Guilford’s First Selectman dismisses petition on methadone clinic; ‘illegal’ and ‘improper’

Guilford’s Board of Selectman hosted a meeting on March 18th; about 40 residents attended, some standing in the hallway for brief periods as they had snatched time before going to jobs to hear what was going on.

The board’s pending decision on the citizen petitions, signed by 450 Guilford residents at a prior informational meeting, was agenda item 13. Witnesses say they waited about two hours for decision on the signed petitions. Some residents finally vacated their seats, which were then taken by hallway bystanders willing to wait longer.

First Selectman Matt Hoey dismissed the signed petitions, recounting that town attorney Peter Barrett previously declined to make a statement on whether the petitions were legal. In order to “move forward”, Hoey purportedly engaged another attorney, whose name was withheld, who agreed to render a statement, read by First Selectman Hoey.

As he read the statement from the purported attorney, town residents “grew incredulous” according to one witness.

Residents said they expected this recently-engaged attorney “to be familiar with the Guilford Town Charter”, but instead told the large crowd, “…the petitions are illegal and improper.”

After two more agenda items, Hoey allowed a time for public comment.  The first speaker, a young woman, and parent of school-aged children, expressed much disappointment with the petition dismissal, and her fears over the location of a methadone clinic in Guilford. She left immediately afterward.

The second speaker, Dave Holman, came with pages from the official Town Charter; he read the rules for submitting citizens’ petitions to the town government.  He stated that he and other citizens have followed the proper form and the proper procedure and that the petitions are undeniably legal and proper.

Other residents spoke, with the majority expressing grave concerns over locating of a methadone clinic near a daycare and other homes.  Their pleas for clinic relocation fell “upon deaf ears and stony faces.” One man who sat through Hoey’s statement reportedly did not wait for public comment, but as he left, muttered “A disgrace!”

Holman and supporters of moving the clinic are considering suing the Town of Guilford “as a last resort”.