Herbst: Trumbull May Have Been Gouged in Snow Removal

Trumbull may seek help from the state Consumer Protection Department over possible gouging regarding snow removal from Storm Nemo.

First Selectman Tim Herbst made the remark while talking about issues he has with AFB Construction, the firm overseeing the renovation of Trumbull High School.

"It cost more to clear off nine schools than it cost to clear the entire town," Herbst said. AFB owner Al Barbarotta, who is suing Herbst for defamation and interfering with a contract, denied all Herbst's allegations.

Herbst said AFB hired a West Haven firm -- whose president pleaded guilty to tax fraud -- to clear snow off the schools' roofs, in addition to not seeking a bid waiver for the job.

He also noted an $82,000 invoice for snow removal after Storm Nemo in February 2013 appears to have been approved the same day without any school district oversight.

Herbst further questioned spending $972,000 to between 2011 and 2013 to remove snow after storms.

Barbarotta said the $82,000 bill had been reduced from $91,000 and payment went through proper channels.

Regarding hiring the West Haven firm and other allegations, Barbarotta said Herbst was conducting a "witch hunt."

Barbarotta is suing Herbst for allegedly interfering with a contract between AFB and TLC, which runs Trumbull preschool and afterschool programs. He said Herbst has been out to "get" him since taking office in 2009.

Too Many Hats

Herbst said Barbarotta wears too many hats in the school district. Barbarotta is the owner's representative in the THS project, the lead in the effort to make THS comply with shelter regulations and the school "plant coordinator."

AFB, which works in numerous Connecticut communities, was hired in the 1990s by then-Trumbull Supt. Edwin T. Merritt, Supt. Ralph Iassogna's predecessor. The school board has the power over AFB's employment.

With Iassogna's recent retirement after 14 years in the office, the first selectman said he plans to meet with Supt. Gary Cialfi to discuss the issues, especially since other schools will require renovations.

Herbst also commended Business Administrator Sean W. O'Keefe, who comes from IBM, for stepping into the role in the middle of many challenges in the middle of 2012.

How to Proceed

Herbst said he is not intimidated by AFB's lawsuit. "I've been down this road before," he said, referring to a dropped defamation lawsuit from Mark IV Construction.

The town had sewer construction projects performed by Mark IV audited and found alleged defects in the Jog Hill/Daniels Farm Road area sewer work. The Trumbull WPCA also tried to remove Mark IV from the most recent project, in north Nichols.

Taking a lesson from that experience, Herbst reviewed the costs of snow removal for the past two years.

Afterward, he asked AFB for documentation for insurance claims and to meet FEMA reimbursement requirements. He also wanted to identify who did $400,000 in damages to the Trumbull High School roof during one cleanup.

The particular workers could not be identified, Herbst said. He also wondered why the firms whose workers may have damaged the roof would be hired back.

School Business Administrator Sean O'Keefe was eventually able to get some of the documentation.

Hiring practices may have been among the charges in a failed ethics complaint filed in late May by town Internal Auditor Jim Henderson. The details of the complaint are confidential since it was dismissed, but it appears to have involved at least Al Barbarotta, Iassogna and three others.

Herbst said if a gouging complaint did not work, the next step might be further legal action.