"SPEAK UP 2012" held Sunday, Feb. 4 at Norfield Parish Hall - online now and to be shown on Town TV soon...
Moderator asked all members of Boards and Commissions not questioned to SPEAK UP!

Picture story  here;  Weston FORUM coverage of "Speak Up 2012" here for HUMVEE matter;  here for the rest of the topics..

SPEAK UP 2012 VIDEO LINKS:  Watch it now on your computer!  Beginning its run televised on Channel 79 on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 at 4pm
1 hour 44 minutes 25 seconds

 For cable and dsl users:  http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVSpeakup2-4-12CableVersion.wmv  (272 MegaBytes)
 For dial-up modem users:  http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVSpeakup2-4-12ModemVersion.wmv (40 MegaBytes)


S P E A K    U P    2 0 1 2    P  H O T O    E S S A Y  

Modertor, Laura Smits;  those Town, Regional and State officials expected to attend who answered questions, link to photo and Observer Corps comment:

           

WHO GOES FIRST?


WAITING FOR THEIR QUESTION...PRESSURE ON THE STATE LEGISLATORS THIS YEAR
Hal Shupack, far left, front row, representing the Police Commission, responded after the Chief.


SUMMER VACATION CONSTRUCTION
First out of the box was the Building Committee - reporting that there would be windows and doors replacement work at the Middle School this summer. (Watch for wetlands remediation, too.)
REGIONAL PLANNING TO THE FORE

AND HERE IT CAME - SURPRISE!
The very first question after the one to Building Committee chair. was a searching question regarding form of Regional Planning Organization.  This brought out differences between the Selectmen present.  Picture at right is out of chronological order, but the comment being made - don't judge an issue's importance to the community by attendance at meetings - was then applied to the issue of COG v. RPA.

AND THEN THE CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION GOT FULL STAGE...

NO MORE SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS?
It was clear that there is also not unanimity on the Board of Selectmen regarding how the decision about the Charter revision will treat the role of Town Meeting.  Always closely related, and again, out of order, Board of Ethics.

OVER-REACHING?

Front row(shown):  Police Chief Troxell, Selectman Tracey, First Selectwoman Weinstein

THE FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE (PROPERLY)
A very carefully phrased question relating to how we ended up with two HUMVEES.  And an excellent response.  The e-mail route of decision-making on the Police Commission lands them in the soup again.  What is public information and subject to FOI is something the Police Commission has yet to learn.

BOY WAS IT A GOOD THING THEY CAME - THANK YOU!!!

STATE SENATORS
Spoke about jobs session, about overbearing mandates - but not without being asked to do so!  Did you know State tax refunds will be by debit card with MorganChase?  (That's how we think we heard it.)

NO PROBLEM WITH THE EDUCATION BUDGET

COOPERATION
The byword from the Superintendent of Schools.  Seated next to the Chair. of the Board of Finance (who did not get a question.)

THE PEOPLE SPOKE

OVERBEARING GOVERNMENT REJECTED
A plea for Weston to not turn into a bureaucratic mess (like Westport, from where the speaker at right had moved)

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, 2012 VERSION

LACHAT
Question of First Selectman - what is the next step?  Answer (in a few words - by us):  A new committee.  Later, Planning and Zoning reported on new activity on Cobb's Mill Inn - they will have something to say, we expect, about Lachat eventually!
SPEAK UP 2012 CHANGE!
SPECIAL NEW SECTION FOR COMMISSIONS WHO DID NOT GET ASKED ANYTHING AND WANT A FEW MINUTES...


ALWAYS INTERESTED IN TOWN BUSINESS!
Conservation Chair. always comes and doesn't get question - he doesn't mind!


LIBRARY BOARD
Chair. of the Library Board with lots of terrific news - recounts how storms actually brought people into the Library, utilizing communication tools there!!

AND THEN IT WAS OVER!

Moderator made all the right decisions at this Speak Up.  And should be really, really pleased!
SPEAK-UP Over for this year.  What happened?  No complaints about money and taxes - buts lots of other stuff to talk about!


Weston Speaks Up: Humvee kerfuffle dominates conversation
Weston FORUM
Written by Laura Modlin
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 12:02

The League of Women Voters of Weston hosted the 21st annual Weston Speak Up event this past Saturday, Feb. 4. Westonites were invited to come and ask questions and make comments or suggestions about government or town issues.

In attendance to hear what people had to say and to respond were town officials, educators, committee and commission representatives and state legislators. (See related story on page one.)

The most contentious topic of the day was the ramifications of the acquisition of two Humvees by Police Chief John Troxell.

Included in the discussion was talk of an article that appeared in last week’s Weston Forum about a series of emails between the chief, First Selectman Gayle Weinstein and Police Commission Chairman Rick Phillips.

The article detailed a heated email exchange between the three parties subsequent to the chief’s acquiring two Humvees for use by the police department.

According to the emails, obtained by The Forum through a Freedom of Information request, the first selectman was angry with the chief for the acquisition because she believed it should have been discussed with her ahead of time.

The chief had notified the Police Commission members beforehand that he was traveling to upstate New York to look into the acquisition of a vehicle, but he acknowledged he did not notify the first selectman.

A week after the email exchange, the chief announced his retirement.

Sequence

At Speak Up, the first selectman, the chief and Hal Shupack, representing the Police Commission, gave their takes on the sequence of events.

And, even though what they said ran parallel to what was reported, pointed remarks were made about The Forum’s coverage.

“All of us were very upset about the way the article was written,” Ms. Weinstein said. According to her, the reporter for The Forum “took emails out of order to create the article she wanted.” (See correction on page 4A)

Ms. Weinstein also said The Forum misrepresented the tone of the situation.

“I think the newspaper is making this more bureaucratic than it needs to be,” she said.

Mr. Shupack said The Forum reporter misled officials about her reason for wanting the emails, claiming, Mr. Shupack said, that they were told the emails “were not for articles but the reporters’ edification.”

Bob Gardner of Stonehenge Road was the one who raised the topic Saturday, wanting to know the status of the vehicles. He said he felt the issue had become “confused and riled up” and “a cause célèbre” which has “generated a lot of friction in town government” and “too much discussion internally.”

The chief

The chief talked about what happened from his perspective, with the preface that he has “complete respect” for the first selectman and the Police Commission.

According to the chief, during the aftermath of recent severe storms and flooding he felt the police in Weston “were not completely prepared” for extreme emergency situations. During these weather events the department had to borrow vehicles that could handle the serious conditions even though the vehicles were not specifically set up for police use.

Chief Troxell said the department’s recent proposed budget had included a request for 1.5 vehicles a year — three every two years — but the request for any vehicles was denied.

The combination of unpreparedness and a lack of budget meant he had to think of something else, he said.

“We have to start thinking out of the box,” he said. “I tried to instill creative thinking in officers.”

So, when the possibility of acquiring Humvees for free came up through the Fort Drum Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services in Watertown, N.Y., he felt it was within his authority — and his responsibility — to investigate the opportunity.

“My job was to see if we could acquire them,” he said.

The cost of obtaining the two vehicles, according to the chief, was $375 in fuel, which included filling up the SUV they drove to get the Humvees.

The chief said the vehicles are “hardened, waterproof, built for a warzone,” and they can do the “heavy lifting” for the Weston Police Department.

“Besides,” he said, “if one breaks, we can return it and they’ll give us another one.”

Town officials

Ms. Weinstein said the vehicles might have been procured for free, but there are costs for the town, including insurance and maintenance.

Police Commissioner Shupack said the Humvees were not discussed with the Police Commission during initial budget discussions. Rather, there was talk of the possibility of purchasing a Silverado pick-up truck that could be shared with other departments.

He said “later” there was a brief discussion of Humvees in an email exchange within the commission and they approved the chief’s proposal of obtaining one Humvee.

“Subsequently, the chief came back with two Humvees,” Mr. Shupack said.

Mr. Shupack also said the Police Commission has not officially talked about the issue but they were scheduled to at their meeting Tuesday, Feb. 7. Coverage of that discussion will be in next week’s (Feb. 16) Weston Forum.

“It will be our first chance to discuss the issue,” he said.

Mr. Shupack added he is “disappointed” the chief is retiring.

Safety and security

Resident Joan Henderson said all the dialogue about the Humvees is where the actual overstepping of appropriateness exists.

“I think there is a lot of unnecessary discussion,” she said.

Ms. Henderson believes that in matters of “public safety and security” there is no reason for a debate.

“If having two Humvees makes people feel safe, there shouldn’t need to be a discussion,” she said. “I just cannot understand why this is being talked to death.”

Ms. Weinstein said there are legal issues that need to be asked of the town’s attorney.

“I don’t like anything in place until the attorney looks at it,” she said.

Ms. Weinstein added it is her job to be concerned about these things. But, she said, if there was an emergency that required the dormant Humvees to be put into use while things were being resolved, she would authorize that.

“If they were needed tomorrow and the police told me, I’d say go for it,” Ms. Weinstein said.

She also said initial talks about the requested Silverado truck indicated the vehicle’s use would be to place cones and stop signs, not for the extreme situations for which the Humvees are being considered.

“None of these other needs were discussed,” she said.

Ms. Weinstein did, however, commend the chief for “thinking out of the box.”

At Weston's Speak Up: Jobs, COGs and emergencies are on people's minds
Weston FORUM
Written by Laura Modlin
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:57

The 21st annual Speak Up event, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Weston on Saturday, Feb. 4, was not just about Humvees (see related story on page one).

Residents had other things on their minds, too. They took the opportunity to talk to the state senators present about job creation and education, and to local officials about matters around town.

Weston’s state Senators John McKinney (R-28th) and Toni Boucher (R-26th) were on-hand to answer questions.

Resident Barbara Roland asked what the state is doing to create jobs in Connecticut.

Senator Boucher said job creation is on everyone’s minds. She said as the country pulls out of the recession, the Northeast in general, and Connecticut specifically, lags behind.

She added that two bright spots of living in Connecticut are a high standard of education and quality of life.

But, she said, companies won’t be encouraged to operate in Connecticut if they don’t think they can make money.

To help address this issue, Senator Boucher has been supporting the elimination of Connecticut’s $250 Business Entity Tax (BET), among other initiatives. For now, the tax has been effectively cut in half by making it payable once every two years instead of each year.

Ms. Boucher said there is a lot of work to do to create jobs in Connecticut. “We have to take another look at real issues,” she said.

Senator McKinney said that in spite of disagreement between the governor and Republicans, they have come together and a jobs bill was mutually created and put into effect this past fall.

“We tried to focus on small businesses with under 50 employees,” he said.

Included in the bi-partisan bill are tax credit incentives for businesses that increase their net hires.

Mr. McKinney also feels encouraging manufacturing in the state is pivotal for increasing jobs in Connecticut. “Long-term, there’s more we can do,” he said.

State tax refunds

Mr. McKinney warned there has been a change in the way Connecticut state tax refunds will be issued this year.

Whereas before taxpayers could opt for their refund to be issued either via direct deposit or check, there is no longer an option for refund by check.

Now, the choices are either direct deposit or a debit card — and Mr. McKinney warned he is “a little leery” of the debit card option.

According to Mr. McKinney, the state legislature was not involved in this decision and there are fees and restrictions involved with using the debit cards. There is also the requirement to hand over one’s social security number to JP Morgan Chase, the issuer of the debit cards, in order to activate the cards.

Mr. McKinney pointed out that this change from the state issuing checks to hiring JP Morgan Chase to send out debit cards saves the state $280,000 a year. But, he suggests those who anticipate a refund should choose direct deposit.

“I do want you to be careful,” he said.

State mandates for education

Resident Harvey Bellin was concerned about the state’s role in education.

“Our Board of Ed hired the best superintendent you can imagine,” he said. But, he worries that ever-increasing state regulations on schools has a negative impact.

“We’re paying taxes, let us have local autonomy, let us decide how to spend. It might be less.”

Mr. Bellin said the state needs to look at teacher hiring and tenure because it doesn’t make sense to guarantee jobs to teachers. He also said step increases are unreasonable and teachers get them for just showing up to work and not committing crimes.

Ms. Boucher said the reason there is so much state involvement is because of concern on the part of inner city representatives.

She also said this year the governor “laid down a gauntlet.”

“There is a proposal about tenure,” she said. “They would like to see major change.” A possibility, according to Ms. Boucher, is changing teacher contracts from four years to five but making it so they are not guaranteed.

“You have to earn it,” Mr. McKinney said.

Colleen Palmer, Weston’s superintendent, added, “There are changes coming in terms of how we evaluate people” in Weston. She said tenure “is not a guarantee for life.”

Mr. McKinney said there will be a focus on identifying the top 5% of the worst performing schools in the state and an effort made to do more work with them.

But, the state will also be aiming to recognize the top 5% of high-performing schools in order to free them from some state mandates.

“The state will get out of the way of high-performing schools,” Dr. Palmer said.

She has been in talks with the governor and will be part of an upcoming meeting between the governor and area school superintendents.

“Most of the proposals we put forward come from [school] superintendents,” Mr. McKinney said.

Regional planning

The formation of a Council of Governments — a change from the current regional planning association (RPA) structure — was on people’s minds, as well as if the discussion will be brought before a Town Meeting.

First Selectman Gayle Weinstein replied there have been public discussions but few people from the community have attended. And at this time there is still more to talk about with the Planning & Zoning Commission, she said.

Selectman Dennis Tracey said he looks forward to a “very, very active discussion about this.”

He believes the lack of attendance is not an indicator of interest. “This is the beginning,” he said. “It does not mean people don’t care.”

Other topics

When the status of the town’s charter revision came up, Ms. Weinsten said a preliminary review has been completed.

The role of neighborhood captains was discussed.

A neighborhood captain would gather information on their neighbors to assist in emergencies.

They would also be assigned the responsibility of contacting town hall in situations like a tree falling so town hall’s phone lines are not tied up with several calls about one incident.

Neighborhood captains would gather information on supplies and conditions in neighborhoods.

Dr. Palmer will be sending emails about this to parents of Weston public school students in order to help get the word out.

Allen Swerdlowe, chairman of the town’s Building Committee, reported there will be window replacements at the middle school this summer.

“Weston Middle School will be a construction zone at that time, but otherwise there will be very little disruption,” he said.

Carol Baldwin asked what is next for the Lachat property.

Ms. Weinstein said that the town is looking into the formation of a committee, researching what other area towns have done under similar circumstances and investigating options for the use and supervision of the land.

RPA v. COG: The debate continues in Weston
Weston FORUM
Written by Kimberly Donnelly
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:55


The Weston selectmen agree the town should decide for itself whether to change the structure of the regional planning organization to which it belongs. They don’t yet agree, though, what that decision should be; nor do they agree if it should be made by the Board of Selectmen or by a Town Meeting vote.

In an effort to inform the board and the public, First Selectman Gayle Weinstein made a presentation at last week’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting on the pros and cons of switching from the current regional planning association (RPA) structure to a council of governments (COG).

In an RPA, representatives appointed by each towns’ Planning and Zoning Commissions and Board of Selectmen (or its equivalent) make regional decisions with input from chief elected officials, who, as a municipal planning organization (MPO) are only responsible for transportation decisions.

In a COG, it’s the chief elected officials who have the decision making power, while P&Z representatives hold a strictly advisory role as members of a regional planning commission (RPC).

Ms. Weinstein has been upfront about the fact she is in favor of a switching the South Western Regional Planning Agency (SWRPA) to a COG.

SWRPA includes Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Weston, Westport, and Wilton. Five of the eight towns must vote in favor of a switch in order for a change to occur.

Ms. Weinstein said she believes the advantages of a COG include:

• Elected officials are directly involved in non-transportation discussions and decision making.

• It holds elected officials more responsible for regional decisions.

• It provides a stronger, more unified voice in the state legislature.

• It increases efficiency because the planning organization staff would only work for one group (the COG) instead of two (the RPA and the MPO).

Ms. Weinstein said she wants the public to be as informed as possible, so she has tried to listen carefully to the concerns others have about changing to a COG. Some disadvantages that have been expressed, she said, include:

• There would be an increased workload on P&Z members who serve on the RPC of the COG (since it would be members of P&Z rather than their appointees who would serve).

• There is a potential for a loss of expert volunteers who currently serve on the SWRPA board. “Some may not want to serve because they are relegated to a lesser role,” Ms. Weinstein acknowledged.

• The COG would have the ability to overturn decisions made by the RPC.

Ms. Weinstein said there have been some concerns expressed that are not legitimate when they are explored.

A COG cannot make a town do something it doesn’t want, she said. “Whatever happens, home rule remains,” she said, adding that at the municipal level, P&Z’s “autonomy is unaltered.”

In addition, “there is no difference in the level of taxation” for a COG, an RPA, or a third structure that exists, a Council of Elected Officials (CEO).

“A COG does not have taxing authority,” Ms. Weinstein said, addressing one of the most prevalent concerns she said she hears.

Toni Boucher, Republican state senator for the 26th District (which includes Weston), was at last Thursday’s presentation, and she agreed with Ms. Weinstein’s assessment of the taxation question.

Ms. Boucher said if the state were to eventually try to impose regional asset sharing — another term for regional taxation — it would have to do so regardless of what the regional structure is.

“I don’t think it would be significantly different f it was a COG, if it was an RPA ... or a CEO... I think every one of these organizations would find themselves in the same situation. It would not allow one region to be held harmless from movement in that regard. They would do it unilaterally, across the board,” Ms. Boucher said.

Selectman Dennis Tracey pointed out that if the state tried to impose a regional tax, there is a difference in what the town might be allowed to do based on the structure of its planning organization.

The law currently says a town can withdraw anytime from an RPA as long as it gives six month’s notice, Mr. Tracey said. So, if at any time the state were to impose regional taxes, Weston could withdraw from the RPA and be exempt from those taxes, he said.

“In a COG, you can withdraw ... but you are committed under state law to continue to fund any existing projects,” he continued.

“So, in effect, if there is a regional tax sharing regime imposed on us in Weston [and the change had been made to a COG], we can’t get out of it because once it’s imposed, we are obligated to continue to fund it forever, even if we withdraw from the COG.”

The three selectmen — Ms. Weinstein, Mr. Tracey, and David Muller, who joined the presentation part way through, each had a slightly different answer to the question of who gets to decide about making the change.

Ms. Weinstein said she believes decisions about membership in a regional planning organization must go through the ordinance process, because the town belongs to the organization by ordinance. That process includes public hearings to gather public input and opinions, and then a vote by the Board of Selectmen.

“This is the first of many meetings... We will continue to have many conversations about this until the community is comfortable” with the ideas being presented, Ms. Weinstein said.

Mr. Tracey disagreed. “I feel strongly this should be a decision that is subjected to a Town Meeting. As Senator Boucher said, this is a very important decision for the town. Under the existing charter, the Board of Selectmen is required to submit to Town Meeting anything it deems is of significant importance, and something like this, I feel is fundamentally important. So I think it would be a breach of our duty not to bring it to a Town Meeting [vote],” he said.

Mr. Muller said he “stand[s] somewhere in the middle.” His concern with bringing the decision to a Town Meeting vote is the possibility of misinformation skewing the vote.

Despite the board’s best efforts, if something is not a “lightning rod issue,” — and this clearly is not, Mr. Muller said — it’s hard to get correct information out and to “get the misinformation out of people’s minds,” he said.

“Some people are very opposed [to changing to a COG] because of misinformation. Twenty of them show up, that decides it. I am concerned about the mechanism of the Town Meeting when it is not a lightning rod issue,” Mr. Muller said.





"Speak Up 2011" a grand success!!!
Totally full house of officials and S.R.O. of the people at the Community Room at the Weston Library...

LEAGUE VIDEO VERSION UP ON THE TOWN TV CHANNEL 79 - now playing daily at 10pm. 

OR...SEE IT NOW ONLINE..."SPEAK UP 2011"

LWV of Weston Speak Up 2011 - The Town's Business Is Your Business: Direction From the People to Their Government

Total time:  1 hr 33 mins 50 secs

For Cable & DSL Users (245 MB):  http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVSpeakup3-12-11CableVersion.wmv

For Dial-up Modem Users (36 MB):  http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVSpeakup3-12-11ModemVersion.wmv


PICTURE STORY:  The Library Community Room was...full of people from the community!  Standing room only.  Naturally, people needed encouragement to come up to the microphones.


And they took aim, or "A.I.M." at the Columbia University Teacher's College $350k project to update teaching in the system systemwide.


And then there is the size of the school budget, which many looked skepticle about...


The Cemetery Committee Chair. explained that there would be a Public Meeting on March 30 at 7:30pm in the Town Hall Meeting Room, and the Planning and Zoning Chair and the First Selectperson were each asked to say what they thought about a non-denominational cemetery owned by the Town.  Another speaker asked for a more complete explanation of how a discussion of the Cemetery proposal would work re: ATBM...answer:  no discussion allowed at ATBM, since the item that appears on the Referendum has nothing to do with FY2012's budget.


Continuing on this subject and easing into Planning and how it relates to the needs of the Weston population now and in the future...how is the Town Plan being implemented?  P&Z explains how they are going from Board to Board and trying to influence others.   How about the needs of the elderly?  How about walking and biking experiences?


State Senator and Representative answered a general question about Hartford;  Police Chief answered about shooting range use...


First Selectperson explains the Referendum questions, yet again.  Town Administrator answered to question about the condition of the roads after the winter.


So all in all it was a wide ranging Speak Up and one that, as mentioned by the First Selectperson, was better than she had expected (considering that it had had to be rescheduled). She credited the more “intimate” setting for putting people at ease.




From left, Selectman David Muller, First Selectman Gayle Weinstein, school board Chairman Phil Schaefer, Interim Superintendent John Reed, and finance board Chairman Mike O’Brien get ready to answer questions at last Saturday’s Speak Up. —Kimberly Donnelly photo

Weston Speak Up 2011: Townspeople get their say
Weston FORUM
Written by Kimberly Donnelly
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 10:33

The people have spoken.

About 75 people filled the Community Room at the Weston Public Library last Saturday for the annual Weston Speak Up, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Residents had the opportunity to direct questions and comments to approximately 20 representatives of local boards, commissions, and committees, as well as two state representatives who were present.

The mood at the open forum was often light and always respectful — Moderator Laura Smits urged participants at the beginning to “remember we are among friends and neighbors.” But people also spoke passionately and seriously about issues that matter most to them.

Topics raised by the 18 people who had an opportunity to make it to the microphones ranged from speeding on local streets, bicycle safety, building on town property, road maintenance, and target shooting at the rifle range, to lengthier discussions on a proposed town cemetery, a new education initiative (AIM), and the town and school budgets.

“It went very well, and the room was packed,” said First Selectman Gayle Weinstein, who said turnout for the event, which had been postponed from its usual time in February due to bad weather, was better than she had expected. She credited the more “intimate” setting for putting people at ease.

Cemetery proposal

One of the most discussed and most controversial topics was a proposal to build a non-denominational cemetery on a two-acre portion of the 85-acre town-owned Fromson-Strassler property in Georgetown.

The Board of Selectmen decided to ask voters at a referendum April 14 to approve up to $30,000 to gather the documentation P&Z will need for an 8-24 referral. A positive referral form P&Z says the commission believes it is an appropriate use of the land.

Hal Mathews of Treadwell Lane, a longtime proponent of a cemetery in town, asked Stephan Grozinger, chairman of P&Z, and First Selectman Weinstein to answer, “yes or no, do you favor a non-denominational cemetery.”


Stephan Grozinger

Mr. Grozinger said he does personally, and after speaking with members of the cemetery committee, he believes use of a portion of the property might be consistent with the Town Plan of Conservation and Development, as long as the committee can show it will not cost the town money in the long run. He said he does not believe town officials should remain neutral on the project.

Ms. Weinstein, on the other hand, said she believes as first selectman, she must do just that. “What is at issue is what the community as a whole thinks... My role is not to put my spin on it” but instead to determine what a majority of townspeople want.

Selectman David Muller agreed with Ms. Weinstein. “I understand your passionate support for this, but a cemetery will be there forever... To go ahead without the town’s support would be a mistake,” Mr. Muller said to Mr. Mathews.

Pat Heifetz of Ledgebrook Court asked why a public hearing has never been posted and held on the cemetery question.

Ms. Weinstein said many public informational meetings have been held — and were generally poorly attended — over the years.

“A public hearing is different,” Ms. Heifetz said. Unlike an informational meeting, a hearing is not to get information from public officials, but for public officials to get information from the people, she said.



Asking for clarification on why cemetery is not going to be discussed

Lucy Bowden of Stonehenge Road wanted to know whether asking a question about the cemetery was appropriate at the budget referendum, and why it wouldn’t be discussed at the Annual Town Meeting (ATBM) before the referendum.

Ms. Weinstein explained the referendum is not an adjourned budget vote, because the selectmen already voted to remove the budget votes from the call of the ATBM.

Townspeople will have the chance to learn more about the cemetery project and to comment on it at meetings set for Wednesday, March 30, during a special public comment session at the beginning of the March 31 Board of Selectmen meeting, and at another informational meeting Saturday, April 2.

Explanatory text will also be available at the polls Thursday, April 14, and for those voting absentee beforehand.

A.I.M. project

The other hot topic at Speak Up was a proposal by the school district the implement a new initiative, the Weston Academic Innovation and Measurement (A.I.M.) Project.


Response on A.I.M .

Tom Scarice, assistant superintendent of schools, said the program, to be executed in collaboration with Columbia Teacher’s College, will focus on preparing Weston students for the global skills needed for students to succeed in the 21st Century.

The entire program is estimated to cost about $150,000 over the course of three years, but the schools are partnering with the Weston Education Foundation and the school PTOs for funding. Only $50,000 is expected to come from the school operating budget in fiscal year 2012 and another $50,000 in 2013.

Christine Lomuscio of Cannondale Road said she believes the schools are being unrealistic asking for so much money at a time when people are hurting financially and when “municipal people are chipping away at town salaries” in an effort to cut back.

She also questioned “how uneducated are our students now” if the schools are saying things have to change so drastically.

Phil Schaefer, chairman of the school board, said much of what A.I.M. addresses is being done, but not consistently. “We’re trying to create consistency.”

Jeff Sears of Norfield Road said he supports the initiative 100%.

Meagan Couch of Aspetuck Glen said she, too, supports A.I.M., which gives Weston a chance to “jump ahead,” She also voiced support for paying Weston educators well. “Please leave teacher salaries alone. They deserve it,” Ms. Couch said.

Nina Daniel of Goodhill Road said she is both pro-education and pro-fiscal responsibility. “I don’t necessarily believe more money produces better educated kids,” Ms. Daniel said.

She also took issue with the understanding that A.I.M. is a change in the assessment method, not a change in curriculum.

Mr. Scarice said the goal is to find a metric to measure learning against an international benchmark, resulting in “driving instruction in the classroom.”

Other topics

Many other issues were addressed at Speak Up, which is being shown in its entirety daily on Cablevision public access Channel 79 at 10 p.m. Some items discussed include:

Speeding

A Kettle Creek Road resident said there is excessive speeding on his road. Rick Phillips, chairman of the Police Commission, said studies have shown speed bumps and stop signs are not effective deterrents; the best deterrent is a police presence, he said. Police Chief John Troxell said the town has a speed trailer and a box that will flash a driver’s speed that may be hooked up. He said he will make sure they are used on Kettle Creek in conjunction with enforcement.

Building on town property

Barbara Gross of Blue Spruce Drive compared a situation in 2004 — a fence separating private property and the town-owned Revson baseball fields — with a current situation where a Martin Road resident built a wall on town property. First Selectman Weinstein said that was different because the fence near Revson was built and then allowed to remain based on recommendations by a former Board of Selectmen.

Target practice at rifle range in town

Ellen Uzenoff of Davis Hill Road asked if the town could “have a dialogue” about the amount of time the rifle range near her home is used. Chief Troxell said the range is owned by Aquarion, which manages the Saugatuck Reservoir. Weston police use the range just twice a year for two-week training sessions on semi-automatic rifles. In addition, Aquarion employees train there, as do Westport police (who were asked to stop using the range on Saturdays). Redding Police are likely going to start using it, too. Chief Troxell said he will always investigate any noise complaints.

ATBM/referendum


Gayle Weinstein

First Selectman Weinstein explained some of the changes to the budget voting process this year. The Annual Town Budget Meeting (ATBM) will be held Wednesday, April 6, at the Weston High School auditorium at 8 p.m. At that time, people will discuss and vote on the debt service and capital budgets. Then the Town Meeting will have a chance to amend line items in the town budget and the total school budget. Those numbers will be sent to the voters at a referendum Thursday, April 14, for final decision. A question on appropriating money for cemetery application to P&Z will also be asked at the referendum. Absentee voting may be done in person at the town clerk’s office in the days leading up to the referendum.

State legislators

Neil Horner of Catbrier Lane asked state Rep. John Shaban (R-135th) and state Senator Toni Boucher (R-26th) to talk about what is going on in Hartford. Mr. Shaban said in addressing the state’s $3.5-billion structural deficit, there are some “hard cuts, hard reductions, and hard decisions to be made.” Ms. Boucher said she is pleased the new governor has vowed to not borrow money for operating expenses. However, she is concerned about the proposed luxury tax and mandatory sick leave. “I’m not seeing enough spending cuts based on the increases in taxes,” she said.

Real estate conveyance tax

First Selectman Weinstein asked the state legislators if they support making the real estate conveyance tax — which translates into more than $300,000 per year in revenue for Weston — permanent. Mr. Shaban said yes. “All my towns want it,” he said. Ms. Boucher said she is not in favor of making it permanent, but she does support extending it.

Roads

Jeff Schwab of Old Hyde Road asked about the state of the town’s roads and road the road maintenance budget. Tom Landry, town administrator, reported the snow removal costs this year are “substantially over budget.” The town’s long-term paving program, however, is very good, so town roads may fare better than state roads when it comes to patching potholes this spring, he said. “We have other things that will be a bigger financial hit than that.”

Weather dampens Weston’s chance to sound off at Speak Up
Weston FORUM
Written by Kimberly Donnelly
Thursday, 10 February 2011 00:00

Weston was ready to have its say at the League of Women Voters’ annual open public forum Speak Up last weekend, but Mother Nature had other plans.

The event, an exchange between the community and local and state officials, was scheduled for Saturday morning, at the same time that snow and freezing rain fell throughout the region. The organizers decided it was safer for people to remain off the roads, said Barbara Rowland of the Weston league.

However, a previously scheduled “snow date” the next day was not to be either, even though the weather had cleared up by then.

“It turned out we had not been given complete information about that day,” Ms. Rowland said.

In the fall, the league had asked Norfield Church, where Speak Up is traditionally held, to reserve the parish hall on Sunday at 2 for a snow date for Speak Up, Ms. Rowland said. She was told at that time that the church was holding its annual meeting that morning following church services, but it was her understanding the league could have the room after 2.

However, when she decided to cancel the Saturday gathering, Ms. Rowland said, she learned that in fact the annual meeting would be followed by board and committee meetings, election of chairmen, and a lunch. It was determined that with cleanup and having to reset the room with chairs and audio and video equipment, it would not be possible to have the room ready by 2.

“We had already published 2 as the time for the snow date, and we thought it would be too confusing for people to change it … and then there was the Super Bowl,” Ms. Rowland said.

Because the big football game was Sunday evening, the league was afraid many people had made plans for that afternoon, so she did not want to hold Speak Up any later than 2.

Phyllis Gary, chairman of Norfield’s board of directors, said she, too, was disappointed the timing did not work out. “I felt really bad, but the annual meeting is so important to the life of the church” that it was not something that could be rescheduled, she said. She said Ms. Rowland was told she could have the room later in the day.

Ms. Gary said people were in the kitchen at Norfield still cleaning up after the meeting when she left at 2:15 on Sunday.

“It’s unfortunate the weather has been so stinky,” Ms. Gary said. She said Norfield did make sure the parking lot was cleared for Saturday in case Speak Up had been able to go on as planned.

Ms. Rowland said the league has not yet chosen another date for Speak Up, but it plans to.

SPEAK UP CANCELED FOR THE WHOLE WEEKEND - STAY TUNED
 COMING NEXT SATURDAY, FEB. 5, 2011 AT 10:30AM...Norfield Parish Hall

SPEAK UP 2010!

The event, Norfield's the place...Speak Up 2010 moderator Paula Savignol, Sustainability Committee (formerly Global Warming Committee) Chair. Martin Strasmore spoke.

The crowd showed up even after threats of severe weather.  Up until two hours before it started, there was the possibility of cancellation - but the storm didn't snow on the Weston LWV's "parade."  The cameras rolled, donut holes and water materialized and the show went on!  Last year's moderator, Dr. Dan Gilbert, now a member of the Board of Selectmen, offered his comments.

THEN CAME QUESTIONS:

The first question, and the second as well, involved long range strategic planning in relation to schools and finances.  Then came education advocates, some new to the area, who spoke eloquently of their hope that our schools could be elevated from their already excellent status to the top tier of achievement ("gold" rather than our "silver") for all schools in the country, as determined by a Newsweek magazine survey.  Followed by some additional support for education (but with an eye to the pocketbook), and then some other thoughts.  A reminder that many, many in the population moved here, had kids, stayed, and want to remain!  The next citizen reported that she had a H.S.A. on her job, which was mentioned in support of the Town's initiatives to help control employee health insurance costs via H.S.A.'s.  She stated that she had come from abroad many years ago, raised a family and now her grandchild, in Weston.  The next speaker commented on the vital role older citizens, who do not have children in the school system, play in supporting the school budget.  Another member of the Board of Selectmen offered his thoughts in the form of a question - do Westonites feel  it is essential to maintain the nearly total residential nature of the town?
FOLLOWED BY ANSWERS:


Board of Finance Chair. Mike O'Brien and School Superintendent Jerry Belair fielded challenging and thoughtful questions on how Weston's future education services might be delivered...and how to pay for them;  Les Wolf (not pictured here) of the Board of Education reminded all that public discussion of union contract negotiations is not a good idea and can actually be counter-productive.  He then asked state legislators who were on stage for a report on what's up in Hartford.  State Senators McKinney and Boucher, and State Representative Stripp, provided valuable insight.  The new Town Plan was addressed by P&Z Chair. Stephan Grozinger -- what is the schedule and how might citizens have input?  Answer:  Soon, and the text in the draft will be open to revision and changes.  The process of Public Hearing and then presentation to the Board of Selectmen was described briefly.  The Weston-Westport Health District entertained probing questions about the swine flu vaccination program. As is customary, the First Selectperson holds the mic and passes it around.  Gayle Weinstein followed in former First Selectman Woody Bliss' style and did admirably distributing questions to others.  After listening to Ms. Weinstein, Senator McKinney invited Weston's First Selectperson and other officials to come to Hartford to make the case for small towns!

Her first Speak Up complete, First Selectperson Weinstein thanks the public and the League and especially the moderator, who did such a fine job!





WATCH 'SPEAK UP 2010' NOW!!!  (Works best with Internet Explorer)
SPEAK UP 2010 VIDEO DIRECT LINKS BELOW
http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVSpeakup2-6-10ModemVersion.wmv  (38 megaBytes)
 
http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVSpeakup2-6-10CableVersion.wmv  (256 megaBytes)
 
Length:  1 hour 41 minutes 32 seconds
Speak Up 2010 Saturday all over...
Who*:  about two dozen officials on stage (Registrars of Voters in the audience) and official count from replaying the raw tape - 100 residents in the audience
What:  Westonites made statements, asked questions and those on stage gave answers, had a few laughs and were reminded of the seriousness of the present economic conditions as compared to others in the past.
When (can you watch it online): video by the end of the week plus dvd in Library then, too.
Where:  Norfield worked out great again, especially new plugs for sound.
Why:  people want to ask and share their opinions and officials want to listen and it always helps to try to bridge the differences among the generations.
How:  with 2 audience microphones so no long lines!

League kept order, remembering that this is supposed to be the peoples' meeting.  Moderator made sure that responses were brief and a maximum number of questions could be asked in the 90 minutes. 
REVIEW PRIOR TO WATCHING 'SPEAK UP 2010' ALL OVER AGAIN...
2010 hot button:  No more unfunded mandates.  With gusto, from EVERYBODY whether on stage or in the audience.

These pictures above illustrate the interests of Westonites in 2010:  respect, money (and the economy) and what's up with the Town Plan.
  1. 'Speak Up' #19 on Saturday, February 6, went on as planned - excellent turnout (100 in the audience despite storm threats), good questions...P&Z got two questions, and the last question re: the American flag and its treatment, may yet get the Town's attention and desired action...we'll see!
  2. What did the people of Weston want to do?  They wanted to engage in more long range discussion than in recent years.  It started off as a debate of where we might be headed in the future (further than five years out), with the suggestion of considering a broad community planning process for this discussion:  for example, with the school population shrinking again, was there a need for building re-use?
  3. No one complained that there are not enough stores of various kinds in Weston, nor complained that they had to go to far away Westport or Wilton to do big shopping.   No one mentioned shopping on the Internet, but perhaps the Legislators might have had they not been needed to explain where the State of CT was headed.
  4. CT is no longer the wealthiest, second wealthiest...of  highest income states, according to one Legislator.  When the subject of unfunded mandates came up, the whole room reacted to more of these...negatively.  Unemployment peaked at @6% in Weston (lower now) in the early Fall.
  5. The Flag:  Last question about the Town treatment of the official flag - First Selectperson promised to make corrections in policy;  speaker then went on to comment that everyone in the audience had to stand up, so those on stage should show respect and stand up too.
--------------
* = Who was on stage?  See below for a list (all of whom stood up at the moderator's request, when they self-identified at the very beginning);  not all on stage responded to audience questions, but those who did and stood up to speak are in red.  It looked to us as if those in the back row uniformly stood up so they could be seen.  Our State Legislators stood to make longer statements.
B A C K   R O W
Sustainibility Committee Martin Strasmore
Board of Ethics Arne DeKeijzer
W-W Health District Mark Cooper
Historic District Commission  Lynn Langlois
Building Committee Don Gary
Conservation Commission  Ed Schwarz
ZBA Cloudy Snaith
Commission for the Arts Christine Lomuscio
Parks and Recreation Dave Juneau
Library Board Amy Sanborn
Town Engineer John Conte

F R O N T    R O W
Legislators: Senator McKinney, Senator Toni Boucher, Representative Stripp
Planning and Zoning Stephan Grozinger
Board of Education Chair Phil Schaefer
Superintendent of Schools Jerry Belair
Selectman David Muller
First Selectperson Gayle Weinstein
Selectman Dan Gilbert
Police Chief John Troxell
Board of Finance Mike O'Brien
Police Commission Hal Shupack
Publicity and work to make Speak Up 2010 a success...

Step One:  reserve Norfield for the first Saturday in February
Step Two:  invite the office-holders
Step Three:  get a moderator
Step Four:  PR...
Step Five:  Do the no-snow dance - and it worked!

Last year, Speak Up 2009...

THE 'SPEAK UP 2009' STORY: 
Former President Pat Heifetz opens the meeting, officials introduce themselves (new Police Chief Troxell);  first question on reval - First Selectman Bliss answered that one...and then the fiscal crisis and how the budget, including the school budget, relates to it went on for 10 speakers (answers from Board of Finance Chair. Mike O'Brien and Superintendent of Schools Belair); suspend binding arbitration, perhaps, asks one Westonite;  Moderator's closing reminds all of the Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 P&Z workshop on the Town Plan (W.H.S. cafeteria, 7:30-9:30pm).

The League of Women Voters of Weston...Speak Up 2009! (The Town's Business Is Your Business:  Direction From the People to Their Government)
A REALLY BIG SHOW THIS YEAR...ON THE ECONOMY AND HOW WE ARE ALL SUFFERING AND MANY, MANY POINTED QUESTIONS ON TAXES AND THE SCHOOL BUDGET;  More than 200 residents attended, the microphones worked, and our moderator was super!


WATCH 'SPEAK UP 2009' NOW:

Cable/DSL version:
http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVSpeakup2-7-09CableVersion.wmv

Dial-up: 
http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVSpeakup2-7-09ModemVersion.wmv

---------------

LWV of Weston SPEAK UP 2009 notes:  more than 200 in audience at Norfield Church Parish Hall

Q&A:  18 questions/statements total, 14 on the economy, 10 of which were directly noted to be school-budget related, 4 general;  other:  reassessment, flag procedure, need for cemetery and air traffic.  In the order that these questions werer asked:

1.    Reval:  how come assessment went up if nothing was done?
2.    Class size:  if it increrases, families will leave town.
3.    Taxes:  if taxes increase, no one will move here.
4.    School budget:  how about zero increase?  Questioned budget approach. (Superintendant of Schools and Vice-Chair. of the Board of Education answered;  Chair. of the Board of Finance as well - pointed out that the suggestion was the approach that had been taken.)
5.    School budget:  zero increase or people will have to move.
6.    School budget: "arrogance of denial" by administration to financial crisis.
7.    School budget:  other towns are cutting down on school expenses - can we?
8.    School budget:  what would it take to get to zero increase?  (Superintendent of Schools explained the 2.62% increase - which might go down when insurance contract bids come in - is only 0.3% for school program [$900k for insurance at present or estimated prices and $100k or more from reduced special education aid rate.)
9.    School budget:  supporter of schools says maybe the time is right to take another look at class size?
10.  School budget:  philosophic remark.
11.  Schools:  contract negotiations-binding arbitration question:  (Legislators responded, short version, "not likely.")
12.  Budget general:  time for "Weston first" programs only?
13.  Flag:  it still flies 24/7 with no light at night been asking for three years);  no one seems to care.
14.  Financial melt down:  general observation of loss of wealth.
15.  Cemetery:  will we ever get one in town?  (First Selectman responds that he hasn't been able to find enough volunteers for yet another try at this - asks if the questioner would care to join...)
16.  FAA-air traffic-noise:  what's happening?  (First Selectman reports that 13 towns are employing the 2nd best attorney to fight the FAA - first best attorney taken by FAA - New York politicians are pushing the flyover routes in our direction, but recently the FAA officials in charge of that agency have been removed because of their bias...)
17.  Economy:  what will happen when there is  hyper inflation (after all the bail-out $$ kicks in)?  No answer.
18.  Economy:  needs v. wants - example of Food Pantry user increase.

CLOSING STATEMENT:  Moderator ends the meeting quoting Jefferson.  NOTE:  More discussion of where Weston is headed to take place, in a land use arena, on Feb. 26, 2009 (a Thursday) from 7:30pm to 9:30pm at Weston High School careteria.


Dan Gilbert will moderate Weston Speak Up       
Weston FORUM
Thursday, January 22, 2009 

A face familiar to many Westonites, Dan Gilbert will be behind the podium at Norfield’s Parish Hall on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 10:30 until noon, moderating this year’s Speak Up, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Weston.

In his professional life, Dr. Gilbert retired from General Electric Corporation 2003, where he served as a consultant to GE’s corporate staff and their many different businesses, in the area of employee compensation for its non-executive workforce. He had been with the company since 1986, when GE merged with RCA, where he was the director of salary administration. 

Dr. Gilbert holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Penn State University, an MBA from the University of Scranton, a master’s degree in personnel psychology from Columbia University, and a doctorate in educational psychology from Fordham University, where he also served as a member of Fordham’s Educational Psychology Advisory Board. His broad expertise in the area of compensation and labor relations has also led to chairmanships on numerous professional advisory boards, as well as speaking engagements at national compensation conferences in the U.S. and abroad.

He has contributed articles to several professional trade journals, including ACA Journal, The Journal of Compensation and Benefits, and the Compensation and Benefits Review, and has served as a reviewer for the American Compensation Association and the American Management Association.

Many will recognize Dr. Gilbert from his many Weston civic activities. He joined the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2003, and is now involved in helping the board revise Weston’s Plan of Conservation and Development. He was elected to the Republican Town Committee in 2004 and is a member of Weston Kiwanis.

Depending on the time of year, Dan can be found splitting wood for the Weston Warm-up Fund, picking up trash on Weston roads for Green-Up Day, or at Weston Center, collecting food for the Weston Food Pantry, or selling tickets to the Kiwanis Pasta Dinner and Pancake Breakfast.

Dr. Gilbert is an active member of Saint Francis of Assisi Church, where he serves as a Eucharistic Minister, helps serve meals at the Norwalk Emergency Shelter, and helps refurbish local homes in conjunction with AmeriCares Homefront.

Dr. Gilbert’s wife Sharon is also active in town and serves as the archivist for the Weston Historical Society. They have lived in Weston since 1986 and have two grown children, Mary Katherine and Craig, both graduates of Weston High School.

Speak Up has become a Weston tradition — an opportunity for community members to voice their concerns and speak directly to their appointed and elected officials about local, state and national issues and their impact on the town of Weston.   For more information about Speak Up or the League of Women Voters of Weston, visit www.lwvweston.org.

In case anyone was not aware of 'Speak Up 2009' the League posted its sign on the Onion Barn!


Moderator Clem Malin;  FAA came first, then zoning enforcement on Georgetown Road...lots on school start times, some on traffic control, explanation of "Teen Talk" at W.H.S. and a pitch for Global consciousness.

LAST YEAR (2008)...
"SPEAK UP 2008" video online!  WATCH "SPEAK UP 2008" HERE
An original LWV of Weston exercise in open government - first program in 1992!  On-line reports of earlier programs here.

 (Note that that these files are very large.  They are best viewed in Internet Explorer.  Other browser programs, such as Firefox, may download the entire program before beginning playback, which could take a long time)

To view "Speak Up 2008"

Please  Click Here For The Modem (Dial Up) Version

Please  Click Here For The Cable/DSL Version
"Speak Up 2008"...Saturday, February 9, 2008, 10:30am - 12 noon plus a bit, at Norfield Parish Hall;  League moderator, refreshments and a chance to let your elected and appointed representatives know what's on your mind for 2008!  And they did!  League event gets high marks from new resident, who says that he never saw this kind of open dialogue in all the years he had lived in a nearby Westchester suburb!!!  Chair. of Commission for the Arts gives high marks to "whoever  thought of the microphones in the audience" - League accepts all compliments, as our fundraising appeal is for items just like this!

Before "Speak Up" our publicity said...

How did the newspapers perceive the issues of interest at "Speak Up 2008?"
The Westport News came out Wednesday, Feb. 13 with their report - no longer on-line, but you may read it here.
The Weston FORUM came out today, Feb. 14 with their report - link here.

"Speak Up 2007"

Weston's 16th annual "Speak Up" was held on February  3, 2007.  If you missed it, and your computer is of recent vintage, you can watch it here!  Or you can go to the Weston Public Library, and borrow a DVD or VHS copy.

When you click on one of the links below, and if you have a Windows-based computer, the video should automatically start downloading and playing in the Windows Media Player program.  After the download has completed, as indicated by the progress bar near the bottom of the Windows Media Player screen, you will be able to skip around to any part of the video.  The complete video is 98 minutes long.

If you have an Apple computer, and don't already have Windows Media Player installed on it, you can download the Apple version of Windows Media Player at www.microsoft.com.

To view "Speak Up 2007" :

(Note that these files are very large)

Please  Click Here For The Modem (Dial-Up) Version (37 megaBytes)

Please  Click Here For The Cable/DSL Version (247 megaBytes)


"Speak Up 2006"

Weston's 15th annual "Speak Up" was held on February  4, 2006.  If you missed it, and your computer is of recent vintage, you can watch it here!  Or you can go to the Weston Public Library, and borrow a DVD or VHS copy.

When you click on one of the links below, and if you have a Windows-based computer, the video should automatically start downloading and playing in the Windows Media Player program.  After the download has completed, as indicated by the progress bar near the bottom of the Windows Media Player screen, you will be able to skip around to any part of the video.  The complete video is 95 minutes long.

If you have an Apple computer, and don't already have Windows Media Player installed on it, you can download the Apple version of Windows Media Player at www.microsoft.com.

To view "Speak Up 2006":

(Note that these files are very large)

Please  Click Here For The Modem (Dial-Up) Version (35 megaBytes)

Please  Click Here For The Cable/DSL Version (246 megaBytes)


HISTORY:
Link here to reports of earlier "Speak Up" programs:

YRS 2004 and 2005 reported on here.

YR2003

YR2002

YR2001

YR2000