Setting the Record Straight: A Response from the Pomfret Republican Town Committee

To: WINY News

Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to respond publicly to the statements made last Thursday by Pomfret’s First Selectman, Maureen Nicholson, on your morning radio show. This statement will help set the record straight.

RE: STATEMENT FROM POMFRET SELECTMAN MARTHA EMILIO

Pomfret’s First Selectman, Maureen Nicholson’s statements on last Thursday’s WINY morning radio are unfortunate and intended to shift blame to others. Incredibly, she said I am at fault for telling the truth by sharing the letter from Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environment (DEEP).

As an elected Pomfret Selectman, I took an oath. I have legal, ethical, and fiduciary duties associated with my service to the Town. This includes truthfully communicating with our residents and exercising diligence in being sure our Town is operating legally and effectively. It should be obvious to all that this includes telling the truth.

There have been five (5) Board of Selectmen meetings in which the DEEP letter could—and should—have been presented, yet it was not disclosed. When our Town faces serious potential legal and financial impacts, I will always inform our residents, seek information, and help work toward solutions; a solution that is in the best interests of our Town.

I do not believe swapping valuable Town land so Nicholson can build a public entertainment platform in an old swimming pool is such a solution. Trading away Town property is like giving away our money and is fraught with other problems. It appears that Nicholson does not have legal authority to do this; what are the implications? Let’s fix this the right way.

Key Details/Facts Matter

▪ Last week, instead of addressing the facts, the First Selectman used her exclusive airtime to blame others, including me, for her substantial and growing mistakes; all made worse by the lack of normal checks and balances and accountability of our Town’s highest office holder. Every taxpayer in Pomfret should be paying attention, because this issue is bigger than the ongoing mismanagement of the Pomfret Forest. It is a sinkhole of money for a project no one voted for, knew about, and at what long term cost for ongoing insurance, upkeep & maintenance.

▪ The simple fact is that the First Selectman’s mismanagement of the Pomfret Forest began several years ago when she failed to obtain a legal opinion, an insurance review, and input from CT DEEP, BEFORE she gave away the exclusive right to build mountain bike tracks and features in the Pomfret Forest. Nicholson’s statement: “All is fine”.

▪ As the construction of specialized trails continued, effectively shutting out recreational bikers, hikers, and horseback riders, questions were asked last year about these same commonsense questions. Instead of addressing the issues, the First Selectman launched a fast and furious public relations campaign, including using Town funds for a paid consultant. Calling people names, orchestrating mob outrage, and generating social media attacks, including on WINY, was her priority.

▪ Inexplicably, late last summer, instead of resolving the open issues, Nicholson decided an entertainment platform in the old pool in the Pomfret Forest would be a good idea and started construction. Using Town funds, contractors and DPW staff (being paid overtime), Nicholson plowed ahead, now not only without the background due diligence but also with no building permits. Only after complaints, Nicholson applied for and received approval from Pomfret’s Planning and Zoning Commission. No one checked with DEEP or sought a legal opinion despite the plain and obvious meaning of the restrictions in the DEEP Easement Agreement.

▪ As we entered 2026, the mismanagement only got worse. It turns out we now know that the Town received a letter from DEEP on December 2, 2025, raising the exact issues Nicholson was asked about and ignored earlier. The Town was ordered to stop construction.

▪ Conservation easements like the one for the Pomfret Forest are designed to be permanent, tied to that specific parcel of land. Nicholson’s suggestion of a land swap as a solution should be closely scrutinized. The transfer of commercially valuable town property to a 3rd party for less valuable land with an old swimming pool that requires expense to improve & maintain is not authorized under the current town budget or any Town Commissions.

What now? Where do we go from here?

1. The First Selectman should admit the appearance of a conflict of interest and seek input on the proposed solution from CT DEEP. Although the First Selectman has broad executive power to “superintend the concerns of the town”, they must act in good faith, with reasonable diligence, and in the Town’s best interests. And the First Selectman’s authority includes the requirement of including the Board of Selectmen. In this matter, it is blatantly obvious that Nicholson’s own mistakes have created this problem. By hiding information and conducting secretive negotiations, the appearance of covering up her own mistakes is unavoidable.

2. By including others like the elected Selectmen and others such as subject matter experts, the Town can have confidence in a solution that is objective and in the best interest of the Town. Withholding important correspondence, especially if it relates to finances, insurance claims, legal exposure, or town operations, is failing to “superintend” properly because it prevents the town from functioning with full information. Failing to act in an objective and impartial way, unreasonable delays in disclosing important information, or acting outside the scope of authority may be breaches of statutory duty and may expose the person and the Town to liability.

3. Residents should demand more accountability and have their voices heard. Over 1/3 of our residents are on fixed incomes, and the costs of living in Connecticut and Pomfret keep going up. Many families require two incomes just to make ends meet. If you question why the Town is spending its time, paid personnel, and money on an entertainment platform in an old pool, I do too.

I urge you to learn more and speak up. You can count on me to do just that.

- Martha Emilio, Pomfret Selectman