Wanted: A System Of Checks

And Balances

To the Editor:

There was an article in The Bee dated May 9, 2003 which described the suggestion that the Board of Selectmen appoint a six-member committee to oversee Fairfield Hills. These members would not be elected, but appointed. It was proposed that there be an equal number of Democrats and Republicans in the group, but of course, no nondesignated party members (possibly the largest constituency in Newtown). They wish to have the group be able to hire contractors, lease out buildings, and even sell buildings if the plan requires without using the standard bidding process. It seems they would be able to award contracts and lease, repair, demolish buildings, roads, to whomever they wish for whatever an “as built” appraisal determines to be a fair market value. It appears that the only checks on their power would be the Planning and Zoning Commission’s plan for Newtown and the Master Plan for Fairfield Hills as drawn up by the firm hired. This statement about the checks was made by someone at the Legislative Council meeting last week. It was proposed that it be made impossible to amend the Master Plan except by the Board of Selectmen and the Legislative Council. People can have the Constitution of the United States amended. The Special Act creating the power authority only now has “to be enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives at an upcoming session of the legislature” (Bee, May 9, 2003, page 1).

The Town Charter does not seem to prevent a few people from usurping total power, and in fact seems to encourage it. Anyone can pick up a copy of this charter at the town clerk’s office. To my untrained read of it, it seems that the town has unlimited power to do just about anything that they want about just about anything. I feel sure that the townspeople of Newtown had no idea that the administrators of the town would actually invoke all the powers that they could invoke.

Surely we did not intend for the few to make all the decisions with regard to the fate of our town. The people of Bridgeport certainly raised a grand hurrah when it was supposed that certain people had not used the bidding process to get contracts. Administrators and other businesspeople face jail time in Bridgeport for what it seems the town charter has given a blank check for the Newtown administration to do. Can we rewrite the charter now to protect us from having a few people make decisions without a real system of checks and balances, a system which our country was founded upon? It seems the Legislative Council is pushing for fast action on these appointments. If there is a Fairfield Hills committee perhaps they should be elected not appointed. Six people are far too few to effect managing the entire complex.

It may be possible if we get an authentically drawn up petition to amend the Special Act, the Charter, the P&Z, and the Fairfield Hills Master Plan, we may be able to prevent all our decisionmaking powers being taken away from us. Should we let people not appointed by us decide everything about our future and present town-owned property, such as who should use it, how it should be reconstructed, for exactly what purpose, and for how long? These petitions have a deadline. Do you know what it is? Have you made or signed one yet?

Susan B. Washburn

4 Sky Top Drive, Sandy Hook                                            May 27, 2003