Two Select Board members criticized for Medeiros Farm vote

Seekonk Select Board members Elizabeth Elmasian and Robert Archamabult have been criticized for their votes on the Medeiros Farm project.

At the June 24 meeting, in a 3 to 2 decision, the board rejected a bid award for designer services to CHA Consulting for $549,450.

Christopher Zorra and Michael Healy were in favor, with Chairperson Gary Sagar, Elmasian, and Archambault in opposition.

The board voted to conduct a traffic study before proceeding with any expenditures for the project.

The Town acquired Medeiros Farm for $2 million. At the May 2023 Town Meeting, voters authorized the spending of $150,000 from the Community Preservation Fund to hire a consultant to develop a master plan for the Medeiros Farm. A seven member committee was later appointed to oversee the project.

Christopher Rizzo, the Treasurer of the Democratic Town Committee, filed an Open Meeting Law complaint on July 2 with the Massachusetts Attorney General. Rizzo is also a member of the Finance Committee.

“Inadequate disclosures should have prevented Mr. Archambault and Ms. Elmasian from voting and potentially participating on Item R, negating all votes taken. Mr. Archambault had previously disclosed his status as an abutter to the Medeiros Farm property. Specifically, the circumstances for that vote were different and a new disclosure for this specific vote was not filed.”

The complaint also states Elmasian’s campaign finance report “does not adequately account for material support (mailer) provided by the “Friends of Elizabeth Elmasian.” Rizzo contends the group had not registered or filed with the local authority “which encompasses two campaign finance violations.”

Archambault and Elmasian were elected to the Select Board last April.

“You are wasting my money by shutting down the design study appropriated by town meeting,” resident Anne Miller said at the board’s August 5 meeting.

Elmasian responded to Miller, noting there was a “lack of language” pertaining to a traffic study in the contracts.

“I’ve been reading contracts for 28 years,” Elmasian added. “And no place in any of those documents did it say a traffic study was to be conducted. And that contract with CHA, I think a 10 year old could’ve done a better job with it. We did not put a stop to this project. Since when is public safety put on the back burner?”

Meanwhile, a citizens advocacy group has been launched in an effort to get the project going again.

“The Seekonk Democratic Town Committee has formed the Friends of Medeiros Farm group to support the will of the voters at Town Meeting,” read a July 23 post on Facebook.

“This group is open to all Seekonk residents motivated to see the project through as voters intended.”

Archambault found some errors in the Master Plan for the project.

“The cost section was left out to begin with,” Archambault wrote to the Reporter on Monday. “An approximate cost to maintain a 40 acre campus like this one can also be found. A Traffic impact study to insure community safety is required. However we are moving in the right direction with a planned traffic study. Leaving an obsolete Master Plan on the Town website is confusing to the community especially when voting on it at Town Meeting.”

Archambault added he wants the Medeiros Farm project “done properly and transparently without legal and financial missteps.  I know (residents) would expect nothing less from us but to make sure you receive value for your tax dollars and an explanation of your future financial obligations.  If accomplished, we can all make better informed decisions as we build out this 40 acre campus known as Medeiros Farm.  This will only be done through cooperation, flexibility and patience.”