The above-captioned matter was scheduled to be heard as a contested case on February 5, 2015 at 11:00 A.M., at which time the respondents and their counsel appeared, but the complainant did not appear to prosecute the case.

     The hearing officer notes that Attorney John S. Bennet, counsel for the respondents, appeared at the hearing with two witnesses—the First Selectman for the Town of Westbrook, and the Chairman of the Board of Finance for the Town of Westbrook.  It is further noted that the 11:00 AM contested case hearing corresponded with terrible weather conditions.  Counsel represented that, in order to arrive to the Commission on time, he and his clients had driven for over an hour through a snow storm.  Counsel anticipated that it would take them just as long to return to Westbrook.  

     The following order by the Commission is hereby recommended on the basis of the record concerning the above-captioned complaint:

     1.  The complaint is hereby dismissed.

     2.  The complainant is admonished for his failure to appear at the hearing in this matter, which failure resulted in a waste of scarce state and local resources.

Approved by Order of the Freedom of Information Commission at its regular meeting of March 25, 2015.

__________________________
Cynthia A. Cannata
Acting Clerk of the Commission

PURSUANT TO SECTION 4-180(c), G.S., THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NAMES OF EACH PARTY AND THE MOST RECENT MAILING ADDRESS, PROVIDED TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COMMISSION, OF THE PARTIES OR THEIR AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE.

THE PARTIES TO THIS CONTESTED CASE ARE:

Chris Ehlert
96 Kenrose Terrace
Westbrook, CT  06498

First Selectman, Town of Westbrook; Chairman,
Board of Finance, Town of Westbrook; and
Town of Westbrook
c/o John S. Bennet, Esq.
P.O. Box 959
Essex, CT  06426

____________________________
Cynthia A. Cannata
Acting Clerk of the Commission

FIC/2014-463/FD/cac/3/25/2015