ENOUGH ABOUT THE "PROCESS"

On Tuesday, July 10th, Mayor Segarra named James Rovella as his pick as the permanent replacement for the position of Chief of the Hartford Police Department. The process was bizarre., it was a waste of $50,000 and produced less than stellar results. The Corporation Counsel should be attempting to recover our $50,000 dollars from an incompetent search firm.

Now as i speak to Council members asking where they stand on Rovella's approval by the Council, they are all non-committal and keep mentioning "the process". I don't want to dwell on "the process" because I am a strong believer in Chief Rovella and his vision and I feel that in spite of "the process" we now have the best choice in place to move HPD forward..

If the Council has an issue with "the process" is that any reason not to approve Rovella. Rovella was just a pawn in a nonsensical game of Hartford government orchestrated through the Mayor's Chief Operating Officer. If the Council really wants to get answers as to "the process"they won't come from Rovella, he didn't design nor implement "the process"

Under the City Charter, the Council has it within their power to get answers to any questions they may have as to "the process" by conducting hearings and put David panagore in the hot seat and have him answer the questions they may have , on the record for everyone to hear. If the Council has a shortage of questions I might suggest a few.

Why was a no bid contract given out for $50,0000 to conduct the search? What was Mr' Panagores prior relationship with Robert Wasserman and why was the decision made to go with his firm? What business relationship existed between Panagore and Wasserman prior to the contract being issued?

I know the Council has been deluged with calls and comments from taxpayers  upset with the process, Council President Shawn Woode, stated at the recent meeting of the Maple Avenue NRZ that he was "very, very, very, very disappointed by the process". Ok. Mr Wooden, now do what you are empowered to do, and get to the truth  without casting any more of a cloud over the appointment of Chief Rovella