Politics & Government

Foxborough Selectmen Discuss Communication, Integrity Questions

Foxborough selectmen address communication and integrity concerns Tuesday night.

The topic of communication was a major theme throughout Tuesday night's board of selectmen meeting, taking place back on home court - town hall.

Conversation among board members circled around the news of a so-called "secret meeting" that took place in early August between selectmen chairman Larry Harrington and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. According to the Sun Chronicle, Harrington learned of the Kraft Group's interest in a resort casino on Route 1 in that early August meeting and never disclosed that meeting to the public.

In the agenda item entitled, "board of selectmen/town manger communications," board members commented on the recent breaking news, ultimately coming to the conclusion that moving forward, the board needs to remain as open as possible.

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Board member Lynda Walsh noted that, "folks need to understand the Kraft Group is the largest tax payer in town and that keeping open communications with the group is imperative" in order to continue work on the relationship built up over the years.

She further stated, "first fellow board members – we as a board, along with the water and sewers commissioner, asked Larry and Kevin to continue discussion with the Kraft Group in regards to the water treatment facility apart of the Patriot Place agreements...I believe the meeting was just that. I can understand this meeting could have developed into other discussions with different ideas."

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Harrington attended the meeting and gave the board an overview of the discussion, Walsh clarified. Direct results of the meeting concluded in Town Manager Kevin Paicos presenting a memo for possible gaming/zoning bylaw changes, informing the board that there has been interest.

On the topic of open communication, Walsh noted a "couple things to keep in check."

"No member should be reading about boards business in the media," Walsh said, adding "board members need to bring all questions to the table."

Board member Lorraine Brue spoke on professionalism and maintaining the integrity of the process.

"[I agree we need to get past this, make sure we don’t find ourselves in this position again]," she added. "Be transparent so there is no question of the integrity of this board."

Board chair Harrington, who has come under fire recently after this week's secret meeting headlines, addressed the rumors to the public.

"When Kevin and I were invited to meet with the Krafts – and they laid out a potential scenario – we both agreed we have a responsibility to bring it back to the board."

Harrington noted that when Paicos wrote his memo, "it included everything the board needed to know."

"I still intend Kevin and I fulfilled our responsibility. We were invited and went to the meeting, and Kraft group indicted (information concerning a resort casino). Kevin did a skillful job at giving the public the information needed in his memo."

Harrington further noted, "in my view, it was transparent...we would have never done anything for personal gain."

The board chair said that it pained him to think that people would assume that Paicos and himself would have done anything inappropriately at all.

"At the end of the day (the vote of) 3-2, that the town was not interested. The town, board of selectmen made the decision that it made – we did our very best. Everything was discussed openly," he concluded.

Selectmen touched upon the "shocking" comments they have received through email throughout the on-going casino debate, such as "you shouldn’t be reproducing."

"If you’re going to be insulting – it’s deleted," added board member Mark Sullivan.

Paicos noted, "it should not be the case ever that this difference about an important policy issue is allowed to degrade on personal attacks."

Paicos also touched upon the stories that broke this week concerning secret meetings and the rumor that he initiated the discussions about casinos. 

"I thought perhaps I was misquoted or misunderstood."

Paicos read excerpts from a letter written by Kraft Group vice president Dan Murphy, in which he clarified that "the proposal/discussion was generated by Mr. Kraft and that Harrington and Paicos were called."

"We did not know that was going to be an agenda item," said Paicos.

Murphy further said in the letter that when Mr. Kraft approached Harrington and Paicos about this idea, they specifically requested that they remain their confidentially because there is a great deal of competitiveness in the industry.

"The idea right or wrong, I think I did the right thing," noted Paicos. "As time has unfolded this is not a good idea for Foxborough – both [what I believe professionally and in my heart]."

He concluded, "The process is going to be truly unfortunate. We are seeing it unfold – I wish it would just be redrawn."


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