To the Editor:

On behalf of myself and my fellow Planning & Zoning members-elect and alternates-elect — Barbara Manville, David Rosen, and Jill Soderholm — many heartfelt thanks to those of you who had confidence in us and gave us your votes. We promise all residents of Newtown that we will work with our new colleagues to consider all of your voices fairly, in a transparent way, and in accordance with the law. We have many critical planning and development choices to make in the next few years, and some of them will challenge us as a community. Those choices will make us think about, and discuss, what kind of town we are now and want to be in the future. There are, and will be, many opportunities for public input and participation, and we urge all residents to make their voices heard, not just on social media, but in the hearing process and through those channels that can have a real effect on outcomes. Let’s have a conversation. We promise to listen.

Peter Schwarz

Newtown