Town Officials Debate The Issue—

Who Will Take The Lead

On Fairfield Hills?

By Steve Bigham

Now that the deck has been stacked in favor of the town purchase of Fairfield Hills, town officials are trying to figure out who gets to deal.

The Legislative Council has engaged in some serious discussion about, among other things, its role as a legislative body. Some members believe the council needs to act as a policy-making board, interpreting the town charter (which gives it jurisdiction over all financial matters) to mean that it can and should take on a leadership role in determining the future of the town and the development of Fairfield Hills. True, say other members, but shouldn’t the council wait until the Board of Selectmen provides it with a formal recommendation?

“We’re still trying to determine how we should best proceed on this. Several different council members view our role as being different,” noted council Chairman Pierre Rochman this week. “We need to resolve what is the council’s role in developing or not developing Fairfield Hills. We can’t agree at this point what our authority is.”

The town is poised to purchase the 185-acre campus from the State of Connecticut some time this year. The state closed the former state mental health institution five years ago, and because Fairfield Hills lies within Newtown’s borders, the state was legally bound to give the town right of first refusal on the land. An offer from the state is expected in the coming months.

Mr Rochman and council vice chair Melissa Pilchard say the council needs to be ready to act swiftly when that offer comes. “My task is to move the process forward. We need to decide what we need to do. If we’re not going to be pro-active, then fine. I don’t think we should be sitting back and waiting for somebody to come forward to make a recommendation.

“My fear is we’re going to be put in a position where we have to say ‘Yes’ to something we may not like. The Legislative Council has been there before on other issues where it had to say ‘Yes’ at the 11th hour,” the council chairman said.

Some council members have shown little regard for the report recently completed by the Fairfield Hills Advisory Committee, which, among other things, recommends that the campus have a corporate presence to provide some revenue for the town. A few members, including council member Ruby Johnson, have clearly indicated opposition to such a plan.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal takes issue with Mr Rochman and Mrs Pilchard’s view that the council needs to take a strong stand now. “You would think the executive branch would make a recommendation before the council made any decisions. I think a majority of council is waiting to hear from the Board of Selectmen,” he said Tuesday.

Mr Rosenthal said the selectmen have held off making a final recommendation to the council until the town is given an offer from the state. He said he is not unhappy with the council’s eagerness to push forward, as long as everyone works together, he said.

Mr Rochman said the council needs to form its own opinions while the selectmen are still deliberating. Last week, council member Joe Borst suggested that the council, in its efforts to get a firm grasp on the issue, use the advisory committee report as a starting point. Mr Rosenthal agreed.

“They don’t have to buy into it 100 percent, but certainly it should set the framework,” he said.

Some council members, including Will Rodgers, say the council only needs to make up its mind on whether or not it wants to buy the property. They don’t need to know what the town plans to do with the property prior to purchase. They have already concluded that town purchase – no matter what its plan is – still far outweighs the possibility of some outside entity taking over the campus.

Town officials also realize that many taxpayers have already indicated they will not vote in favor of the purchase unless they see a master plan for town ownership. And a “No” vote would mean the town would lose its right of first refusal. The state could then sell the land to the highest bidder.

  “Some people think we should only decide whether or not to buy it, others want to know exactly what the plan is, and still others are in the middle. They say we ought to have some idea, but don’t necessarily need the entire master plan completed before doing so,” Mr Rochman said.

 Further complicating the matter is the fact that citizens will have the right to cast just one vote on Fairfield Hills – whether or not the town should go forward with the purchase. First Selectman Herb Rosenthal has already indicated that residents will not have a say in how the property is used. It won’t be the taxpayers who decide how each building will be used or what color paints are used. That will be the job of an authority or other form of governing body, which would eventually be created by an act of the council.

This week, Mr Rosenthal expressed faith in the town’s system, hoping that no decisions are made without all the facts.

“Traditionally, the council has received recommendations from the Board of Selectmen before taking action,” he said. “It’s unusual for legislative body to be the initiator, but I really think the majority of the council is in sync with that.”