Committee Trashes Controversial Proposal

A proposal that would have moved Town Council meetings from 8 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. was scrapped by the town's ordinance committee this week.

The committee, made up of all Town Council members, unanimously voted to strike the proposal from its agenda.

In January, several residents spoke out against the proposal (see original article below).

"When the hell you going to let people up here to talk?" a Second Avenue resident asked Town Council members.

The public argued that if the time of the Town Council meeting was moved up, the preceding public forum would have to start at a time too early for some to attend.

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RESIDENTS DECRY EARLIER MEETING TIME PROPOSAL

The Stratford Town Council is thinking about moving its meeting time up 45 minutes. Some residents say that would exclude a portion of the public from participating in their local government.

(Published Jan. 12)

The origin of a proposed ordinance, which would start Stratford Town Council meetings 45 minutes earlier than they start now, is unclear.

The opinion of the public on it, however, is not.

"It's totally unfair to citizens," Linda Palermo of Vought Place told the Town Council during public forum Monday night. She said it would "cut short the democratic process" by excluding residents from speaking at public forum.

"What is wrong with the current schedule?" Joe Paul of Harbor View Place asked the Council. "You're going to not include part of the transit community?"

"When the hell you going to let people up here to talk?" Second Avenue resident Walter Rimkunas said candidly.

Resident Ariana Rawls Fine also spoke in disagreement with the proposed time change. Read her .

According to the current Stratford Town Council Rules of Procedure, if the Council meeting were to start at 7:15 p.m. -- which is what the ordinance is proposing -- the preceding public forum would have to begin at 6 p.m. Currently, Council meetings start at 8 p.m. with public forum at 6:45 p.m. The rules say public forum starts 75 minutes before the meeting.

It also says under the Rules of Procedure that residents have to sign in before the first speaker of public forum speaks if they want to address the Council.

During the Council's meeting Stephanie Philips (D-2) asked Chairman Joseph Kubic (R-9) why the time change is necessary. Kubic did not provide a clear answer but said it will be further discussed within the ordinance committee, which is where the Council voted to send the proposal.

The ordinance committee is made up of all Town Council members and meets the last Monday of the month.

Chairman Kubic could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

According to Monday's agenda, the proposed ordinance was sponsored by the Stratford Town Council, but Councilman Chris Barnaby (R-1) told Stratford Patch Tuesday he did not know who drafted the proposed piece of legislation.

He did say, however, that it was a "sound" proposal. "Granted a lot of people commute but it might make it easier for parents who put their kids to bed early," he said.

"I need to see how it gets hashed out in ordinance before I approve it," Barnaby said. "It may be beneficial to a certain part of the community."

Philips agreed that more discussion is needed.

"I have some concerns that changing the start time of the Town Council meetings to 7:15 p.m. will not allow enough time for people to get home from work and address the Council for the public forum," Philips said.  

She added: "On the other hand, I understand the Board of Education meetings start at 7:15, followed by the public portion of the agenda which starts at 7:30 p.m. The central issue is that we do not discourage public attendance."

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