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Fairfield Orders Review of Train Station Costs

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Many in town have questions about the possible $6.4 million price tag to finish the third train station. Now it’s up to a trio of Board of Finance members led by Kevin Kiley to find the answers.

The board approved hiring Joseph Centofanti and Kostin, Ruffkess and Co. LLC as independent auditors to delve into the town’s handling of the Fairfield Metro station construction project. The group will report to a subcommittee of Kiley, Kenneth Brachfeld and Mary LeClerc by the end of next month.

“We need a full review of the project from an independent third party,” said Board of Finance Chair Thomas Flynn. “To make sure that we know where it went wrong, what could have been done better … and so we’re level set on where we stand with this project today.”

Interim First Selectman Michael Tetreau announced that Fairfield’s third train station was running over budget by $2.4 million to $6.4 million. The announcement Monday night came as a shock to most Fairfielders, as former First Selectman Kenneth Flatto had said in April that the project was still in the black.

In a special meeting Wednesday night, the Board of Finance tasked Tetreau and Centofanti to answer questions about the construction process up to this point. In particular, the auditors will look into how every dollar spent was spent, who authorized the spending and whether the money may have gone to other projects.

“[The audit] is not so much to look back on, although that will be useful,” Flynn said. “But it’s also so we have the right control structure moving forward so we’re not surprised again.”

The Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen started demanding answers of Flatto at Wednesday’s meeting. Flatto maintained that he was open about the problems with contaminated soil that led to the cost overruns when he left office in May to become the head of the state Division of Special Revenue.

He also defended his negotiations with the state Department of Transportation in April 2010, which left Fairfield with any final costs on the station in exchange for a $19.5 million grant. Flatto also explained why he conducted those negotiations alone with town attorney Richard Saxl, saying the state refused to bargain with anyone else in the room. He chose not to consult with others to comply with their process. “I did my best,” Flatto said. “And I’m sure if we’d come in $3 million under budget everyone would be slapping me on the back.”

The Representative Town Meeting will hold its own special meeting next week to sign off on the Board of Finance’s audit and ask questions. Once all the information is collected, the town’s boards will decide in August whether to appropriate the money to finish the train station.

Have your own questions about the problems surrounding the third train station? Leave them in the comments below or send them to gcanuel@thedailyfairfield.com

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