During the public comment section of last week’s Lloyd Town Board meeting, resident Crystal Hammond pressed Supervisor Fred Pizzuto on what action he and the board would take concerning the behavior of Councilwoman Claire Winslow at recent Town Board meetings. She said she sent Pizzuto an email about this matter.

“I wonder where we stand with the letter that I wrote because it seems it’s been brushed under the rug at this point,” Hammond said. “Considering that the meetings continue to be quite aggressive verbally and with the outbursts and continued heckling and insulting of one of the councilmen on the board, I find that quite disturbing and embarrassing for anyone who wants to move to Highland and have to hear the dysfunction of a Town Board member.”

Hammond said she has not yet received a response from Pizzuto, “and silence tells me it’s acceptable and I would like clarification on that.”

Pizzuto said he will check with the town attorney on the matter, with Hammond telling him that he had already promised that before but no response followed.

Hammond could see Winslow on her computer screen and called her out, saying, “I don’t think its funny Claire; what’s this laughing.” Winslow responded, “At you.”

Pizzuto asked that Hammond direct her questions to him.

“We’re having an extremely civil meeting tonight and I’d like to keep it like that,” he said.

Hammond responded.

“I am having a civil meeting trying to discuss something publicly that you could have addressed privately, but since you didn’t I have to address it publicly and she’s heckling and laughing at me and I don’t appreciate it. She’s inappropriate and I would like to have what I wrote in that letter addressed.”

An individual, who failed to identify himself, did not offer a solution to this ongoing problem, but called out for the meeting monitor to, “Just cut her off” Hammond told Pizzuto that, “this is the kind of behavior of your town; you cannot control them.”

Pizzuto said it was not his job to control his fellow councilpersons.

“We all have one vote, we’re all independently elected and I don’t get to control anybody but myself,” he said. Both Winslow and Pizzuto then called for Hammond to be muted.

Winslow said she is an elected official and this is a Town Board meeting, “so go to the polls the next time, I don’t know what to tell you.”

Pizzuto ended the exchange by saying, “enough, enough, enough, I’m not going there tonight, we’re done.” He said he would speak to the town’s attorney and would have him reply to Hammond’s complaint.