Search This Blog

Monday, September 26, 2011

A lot is riding on Simpson Court parking

As Published in the Record Journal on Friday September 16, 2011

Jeffrey Kurz
General Assignment Editor
jkurz@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2213

It’s not a good idea to start a story with a quote. It’s some kind of journalism advice that sticks in my mind. But since I’ve said what I just said I can get on with the quote: “We did it once before and we’ll do it again.”

That was offered recently by Robert Gross, an organizer of the petition drive that will result in a Wallingford referendum, now scheduled for Nov. 14, in which voters will consider overturning a Town Council decision. That decision is the council’s vote to spend up to $500,000 in upgrades to a parking lot behind four buildings along Simpson Court in return for 30 years of free public parking.

Those vexed by the decision feel public money should not be spent on private property.

The referendum will take place not on the date of the general election, Nov. 8, but about a week afterward, and that leaves the question of whether people will feel inspired to go to the polls again, for a special issue.

At least 20 percent of registered voters are needed to participate in order for the referendum to count.

Gross told the Record-Journal recently he was confident of a successful turnout.

That’s part of what the “we did it once before...” comment was about. And he has reason for the confidence.

Gross was among the organizers who brought a referendum in 2006. That year, the vexation was over the council’s decision to sell the Wooding-Caplan property to a local developer, Joseph DiNatale, for $409,000. The town had purchased the 3.5acre parcel in 1992 for $1.5 million.

Residents repealed the council’s Wooding- Caplan decision by a wide margin, 6,659 to 413, even though the referendum took place in the middle of summer, when people have every right to have other things on their minds, including vacations.

A referendum in Wallingford, as was noted in 2006, is a rare event. So is overturning a council decision. In a referendum held in 1995 over whether the town should have purchased the 6 Fairfield Blvd. building for a recreation center at $1.4 million, residents voted 2,381 to 1,477 to reverse the council’s decision. But it was no good because turnout was 995 votes shy of the 20 percent needed.

You could argue that voters make their choice when they choose people to represent them on the council (and school board, etc.), but there’s value in a process that allows residents to overturn what enough of them consider a wrong-headed decision, particularly if that process is a tall order. Gross and others, including Town Councilor Nicholas Economopoulos, were able to collect far more than the 2,491 signatures needed to force the Simpson Court referendum, meaning 10 percent of the registered voters in town. One of the unpleasant aspects of the Wooding-Caplan referendum, a very heated issue, was what I consider to have been a cynical strategy employed by some that basically advised people to stay home and not vote, the idea being that the reversal could be defeated simply by not reaching the 20 percent of voter participation required. It probably does not take a journalist, or anyone else committed to defending Constitutional rights, to point out that urging people not to participate in the democratic process is a wrong-headed tactic.

I haven’t heard of anyone suggesting that strategy this time around, which is encouraging.

I don’t have any strong feelings about Simpson Court. I didn’t have any strong feelings about Wooding-Caplan. I also don’t live in Wallingford. If I did, though, I’d make up my mind and make sure I voted. I hope Wallingford residents will do just that.

AGENDA WALLINGFORD TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

TOWN OF WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT

REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

Town Council Chambers

TUESDAY

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

6:30 P.M

AGENDA

Opening Prayer – Reverend Dean Warburton, First Congregational Church of Wallingford, Connecticut

1. Pledge of Allegiance and Roll Call

2. Correspondence

3. Executive Session pursuant to §1-299(2), §1-200(6)(B), §1-225(f) of the Connecticut General Statutes with regard to collective bargaining to discuss Defined Contribution Pension Plan – Personnel

4. Executive Session pursuant to §1-225(f) and § 1-200(6)(B) of the Connecticut General Statutes regarding strategy and negotiations with respect to pending Workers’ Compensation Case Lanoue v. Town of Wallingford – Personnel

5. Possible Action on Lanoue v. Town of Wallingford – Personnel

6. Consent Agenda

6a. Consider and Approve Tax Refunds (#187 - #223) totaling $9,912.86 Acct. # 001-1000-010-1170 - Tax Collector

6b. Acceptance of Donation and Appropriation in the Amount of $10 Youth & Social Services Special Fund to Donations Acct #2134002-47010 and to Expenditures Acct # 21340100-58830 – Youth & Social Services

6c. Acceptance of Donation and Appropriation in the Amount of $95 Youth & Social Services Special Fund WECARE to Donations Acct #2134002-47010 and to Expenditures Acct # 21340100-58830 – Youth & Social Services

6d. Acceptance of Donation and Appropriation in the Amount of $170 Youth & Social Services Special Fund to Donations Acct #2134002-47010 and to Expenditures Acct # 21340100-58830 – Youth & Social Services

6e. Acceptance of Donation and Appropriation in the Amount of $230 Youth & Social Services Special Fund to Donations Acct #2134002-47010 and to Expenditures Acct # 21340100-58830 – Youth & Social Services

6f. Acceptance of Donation and Appropriation in the Amount of $100 Youth & Social Services Special Fund to Donations Acct #2134002-47010 and to Expenditures Acct # 21340100-58830 – Youth & Social Services

6g. Acceptance of Donation and Appropriation in the Amount of $719 Youth & Social Services Special Fund Peer Advocates to Donations Acct #2134002-47010 and to Expenditures Acct # 21340100-58830 – Youth & Social Services

6h. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $1,464 to Uncollectible Accounts Expense Acct # 904 from Customer Records and Collections Acct # 903 – Electric Division

6i. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $135 to Transmission-Load Dispatch Acct # 561 from Distribution-Load Dispatch Acct # 581– Electric Division

6j. Approve minutes of Regular Town Council Meeting of September 13, 2011

6k. Approve minutes of Special Town Council Meeting of September 19, 2011

7. Items Removed from the Consent Agenda

8. PUBLIC QUESTION & ANSWER

9. Consider and Approve Revised Job Description Skilled tradesman (Plumber-Boiler Room Technician) – Board of Education

10. Consider and Approve an Appropriation of $55,000 to Outside Services Acct # 923 from Retained Earnings – Electric Division

11. Consider and Approve Resolution authorizing the Mayor to enter into an Agreement between the Town of Wallingford and the State of Connecticut, Department of Transportation, for the purchase of Alternative/Clean Fuel Vehicle(s) and to execute any amendments, rescissions and revisions thereto – Grants Administrator duly

12. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $45,299 to Town Hall Building -West Wall Repair Acct # 30102011-57000-20022 from Whirlwind Hill Road-Phase II Acct # 30102011-57000-20013 – Public Works

13. Discussion and Action regarding Amending the Recycling Regulations of the Town of Wallingford – Public Works

14. Discussion and Action Authorizing the Mayor to execute a Tax Assessment Agreement between the Town of Wallingford and Workstage Connecticut, LLC for a Seven (7) year period pursuant to the Town’s Real Property Tax Incentive Program – Economic Development Commission

15. Executive Session pursuant to §1-200 (6)(D) of the Connecticut General Statutes with respect to the purchase, sale and/or leasing of property – Mayor

16. Executive Session pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes §1-225(f) and §1-200(6)(B) to discuss the following cases:

Thurston Associates v. Town of Wallingford

North Colony Road LLC v. Town of Wallingford

Town of Wallingford v. Morin

-Town Attorney

17. Possible Action on Thurston Associates v. Town of Wallingford - Town Attorney

18. Possible Action on North Colony Road LLC v. Town of Wallingford - Town Attorney

19. Possible Action on Town of Wallingford v. Morin - Town Attorney