Politics, Capital Projects Highlighted 2008

By John Voket

As Newtown looks back on 2008, its residents can cite some changes realized and some hopes stalled; some new political leadership at the state level and some trusted officials returned to office; some attempt to build consensus among leading town boards and some staunch divergence of ideals among some of those boards’ members.

Victories were few, and some initial battles won seem distant in the face of projects promised that now appear to be jeopardized by an apparent combination of what some say was poor planning, inopportune timing, unexpected economic fallout, or just plain bad luck.

Any scant good news came in the form of preventative measures that may better protect, and possibly enhance, the town’s precious and respectable AA1 bond rating. A charter change went into effect allowing for the finance authority to manage a modest fund balance — a rainy day surplus to cushion taxpayers against sudden or catastrophic financial occurrences.

Taxpayers helped the cause by passing the 2007-2008 budget on the first attempt, along with an appropriation to underwrite the town’s largest single capital project ever — a $38.8 million expansion and renovation of the Newtown High School.

Whether they knew them all, or never met a single one, Newtown residents lost the service of several key public officials to job changes or retirement in 2008. And they helped make history by supporting the man who would become America’s first African American President, both in the state primary and in the general election.

While it is impossible to recap all the stories that occurred in Newtown’s core government in 2008, several themes or characteristics remained consistent throughout the year. And other stories stood on their own merit as important milestones marking a community’s journey through yet another year.

Does Anybody Remember The Newtown Survey?

After much hype and promotion, including an editorial endorsement by The Newtown Bee and a float dedicated to it in the 2007 Labor Day Parade, resident Paul Lundquist revealed the outcome of a communitywide survey he volunteered to conduct. While its statistical data was targeted for use by many town agencies and elected boards for the purposes of long-term planning, there was little further public discussion about its analysis just a few weeks after initial airing.

“We had 852 households participate in the study, and these households represented an excellent cross section of the town, reflecting its true demographic proportions,” Mr Lundquist said on the eve of its dissemination.

In a January 8 presentation, Mr Lundquist was prepared with statistical data on a variety of issues, ranging from satisfaction with local schools, opinions about senior and recreation programs, even participants’ favorite thing about living in Newtown.

“That would be the two-dollar movies at Edmond Town Hall,” Mr Lundquist said. Among the survey’s many points:

*Two-thirds (76 percent) believed the town government lacks a clear vision for the future, and 57 percent perceived a lack of ability to communicate with residents.

*Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed said substance abuse among teens was the “most urgent,” or “major” problem facing the community.

*More than half responding believed the prevalence of ticks and Lyme disease is an “urgent” problem

*Fewer than four in ten, a “significant minority,” of residents responding wanted to see a town hall project at Fairfield Hills stopped.

Presidential Elections, Referendums, And Primaries, Oh My!

The town clerk and Newtown’s Registrars of Voters had a busy — and history making — 2008. Local electors were first called to cast votes in the Presidential Preference Primary, Tuesday, February 5. Besides endorsing party preferences for Presidential candidates, locally the primaries marked a big change for those who formerly reported to Middle Gate School to cast their ballots.

Starting with the 2008 primaries, District 3-2 voters were switched to casting ballots at the Edmond Town Hall Gymnasium. Harkening the change as a safety measure, Democratic Registrar LeReine Frampton said, “Our goal is to keep the children and voters separate.”

In the end, Newtown voters mirrored their counterparts across Connecticut on “Super Tuesday,” with local Republicans endorsing John McCain and Democrats supporting Barack Obama in their respective presidential primaries.

The next consideration for local voters was a $105 million town budget proposal, as well as a $38.8 million high school funding request, which were both presented to taxpayers April 22. Shortly after the polls closed, a joyful cheer went up from a gathered crowd of elected officials and education supporters. About 6,200 eligible voters had turned out and endorsed every measure on a complex referendum ballot.

On every line, the sequence of Yes votes outnumbered those in the No column, authorizing the town’s highest municipal budget, and the single largest municipal spending investment in the town’s history.

Elation over the first-try passage of the full funding appropriation for the high school expansion was dashed in late August when it was learned that bids for the project came in more than $6 million over budget. So voters were once again called to the polls to consider whether or not to spend the additional amount to deliver a project that was already endorsed, and expected to be delivered at $38.8 million.

But that special referendum failed by a 26-vote margin with 2,421 Yes votes and 2,447 No votes Tuesday, October 7.

While carrying out the special referendum, local voting officials and poll workers concurrently prepared for what was expected to be an unprecedented turnout for the November 4 Presidential election. And the predictions came to fruition that historic day as more than 15,000 Newtowners either turned out or cast absentee ballots in advance.

The turnout was indeed historic. So historic that Newtown learned several weeks later it achieved the highest voter turnout in the state among towns its size for the Presidential election. The state official subsequently announced that Newtown would join three other state communities as winners of the 2008 “Democracy Cup.”

Both Republican Registrar Karin Aurelia and her Democratic counterpart felt the award was an appropriate reflection of the community’s spirit.

“I think this past year the voters in Newtown have learned complacency does not have any place in elections or referendums,” Ms Frampton said.

...In Other Election News

Within hours of Republican legislator Julia Wasserman’s mid-March announcement of her retirement plans, news of two local Legislative Council members preparing campaigns to fill her seat began circulating. And within a day both Republican council Chairman Will Rodgers and Democrat Christopher Lyddy confirmed they wanted to represent the 106th District come November.

Saying she would not have traded the past 18 years for anything, but acknowledging that her commitment to serve Newtown and the state has caused her to put personal issues on the back burner, Rep Wasserman announced to supporters at a Republican Town Committee (RTC) meeting that she would not seek another term in Hartford.

By mid-May, both Mr Lyddy and Mr Rodgers had received their Town Committee’s endorsements and the race was on. Both candidates qualified for the first-ever round of state public campaign financing, and as Election Day drew closer, Mr Lyddy turned to a direct mail campaign for the lion’s share of his media promotion, while Mr Rodgers favored print ads in the newspaper.

A Newtown Bee debate at Edmond Town Hall, which was also televised on the local public access cable channel and podcasted by the newspaper, was well attended. The event not only gave Mr Lyddy and Mr Rodgers an opportunity to square off on numerous issues, but it gave attendees and viewers a chance to meet 115th District candidates, Democrat Michele Mount and incumbent Republican DebraLee Hovey, as well.

And on Election Day, local voters sent the freshman council member Mr Lyddy to Hartford with a total of 7,054 votes versus 5,507 cast for Mr Rodgers. Republican State Senator John McKinney, who also serves as the Senate Minority Leader, was returned to office, as was Newtown’s US Congressman Chris Murphy.

And Ms Hovey won re-election handily in her district over Ms Mount, a local attorney and newcomer to the local political scene.

As The Newtown Bee’s last edition of 2008 went to press, Mr Lyddy had resolved in writing via an e-mail to “wait until the end of the month to resign from the Council.” But no such resignation had been forthcoming as of December 31.

Continuing Exodus Of Local Officials Made Way For New Faces

The year marked a continuing exodus of public officials who brought many decades of experience to the town and its various operations.

Benjamin Spragg, who served as the town’s finance director for 26 years, retired in May. He was replaced by Robert Tait. According to Mr Tait’s resume, he had served for just over a year as finance director in Meriden, and before that he spent 11 years as controller, and eight years as the town’s internal auditor.

Mr Spragg said he was impressed to learn that while Mr Tait was working by day in Meriden, he would often spend nights and weekends assisting other towns that were between finance directors.

Parks & Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian, who worked for the town for 35 years, retired, and was eventually replaced by Newtown Teen Center Director Amy Mangold.

Having served as assessor for only four years, Tom DeNoto recently announced he was departing to take the job as assessor in his hometown of Bristol. He told The Bee that his new position will afford him a five-minute drive to the office versus the 40–60-minute average one-way commute to Newtown.

While Mr DeNoto is the most recently hired department head to resign, in his short tenure he helped streamline his department’s technology, and helped bring Newtown through its most recent state-mandated property revaluation.

He was replaced by Chris Kelsey, who also brought with him a wealth of experience as a former assistant municipal assessor and a data collector for a municipal revaluation firm.

Joseph DelBuono served seven years as Newtown’s director of emergency communications, managing the 24-hour dispatch center handling all local police, fire, and ambulance traffic. In mid-June, he transitioned to a similar position with a regional dispatch center serving Litchfield County.

His vacancy was filled by Newtown native and Sandy Hook resident Maureen Will. Ms Will served as a captain of the Brookfield Police Department, and working in that capacity since 1999, she supervised the Communications Division with responsibilities including scheduling, training, and personnel management.

Former Political Running Mates Diverged

The year brought with it continued high profile divisiveness between former political running mates on the Board of Selectmen. First Selectman Joe Borst had not been in office for more than a few weeks in late 2007 before his Republican running mate sided with former First Selectman Herb Rosenthal in compelling Mr Borst to move forward with plans to sign commercial leases being negotiated with the Fairfield Hills Authority.

In early February of 2008, Mr Borst again clashed with Mr Mangiafico over a letter prematurely waiving $52,000 in town permitting and fees, and an additional $12,000 in mechanical fees to developer Peter D’Amico for his nonprofit Newtown Youth Academy, which was about to be built at Fairfield Hills.

Mr Mangiafico said no agreement was ever reached waiving the fees.

“We charged Trinity Church…Newtown Congregational…the synagogue,” Mr Mangiafico said. “This is a substantial amount of money, it’s $76,000. And in your letter it said the Board of Selectmen agreed, but we never agreed to it.”

Mr Borst eventually joined his fellow selectman in endorsing a 25 percent reduction.

Just two weeks later, the Republican selectmen split again. This time it was over joining with more than a dozen other towns and the state against the Federal Aviation Administration’s proposed changes to major aircraft flight patterns that litigants contend would greatly increase aircraft traffic and noise, compromising safety and quality of life across the region.

Mr Borst said he was not inclined to join until the budget season was completed, and then suggested the town join the consortium but hold off on paying the $30,000 required entry cost to join the action.

But Mr Mangiafico said his recollection was the payment must be made concurrently with the town joining.

Reflecting on Mr Borst’s first 100 days in office in mid-March, Mr Mangiafico said, “Clearly there is much more disagreement on issues than there appeared to have been in the past. Discussions have been more probing, and in many cases more comprehensive with resulting non-unanimous votes being cast.”

Mr Mangiafico said procedurally, the selectmen have faced some difficulties. “But hopefully, as greater experience and understanding regarding proper protocols are gained, we will function more smoothly and efficiently,” he said.

By early June, spring temperatures started giving way to summer heat, and escalating tensions over poor communications between Mr Borst and both fellow selectmen over numerous issues had come to a head. At a meeting on Monday, June 2, Mr Mangiafico and Democratic Selectman Herb Rosenthal both became visibly exasperated, and Mr Borst slammed his hand down on a table in frustration.

A heated exchange was prompted by the latest in a series of concerns expressed by the selectmen since Mr Borst took office. After reviewing several matters of contention, Mr Mangiafico suggested that it was the first selectman’s responsibility to keep the other selectmen apprised of business happening that may come before the board, or in the event they face questions by constituents.

Following the meting, Mr Mangiafico told The Bee that “the problem is much, much more than the dissemination of information. That is only the tip of the iceberg, but it is the one that is visible.

“My greatest concern is that the town and people deserve better than this. Much better,” Mr Mangiafico added. “We are supposed to be open-minded and helpful to one another, not dismissive and disrespectful to each other.”

Tensions continued to simmer through the summer and into November when Mr Mangiafico learned that just a month and a day after taking office, Mr Borst supplied maps and plot plans of several Newtown parcels to a US military representative who visited town hall doing preliminary research on a proposed installation project.

While that January 2 meeting was never discussed publicly or privately with the Board of Selectmen until November 17 — nearly a year later — those documents were apparently used to qualify sites the military is now considering for a base for National Guard and Army Reserve training and vehicle maintenance.

The January meeting, and issuance of those town documents, came to light as Mr Mangiafico and Mr Rosenthal took Mr Borst to task over a much more recent matter — a letter Mr Borst issued November 7 highlighting the town’s future Tech Park as a preferred site for such a base.

Both Mr Rosenthal and Mr Mangiafico characterized that letter as an offer from the town to the military to provide land set aside for agriculture, open space, and local economic development known as the “Tech Park.”

Later in the same meeting, Mr Borst and Mr Mangiafico crossed again, this time over the endorsement of a labor contract between the town and unionized Parks & Recreation Department employees.

While the measure eventually passed with Mr Borst and Mr Rosenthal agreeing to the three-year package, Mr Mangiafico lodged a No vote in apparent protest over the first selectmen’s inability or unwillingness to participate in contract negotiations.

In that statement of dissention, Mr Mangiafico referenced a November 9 letter he wrote to Mr Borst that states: “You, as the CEO, were not even aware of, nor knowledgeable of, what was being negotiated on our behalf. Indeed, this is another example of extremely poor leadership on your part.

“Based on information I have, it appears that the taxpayers that we represent got the short end of the stick and not because of uncontrollable circumstances, but because of poor management — yours,” Mr Mangiafico said in the letter.

Officials Took Issue With VRAD, Charter, NebuAd

Following a mid-May e-mail from The Newtown Bee to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, the high ranking state official took aim at what he called a “potentially illegal” test program targeting Newtown Charter Internet customers. By that time, a growing number of critics, including federal officials, suggested a cable company pilot program due to roll out in June was essentially a means of spying on the web-surfing activities of customers with the apparent intent of selling that data to an online ad firm called NebuAd for use in targeted advertising.

Facing increasing criticism from state and national officials, as well as from customers, Charter Communications pulled the project in all four of its national pilot locations, including Newtown, just a little more than a month later. At a press conference staged within an hour of the Charter announcement, Mr Blumenthal said, “While the Internet provides important consumer benefits, its power places significant and serious responsibility on cable companies to protect privacy. Charter is abdicating, even abrogating, this responsibility.”

Mr Blumenthal said Charter Communications’ opt-out provision was seriously inadequate to protect consumers because the opt-out cookie can be easily inadvertently deleted by the customer.

Another telecommunications giant, AT&T, also came under fire locally in 2008 for failing to appropriately coordinate the installation of VRAD (video ready access device) terminals. In June, residents began contacting both Selectman Paul Mangiafico and The Newtown Bee about the proliferation of the so-called VRAD terminals popping up around town.

The huge, camel-colored metal boxes are installed either along roadsides on concrete pads, or are being suspended a few feet off the ground on utility poles. At a selectmen’s meeting July 7, an AT&T rep said the rollout of the company’s U-Verse entertainment and television delivery system was presenting challenges, and the company has been amenable to changing the process by which the related terminals are sited.

Just days after Mr Borst issued a memo to AT&T demanding the company halt installation of any VRAD boxes in town, the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control issued a draft decision that will affect similar installations statewide.

Besides calling for the company to suspend VRAD box installations, Mr Borst called for the telephone company to furnish the Board of Selectmen with all locations of the boxes already in operation, as well as planned future locations for any of the information delivery terminals.

The proliferation of the boxes throughout the state raised the ire of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, as well as community leaders throughout the state. As a result of growing concerns, on September 5, Connecticut regulators issued a draft decision that AT&T must get permission from municipalities before putting its large video equipment boxes on utility poles and other properties.

That DPUC decision was eventually ratified.