LEYDEN — The Selectboard briefly addressed ongoing concerns regarding the return of town-owned equipment on Monday, expressing confidence in a March 30 deadline to have the missing items returned.
Residents have repeatedly voiced concern regarding the whereabouts of outstanding equipment, some of which the town received through the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) Program, which transfers excess military equipment to non-military law enforcement agencies. Some items have been in the possession of Dan Galvis, the town’s emergency management director and former police chief. Galvis retired in October after the Selectboard reviewed racist content from emails he shared with town employees and officers between 2015 and 2016, an incident that Galvis says has misrepresented him.
As part of the LESO Program, the town is tasked with returning federally-allocated equipment, aside from the equipment Galvis must return to the town. Selectboard Chair Bill Glabach said he has faith in Galvis’ ability to account for all missing equipment by the March 30 deadline.
“That was (a deadline) we think we can make and that’s the one we’re shooting for,” Glabach said following Monday’s meeting. “I think Dan is going to be able to meet that.”
Galvis, who did not attend the meeting, could not be reached for comment by press time on Tuesday.
The equipment’s total value, which some residents claim to be in the realm of $1.5 million, was referred to by Glabach as “the big lie” and a “Trump tactic” to apply pressure to the town.
“There was never $1.5 million of equipment. That stuff is 30 to 40 years old,” he said at the meeting.
Glabach has previously said the $1.5 million value does not reflect the age or condition of the equipment. Some equipment, he said, was “cannibalized” for spare parts.
Finance Committee Chair Ginger Robinson, who has been vocal of her frustrations regarding the equipment being unaccounted for, said notable missing equipment includes four trailers. Selectboard members admitted to not having knowledge of where specific items may be.
Robinson said a key issue is that all responsibility lies with Galvis, who Selectboard members have said is the only person who knows what has been moved or denoted as surplus and sold. Leyden, she said, must wait to see if Galvis gives back the federal equipment the town needs to return.
“It’s not really up to us to get it back,” Robinson said. “Nobody’s going to go onto his property and take it back.”
At a previous Selectboard meeting, Galvis said he sold one or two military cargo trailers and transferred others to other towns, though he could not name where. Municipal Assistant Michele Giarusso previously confirmed Galvis has returned some non-lethal weapons that are still in the packaging and never used.
“This has been going on for 20 years,” Galvis said at a Feb. 28 meeting. “I don’t remember that far back.”
Glabach said he was unsure if he could reassure the community that the status of Leyden’s emergency services and relevant town endeavors will improve after the March 30 equipment return deadline. Still, he said, he isn’t nervous about the town’s ability to have all equipment accounted for.
“I’m not concerned, really,” he said. “Once we get rid of the stuff we’ve got to send back, I’m not concerned.”
Speaking by phone Tuesday, Margaret White, the LESO Program’s state point of contact, said the organization has already received the vast majority of federally-allocated equipment. Although a small percentage of this equipment has yet to be returned, she said she is “absolutely” confident that Galvis and town officials will have it ready by the March 30 deadline. She supported her optimism by citing the Selectboard “maintaining accountability” with Galvis and talks with Finance Committee members indicating they have the money needed to send the equipment back.
“It’s not 100% turned in,” she said, “but it will be in the next few days.”
The original deadline, scheduled for Dec. 31 of last year, was postponed as Leyden underwent reorganization and considered shipping options. By Wednesday, March 16, White hopes the last of the equipment will be ready to ship to a turn-in location in Pennsylvania.
According to White, once the equipment is returned, Leyden is terminating its connection to the federal LESO Program.
Reach Julian Mendoza
at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.