Term Limits Issue—

EDC Chairman Resigns From Agency

By Andrew Gorosko

The chairman of the Economic Development Commission (EDC) resigned from the agency this week, after being informed by the first selectman that he had been serving on the advisory panel longer than allowed by town ordinance.

EDC Chairman Robert Rau resigned from the agency at an August 24 EDC session.

EDC members later elected member Ted Kreinik as chairman.

The EDC is the rare town agency with term limits. The town ordinance that created the appointive agency provides that no member be allowed to serve more than two consecutive three-year terms on the panel. The group, which is authorized to have nine members, supports and encourages local business growth.

In an August 22 memorandum to the EDC, First Selectman Pat Llodra wrote, in part, “When Mr Rau’s term was completed in January, 2010, the Board of Selectmen reappointed him to another three-year term, believing that his original appointment in March 2004 was to fill a vacancy and, thus, he would not be in violation of term limits to continue service on the commission.

“I have since discovered that I and the Board of Selectmen did not have the correct information regarding the 2004 appointment of Mr Rau. Although that appointment did take place in March of 2004, rather than January, it was not to fill a vacancy, but rather was to serve in an open position for a full term,” Mrs Llodra added.

“It is important that each commissioner recognize that Mr Rau had nothing to do with the appointment error made by the Board of Selectmen. In fact, the Board of Selectmen acted on my recommendation, so it is wholly my doing that the error occurred,” Ms Llodra wrote.

The first selectman explained that the person advising her on the appointment issue did not understand the distinctions between a “vacancy” and an “open position” on the EDC and thus misinterpreted the applicable rules on such EDC appointments.

“Mr Rau has performed excellent service as member and chair of the Economic Development Commission. Rarely does a community find an individual as talented, committed, experienced, and knowledgeable as is Mr Rau in this specific and important endeavor of economic development. His generous gift of time, talent, and commitment has benefited Newtown substantially,” Mrs Llodra wrote. 

The first selectman added that, “Mr Rau has agreed to stay involved as a nonvoting member of the EDC so that he may continue to guide us through several important projects for which he has been the lead, most notably, the proposed [Advanced Fusion Systems, LLC] project on Edmond Road, and the [Newtown Technology Park] project. In both cases, Mr Rau has amassed a body of information and contacts that could not be readily taken over by another commissioner,” she wrote.

“Mr Rau understands that as of his resignation on August 24, 2010, he has no authority with the EDC, except as a consultant, a role he is willing to take on at my request,” Ms Llodra wrote.

In describing the situation to EDC members at the August 24 session, Mr Rau said, “There was a misunderstanding and confusion as to whether I was eligible to be appointed to another term.”

“I resign my position as a member. I wish it were otherwise,” he added.

Mr Rau noted that the EDC has developed a sense of momentum and is well engaged in business-supportive tasks.

The relations between the EDC and other town agencies have changed from being adversarial and confrontational to being based on a sense of compromise, he said.

“These last several years have been a great joy for me,” Mr Rau said.

EDC members later formally thanked Mr Rau for his work as the panel’s chairman and endorsed his serving as a volunteer consultant to the panel.