Matt Miklave and Kevin Poruban apparently waited till after most of the press left last night’s common council meeting before launching in to a personal attack on a fellow council member. On a routine motion to approve the permit for the Norwalk Jazz Festival for use of Vets park in 2008, both Poruban and Miklave chose to fling accusations of corruption and malfeasance at Herb Grant. The thing was that Grant, was not in the room to defend himself, since he had to recuse himself from the vote.
Grant, a common council member, who chose not to run for re-election, produces the Norwalk Jazz festival, a private event. Last year, the event was staged at Vets Park, amidst some controversy over whether Grant was getting favorable treatment. Much of the controversy swirled over fabricated issues. Any private or non-profit or publicly owned entity can apply for a permit to host an event at the park. The same rules apply to all permit seekers, including fees for police, garbage removal and use of the park.
Miklave, according to sources at the common council meeting, called for the city to make the festival an “open bid process.” Miklave must be confusing Norwalk with New Haven, where New Haven, as a city, sponsors a series of Jazz concerts on the New Haven Green. The Norwalk Jazz Festival is not a city sponsored event, and thus, a call for an “open bidding” process was just stupid.
Many in the audience were stunned at the hostility and hypocrisy demonstrated by Miklave and Poruban. The Columbian Festival was a real problem this year explained a member of the audience. The Jazz festival was well run.
Council members were also critical of the stunt pulled by Miklave and Poruban.
Doug Hempstead said, “I was appalled and taken aback. It went over the top.”
Apparently so was council president Mike Coffey who grilled Miklave on why he was setting double standards for Grant when Miklave never bothered to disclose what his relationship was financially with all the “claims items” that Miklave recused himself from voting on.
Joanne Romano explained on the council floor, “We [Parks and Recs Committee] scrutinize each and evey request that comes before us, Mr. Grant was given no privilege not afforded to any other [applicants] who have come before us in the past. Afterwards, she said, “The personal attacks on Herb and the disgusting manner in which Matt Miklave chose to protray Herb Grant was at best disgusting and demeaning and was the worst political grandstanding I have ever seen.”
The charges levied against Grant was that no one knew how much money the festival made or what the staff was paid. An odd charge considering that details such as operating costs and profits are not disclosed by any of the other permit applicants either, including the recently held Oyster Festival.
At no point has either Poruban or Miklave filed an ethics complaint against Grant, prompting a few council members to speculate on the reasons why Miklave and Poruban were pursuing Grant. One stated it might be that Miklave was being vindictive since he was running for Grants seat on the council. (Grant was elected as the District A council member, Miklave was an “At Large”, and is now running as in district.) Another observed Bruce Morris in the audience ensuring further smear tactics against Grant whom Morris might view as a potential rival next year.
In the end the permit approval passed, with only Miklave and Poruban voting against it.
pathetic is the only word that comes to mind
