By Will Collette
Charlestown Parks and Recreation Director Jay Primiano has formally notified Deborah Dellolio, owner of the Dog Pound hot dog concessionaire, that the town will not renew her contract to service the two town beaches for a second year.
Primiano notified Dellolio by certified letter that the town was rejecting her request for renewal and would put the contract for the town beach concessions out to competitive bid in early 2012.
I have written extensively about the 11 year monopoly Dellolio held at Charlestown Town Beach. That monopoly expanded to include Blue Shutters Beach this past summer. Dellolio's monopoly resulted in more than $40,000 in lost revenues to Charlestown. Concessionaires at Blue Shutters Beach, where there was lively competitive bidding, paid the town almost $60,000 for the beach rights while Dellolio only paid $17,002.
Dellolio has shared the same home with former Parks and Recreation Director Lisa DiBello since 1993. Since 2001, she and DiBello were also business associates through the non-profit, A Ray of Hope, which they ran out of their home. These conditions represent apparent violations of Rhode Island ethics laws against conflict of interest and nepotism.
I'll have more detail for you on the reasons behind the decision of the town to end its contract with the Dog Pound later.
Here is Primiano's notice letter to Dellolio:
