Swampscott attorney steps down from zoning board

SWAMPSCOTT – A local attorney has stepped down from the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee after allegations of conflict of interest.Attorney William DiMento confirmed Friday that he received a phone call a couple of weeks ago from the State Ethics Commission regarding his serving on the committee and he said he stepped down.DiMento, who represents several businesses in the Humphrey Street area and who is a Town Meeting member, has been on the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee since its inception, said, “I do not believe there is a conflict of interest. Town Meeting members are exempt from the conflict of interest law in their role as a Town Meeting member. We have Town Meeting members voting on their own salaries.”DiMento said he did not step down because he believes there is a conflict of interest, but out of concern for the committee.”I did not want to jeopardize the important work this committee is doing,” DiMento said. “But I would just as soon step aside as fight about it or have people cast aspersions on the important work the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee is doing.”State Ethics Committee Spokesman David Giannotti said the policy of the commission is to confirm or deny a complaint or investigation. Giannotti said unless a case is resolved with enforcement it is not a matter of public record.Peter Spellios, a member of the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee, said DiMento’s expertise would be missed.”Bill was a tremendous asset to the committee,” Spellios said. “He has 30-plus years of zoning experience and was a tremendous help.”Spellios pointed out the Zoning Bylaw Committee holds public meetings and input from residents is more than welcome.”It has always been an open and transparent process,” he said.One member of the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee who asked not to be identified chalked the complaint up to small town politics.”It’s ridiculous,” the committee member said. “All it takes to start an inquiry is an anonymous phone call to the Ethics Commission. In this town you would be hard pressed to find someone on a town committee without a conflict of interest. We have a lot of lawyers serving on a lot of committees and an attorney serving as moderator, who regularly goes before the Zoning Board of Appeals.”Selectman Jill Sullivan, who is a former Planning Board member and is also on the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee, said the Planning Board appointed the members of the Committee.”We selected him with the full knowledge of his position in town,” she said. “Peter (Spellios) is on the Zoning Board of Appeals and a zoning attorney in town also. We thought we needed their expertise. When we set this committee up it was something that was discussed at length.”Sullivan pointed out an earlier Zoning Bylaw Review Committee in town was chaired by attorney Kenneth Shutzer, who is a zoning attorney in town as well.”We don’t believe that someone representing clients in town makes it a de facto conflict of interest,” she said. “Joey Burke, who is a builder in town, is on the committee as well. We all felt like DiMento was a great addition to the committee and his expertise was needed. I don’t think there was any conflict of interest.”