there is, in fact, a nominating process taking place.

And so the process that might have made the nomination process unnecessary under one subset of a section Robert’s Rules of Order (66) has become prima facie “necessary” under the RI Open Meetings Laws – because board members appear to be deciding nominations in advance of the meeting that does not have “nominations” on the agenda.

Therefore, it would seem that “Nominations” should be on an agenda and be done in public so the public can see the process and not just be notified of the outcome – a predetermined slate.

BCWA and the RI Water Resources Board share in responsibility for this mess.

In 2010, Operation Clean Government and the Rhode Island Statewide Coalition requested that an audit of BCWA spending under the Bristol County Water Supply Act be completed since there was no record of any audit ever being done since 1993. That request was never acted upon by the WRB or BCWA.

Then the Tri Town Council decided in 2011 to do it's own audit, but put BCWA's own attorney, Sandra Mack, in charge of writing the RFP. By the time the RFP was completed, all the financial requirements were pulled out at BCWA's request.

Then another request was submitted to the RI Water Resources Board to at least do a legal audit of the Act. A vote in favor was taken in March April 2011 at the WRB, but the audit died on the vine and was never completed.

I hope the new BCWA board members can see through all this loud protesting and that those who are protesting the loudest, are also protesting the loudest against doing a real audit of spending under the Act once and for all.

A dream I have is the BCWA, building opening one morning, and a few minutes later there are about 10 men in suits and ties, holding papers. They State, “good morning, we are from the Department of Justice. We would like to speak to the person in charge, and will you notify all employees in this building presently, they are not to use any phones, personal or building phones. Could you also have all employees’ go to the meeting room, where we explain why we are here?

They would then begin, securing all files, computers, desk, cabinets, etc. That would me feel something is actually finally being done, that should have been done years ago, and that is an actual investigation into the inner workings of this BCWA debacle and where did all the money go. It is a dream of mine, but who knows, sometimes dreams come true ;-}.

All you guy and gals, staying on top of this deserve so much credit for the time you put in to these issues. I really doubt many understand he time involved in seeking these answers is enormous, in research an in going to meetings and talking to people. Damn you guys are real Americans and know what redress from the government means. Thank you.

Jack, in your dream, does any water actually get processed or is that treatment plant bone dry? Is there any sludge money? How about chemicals?

Gary, a common thread now between RIWRB & BCWA... Pamela Marchand.

Jack, that is a good dream...

My hope is that more new directors (besides Mr. Palmieri) will be brave enough to stand up to Mr. Jannitto, and Mr. Klepper and do what's right for the public.

Starting with, there is no way either of these two cronies deserves to be "Chairman".

The new directors know that these two guys are directly responsible the BCWA financial and operation mess, and lack of a legitimate game plan to address the problems.

Therefore, my hope is that the new directors want new leadership, and will make every effort to elect someone other than Mr. Klepper or Mr. Jannitto.

What we need in a BCWA Chairman is honesty, integritity and fresh ideas. What we don't need any more of is outdated and dishonest "institutional knowledge"

Agree with Manifold - Open Meeting violations.

Again.

Did Ms. Mack charge $375 to oversee tonight's fiasco?

Open meetings violations...so Mr. Jannitto / Mr. Klepper had to postpone...

I'm still hoping that some of the honest and capable new directors will step-up, and fill the leadship void.

See Barrington Patch article re tonight's meeting at
http://barrington.patch.com/articles/allegation-derails-bcwa-election

This is a joke right?

"Board chairman John Jannitto, who has attacked and been attacked by Peterson before, lashed out at the accusation as “backroom politics.” He also slammed the Patch for running Peterson’s blog, which actually dealt only with the nomination process for board chairman."

Despicable display there Jannitto, have you not heard of free speech? You going to get lawyers, paid for by the BCWA to stop freedom of speech, are you seriously blaming a media outlet, for allowing free speech. In case you are not aware, the "Patch" is owned by the AOL, and subsidiary Huffington Post. The local patches are run by local people, and the TOS are clear.

Your old and antiquated idea's of silencing that which you do not like seeing the light of day is, proof positive of why you should resign from the board. The people are fed up with these of antics like yours. Everyone is to blame but you and your Board. Clean house was the order of the day, and sadly the councils did not. As for your “backroom politics” snip, it is laughable coming from an appointed bureaucrat, such as yourself. We the people do not do backroom politics, we hire and fire politicians, who don't do the peoples work. At least a few other board members had the decency to see that their continued; presence was detrimental to the BCWA. Like there is no such thing as to big to fail, there is no such thing as a board member being too indispensable to resign.

How rude ! Attacking people with the public record.

I was wondering, has anyone else heard of folks who pulled up the meeting agenda on the Secretary of State Site and went to Warren because that was the address that was given on the agenda filed on 5/25 At 4:29pm on Tuesday, it was "revised" to Barrington. I have had four calls from folks who went to Warren looking for the meeting. .

GET A JOB MRS TEA PARTY

Link to video of BCWA Meeting, May 30th.
https://vimeo.com/43466892