Date: Fri 05-Sep-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

primary-Rosenthal-Fetzer

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LIBRARY / BWEB

PAGE ONE / with photos:

Candidates Close Primary Campaign With A Sharp Exchange w/ cuts

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

Democratic rivals Herb Rosenthal and Gary Fetzer sat face-to-face at the

offices of The Newtown Bee last week in what turned out to be a heated

discussion on local issues.

The two men have been busy this summer trying to drum up support for next

Tuesday's primary election, which will determine which candidate will move on

to battle the Republicans for Newtown's top administrative position, first

selectman.

Longtime political allies within the Democratic party, the two candidates have

been unhappy with the conduct of each other's primary campaign. Their meeting

last Friday afternoon was tense at times.

Mr Rosenthal, who was endorsed by his party at a July caucus, wasted little

time throwing the first stones, and he continued the barrage for most of the

90-minute encounter. Already unhappy with Mr Fetzer's decision to force a

primary, Mr Rosenthal's anger intensified last week after seeing a Fetzer

political ad which insinuated he was running simply to continue the

Rosenthal's "political dynasty."

Mr Rosenthal believes the primary is all about effectiveness and called his

opponent part of the ineffective status quo.

"I believe one of the reasons I was chosen over Gary at the caucus is the

issue of effectiveness. I believe they felt I was an effective member of the

Board of Education.

"I don't think that Gary's been an effective selectmen. I believe, in reality,

I'm running against the Cascella/Fetzer administration," Mr Rosenthal said.

Mr Fetzer disagreed, pointing out that during his eight years on the Board of

Selectmen he has built a reputation as someone who will listen to people's

concerns and come up with innovative solutions. He called himself an effective

advocate for the town of Newtown and has repeatedly stated that the office of

first selectman "should be earned."

The Development Issue

Addressing the rapid development in Newtown, Mr Fetzer offered some solutions.

Mr Rosenthal suggested, however, that his opponent was actually part of the

problem. Both agreed the first selectman can have some influence over how the

town is developed, but they appear to disagree on the nature of that

influence.

Mr Fetzer said a first selectman needs to lead the land-use boards in taking a

hard look at where the town's rapid growth is headed to determine the impact

on education, drinking water, quality of life, the environment, home prices

and the tax base.

"If we don't plan judiciously for that growth, we're going to be dictated to

by our future rather than having us make that decision. I think we can do a

lot better job of planning for commercial growth. Without commercial growth,

you can't balance the residential growth in the town on a tax basis," he said.

Mr Fetzer said there are ways to curb residential growth by placing stricter

guidelines in the town's zoning regulations, something the first selectmen can

take charge of. For example, increasing the rules for driveway grades by a few

degrees would make it less cost-effective for contractors to put up cheap

housing.

"I wouldn't be running if I didn't think there was much the first selectmen

could do about development," he said. "I'm concerned about 96 units each 20

feet apart from each other at Newtown Village. Is that going to be a harbinger

of the future or are we going to do something about it?"

Mr Rosenthal said he was "flabbergasted" by Mr Fetzer's comments.

"If Gary really believes that the Board of Selectmen has so much control over

development, then as a member, Gary, you've failed over the past eight years

because this development occurred while you've been a member of the Board of

Selectmen, and I really didn't hear a lot from you until the neighborhood

coalition got very excited about this," he said.

Mr Rosenthal said his opponent never objected when the Board of Selectmen and

Legislative Council took away budgetary authority from the land-use agencies,

and when their budget was cut by five percent when the entire town budget went

up 14 percent.

Mr Fetzer said the decision to combine the land-use agencies was an

administrative decision made by the first selectman.

"Nowhere will you find that I have ever voted against giving any money to any

of the land use boards. That statement is out in left field. The reality is I

have always given them to tools to do their job," Mr Fetzer said.

But the development did occur, Mr Rosenthal said, angering Mr Fetzer.

"What would you do? You're here slamming me about it. What would you do about

it?" Mr Fetzer said.

"I don't have to tell you anything," Mr Rosenthal replied, though he later

said, if elected, he would strive to provide the resources for the people who

are elected to do the job. He said the Planning & Zoning Commission needs

attorneys and other experts to consult with when making important land-use

decisions.

A Cascella Ally?

The Board of Education chairman said he found Mr Fetzer to have voted with

Republican First Selectman Bob Cascella about 97 percent of the time while on

the Board of Selectmen. He criticized his opponent for not voting to improve

roads or better maintain town-owned buildings.

"The one issue you weren't with Bob on was the Amaral property. That's the

issue you should have been with him on," said Mr Rosenthal, pointing out that

the Elm Drive property would probably have been bought up by residential

developers if the town had not opted to purchase it last spring for

recreational purposes.

Mr Fetzer countered, saying he voted with Mr Cascella on many of the issues

because he felt it was best for the town. As a minority selectman, Mr Fetzer

said he decided early on that he would not attempt to embarrass or play

politics with Mr Cascella.

"I decided to become a selectman that would achieve something," he said.

As for the Amaral property issue, Mr Fetzer said he was never against the idea

of the town buying the property, he just didn't want it purchased using money

given to the town by the Iroquois Gas Transmission System for the purchase of

open space.

"Bob promised Greenways that the Iroquois money would be used for their plans.

I'm not against buying the land, just not with that money," he said.

Mr Fetzer believes it will now be much more difficult to ask the town for

money for Greenways' plan for a trail system now because the Iroquois money

has been used up on the Amaral property.

Mr Fetzer said one of the reasons he is running for first selectman is because

he was "freezed out" on the Board of Selectmen. He promises more open

government and a better management style, and believes the next first

selectman needs to do a lot better job than the current administration in

listening to people and responding to them.

Also, he said, the town leaders need to take a hard look at the road system in

this town. He believes problems with roads is a symptom of the town's overall

growth. How can we maintain all these new roads we keep building with

basically the same budget ever year, he asked. Mr Fetzer also believes the

town should avoid the credit card mentality and begin funding for road repair

in the budget, rather than always floating a bond.

Mr Rosenthal questioned whether his opponent represented the Democrats while

on the Board of Selectmen.

"I think the issue for the primary is that I've been an effective member and

chairman of the Board of Education and I don't think you've been an effective

member of the Board of Selectmen," Mr Rosenthal said.

That's tough to say when the high school is opening late and the football team

can't play any home games this year, Mr Fetzer responded.

Mr Rosenthal said he would take full responsibility for the three-day delay at

NHS if Mr Fetzer would do the same for the three-month delay in the completion

of the Cyrenius Booth Library project.

Mr Rosenthal said he'd like to see the town run much the same as the school

system. The Board of Education had self-funding health insurance long before

the town and it saved the school system lots of money, he said. The schools

also installed an energy management system that has saved money. The town has

never done that, but it should be examined, he said.

"I just believe the town needs to be run a heck of a lot more effectively than

it's been run," Mr Rosenthal said.

Mr Fetzer said the town needs to better balance residential development with

commercial development, believing the first selectman can and should take an

active role in promoting the town to businesses.

"We need to offer more than any other town," he said, calling for the cleanup

of the Batchelder property, the expansion of Commerce Park and the careful

planning of the future of Fairfield Hills.

"Fairfield Hills provides us with a unique opportunity, as well. The first

selectman needs to get more involved in what's going on up there," Mr Fetzer

said, pointing out that it would make a great corporate/equestrian park.

"We need to be innovative. We need to use our strengths and promote our

quality of life in this town."

The key to bringing in business is the economy, Mr Rosenthal pointed out.

"There are a lot of factors that are outside the control of Newtown, so we

need to work with our state legislators," he said.

As for Fairfield Hills, Mr Rosenthal said the town needs to make sure the

state knows that Newtown is an equal partner in the decisions that go on up

there. While not advocating the idea, Mr Rosenthal believes using some open

space at the former state mental hospital campus for a municipal golf course

should be studied as a possibility.

"It's going to take an aggressive first selectman to make sure that the state

does not continue to dump on Newtown," he said, still skeptical over the

state's unloading of Watertown Hall on the town.

Mr Fetzer is concerned over what he calls the Balkanization of Fairfield HIlls

and believes the town should make every effort to ensure that the area never

becomes residential housing. If elected, he said he would work to pull

together state legislators to try and convince the state to be benevolent with

the town.