Hayes / Thompson

Integrity and Action for East Granby

Major Issues

East Granby is on a precipice — there are major issues needing to be addressed or we will no longer be the kind of town that most of us moved here for. The following issues are concerning, showing both a lack-of-leadership and fairness that increase the potential of jeopardizing our town’s safety and financial well-being.

Questionable Land Sales to family and Former Business Associates

  1. 205 Turkey Hills Road (Town Land Fill) purchase offer of $50K from Brignole Enterprises LLC (Offer withdrawn after listed on Special Town Meeting Agenda)

  2. 32 Spoonville Road, Rear part of lot, 14,567 feet, purchase offer of $5K/10 Pleasant View Drive (Voted down 124 to 70 at 11/19/2024 Special Town Meeting)

  3. E/S Holcomb Street, 1 Acre, purchase offer of $7.5K/Wimpfheimer Farms LCC (Land was found to be a 2 acre lot and offer withdrawn prior to Town Meeting Notice)

In October of 2024, three proposed Town Land Sale Deals were announced and met by resident pushback as detailed in this article.

Jason Hayes' Comment:

The Residents of East Granby have been clear about their opposition to selling off town land assets and I don’t feel the Board of Select should be proposing selling off Town land. It is problematic, in my opinion, to be First Selectwoman as well as a realtor, and advocating for the sale of Town land to former business clients and members of your own family. I would advocate for a detailed process that needs to be followed by all applicants and presented to residents at a Special Town Meeting before any appraisals or other costs to the Town are incurred.

I’ve also drafted a full outline for an Ethics Commission to be voted into action by the Board of Select and overseeing all Town employees. It would be a panel of 5 members / 4 alternates appointed by BOS, no more than 2 from a single party, 3 year terms and no more than 2 consecutive terms. This holds all Town employees to the same standards of conduct and protects the interests of the residents of East Granby.

As of June 2025, there is a $1.4M+ Deficit to the Town’s General Fund because of years of inaction

  1. At a 6/30/21 WPCA Meeting, First Selectman Hayden cautioned Selectwoman Wimpfheimer and Selectman Doering, that immediate attention should be given by incoming administration to an increasing WPCA deficit and needed system maintenance. (Amount of deficit after crediting incoming sewer bill income = approximately $250K)

  2. Fast forward after a year of no WPCA Meetings in 2022, then only 2 meetings in 2023 & 2024 to raise customer rates: April 26th, 2023 and April 10th, 2024.   

  3. At a 1/21/25 Board of Finance Meeting it was revealed by the Independent Auditors Report that WPCA Debt against the General Fund was $1.4M in addition to another undisclosed long-term debt of $880K. ($710,843.00 + $170,000 to the MDC & CAA)

  4. The problem is finally being dealt with, but most of that debt could’ve been prevented if First Selectwoman Wimpfheimer had dealt with the issue by publicly and openly consulting with BOF and others though WPCA meetings in 2022 as she had been advised to do in June 2021.

  5. The Town replaced one faulty meter in Meter Pit 5 and is doing a filtration study in Meter Pit 1. Negotiations with MDC for unpaid and paid bills is scheduled for October, but any negotiations should be postponed until the next administration is elected.

  6. The unaudited Sewer Fund Balance Deficit as of June 30, 2025 is $1,581,046.62, plus the $394,912.00 balance on the loan the First Selectwoman signed with MDC in January 2024, adding up to a total sewer deficit of: $1,975,958.60

Jason Hayes' Comment:

The Sewer Fund deficit is a multi-tiered issue.

The first step: have BOS vote to adopt a statute creating a separate account for Sewer Bill payments to both the MDC & CAA, with an account balance of roughly 80% of the years estimated bill. Then, MDC & CAA bills would be paid out of this revolving account with the account balance being refreshed using the Sewer Bill payments by customers. This would protect both the taxpayers of East Granby as well as the Towns General Fund from using funds without proper oversight. If additional funds are needed or there is a spike in the bills, then the BOS/First Select acting as the Head of the WPCA would have to appear in front of the BOF and ask for more funds. There would be no access to these funds without BOF approval. We must insure that moving forward the town will never face this type of unfettered use of the General Fund tax dollars again.

We must confirm the meters we are currently testing and replacing are owned by the Town of East Granby and not the MDC. These meters should have been tested and the Flow Study should have commenced in 2022 not 2025. There are a lot of questions still to be answered before a resolution can be proposed here. With the lack of information released and the lack of transparency by our current First Selectwoman, this will take me some time to unravel. I have been working to put the pieces together for over 18 months and I will take this issue on immediately upon my election as First Selectperson of East Granby. Once I am able to gain access to the full scope of the issue it will be my utmost priority.

Two Examples of Risk of Liability to the Town

The East Granby Public Library has been without Liability and Library Content Insurance Coverage for almost two years.

Jason Hayes’ Comment:

This should be concerning for all residents. The liability this exposed the town to is extremely serious. A checks and balances system created to assure something like this never happens again. The First Selectwoman asked for the insurance carrier change back in 2022, so she should’ve followed through and confirmed it was handled appropriately. The towns accounts manager should’ve verified each and every policy had transferred appropriately, with no coverage being lost or reduced. That didn’t happen. Instead, the insurance policy for liability coverage inside the library and the contents insurance for the library lapsed and a new policy wasn’t issued with the new carrier when all of the other town’s policies were shifted over.  

I would institute an interoffice checks and balances policy with the Accounts Manager, the First Select Executive Assistant and the First Selectperson all having to review and sign off on all insurance policy carrier changes and coverage shifts. We cannot allow the town to be open to such a massive liability exposure in the future.

The Broadleaf/DESRI Core Drilling along the Rails to Trails.

The First Selectwoman entered into a verbal agreement with DESRI to core drill in our town without a written liability agreement. The State owns the Rails to Trails, not the Town of East Granby, so it is unclear why the First Selectwoman was asked and granted permission to DESRI for the drilling. The first steps taken by the First Select should have been to protect the residents of East Granby and ask for a meeting with the State and DESRI to be sure that either the State or DESRI was accepting all liability for the drilling should anything go wrong. The town should have asked for a COI (Certificate of Insurance) to be placed on file with the town prior to any drilling or core testing.

Jason Hayes’ Comment:

The lack of due diligence, transparency and competence by the First Selectwoman have once again opened the town up to serious liability concerns if something does go wrong. Protecting the residents of East Granby and the Town should be the top priority.

Once I’m elected, I’d insist any proposal of this magnitude, that would affect so many, be brought to a Town Meeting. Residents’ voices should be heard and addressed. Any corporation looking to perform work in town must present their insurance and  the Town must insist on a solid liability agreement protecting the Town, its assets, and the residents.

A failed push for a 1 million sq ft Mega Warehouse followed by a Town Hearing (during a summer holiday) to add a seat to the Planning and Zoning Commission

Jason Hayes' Comment:

The current First Selectwoman seems determined on making Mega Warehouses a staple in East Granby. After the Silverman proposal was voted down multiple times, she then proposed adding another member to the Planning and Zoning Commission. This would have enabled a tie-breaking seat that her administration would’ve filled prior to the next election. 

In my opinion, the First Selectwoman and Town Planner lack a sense of vision for our Town. We cannot continue down the path of warehouses and gas stations or we’ll slowly be taken over by an airport buffer zone. Forward thinking, creativity and hard work between our leaders, boards, commissions, and State officials will be my first priority. I’m currently presenting some incredible development proposals to landowners in our town that would change the trajectory of our Town for generations to come. I’ve been hard at work for over a year to bring all the pieces and the players together.  Imagine what I can achieve working along with the amazing staff at Town Hall.

A willful lack of transparency and inclusion on serious matters not only with residents, but, also with Boards and Commissions, negating their guidance and expertise

Jason Hayes’ Comment:

The town has been left in the dark on so many issues over the last 4 years. This must stop. These are your tax dollars, and you deserve to know where they are going and why.

I’ve filed countless FOIAS (Freedom of Information Act requests) to obtain just basic information and details to find out what is going on at our Town Hall. This cannot be allowed to continue.  For example, the First Selectwoman received a Sewer Bill demand for $710,843.00 in October 2023 and didn’t place it on the agenda for the BOS meetings. As the head of the WPCA (Water Pollution Control Authority), she didn’t hold a meeting to alert residents. It wasn’t brought to the attention of The Board of Finance; nor did she consult the Town Attorney.  Instead, she signed a loan repayment agreement in January 2024 and made monthly payments on the agreement out of the Towns General Fund. It wasn’t until I went through the Town Checkbook, went through the State Audit, and spoke about my concerns at the BOF meeting that this was finally disclosed in January 2025.  9-10 payments had been made toward this agreement without anyone on BOF being made aware that the funds had been used from the General Fund.

The Board of Select and especially the First Selectperson work for the taxpayers of East Granby. They must be trustworthy and held accountable to safeguarding the Towns future.