STAMFORD — Members of the Council of Representatives tackled three sore points Monday that lasted their monthly meeting past midnight.
These are not big problems.
They correspond to the credo: “Life is in the little things”.
The first involves a recently adopted policy which allows citizens to address the board of directors at the start of each meeting. The question Monday night was whether citizens should be allowed to speak about whatever they want or whether they should limit their comments to topics on the meeting’s agenda.
The policy’s ambiguous wording caused confusion among representatives. Board President Matt Quinones interpreted it to mean that citizens can address any topic they choose.
It’s the democratic way, said Rep. Nina Sherwood, D-8.
“We need to show the people of the city that we want to hear them,” Sherwood said. “We become a better city if we include more people in our decisions. »
The Finance Council and the Education Council are doing it, said Rep. Megan Cottrell, D-4.
“This is a unique opportunity for residents to address all of us at the same time,” Cottrell said. “It’s hard to ignore a problem when we all hear about it at once and the person is right here in front of us. »
Some meetings lasted five hours, with all 40 members “listening to each other,” said Rep. Annie Summerville, D-6. The board can give residents time, she said.
“I would stay here all night for the public,” Summerville said to applause from citizens at the meeting.
“We should allow citizens to express themselves on whatever they want,” said Rep. Terry Adams, D-3. “It’s the taxpayers. Three minutes a month is the least we can do.
Precious time
The opposing party was anxious to complete all work scheduled at the meetings, which begin at 8 p.m. on the first Monday of each month and sometimes extend into Tuesday morning.
“This is a question of efficiency,” said Rep. Bradley Michelson, R-1. “It makes more sense for comments to focus on what we’re voting on that night. We all have emails, phone calls and other ways to communicate with voters.
Rep. Benjamin Lee, D-15, noted that the public comment period is limited to half an hour.
“Are we saying we only listen 30 minutes a month? If that’s the case, we’re not doing our job very well,” Lee said. “It’s just about focusing on the meeting.”
Rep. JR McMullen, R-18, said non-agenda topics distract from meetings.
“This shouldn’t be a free-for-all. As it stands, we can have someone at the podium singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ or reading smut,” McMullen said.
But his colleagues mostly disagreed, voting to allow citizens to raise concerns of their choosing.
Fair play
The next pain point, which is more of an injury, dates back a decade, when the city installed $5.7 million worth of signs. artificial grass pitches in West Beach on Shippan Avenue.
Some Shippan residents opposed the move, saying the fields posed potential environmental and health risks. They took the city to court, but the parties were ultimately able to settle.
But there was confusion Monday over whether the terms included allowing banner ads on the fences that line West Beach soccer fields.
This was important because board members were discussing a resolution allowing little leagues and soccer, softball, soccer and other youth leagues to sell advertising space on field fences for a year to see how things went. Leagues use the money to organize activities and subsidize fees for families in need.
But, because of the agreement with Shippan residents, the resolution included one exception: West Beach, where the 1,600-member Stamford Youth Soccer League plays. The resolution would prohibit Stamford Youth Soccer from displaying advertisements.
That would be a mistake, said Rep. Tony Spadaccini, R-14, who once helped lead youth sports.
“Funds raised through advertising are critical to keeping kids on the field,” Spadaccini said. “These leagues keep college kids from hanging out in malls and getting into trouble. They force them to meet a standard for their grades in school. They take the children out. They offer something that the city doesn’t offer.
One against all
Rep. David Watkins, R-1, a district that includes Shippan, said he supported the resolution because it would give the city time to develop a policy for posting signs in parks — size, location, number of months and whether the leagues should share advertising revenue with the city, which maintains the fields.
Michelson, who also represents Shippan, said the board should not make a decision without input from the Shippan Point Association.
West Beach is “an area with a controversial history,” Michelson said. “It requires a lot more detail. This area of the beach is thriving – it’s nice to see all the kids playing as you enter Shippan. But we must give the association the courtesy of joining the conversation.
Lee said the board should think big.
“It’s about the rights of a neighborhood group versus the rights of the big city,” Lee said. “The interests of the city as a whole must take precedence over the interests of a neighborhood. »
His colleagues agreed, voting to allow billboards in West Beach, although they amended the resolution to limit signs to fence heights of 3 feet and to face fields, not the street.
Parked proposals
But at the third sensitive point, increase parking fees and inspection hours — a discussion that began six months ago — the board mostly took a punt on.
MPs voted in favor of measures that would increase fees and monitoring hours for downtown parking meters, municipal garages and parking lots.
They did, however, compromise on rate increases for the city’s commuter parking lots at Springdale and Glenbrook stations.
The resolution sought to increase the monthly parking pass for residents from $45 to $60. The council voted to lower it to $50. Monthly fees for non-residents are expected to increase from $90 to $125. The council voted to lower it to $98.
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