DEERPARK—The Town of Deerpark Board approved the purchase of a 2002 GMC bucket truck for $35,900 from the dealership Arthur Trovei & Sons, Inc. this February, the dealership of a sitting Board member since 2014.
Trovei was absent from the meeting where the purchase was approved, but he was at the meeting to approve the minutes, which he abstained from voting on.
According to the minutes of the Feb. 9 meeting, Highway Superintendent Ed Hughson made no mention of Trovei’s connection to the deal. The minutes say that he merely “discussed the opening of bids for the bucket truck. He recommended accepting the bid of $35,900.00,” and shortly thereafter board members David Dean, Ken Smith, and Supervisor Gary Spears approved it.
Hughson said in a phone interview he believed the Board members were aware that the truck came from a Board member’s company, although he could not remember if he stated it at the meeting.
This is possibly a violation of the Town’s disclosure of interest policy.
