Dear Mayor French,

Today I attended my 4th Rye Board of Ethics meeting convened at your request, this one specifically referencing what is now known locally as the Dapolite Complaint. Mr. Dapolite asked the Rye City Council for a Council led investigation of his direct superiors who had directed him to mislead the public. But somehow your “Un-Fabulous Four” council majority that presently controls through a single seat (that being the seat that you personally occupy) – continues to protect you and your directives. Your Un-Fabulous Four tactically insists on having someone else conduct the dirty work of public damage control, like when senior city staff get caught lying over and over again. So you’ve invented a process funnel to a now reduced 3 person panel that lacks the authority to investigate, lacks the power to take testimony under oath, lacks the power to marshal all the facts and operates fully outside the scope of its city charter authority. Many now refer to it simply as “The Whitewash Crew.”

As I sat in the room observing all these people in attendance a thought occurred to me that I’d like to share. It’s a thought founded out of a concern for the good names of the sitting members of this so called “Ethics Committee,” Mr. Dapolite, Rye City Manager Pickup, Rye TV Access Coordinator Livetsky and anyone else that is or will soon be roped into this or the previous managerial malfeasance mess’s that you have personally created here in Rye.

I thought of how all of the people who were in this room were there solely because of your actions and inaction’s as Mayor of the City of Rye. I thought of how all of the people who were in this room were there solely because of your self centered desire to protect yourself regardless of the consequences to others and I thought about all the people that were involved or will soon be involved solely because of your inability to govern Rye honestly.

Mr. Dapolite was attending this Ethics meeting to ostensibly discuss his written complaint. That complaint accused a fellow coworker and her supervisor of multiple inappropriate and illegal actions that were undertaken because you didn’t want certain public meetings televised to the public. Mrs. Matthews, Ex-Mayor Dunn and Judge Alfano were in the room to “evaluate” the words and actions of two senior Rye City employees that apparently had a very good relationship with Mr. Dapolite for years prior to your order that the public be lied to. Mrs. Matthews, Ex-Mayor Dunn and Judge Alfano were back in this awkward room with me for the 4th time in as many months solely because of your inconsiderate wishes.

That thought also brought me memories of the previous Ethics Board meeting where Ms. Eckman (Building Inspector) and Ms.Whitty (Tax Assessor) were in attendance. At that meeting, as in this one, you took respected members of the Rye community and asked them to open their own reputations to question simply to protect one person – you. What you refuse to recognize (and some here are still afraid to say) is that you are the one that has created the stain on this community because of your illegal actions, your selfish ego and your refusal to take responsibility for your inability to govern this City within the boundaries of integrity. So rather than simply stepping down from the Council, you continue to require multiple City employees to commit crimes and jeopardize their lifelong careers to protect you. Politicians like you successfully ruin the reputations of many good and decent people. I know shame is a concept you’re unfamiliar with – perhaps others will soon advise you of its parameters.