Democrats Focus On Quality Of Life,

While IPN Tackles Public Safety Concerns

By John Voket

In the final few days of campaigning, both the Independent Party of Newtown and local Democrats issued position papers. Bruce Walczak, the IPN chairman and candidate for first selectman, targeted capital spending for public safety in his release, while Democratic first selectman candidate Gary Fetzer and running mate Joe Hemingway promoted their thinking on several quality of life issues, including recreational opportunities at Fairfield Hills.

In his release, Mr Walczak said he supports spending additional taxpayer dollars for a new Hook & Ladder headquarters as soon as this year and would make a review of the current list of capital requests by the town a priority if elected.

“I have to question how the Board of Selectmen determined their list of capital priorities when the need for a new building for Newtown Hook & Ladder is not on the list, but $30 million for Fairfield Hills, including funding for underground wiring and a band shell, is considered a capital funding priority,” said Mr Walczak in the paper. “We have our fire personnel and equipment operating from an unsafe building. That situation has gone on too long. That issue will be resolved on my watch as first selectman if I am elected.”

Mr Walczak went on to say: “I hope that the new Board of Selectmen, which will be elected on November 3, will have an opportunity to thoroughly review the capital request previously sent to the Board of Finance. All of the candidates are in agreement that the Fairfield Hills Master Plan must be reevaluated and that means what is in the CIP as well.”

Mr Walczak said he was taking a stand on the firehouse issue following the most recent Board of Finance meeting at which the chair of the Board of Fire Commissioners and an official from Newtown Hook & Ladder appealed to the board to include funding for a new fire station in the CIP. During that meeting, fire commission chairman Kevin Cragin told finance board members that the building housing Newtown Hook & Ladder is unsafe, has been in disarray for 23 years, and poses a hazard for the fire trucks kept in the building.

“It’s a disgrace to ignore the needs of our fire departments,” Mr Walczak said. “Their service is dedicated to the safety of our citizens. This upgrade of $1.5 million should have been approved a long time ago.”

The IPN candidate pointed out that another building request that impacts citizen safety is the current CIP request for funds for a new police station.

“The existing building is outdated, and our police force is operating from inadequate space,” Mr. Walczak said.

 

Redirecting The CIP

The IPN chair also promoted an idea posed by fellow party members on the Legislative Council, to provide council input on CIP priorities before the finance board considers the requests.

Currently, council regulations stipulate CIP requests go from the submitting Boards of Selectmen and Education to the finance board, giving the council the final decision on capital spending prior to variables including the cost of capital debt service being factored into the annual budget.

“I hope that the new Legislative Council and the new Board of Finance will take a serious look at these recommendations because they make a lot of sense and make the CIP process more accountable to taxpayers,” Mr Walczak said.

In the Democrats’ position paper, Mr Fetzer and Mr Hemingway state they will embrace the challenge of reviewing priorities with an eye on quality of life issues involving Newtown’s young people and pet lovers.

“We must not forget the areas that improve the quality of life for the entire community. It’s the difference between living life and embracing life,” the Democrats’ position paper states.

In contrast to Mr Walczak’s assertion, the Democrats support construction of a band shell at Fairfield Hills, which they believe “will not only add to the quality of life for the town’s residents but also provide an opportunity for additional revenue that would eventually offset the outlay.

“Outdoor concerts during the summer could appeal to residents of all ages,” Mr Fetzer and Mr Hemingway stated. “Various schools in Newtown could also use it to offer outdoor theater or other performances. It would add to the excitement and activity of the campus as well as providing a boost to local small businesses.”

The Democratic candidates think Newtown’s young people “deserve a skateboard park and a Fetzer/Hemingway administration will ensure that one is completed at Dickinson Park in the Spring of 2010. Several towns in the region have achieved success with theirs and the youth of this town have waited long enough.”

Places For Pets

The Democrats also observed that pets are important an important part of many Newtown families, and they would commit to installing a fenced-in dog park at Fairfield Hills where pet owners can allow their animals to play with other canines.

“In this way we do not have to worry about waste affecting our playing fields in other parts of the campus,” the Democrats’ position paper states. “Numerous municipalities in Connecticut and New York already have these type of dog parks so we do not have to recreate the wheel.”

In addition, Mr Fetzer and Mr Hemingway hope to identify an area along one of the lakes that can be used as a swimming area for dogs.

“They don’t call it the dog days of summer for nothing,” the position paper pointed out. “Modeling it after the facility in Ridgefield, Connecticut, both of these sites would be built and maintained by volunteers.”

And on that subject, the Democrats say “enough time has passed. The town needs to identify a site and construct a new dog pound.”

And dogs are not the only four-legged friends the Democratic challengers hope to address, if elected. “We do know that this town does love horses. A Fetzer/Hemingway administration will look to expand the trail system, not only for hikers and bikers, but also for equestrians.”

Returning to the subject of an earlier position paper, the Democrats reasserted support for a comprehensive trail system as a way to generate additional economic activity, establish Sandy Hook as a weekend destination for outdoor enthusiasts, improve passive recreation, and add to the quality of life.

“We will work with the Newtown Trails Commission to have a trail system stretch from Huntington State Forest in the southwest corner of the town, to the Lower Paugussett State Forest in the southeast corner, through Fairfield Hills and Sandy Hook Center into the Upper Paugussett State Forest in the northeast Newtown,” Mr Fetzer and Mr Hemingway concluded.