Politics & Government

Former Members Testify that Dumas Sabotaged Attleboro Redevelopment Authority

Documents show Attleboro Mayor Kevin Dumas held funds from the Attleboro Redevelopment Authority.

In testimony to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission, Attleboro Mayor Kevin Dumas made it clear that without providing funds to the Attleboro Redevelopment Authority, the water and sewer project at the would be stalled.

The testimony, transcribed in one of six 100-plus-page booklets, is what two former Attleboro Redevelopment Authority employees, Michael Milanoski and Meg Ross, have been saying since they were terminated two years ago – that Dumas starved the group of funds in order for them to fail and then

"Did you know that without the funding being provided to the ARA that the road and sewer (to the Industrial Business Park) would not be able to be continued – whether it be through Mass Highway or whoever was completing it?" Commissioner Christopher Bowman asked Dumas under oath. "What is your understanding of the impact that not having the $175,000 would have on the continuation of the road and sewer?"

Find out what's happening in Attleborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"It would be that the staff couldn't work on the project," Dumas testified.

When reached for comment about the testimony, Dumas said he could not answer specific questions regarding the testimony without reviewing it first. "Obviously, I disagree with his conclusion, as there is an appeal pending."

Find out what's happening in Attleborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The testimony about Industrial Business Park is included in one of six booklets of transcribed testimony from hearings, which will cost the City nearly $6,000.

"The total cost to transcribe the tapes of the Milanoski Civil Service Commission hearing and provide hard copies and electronic copies to all parties including the Civil Service Commission was $5,960.00," Mangiaratti said. "The transcript was six volumes. My office will pay this entire amount and bill the City for a reimbursement."

Sabotage

Along with allegedly starving the group of money, ARA Member Max Volterra testified that Dumas sabotaged the ARA by sending flawed reports to state and federal agencies.

"Well, here's the thing, I supported the mayor in re-election campaigns," Volterra testified. "I raised money for him. I had a house party for him. I thought we were on good terms. And then to find out that the mayor of the city sent what I thought was an extremely flawed task force report which basically concluded that the Industrial Business Park was a failure and could not ever work ... was, I think, amazing–like sabotage. I'm still amazed that he would do that."

In his testimony, Volterra also said Dumas sent the ARA a Memorandum of Cooperation that would go into effect only after the ARA terminates Milanoski and that the ARA had no basis for firing Milanoski. 

"Plus it was a totally illegal agreement," Volterra testified. "It violated state law. It turned over all of our powers basically to the mayor. We would have to relinquish all our power and the only thing he left us with was the debt. He was going to take over all assets, all activity and leave us with the debt."

Volterra was referring to a letter from attorney Edward Casey that concluded that the Memorandum of Cooperation contained several flaws that precluded the ARA from signing the document.

"This is problematic," Casey wrote in his findings. "In effect, the city is saying that unless the executive director is terminated or he resigns, the city is unwilling to implement any level of support to the ARA."

With Milanoski gone, money would flow

Dumas was not the only city employee grilled by the commissioner under oath. Director of Budget and Administration Barry Lacasse was questioned about a Jan.y 27 meeting between Lacasse, Dumas, Volterra and Preston Stevenson, where Lacasse told ARA members that once Milanoski was gone, the ARA would have all the money it needed.

Lacasse repeatedly said he did not make any such statement because he did not have the authority to speak on behalf of any agency providing money to the ARA. However, when Lacasse was asked if Volterra was lying, Lacasse said, "I'm not going to call Mr. Volterra a liar. I do know that op-ed pieces were often drafted by the lobbyist group that the ARA hired."

The commissioner replied, "I'm not talking about an op-ed piece, I'm talking about live testimony that I heard less than two hours ago."

Decision and appeal

After several days of hearing testimony from numerous people including Dumas, Lacasse, current ARA leader Judy Robbins and the two terminated employees, the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission ordered that ARA Director Michael Milanoski and its Chief Financial Officer, Meg Ross with the ARA with back pay and restoration of all applicable benefits.

The city quickly responded, saying it would . It has been nearly four months since the order. The city filed for judicial review of the commission's decision and now until Nov. 11 to file an appeal in detail.

In the appeal, Attleboro City Solicitor Robert Mangiarratti and the other two attorneys on the case, Brandon Moss and Thomas Colomb, stated that the commission was wrong in determining that the ARA had funds to pay employees, that the decision was based on certain errors of law and that its decision is in excess of its statutory authority.

Attorney Colin Confoey, who represents Milanoski and Ross, could not be reached for comment.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here