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Selectmen Name Nine To Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Panel

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Selectmen Name Nine

To Fairfield Hills

Master Plan Review Panel

By Kendra Bobowick

“I would have gone down fighting for this group; I think this is the group,” said First Selectman Pat Llodra Monday night after fellow selectmen Will Rodgers and William Furrier unanimously approved her list of appointments for the Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee. Proposed members are: Michael T. Floros (D), Paul Lundquist (D), Robert Mauer (R), Michael R. Mossbarger (R), Ben Roberts (D), Nancy G. Roznicki (D), Gary Steele (U), Alan B. Shepherd (R), and Deborra J. Zukowski (U).

After brief discussion, two alternates also made the list: Steven zVon and Dennis Kyle. All volunteers’ acceptance is pending.

“I think this is a good group,” said Mr Furrier. The group is well balanced politically, Selectman Rodgers agreed.

Mrs Llodra answered, “Lucky for me.” Political representation for the Democrats, Republicans, Unaffiliated, and the Independent Party of Newtown had not been among her primary reasons for choosing the members.

Mrs Llodra based her selections on background, levels of commitment, and dynamic. “We need a group that can work together,” she said, also noting that members should be “devoid of personal and political agendas.” Several names on the list have political affiliations, particularly with arguments made on Fairfield Hills plans and spending, which became central themes in their recent political campaigns for the Board of Selectmen or Legislative Council, for example.

Envisioning the process, Mrs Llodra said, “We’ll ask for periodic updates.” A six-month window for deliberation also proved to be an important point. “I don’t want to influence the next year’s budget process,” Mrs Llodra said.

Mr Rodgers also noted the political raw nerve that Fairfield Hills had become. “Could we please, please have an election that is not dominated by Fairfield Hills?” Newtown’s past two municipal elections found Fairfield Hills plans and spending at the center of many campaign points raised primarily by the emerging Independent Party of Newtown, which created another avenue of choice for voters.

Before the names she talked numbers. “I recommend nine with two alternates,” she had said. “I really struggled,” but a larger group inhibits progress, she said. “I think the dynamic maxes out at nine.”

She also feels the two alternates’ roles will be important. “They should have full participation and be ready to step up if one of the nine drops out.”

Mr Rodgers clarified, “I would not like to see alternates vote during an absence.” Alternates would be engaged in the discussions and prepared to fill a vacancy, but “the group of nine is the decisionmaking body.”

He also favored determining the group’s size before its members. “A one-by-one vote could end with a group larger than we should have. It should be an odd number.” Although he could live with smaller, he said, “I am fine with nine.”

Mr Furrier also agreed: “I don’t want to see it bigger.”

 

The Alternates

Before determining the two alternates, Mr Rodgers made a motion proposing that Mark Alexander stand in as the second alternate — a point he pushed.

As she “struggled to round out the group of nine,” with alternates, Mrs Llodra considered Mr Alexander, but noted he already has a “substantial job with the Tick-Borne Disease Action Committee.”

Mr Rodgers then made a motion that Mr Alexander be the first man considered if one of the two alternates turns down the nomination, but Mrs Llodra did not want to “get into a ranking order of [names] remaining.”

“I don’t think we’re doing any additional ranking,” Mr Rodgers said.

“If we have an alternate who chooses not to, then I would want to go back to the whole group,” Mrs Llodra said.

Making another motion instead, Mr Rodgers proposed, “If either or both of the alternates decline, then the selectmen not select another alternate — that’s the size of the group.”

“We have a challenge here,” Mrs Llodra said. “What do you think Bill?” she asked Mr Furrier.

He answered, “The potential becomes that if there are numerous resignations, we have a shrinking committee.”

“Can we unravel this a little?” asked Mrs Llodra. “I am more comfortable with the original motion.”

“If it’s between now and June 7, I agree,” said Mr Furrier. He would agree to selecting Mr Alexander if an alternate declines between now and June 7, but not “three months down the road,” he said.

“I can go with that,” Mrs Llodra said.

“So, we are done!” Mrs Llodra declared minutes later, regarding the selection of community members who will have until December — roughly six months — to conduct a master plan review. Specifics of their charge and responsibilities will be topics of discussion at an upcoming selectmen’s meeting on June 7 at 7 pm, 30 minutes prior to the regularly scheduled meeting.

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