SOUTHWICK – A discussion about motocross became heated last night when Selectwoman Tracy Cesan accused the Board of Selectmen of placing unfair demands on the American Legion Post 338.
The Legion operates the motocross track, which is run by new promoter Keith Johnson and financed by Michael Grondahl.
Cesan said a $5,000 license fee and a detailed checklist required by the board were taxing demands that are not made on other town entities. Cesan said the board singled out the Legion and motocross and said Selectmen Russell Fox and Joseph Deedy were discriminating against them.
“We’re making things a little difficult for them and I want to know why,” Cesan said. “I feel they are being singled out.”
Deedy said the checklist was the same as the one given last year. Deedy said last year, Grondahl signed on as the promoter and the board took the opportunity to make sure things were being done properly. Because Johnson is a new promoter this year, the checklist was sent again.
Cesan said it seemed that the board was being unfair because an event held at the Southwick Recreation Center was not properly permitted and the board found out after the fact and did not take action because of Fox’s affiliation with the Center.
Cesan questioned the $5,000 license fee for use of town property. For many years, MX 338 used several acres of land for pit parking that is owned by the town and run by the schools. Last year the town charged $2,500 for use of the land. Cesan asked why the fee was so high now.
Deedy said the amount was based on a usage fee MX pays for property owned by the Colson family. It was suggested in a February meeting that the Legion could pass on the fee to the promoter and it was suggested as a kind of payment in lieu of taxes. The town property is three acres and Deedy said the Colson property is about five acres and is mostly wooded and unusable by motocross.
A member of the Legion in the audience said the Colson property is much larger than five acres.
“It’s not used like the parcel the town owns,” said Deedy, adding that there are also 10 more races this year than in the past.
Cesan also said Fox harrassed her by not allowing administrative assistant Cindy Pendleton to give her information on the license fee and checklist which were made when Cesan was absent from past meetings.
Fox said he did not deny Cesan any information, but said he would rather discuss it during the board meeting. He then said if she was not absent, she would not have needed the information.
“You missed several meetings and there was public input and discussion about it in lieu of taxes if it’s a for-profit promoter,” said Fox.
Cesan yelled at Fox that the reason she missed several meetings was that she felt uncomfortable because of the way she was treated by him.
“I wasn’t there because you harrassed me,” she said.
Fox asked Cesan to show some decorum and said the bottom line was that no one was being discriminated against.
“We bent over backwards to try to get motocross back,” he said. “There were problems in the past that we couldn’t turn a blind eye to. I hope it’s very successful. I hope the promoter is succellful, and I hope the Legion makes some money.”
Fox said they need to ensure that the entire process is legal and noted that the Legion ran its first race on Easter illegally because it did not have a permit.
A member of the Legion said he would pay the $500 permit fee and pick up the permit prior to the next race this Saturday.
Cesan maintained that Fox denied her the information she requested through Pendleton. Pendleton said she consulted Fox when Cesan requested background information because Cesan’s request was not specific.
“You weren’t denied anything,” said Fox.
The board agreed it would discuss the $5,000 fee as an agenda item at its next meeting.
