Ordinance Would Establish Authority For Campus

The draft of an ordinance patterned on directives in a recently signed public act would create a nonpolicy-making authority to oversee development, personnel, activities, and leasing arrangements specifically on the Fairfield Hills campus. The draft was approved by the Legislative Council’s ordinance subcommittee Wednesday evening and forwarded to the full council for discussion and possible action.

State legislators passed enabling legislation with language specific to Newtown earlier this month. Governor Jodi Rell signed the bill into law May 17 (see related story).

The ordinance draft states the following:

1. [Upon approval] Newtown will establish a municipal development agency to be known as the “Fairfield Hills Authority,” to implement the master plan for development of Fairfield Hills Campus adopted by the Newtown Planning and Zoning Commission, as from time to time amended.

2. The authority shall consist of eight regular members appointed by the first selectman with approval by the Board of Selectman. Authority members must be an elector of the town. Once the initial appointment cycle has run a course of three years, subsequent appointments will be for three-year periods. Vacancies will be filled immediately by the same process, and will serve the remaining terms of those departing the panel. Charter mandated terms of minority representation on the authority shall apply.

3. At its first meeting, the authority shall select a chairperson, a vice chairperson and a clerk. The clerk is responsible for keeping records of votes and other business. A quorum of five members must be met to constitute a legal meeting, and a minimum of four affirmative votes must be cast in order to endorse or transact any business before the panel.

4. The authority is only permitted to exercise powers granted under the ordinance, and can only affect business within the legal boundaries of the Fairfield Hills campus as identified in the property’s legal description.

5. As is stipulated in the public act, the authority has the power to implement the master plan for the development and operation of the premises including the power to clear, demolish, repair, rehabilitate, construct, and insure real property in its possession; to make site improvements essential to the preparation of land for its use in accordance with the master plan; to install, construct, or reconstruct streets, utilities, and other improvements conforming to the master plan; to negotiate leases for all or any part of the land and buildings, provided that any lease be subject to approval by the Board of Selectmen; employ staff and fix their duties by contract, or employ private contractors when needed; and to the extent necessary, expend funds available to implement the master plan in accordance with powers granted to the authority.

The final element of the proposed ordinance stipulates the authority shall meet monthly, and within six months of its appointment, shall prepare and submit a schedule for reporting progress on the implementation of the master plan to the Board of Selectmen and the council. Thereafter, the authority must report semiannually to those elected officials as to its progress in carrying out the provisions of the master plan.