Tinkering With Task Force

A Dangerous Move

To the Editor:

This last week I read with interest (and dismay) town posters, a Bee ad, and Letter Hive letters by Cindy Miller and Christina Kennedy demanding the removal of Meg Maurer from the task force to study horse regulations. Being a member of P&Z you have to understand my feelings concerning Newtown and its relation to horses before you condemn me as a non-horse lover for what I’m going to say.

First of all, I voted in favor of the recent regulation to grandfather existing horse operations that were not expanded beyond 1986. I felt that if no one has complained about the ten or so horse operations that this law affects since 1986, then P&Z could take steps to remove a thorn out of these people’s sides with little adverse impact on those neighbors involved. Second, I also voted in favor of the Morgan Drive farm exemption once they removed the night arena lighting. (I would have voted against this proposal had they retained the lights.) I’ve had boarded horses directly across the street from my home for many years in the past and enjoyed them, my point being that I am basically an ally to the horse community – within reason.

When I voted in favor of the grandfather regulation, I felt that the concept was good but needed some expansion and refining. For instance, it made no provisions for other types of farming operations that should have been included in the amnesty. Also it was unclear as to how one was going to register to meet the one-year deadline. I therefore requested that a task force be in place to look into these problems at a later date before regulation to include other farm operations and to clarify the regulation as well.

Since Dan Fogliano could be construed as being biased in favor of the horse community through the direct influence of his wife who is directly involved with the Bridle Association, I felt that he was more than fair and above board in appointing Meg Maurer to the task force.

I believe Mrs Maurer, although she has voiced her opinion against certain specific horse operations, is not necessarily opposed to any reasonable horse operation. (She is unaware that I am writing this so this is entirely my words – not hers, but they reflect the statements that she made at that meeting and in other conversations I have had with her.) I believe she voted against the grandfather regulation for the same reasons that I requested a task force be in place before I voted for it.

To demand that she be removed from the task force seems to me that a few members of the Bridle Association only want one side of the facts and opinions brought out by eliminating all opposition. That’s dangerous and not in the best interest of the town; P&Z should not tolerate this. I believe that since the horse community is a minority in town, P&Z has an obligation to gather as many facts and opinions as possible so that we make decisions that reflect what the majority of the town people desire. I believe that had the task force been allowed to do its job the result would have been a lessening of restrictions for other related farm operations. In any case, a task force, whether you perceive it to be friendly or unfriendly to your cause, only gathers information and makes recommendations. This would have been fed to a P&Z Commission which has a reputation of being responsive to the needs of the horse community. I believe, in your zeal to protect your rights you shot yourself in the foot. You have my sympathy.

Robert Poulin

P&Z Member

Boggs Hill Road, Newtown                                         August 20, 2001