DiRocco challenges Zimini’s stand on Louisburg Square

During the Board of Selectmen’s meeting tonite, after the long discussion about the gentleman trying to follow the rules to be allowed to sell cars on 110 (has anyone checked out all those other ones down there?), Selectman Joe DiRocco asked to speak to a topic during the “old” business section of the meeting.

Selectman John Zimini, candidate for re-election, immediately challenged DiRocco’s right to bring up a topic, stating that it was not on the agenda and the new open meeting law does not allow for a new topic to be brought up.

The Town Manager corrected Mr Zimini, stating that a subject could be brought up, but not deliberated on. This ultimately allowed DiRocco to have his say, and cut off Mr Zimini from being able to respond. (He could have asked to have the topic put on the agenda for a future meeting).

What Mr DiRocco wanted to speak about what he called Mr Zimini’s “lies” in his public statements via “infomercial” regarding the Louisburg Square project.

He was upset that Zimini claimed that the project would have provided no relief to the 200 people on the waiting list for elderly housing. “At the time of the decision, the building had nine vacancies, and a number of residents in the building were on the waiting list,” DiRocco said. The claim that the project would not have helped was wrong he said.

As to the building being a “money pit,” as Zimini had said in his presentation, DiRocco pointed out that the Dracut Housing Authority had hired an expert, Mr Slotnick, who explained that the project would be financially viable, and even lined up nearly 3 million dollars in state support for the project.

“It was just like the school project,” he said, explaining that in the end the renovated building would be like new.

DiRocco then went on, saying that “in his infomerical, he talks about a new project on Lakeview which is a 40b — and he should not be talking about that,” reminding us that Zimini works for Mass Housing and thus should recuse himself from any discussion regarding Chapter 40b projects.

“People need to pay attention,” he finished “to what’s going on in this town, because believe me, its not good.”

Zimini had nothing to say for the remainder of the meeting.