Is there a connection? Yes. Bob Burns’ article in last Wednesday’s Times, “Councilman Yates accused of conflict of interest,” makes the case despite the claims by Cecil Yates that he is not connected in the business relationship of his employer and Shea Connelly’s Park Place.

There are several “connections.” Yates works for Commercial Properties Inc (CPI): Yes. Yates encourages the Town to pay $30,000 for space at Park Place in partnership with the Chamber (what Yates said was “a steal”) last summer: Yes. Yates leads the charge to fire the Town Attorney because he facilitated a meeting to exact payment of the development fees on Oct. 3, 2017: Yes. CPI gets a contract from Shea Connelly to manage commercial space at Park Place on Oct. 18, 2017: Yes. Only after CPI got the commercial space management contract did Shea Connelly finally pay the development fees on Dec. 14, 2017: Yes.

Yates said at the council meeting on Jan. 16, 2018, when pressed, that he was a “construction manager” in a different building; the CPI website says he’s “Director of Property Management”: Yes. Yates’ company profits from the Shea Connelly business connection: Yes. Yates has received campaign contributions from Shea starting in 2012: Yes. Yates is connected, despite his claims otherwise: Yes.

By the way, just in case you wonder, there have been six times the town council met in executive session specific to the Park Place development agreement beginning on Aug. 15, 2017. Three were prior to CPI’s commercial space management contract and three afterward. Councilman Yates participated in these meetings? Yes.

Cecil Yates can claim innocence, but the facts prove the connection.