This post is is about events in Hyannis so “fowl,” I can’t find words in English to appropriately characterize the revulsion....Italian is easy; “schifoso, and "schifia" or disgusting, revolting, dreadful, verminous, foul, nasty, rotten, lousy, an

Schifia is the act, and schifoso is the person.

First some background on the incidents...

If you live in the village of Hyannis/Hyannisport, your tap water is provided by the Hyannis Water Department, a town-owned public water supply entity.

Up until 2005 the water entity was privately owned by the Barnstable Water Company that began in 1911 through a special act of the Legislature.

Much of the piping, a water tank, and the wellheads are virtually 100 years old.

When Town Manager, John Klimm, acting as the sole agent for Hyannis water rate payers, acquired the company, he deftly swindled water rate payers out of the company’s most valuable asset, the 109-acre BARLACO property, 90 acres of which is in the village of Cummaquid.

The BARLACO property was actually acquired by water rate payers from a mid-1980's ruling by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) granting Wadsworth's request for a water rate increase to acquire land to expand the water supply.

Prices for undeveloped land in out-of-the-way places, like the end of Independence Park, during the 80’s and early 90’s were a fraction of the value in the late 90's and early 2000's.

Wadsworth bought the cheapest parcels without regard for water potential as a scheme to buy out family-owned stock in the Barnstable Water Company.

To further his scheme, Wadsworth created a separate corporation, BARLACO, Inc., to which he sold the 109 acre parcels for $1 legally separating the Cummaquid land from the Barnstable Water Company.

The DPU nixed Wadsworth’s request to sell the BARLACO property stating, sic "the property was acquired through an increase rate payer fees, ergo the land was an integral part of the Barnstable Water Company.

In 2003 Wadsworth merged the Barnstable Water Company and BARLACO, Inc. through a stock transfer worth $5.2 million with Connecticut Water Company.

In 2004 Connecticut Water Company entered in a purchase and sale agreement with Brian Dacy for 40 acres in Cummaquid for $3.75 million.

The 1911 special act of the Legislature contained a proviso that the town of Barnstable could acquire the company at anytime, and for cost.

The DET, nee DPU, maintained records of all expenditures for nearly a century, that indicated a cost of less than $5 million.

Klimm's initial offer of $4 million reflected the maximum price (cost) under the special act.

Connecticut Water laughed at the offer, citing their cost to acquire the company, and the $1 - $2 million in capital improvements.

Inexplicably within 30 days Klimm upped his offer to $11 million that was to be bifurcated; $10 million for the water company, and $1 million for the 109-acre BARLACO property.

The town council voted to acquire the water company, a deal that was executed in June, 2005 as $10 million water rate subscriber debt using the town's good faith and credit,

While BARLACO Inc, and its 109-acres of Cummaquid land, was acquired with general fund revenue in January, 2006, as open space for all Barnstable taxpayers. 

COG filed suit to stop the acquisition claiming the BARLACO property was worth in excess of $15 million.

The water company needed $25 million in capital improvements, including the new water tank, and the replacement of 45 miles of beyond-shelf-life, significantly corroded asbestos/concrete piping.

As a comparison of the true worth of the 80-acres in Cummaquid, John Klimm is currently negotiating the acquisition of the seven-acre Freezer Point cannery property for $9 million ($1.2 million per acre).

109-acre BARLACO property for $1 million = $9,000 an acre.

The Freezer Point property is just a half mile up the road as the crow flies from 80 acres of the BARLACO property.

Wooden water tanks became dinosaurs after WWII, because wood as organic material supports bacteria, necessitating a separation of the main body and the roof to maintain water pressure on both sides of the tank.

Last fall the DEP issued a “Boil Water” order for the Hyannis water supply, after a routine test indicated high coliform levels discovered in the old water tank.

The Boil Water orders were lifted after ten days, but were displaced by order to chlorinate the water supply to kill the coliform pathogens that remained in the surfaces of the water tank.

For the past ten months vast quantities of chlorine have been added to the Hyannis water supply on a daily basis.

After the acquisition of the Barnstable Water Company, Klimm opted to exercise Home Rule Amendment rights and eschewed MGL Ch 40, Section 38 and 39 that requires publicly-owned water supplies to be managed by elected water commissioners.

Barnstable has four different elected water commissions within its borders; Cotuit, COMM, Barnstable Village, and West Barnstable Water Commissions.

Klimm appointed cronies to carry out act his wishes.

The chairman, Skip Simpson, lives in West Barnstable, but owns the Anchor Inn on South Street.  Simpson and his family don't have to drink, cook, or bathe in Hyannis water.

Why John Klimm is a "sostantivo maschile schifoso",  translated from Italian;

a despicable person and bastard.

In recently released minutes of Klimm's water board came the revelation

that birds, bats, and large insects were enabled to enter the tank through a rotted screen at the top, but not get out.

These critters not only defecated into the drinking water, but after being trapped died, and their bodies left to decompose in the water supply.

The remains of these critters were subsequently consumed by Hyannis water users.

The 100-year old open top wooden water tank continues to be the source of e-coli bacteria for the past ten months.

Klimm's methods of handling the deadly waste;

(1) Through an order boil water,

(2) adding vast amounts of chlorine which is going on today,

(3) spreading the contamination is a sea of water (the solution to pollution is dillution.)

The question now is, "How many people did Klimm kill?

How many elderly and young got ill from the poison?

How many people with reduced immunity got ill, and possibly died?

Would you drink water that contained bird or bat feces?

Would you drink water in which the bodies of birds, insects, and bats were permitted to decompose?

Following are recently-released minutes of Klimm’s water board substantiating my claims;

You can read the minutes by pasting the following link into your URL address box;

http://town.barnstable.ma.us/PublicWorks/WaterSupply/WaterSupplyBoard/default08.asp

"The report on the Mary Dunn #1 water tank was presented by Bruce Adams of Weston & Sampson.

After coli form was detected, they were hired to investigate and make recommendations.

Merithew Associates did the inspections.

Adams reported that the tank is in very good condition except for badly corroded anchor bolts.

The roof is deteriorating and needs paint.

All in all, the tank is in good condition.

Some immediate repairs are needed before it goes back on line, and there will be some recommendations for maintenance over the next 10 years.

When a new tank goes on line in 3 to 5 years, this tank could be abandoned in year 1, over this summer/fall time period.

Repairs will be made from the operating capital budget of $150,000 for FY09

Adams recommends a mixing system.

Newer tanks have a passive mixing system to promote mixing; it is recommended to be included for future plans for Mary Dunn #2, but not on #1, unless we plan to keep the tank.

The SCADA system too old, a finding from the original report, and not computer based.

The cost for a new system is approximately $300,000.

Simpson asked – can the tank last at least 3 more years? Answer - Yes, maybe longer, you never know.

Krau asked what caused our problem.

Answer – very small gaps in screening where insects, birds or bats get in. and can’t get out then die.

Birds, insects, and bats have been defecating and dying in the water tank for at least twenty years.

I remember a story and photograph in the Cape Cod Times of countless crows squeezed together perched across the top edge of the water tank.

The picture looked like a trailer from the movie, "The Birds."

Each bird was facing away from the water tank, leaving their butts in the tank.

John Klimm lives in Yarmouth where the water tanks are modern and made of steel,

Klimm chose to be the ramrod of the Hyannis Water Board, and this latest revelation is justification for him to be fired, right on the spot.

In 2005 SEA Consultants recommended the immediate replacement of the old water tank at a cost of $1.5 million.

This spring COMM voters approved $3.8 million to replace the steel water tank on Old Stage Road.

COMM's new tank will be slightly smaller than the one recommended for the Hyannis water entity.

COMM already owns the land and the cost to connect the new tank to the water supply will be minimal because the piping is already in the ground.

In addition to the cost of erecting the new water tank, Hyannis water users must acquire two or three acres on which to erect their tank, and then spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to connect the tank to the water supply.

The cost of acquiring, and installing a new water tank virtually double with each passing year.

The Hyannis water entity desparately needs a new water tank, and John Klimm has $24 million in cash reserves.

People's health and safety are at risk.

Klimm’s people are talking about spending a couple of hundred thousand dollars to keep the old tank operational for a couple of years.

Hyannis needs to tear down the old wooden tank NOW, because it is poisoning the water supply.

Erecting the new tank in 2008 will be far cheaper than putting it up in 2011.

Voters can recall corrupt and inept politicians, but can do nothing about the corrupt/maladroit town manager.

Now we know why the legislature in its wisdom mandated publicly-owned water supplies to be managed by elected water commissioners;

they have to drink, cook, and bathe in their water.

Councilors Munafo, Tobey, and Tinsley (Brown) continue to turn their backs on their constituents.

Adding bleach to disinfect water contaminated with feces, and decomposed animal matter is like putting lipstick on a pig.

If you're a visitor, welcome to Hyannis, you’d have been better off spending your vacation in Tijuana, because Iyannough's revenge is far more painful and intrusive than Montezuma's revenge.

Comments

Don't drink the water in Hyannis. Obviously the school committee did last night with all their bitching and moaning about the rising costs to run the schools to the tune of half a million dollar deficit. At the same time they appear to be on track to rubber stamp a new teacher contract that gives them 10 times that in future conpensation. Hmmm.....Cut everywhere else but their own pocketbooks. Lovely....Just lovely

[John Julius]

Gary, thanks for enlightening us all on this......HOW MANY times did we tell the truth on all this corruption on the water. Back in 2005 I personally wrote to several state agencies with a mountainload of PROOF and everyone did the Massachusetts thing: They all looked the other way. No surprise in this wonderful state!

Here, let's look back at one simple detail:

John Klimm and his administration WASTED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS in taxpayer money to have the law firm of Palmer & Dodge to help 'negotiate the purchase of the water company. They actually did little to nothing in their 'help'. MOST of the negotiations were done by JOHN KLIMM DIRECTLY with Marshall Chiarluce, the former CEO of Conn Water, the former owner. The negotiations STARTED around 2.5 MIL or so and took over two years. The price mysteriously went to some $ 11 MIL. And I still have ONE direct communication from Mr. Chiarluce to John Klimm that begins with:

Dear John:

"I am sending this letter to you as a personal letter as I do not want it to be a record as communication between us."

It should also be noted Mr. Chiarluce had sent countless letters and correspondence to Mr. Klimm and ALL had been sent apparently from the BUSINESS address of Conn. Water. Funny how that letter dated Oct 21, 2004 if I reall correctly, came from another DIFFERENT address and I presume it was his HOME address. MY 64 thousand question was WHY Mr. Chiarluce would write such a letter to ANY town manager in the middle of a MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR purchase of a municipal water company, and STILL to this day, NO ONE has ever answered ME!

I even asked John Klimm and Johnnie has NEVER been able to provide an answer.

I also sent that letter to the Attorney General's office, the Inspector General's Office and one or two more. Look, the water company deal was a total RIPOFF and as far as I am concerned this fiasco was filled with corruption from the getgo! I asked everyone to HELP, the state agencies, the council and others and EVERYONE closed their eyes and let John Klimm RIP off the taxpayers here for a piece of garbage water company worth MAYBE one third of what he GIFTED to Mr. Chiarluce & Co.

Then, some months LATER AFTER we got ripped off, Klimm was STUPID and arrogant enough to come out and say that any supposed water increases would only be "about 5% or less a year. Then Master klimm, mind telling us all WHY so far the rates have gone UP by over 45% in the last 3 years or so? See, another LIAR politician who eventually gets nabbed with hs LIES. it ALWAYS catches up with LIARS!

And even though the STATE LAW called for ELECTED water board members, John KLIMM HAD to be the POWER man. Naturally he HAD to CONTROL this board or else the real TRUTH might come out on what a SCAM this all was. So the MASTER had Town Attorney Bob Smith tout how "home rule" allowed for Master klimm to basically APPOINT and CONTROL HIS water board. Hell, the HYANNIS Water Board even has a WEST BARNSTABLE resident on it. Just another of Johnnie Klimm's PUPPETS!

So to the moron town councilors who READ this (and we KNOW many DO!), isn't it about TIME to remove this clueless INCOMPETENT Manager from office so this town can START to get back on its feet? or will te council allow Master Mr. EGO Klimm to continue running our town into the toilet?

Council, GET SOME GUTS and send Mr. Klimm packing. It will be a good start, trust us!

As for the former ZONING BOARD, yes, we welcome them back but I DO agree that they only MIGHT reconsider IF Joakim and Klimm are GONE! So we begin by sending Janet bye bye and it will be up to the council to send Mr. Klimm bye bye. Unfortunately the VOTERS have NO SAY in HIS future, but IF they did, I promise he's be LONG GONE. Don't believe that? Then go stand outside ANY town Post Office and TALK to people. TALK to the VOTERS. ASK them what THEY think of this PUTRID form of town government. Hell, I stood there at MOST post offices in town and I could NOT even repeat in print about SOME of the things people said to me. And what do they think of Manager klimm? John, I hate to blast your ego BUT....... I never came across very many people who had much good to say about you. And YES, Master Klimm too, reads this here on a VERY regular basis. John, we do hate to hurt your ego but in most cases the TRUTH is the best.

See, we hate to waste and spend our time on all this but anyone from Hackstable knows all too well that when ANYONE goes to speak at PUBLIC COMMENT and has anything critical to speak about, bang! Your two minutes is up! Yes, THIS IS THE CONTROL these maggots THINK they have. ALL to pretect their kingdoms.

Nice try folks but COG has been here to stay and we won't go away until we get these asswipes gone, one by one.

WE ALL DESERVE BETTER! All of us!

Good day.

RECALL MUNAFO and Klimm won't have the votes for a contract renewal.

[frozen hell]

One recall at a time, PLEASE!!!

;-)

[John Julius]

Way back when, if people remember, Jim Munafo sent emails to John Klimm asking some questions about the water company........ little did his 'questions' do anyone. Jim SHOULD have kept asking more questions but when Gary and I asked MORE HARD PRESSING questions, jim backed off and let the water company filthy rotten deal go untouched, as did all the other councilors.

If you remember, the useless so called 'experts' wrote in their EXPENSIVE SEA Rport that the czapital improvements would be about 12 MIllion. HOW MUCH? I later told the morons that it would be more like 50 to 75 MILLION in capital improvements and they all laughed. Since back in 2004 the INCOME from the water company was about 2.4 and the EXPENSES were also about 2.4, even a ninth grader knew that disaster was coming for the water company. Since the water company had never had any real improvements made in dozens of years, Gary and I TRIED to tell these idiots what would happen. YET, this clueless Manager and council STILL gave the Conn Water $ 11 MIL and screwed all the Hynannis water rate payers by giving the sweetheart deal to the Conn Water Co, AND to the folks in Barnstable (Cummaquid).

Basically John Klimm and the council allowed the sweetheart deal to BENEFIT the former owner of Conn Water Co and wasted hundreds of thousands on a law firm who did NOTHING at all. Furthermore, at the time, we had THREE TOWN ATTORNEY's ALL very handsomely PAID and yet JohnKlimm and the clueless council STILL WASTED hundreds of thousands to PAY AN OUTSIDE LAW FIRM when the Town Attorney's office SHOULD HAVE BEEN helping the knowitall town Manager negotiate that water company and if ANY of them had even half of a brain, they SHOULD have known that water company was nothing but a piece of GARBAGE and NOT WORTH even one third of what Manager John Klimm GAVE away.

SO NOW, does everyone see the picture? We SHOULD have had a huge INVESTIGATION a long time ago but these morons had all the right people in all the right places. Till now. I only HOPE that every voter here now sees what COG and its followers have been saying now for HOW LONG?!

Hank Farnham voted for the acquisition of the water company without once reading the financial.

How can a man who calls himself a banker vote to authorize a $10 million dollar acquisition without looking at the numbers.

You'd have to be nuts or totally negligent.

[Antico]

JOAKIM IS BOTH! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz01ckH9sII

[insider]

Hutch just reported 55 signatures were certified. Starsky is looking over petition in legal. Poo-bahs have been in meetings all day trying to figure out how to kill the recall.

[bugsy]

James Munafo has dropped the ball on the water company time and time again.

Munafo and Farnham campaigned as the "good news" boys.

Less than 10 days after their re-election the Hyannis Water System issued a boil water notice. At subsequent hearings before the Town Council Munafo bent over backwards to appease the Town Manager and commend the Water Supply Division for their heroic works.

All the while, we were drinking chorline.

And, now we find out that we won't get a new water tower for 3-5 years.

Why?

Because the system is broke.

Revenue is down 5% and collections are down 7%. The Town is living on connection fees for new developments and those are far and few between these days.

The appointed Water Board is unable to muster the courage to challenge the Town Manager and demand action.

This water system is a travesty.

Joakim voted for the acquisition, but it is the Town Manager, the Town Councilors for Hyannis and Hank Farnham who must be held responsible for running the system into the ground in three short years.

[John Julius]

Bugsy, good points! Yes, Hank Farnham DID in FACT ADMIT that he never read any of the FINANCIALS. NOT one of these morons did! They were all too stupid! And WHEN we questioned these clowns there was basically not ONE who agreed with us NOR did any one of them even care!

I gave the entire council a mountainload of PROOF that the water company was not only a huge RIPOFF but also that it was on its last legs. Gary posted volumes of proof and yet the clueless John Klimm and the useless clueless council could have cared less! Why should they? It is NOT THEIR MONEY!

So YES,when we look back, they are ALL culpable. EVERYONE of them! And still to this day I think a complete investigation should happen on the entire fiasco. Bring back Marshall Chiaraluce, former CEO from CONN Water and ask HIM WHY he wrote the letter to John Klimm that said he did NOT want his letter to be 'made part of the communication between them'. I will dig out that letter tonight and have Gary RE-POST it again. All the proof is right there, trust me.

Next, Manager Klimm made a PUBLIC STATEMENT about the water rates: Go back. it was published in the local PAPERS. Klimm stated that there would be water increases but in his words, " not more than 5% a year."

Now really, let's look at Klimm's words, or should I say, LIES? Naturally John Klimm KNEW FULL WELL that the Hyannis Water Company was BARELY breaking even. After all, the annual income was about 2.4 MIL and GARY had the actual financials sent to him. I READ THEM PUBLICLY to the morons on the council and STILL not one of the clowns got it! The EXPENSES back in 2004 were about 2.4 MIL and a ninth grader would KNOW that IF something was BARELY breaking even, and the company needed MILLIONS in capital improvements, then NATURALLY disaster was down the line now, WASN't IT!

Jim MUnafo, hello Jim? Anyone home? Hank Farnham, anyone home? Forget about the big man councilor from Auuuusterville Jim Crocker. HE COULD CARE LESS ABOUT the water in Hyannis. Neither could Ann Canedey from Baaaaarnstable Village. And the two 'ladies' from Marstons Mills, Leah Curtis and Janice Barton? THINK either of them could care less about the WATER in Hyannis? Think again.

The point is that all this helps PROVE two things:

1. The town NEEDS and DESERVE a NEW MANAGER and MORE COMPETENT LEADERSHIP!

2. We NEED BADLY a brand NEW town CHARTER!

Oh, and 3, we need to get RID of Janet Joakim and John Klimm. THIS will be a good start, for us ALL!

[John Julius]

Just so everyone knows this:

THE ASSWIPES from town hall are playing their games again. Word has it that Town Attorney Ruth Weil is playing her games and HOLDING the SIGNATURES AFTER the Town Clerk certified the signatures..... Seems that Ruth wants to do some 'research'.

HERE WE GO AGAIN with the ABUSE OF POWER from ANOTHER TOWN OFFICIAL! See, RUTH THINKS she too, is ABOVE THE LAW! Gee, what a surprise!

Maybe what we need to do is start flooding John Klimm and Ruth WEIL with phone calls DEMANDING that they ALL RESIGN! Here we have the NECESSARY number of signatures from the VOTERS in precinct SIX to RECALL Janet Joakim and now these asswipes THINK they have the power to do what they want! It is sickening how these morons think they can be ABOVE the LAW and think they can make their OWN LAWS!

Who knows? We might have to do ANOTHER TEN TAXPAYER LAWSUIT. THIS is again, PURE corruption at its BEST!

I just spoke to Town Attorney Ruth Weil and asked what her little GAMES are all about and she tells me that she is now "writing an opinion to Town Clerk Linda Hutchenrider." I demanded that Ruth do this ASAP since the clock is ticking! She told me that she has been in "meetings all day". Sure Ruth, SURE you have been in meetings all day. THE WASTE in the TOWN ATTORNEY's OFFICE is as putrid as those who work in there, and Ruth, this goes for you also!

We have another town OFFICIAL playing more games making up more of her own rules and laws. Ruth Weil. Ruth, we will remember that you need to go also. The filth at town hall is getting worse, by the day!

GARY WILL KEEP ALL POSTED

[insider]

Hey John - Do you still have Klimm's cell phone number? Why don't you give him a jingle and ask him WTF?

John,

When you call Klimm on his cell ask him if he moved to Yarmouth because he didn't want bat sh#t in his laundry.

He lives in Hyannis. I delivered to his house several weeks ago.

[moses new favorite gal]

If you don't like the way things are done in Barnstable, join the exodus. There goes little girl genius!

Did she take copies of your websites with her?

[Dr. Phil]

Don't forget your meds, dear.

[Wayyy Wayyy Inside]

The State is now onto Weil and Co. efforts to stop the recall. Powerful folks have had enough of the corruption. FEDS might be next to take a look. It's going to get ugly.

The key moment in this recall will be the subsequent race for the seat. People should be beating the bushes for a new and plausible candidate. Joe Pino is a fine man, but he has lost repeatedly to Joakim. Precinct 6 is the town in miniature. Without a system for identifying and developing political talent in every precinct, the same old mediocities will continue to prevail. Find an alternative to Pino. Even in the very unlikely event Joakim resigns, Precinct 6 and the town as a whole need fresh voices.

[Gary Lopez]

COGgers understand the dynamics because we just went through the process with the charter petition.

Lots of COGgers collected signatures to begin the process.

Once the measure was official, the race was open to everybody in town.

Six COGgers ran 11, 12, 13, etc.

Once the recall is official, the race to replace Joakim is open to all voters in her precinct.

COG hopes there will be lots of candidates, and possibly a primary to spur interest.

The recall election must attract at least 510 voters to turn out, otherwise the recall fails.

We see out job after Janet refuses to resign as one getting out the vote.

Today at 4pm the ZBA damage control crew will meet to consider potential aplicants. There is a story Tony Shepley has been approached to apply. No possible conflicts there! It sounds as though some of the names being proposed are simply outrageous, lots of cronies, etc.

The ZBA damage control team meets at 4pm. There are rumors about potential applicants, including Tony Shepley. No possible conflicts there! Look for additional inappropriate choices to emerge.

Shepley's plus as a person with a sea of knowledge of construction, is negated by a colossal conflict of interest.

Shepley sells building materials, and his pro vote for a special permit would go far in convincing proponents to buy their materials from him.

But then nothing the council does should be a surprise to anyone.

If the appointment committee are even considering nominating Tony Shepley then Hank Farnham has not learned one thing from COG over the last three years.

The ZBA is supposed to be an independent board.

Shepley is an unelected political hack. He's worse than Skip Simpson and probably more dangerous.

Hope you have a good attorney.