Date: Fri 27-Oct-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

council-election-Rochman

Full Text:

Council Profiles, Pierre Rochman

Pierre Rochman, Republican candidate for the council in District 1, brings to

his position "rational thinking that comes for having managed a business for

many, many years." He has lived in Newtown for 25 years and is proprietor of a

dry cleaners, and kitchen design firm, and also manages some real estate.

Mr Rochman, who describes himself as a "fiscal conservative," says one of his

strengths is that he brings a business approach to solving the fiscal problems

of the town. "We don't simply purchase goods or services on the basis of

need," he says. "We also prioritize on the basis of what we can afford at the

time."

He feels it is not possible to eliminate a capital project because "school

projects, the roads, and Town Hall South renovations all need to be done, " he

says. "It's a matter of degree and timing, not which one is more important

than the other." Neither for or against the proposed high school addition and

improvements, Mr Rochman says he will watch that project carefully because of

the "significant impact on future mill rates."

Mr Rochman says he would like to see the town consider property at Fairfield

Hills for some educational facitilities, and for town spaces - be they

recreational or administrative purposes.

He feels the town has "taken a lot of good steps in the direction of economic

development, and now "needs to wait until those steps come to fruition." The

situation will be helped along once the sewers are in place, he added. "We

need to keep doing what we've geen doing - encourage the kind of

non-residential commercial development that will bring in more revenue than it

will require in services. To be specific is difficult. Some commercial and

non-residental facilities can be beneficial and some not beneficial at all."

The incumbent council member has served six years on the Legislative Council,

chaired the council's ordinance committee for four year, and was mainly

responsible for our current recycling ordinance which he says is "quite

successful."