Heading into this week, there were still a few spots up in the air as Norwalk Republicans plan on holding their convention on Thursday. The mood is upbeat, Dick Moccia has already raised $25k, and on pace to raise more, and is largely viewed as an effective and popular mayor, except to historical preservationists who warily envision future clashes over preservation issues under another Moccia administration. So the theme that is emerging from the GOP side is accountability. Matt “Mad Max” Breslow reports:

“Judging by the comments we hear from people, (even) . . . Democrats, we have a very popular mayor,” said Arthur Scialabba, Moccia’s campaign manager and former Republican Town Committee chairman. “And having a popular mayor is a good thing for us this year.”

Republicans have not controlled the Common Council since they were swept from office in 2001, when they held an 11-4 majority. Democrats took all 15 seats on the council that year, riding Alex Knopp’s coattails when he defeated longtime Republican Mayor Frank Esposito.

“We certainly predict that (Moccia’s) popularity is going to increase the number of council seats that we currently have,” Scialabba said. “If all goes right and all of our candidates work as hard as we’re going to work this election cycle, then we’ll have a majority on the council.”

Of the five Republicans on the council, all are seeking nominations to run for re-election except Joanne Romano, party Chairman Jeffrey Konspore said.

Romano wants to run for town clerk, an office now held by Democrat Andrew Garfunkel.

The nine-member school board has been without a Republican since 2003, but Scialabba believes the party should win four of the five seats contested this year.

Konspore said he’s optimistic the Republicans will gain seats on the council and school board, given Moccia’s good work and the quality of candidates committing to run.

“The mayor has proven himself, over the last two years, to be focused on responsive leadership within the city,” Konspore said.

Konspore said he feels good about the party’s message this year: accountability, especially on the school board. The message covers accountability to taxpayers, ensuring their money is spent wisely; to children, ensuring the best education possible; and to city workers, who seem happier and more productive under Moccia.

Not so fast, says Democratic Town Chair Galen Wells.

Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Galen Wells said everyone wants tax dollars spent wisely and city departments, including the school system, held accountable.

“That goes without saying,” Wells said. “But we need to hear a real vision for Norwalk’s future.”

Ah, it goes without saying. That’s why at least on the BOE, Rick Fuller and Jodi Bishop-Pullan go on record and say that holding Corda and Opdhal accountable is a bad thing because it’s “micromanaging” and that they must “trust the professionals.” President Reagan had a good thought about that, “Trust, but verify.” And the BOE really, really needs to verify the fantasy budget numbers Corda spews.

Given that the Democratic vision on display for the past 10 months has been a bickerfest of epic proportions, the question reamins about where the Republicans see the future of Norwalk. Some highlights:

Bonenfant, a council member from 1995-2001, said he enjoys serving and has many concerns about his district. For example, he said, open space is being preserved elsewhere in Norwalk but not in District A.

“I think our district needs good representation,” he said. “There’s a lot of issues coming up and somebody’s got to look out for the district.”
Paladino, an animal care specialist who attends Fairfield University, said she sees the need for improvement in the district.

“I want to be part of discussion moving forward . . . and have the opportunity to represent the residents and the community,” said Paladino, former head of the Spring Hill-Hospital Area Neighborhood Association.

Nicholas Kydes, a first-term council member, hopes to be nominated again to run in District C, which is largely southeastern Norwalk. The longtime Planning Commission member said he doesn’t consider himself a politician but ran for council two years ago because he didn’t like the style and direction of the Knopp administration.

Since his election, Kydes said he’s tried to do what he believes is right for District C and the rest of the city. He said he pushed for repaving the neglected southern end of East Avenue, fought “commercialization” of Veterans Memorial Park by opposing a now-shelved plan to build a miniature golf course there and helped craft budgets that don’t overburden taxpayers.

A member of the council’s Planning Committee, Kydes said he wants to maintain his leadership role in city redevelopment.

“I have a lot more to contribute in the future,” he said.

Historical Commission member David Park hopes to be tapped to run for council in District C. As a retiree, Park, whose family is from East Norwalk, said he has the time and energy to devote to the council.

“I love Norwalk and . . . I think I can do my best to make Norwalk a better place,” he said.

Zoning Commission member John Tobin, chairman of the Republicans’ District C committee, said he’s considering seeking one of the party’s five nominations to run for council as an at-large candidate. Tobin said he enjoyed serving on the council from 1987 to 2001.

“I like the direction that Dick Moccia has the city going in now . . . and I would like to help him out if I could,” he said.

Republicans Douglas Hempstead and Kelly Straniti, who represent northern Norwalk’s District D, will seek nominations to run again.

Hempstead said he wants to realize several projects in his district, such as repairing the Perry Avenue Bridge over Silvermine River; securing much of the former White Barn Theatre property as open space; and getting neighborhood streets fixed.

Citywide, Hempstead said he wants to help “keep momentum going” with redevelopment projects in the Wall Street and Reed-Putnam areas and continue the city’s “strides” in holding down spending and taxes.

Former council President Andrew Conroy said he is seeking one of two nominations to run for council representing District E, which encompasses West Norwalk and Rowayton, although he could be an at-large candidate. Conroy, a council member from 1995 to 2000, now is Sixth Taxing District treasurer.

District E residents want representatives on the council who understand city finances and services and know how to get the most out of them, Conroy said.

And at last we get to what I think at least, is the number one reason to determine if someone should be running for council. If you spend enough time at council meetings, you come to realize that the council serves as the bureaucratic layer that enacts the city business. Its not, by any means, all contract shuffling, but most of it is. Which is why, being able to read a contract, understand what a department needs versus what it wants, and understand what the city needs versus what it wants is a very good thing. In an ideal circumstance, it shouldn’t be at the city budget approval process that questions get asked about whether funds have been spent on infrastructure maintenance items for the very first time.

Those questions should be part of an ongoing process, of management oversight. Something that has been lacking for awhile, particular the last 5 years or so on the Public Works committee of the common council. The glaring reason, the ongoing flooding issues, have been known about since 2002, and yet its 2007 and contracts were just getting started. It shouldn’t take 5 years of excuses by any city department before an obvious action is taken.

Norwalk, like most towns in Connecticut, has competing needs. Funding infrastructure projects and maintenance is just one of them, and working within a balanced framework beyond 2 year time frames is sorely needed. Which makes the demands of the West ave. redevelopment project an interesting item. While other projects, notably Wall Street’s two have plans to acquire municipal parking lots, and pay the city for them, West Ave.’s has plans to ask the city for $104 million in “infrastructure” support. Of course the infrastructure cited in an Hour editorial:

This will require the issuance of $104 million in municipal bonds to finance roadwork, streetscaping,parking garages and other facilities related to the plan.

City officials assure us that the taxpayers will not be expected to pay off the bonds — this will come through revenues collected from parking garages and a special taxing district that will be created.

Funny how Westport ave. development is halted because the infrastructure of drainage has to be fixed. Older areas of Norwalk apparently have a pre-code hodgepodge of compliance with where storm water hookups are made, in the case of many of the flood afflicted areas, many houses drain storm water into the sewer system instead of the storm water draingage system. Having storm water, with its unpredictable surging, exacerbate sewer lines that may or may not be at capacity is not a good thing. And that would be District A, where Richard Bonnefont is already concerned about open space.

In the end though, Norwalk must stay competitive economically. Attracting commercial interests is important in balancing the the city services, and the tax base. Towns that rely heavily on residential property taxes turn into very unaffordable places to live. Norwalkers already feel the pinch of high property taxes, and carelessly raising those taxes without concern about whether the money raised is well spent is a quick way to driving out the middle class, small businesses, entrepreneurs and working families that contribute to the vibrancy of Norwalk’s community.

So it is going to be a good question to ask. Where is Norwalk headed? The question that voters must decide is who is out there asking it.

Ellen Gamer Wink, a Norwalk Redevelopment Agency commissioner, will seek the District A nod to run for school board. Wink said she’s heard too many times that District A needs representation on the board.

SoNo business owner Jack Chiaramonte, who has two children attending Norwalk public schools, said he’ll seek the nomination to run for school board in District D. Chiaramonte said he doesn’t like the way school officials use children as “pawns,” threatening program cuts if they don’t get the money they want.

He said he’s pro-education but wants to rein in school spending, which drives up taxes. The school district should not have eliminated its finance director position, Chiaramonte said, and the education budget should have more transparency.

“I need to listen and ask the tough questions” of the school district administration, he said. “That’s what needs to be done.”

source Advocate, GOP prepares its fall slate for Norwalk by Matt Breslow, July 16 2007

source The Hour, Editorial July 16 2007