Imagine for a moment a world in which Lynn took 5 minutes to see what part of the Newtown's government is responsible for the modification of existing ordinances or proposing new ones. In that world, Lynn might see that she could have taken the matter into her own hands by approaching the Legislative Council, rather than just dumping her concerns upon the First Selectman and magically expecting results. We Need Residents Who Are Informed.
Ah yes, David, clearly the root cause of every problem in our town—from rogue dogs to regional water supply issues—is Jeff Capeci’s inability to check his voicemail or file a letter properly. Forget that state law dictates how Animal Control handles bites, or that the controversial announcement you accuse him of not producing was mailed to most residents, and posted on Aquarion's facebook page. I realize facebook is full of absoutle garbage and is not the best place to get real information but when it comes from a company, generally it has been vetted. Regardless, you are right, if only Jeff had a bigger Post-it note pad, all would be "nicer in Newtown".
The behavior displayed by some members of the public during the recent Planning & Zoning meeting was disappointing, if not downright shameful. Booing and speaking over our all-volunteer, elected commissioners—who have committed countless hours to reviewing applications and hearing public input—isn't civic engagement. It's mob behavior, plain and simple.
I frequently refer to this kind of obstructionist outrage as "NIMBY mob mentality," and this was a textbook example. Disagreeing with a decision is one thing; undermining the democratic process through heckling and disrespect is another.
Let's not forget, Mr. Pisani is the same Councilman who suggested building a stadium at the town's newest open space, at 6 Commerce Rd. It seems he missed the point on that one too....
Horrifying. And while the First Selectman's non-responsiveness comes to no surprise, it is inexusable. It's not just phone calls that he doesn't rememer receiving. It's also letters and emails, including minor stuff , like.... you know, when Aquarion sent him a letter right after the flood last August, saying there wouldn't be enough water for Newtown for the forseeable future....a letter that he told me he didn't remember getting, and didn't have, when I asked about it in February or March, and that he only produced and acted on after I obtained a copy of the same letter from Bethel's First Selectman. Newtown deserves better.
