Rochman Resigns From The Council And The GOP

By Kaaren Valenta

Legislative Council Chairman Pierre Rochman filed charter revision questions at the town clerk’s office last Thursday in time to meet the September 6 deadline, then immediately resigned his council seat and his affiliation with the Republican Party.

Mr Rochman’s actions, which occurred after The Bee’s publication deadline, stunned many local Republicans.

“He left a message on my answering machine. I have not spoken to Pierre personally as of this time,” Republican Town Committee Chairman Marie Sturdevant said Monday evening at the RTC meeting in the senior center on Riverside Road.

Mr Rochman resigned his council seat and reregistered as an unaffiliated voter the day after the council voted 9-3 to put the Charter Revision Commission’s proposals on the November 6 ballot. Mrs Sturdevant, who serves as the council’s secretary, said she knew why Mr Rochman changed his affiliation, but she declined to comment other than to explain that if a party member changes his affiliation, it usually means his view is not in sync with the rest of the party, or there is a lack of support.

Mr Rochman was treated very badly at the council meeting, she said.

“I thought the audience that night was deplorable. They were rude, there were outbursts, and when he asked them to stop, they continued,” she said. “Notes were being passed from the Legislative Council to the audience – it was one of the rudest meetings I have ever attended.”

Mrs Sturdevant said that although Mr Rochman’s views on the charter revision proposals were not shared by everyone, it was inexcusable to be rude.

“I don’t always agree with him – no one agrees on everything,” Mrs Sturdevant said. “But we owe him a great debt of gratitude for his public service. He is due our respect.”

RTC member Bill Sheluck, who is the chairman of the Charter Revision Commission, said he did not agree with Mrs Sturdevant’s interpretation of what took place at the council meeting.

“Yes, I did interrupt the meeting and that was unfortunate,” he said. “But at that meeting and other meetings an atmosphere has been created that is not conducive to an exchange of ideas. There has been an adversarial environment for as long as I have been attending – the last two years. It has been very difficult to have a meaningful dialogue, and I put the responsibility for that on the shoulders of the chairman of the Legislative Council.”

Mr Sheluck said a letter presented to the council at the meeting from council attorney David Chipman supposedly had just been received, “but some council members had seen it before.”

“I was trying to make a legal point,” Mr Sheluck said, explaining why he spoke out at the council meeting. “Mr Chipman was in error.”

Mrs Sturdevant said that during the past two years the tenor of public meetings have changed to a point that “this doesn’t seem like Newtown any more.”

“Today no one wants to come to public meetings to be embarrassed, laughed at or jeered,” she said. “Pierre’s had it. Pierre’s and Melissa (Pilchard’s) names have been dragged through the mud.”

Some RTC members said interruptions frequently happened because the structure of the council meetings allows for public participation only at the beginning of the meeting.

“I’ve been at public meetings when after public participation something comes up that no one expects – and a vote is to be taken that night,” Penny Meeks said.

Board of Education President Elaine McClure said the school board has two public participation periods during its meetings, and Mrs Sturdevant noted that the Charter Revision Commission had public participation at the beginning and the end of its meetings.

RTC members also discussed sending a letter to Mr Rochman thanking him for his years of public service. A motion was made, and seconded, to send a letter, but no vote was taken.

Bob Hall said he thought the RTC should thank Mr Rochman, but it should not refer to his role as council chairman.

“Pierre was controversial at times, and a little heavy handed at times,” Mr Hall said.