| Barnhart checks EMS rally materials Thursday, June 08, 2000 By ELIZABETH GANGA STRATFORD - Town Manager Mark Barnhart, along with the police chief and deputy police chief, walked into Emergency Medical Service headquarters Wednesday and took petitions, orange ribbons and postcards that the volunteer service is using to protest last week's budget cut. "It appeared to me that town resources were being used to generate the information," Barnhart said. But EMS volunteers, who are organizing a Monday rally at Town Hall against the budget cut, quickly objected that they had paid for all the materials. "It's like martial law has been declared on Stratford EMS," said Christopher Lovell, a volunteer. He said the petitions and other materials, like glue guns used to make the solidarity ribbons, were bought by volunteers. Barnhart said he took the items as part of an investigation into whether one of the two paid administrators at EMS was not following his directive that town resources not be used to protest a town policy set by the council. "What I can tell you is I have a serious personnel issue involving a paid employee of the town," Barnhart said. Lovell said EMS director Bruce Connery was placed on administrative leave Wednesday. Last week, as it passed next fiscal year's municipal budget, the Town Council cut $57,673 from the EMS budget, eliminating the director's position. Many EMS volunteers believe the cut was a back-door way to get rid of Connery, but that the consequence will be the slow dissolution of the volunteer EMS. Barnhart said when it is shown to him that the materials were bought with private money, they will be returned. He said he has a previously scheduled meeting with EMS representatives today to discuss the reorganization of the service made necessary by the budget cut. He said he does not want to dissolve EMS and launch a paid system. "I can tell you flat out that that is not my intention," Barnhart said. Lovell said just in case the materials are not returned, the volunteers are starting from scratch to gather signatures and pass out postcards for citizens to send to council members. Lovell said they had gathered about 300 signatures. Barnhart said even if no town resources were used, he still has a problem with outside activities going on in town buildings. "We were doing it at quarters, but the only thing we were using was electricity," Lovell said. And, he said, no one notified them that it was not allowed. Elizabeth Ganga, who covers Stratford, can be reached at 330-6361. Connecticut Post *CONNECTICUT POST © 2000 Connecticut Post. |