Elected vs Appointed

One purpose of this Conservation Commission blog is to say my comments once, not repetatively again and again to reporters or the public - not being rude, just efficient with time. My running for elected office in 2009Nov has elicited a number of questions, from a number of people such as public or press, which I will answer here in a FAQ manner. I am using this blog, as it is the most read outlet I have that the public regularly reference.

I thought you were already in office? I was appointed to the Conservation Commission in 1998 by Mayor Lauretti according to Section 5.2.3 of the City Charter. The appointment is a 3 year term. My last term ended in 2009Aug, just 2 months ago, at which time Mayor Lauretti re-appointed me to the Commission. I am thus a Conservation Commissioner until August of 2012. This is different and separate than the elected office I seek on the Planning & Zoning Commission.

What is the elected office you are running for? Planning & Zoning Commissioner, as one of the two alternate positions. The PZC is made up of 6 members and 2 alternates. The alternate commissioner serves a very distinct purpose from a standard commissioner. From the City of Shelton Charter Section 5.1.4.b, "The Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall, when a regular member is unable to attend a meeting or is otherwise unable to participate, select an alternate in place of such member firstly from the same political party as the member and if an alternate from the same political party is not available, then the Chairman shall select the second alternate. If two (2) members are unable to attend or participate, both alternates shall be seated, provided that the minority representation requirements of the General Statutes are not thereby violated, in which event the Commission shall proceed on the matter without the participation of any alternate"

Can you serve on both Commissions? Structurally, yes. According to the Shelton Charter Section 5.5.c, "Members shall hold no more than one other elected office and/or two other appointed offices with the City"

Is it a conflict to serve on both Commissions? Philosophically, and generally no. The PZC is a regulatory body making decisions based upon reference to plans, regulations, statutes, etc. The CC is an advisory body making recomendations and comments that are also based upon reference to plans and guides, but has more latitude and breadth in what it may comment upon in it's role as the environmental conscience of the community. There are times where the PZC is asking for comment from the CC on issues such as a subdivision application, and I can reinforce the intent or direction of those comments when they reach the PZC - that isn't a conflict. There are however times when the CC is conducting a project (say a trails construction or activity) where a referral request is made to the planning agency (PZC) to affirm that it is appropriate. These are commonly referred to to as "8-24 referrals" in noting the Ct Gen Statutes section that outlines how it should be done. In cases where such a request is made, I may have to abstain from voting, but should not have to recuse myself from participating in discussion. That said, it is unlikely that such a conflict may occur anyway, because I would be in the "alternate" position and only voting when another commissioner was unable to fulfill their duty.

I didn't know you were running: My "campaign" for office is non-existent, due mainly to two factors. Firstly, I'm running for one of 2 alternate positions, of which no more than one can be from a single party. The Democrats and Republicans usually put forth one candidate for each office and thus they are de-facto elected. Shelton has a third alternative in the form of the Citizen's United Party, but they didn't nominate anyone for the PZC alternate position. Secondly, in 2008 and 2009 a company I have ownership in received a grant contribution from the State of Ct. toward a solar array. As such, the company is explicitly defined as a "state contractor" and is restricted in the political donations it's principals can make to candidates. This goes beyond any Ct state office candidate such as Governor or Atty General, and includes a prohibition against donating to Town Committees. In summary, I can't donate to general campaign funds of the Town Committee for helping with the cost of flyers or mailers, and due to the nature of the office and number of candidates on the slate - I don't need to campaign anyway. I'm fine with that as I instead can continue concentrating on continuing the work as Conservation Commissioner and prepare for that additional work as Planning & Zoning Commissioner.

What skills do you bring to the office? I am controller of a family construction business. As such, I have skills of management and knowledge of the construction industry. My business is not in development, primarily in NYC, and doesn't interact with any local contractors or developers. I am also a 5th generation farm owner and have a balanced perspective for the environment and the value of balance it brings to a developed community. In addition to having served on the Conservation Commission since 1998, I was appointed by the Planning & Zoning Commission to serve on the 2006 Plan Update Advisory Committee which updated the City's master plan known as the Plan of Conservation & Development. I am a director of the Shelton Economic Development Corporation, and a Life member of the non-profit Shelton Land Conservation Trust.

I hope this answers the questions regarding what offices I will be serving in, how I attained those offices, and what I intend to bring to them.