The analogies between football and politics keep coming. After ken Slapin’s pawn, Kevin Poruban, fumbled the ball in the big game the other night, the next offensive predictably started up. What ever happened to running campaigns on actual issues instead of legal hoop jumping, er, I switched analogies there. Back to football. The new ball carrier, James Fulton, is an actual alawyer, so maybe he w on’t screw up the gameplan. He said to the Hour:

…that Moccia has “facilitated and approved an illegal land seizure” of the Wall Street area park — property he says the district rightfully owns — and Norwalk Corporation Counsel Peter Nolin and Moccia are purposefully postponing the mayor’s sworn testimony until after the mayor is up for reelection next month.

“The mayor has done everything he can since first served with a deposition notice on July 18, 2007 to delay being placed under oath until after election day,” said Fulton, who noted he has filed a motion for default against the city in the Stamford Superior Court case because of what he calls the city officials’ calculated delay. “His law department has engaged in frivolous legal motions and stalling tactics.”

Ah, that is true lawyer speak, the essence of what you do when you want to make mud patties and sling them at political opponents. In football, we have the 5 yard delay of game penalty, but in the Klondike postage stamp park case, we have the return volley.

“I think it’s improper for him to be going to the press making statements which he has no proof for,” he said.

With up to eight meetings per day and not a chance to discuss the case with corporation counsel, Moccia said, his schedule has been too hectic to schedule a deposition before Nov. 12. That doesn’t mean he has anything to hide, however, he suggested.

“I’m willing to testify and go under oath,” Moccia said.

From the city’s side of things, there is absolutely no political strategy at work in this case, he said, but the same can’t be said for the 1st Taxing District.

“(1st Taxing District Commissioner Kenneth) Slapin is a well known Democrat — my personal opinion is this is political,” the Republican mayor, who is running against Democratic candidate Walter Briggs and petitioning Republican candidate Scott Merrell on Nov. 6, said about the district’s legal strategy and public comments.

Nolin, who scoffed at the idea that the city is intentionally pushing Moccia’s deposition past election day, said the district is merely trying to “embarrass” the mayor before the election.

“It is clear that Mr. Slapin is trying to insert himself in the election,” he said.

Slapin, who noted he has absolutely no role in Briggs’ campaign, called the city officials’ assertions about him “reckless.”

Slapin apparently is having one those senile senior moments where he forgot how he stood in front of people assembled to hear a band play on the green in order to suggest that this lawsuit was the most important thing to the Briggs campaign. Or maybe its really wishful thinking on his part, thinking that how much of a mess this would all turn out to be if Walter Briggs actually won the Mayoral election.

This whole dispute can be traced back to Mr. Fumble though, since in February of 2005, he was the Public Works committee chair , and should have been paying attention when DPW Engineer Dick Linnartz briefed:

DISCUSSION

Engineering Division Report

Wall Street Bridge Repair and Rehabilitation

Mr. Linnartz reviewed this item and said that a letter was in everyone’s packet. This is a State funded project. They are looking at a yet to be decided railing system. He presented photographs of different types of railings and said that they can be any color. The main work on the All Street Bridge will take place under the bridge.

Mr. Hempstead asked if they would be able to get the same kind of treatment that Westport got. Mr. Linnartz said that the bridge will be wired for lighting. There are options that they can do. He said that he believes the original bridge had concrete rails, but that would restrict the view of the River.

Mr. Linnartz said that they are waiting to hear back from the State for their approval of the plans and then they will hold a public information session for the public to see the plans. Mr. Hempstead noted that Dewberry does work for Stew Leonard’s.

Later, in fact a year later, DPW Engineer Dick Linnartz briefed:

5. Authorize the Mayor, Richard A. Moccia, to execute an Agreement with Dewberry-Goodkind, Inc., to complete the necessary permit applications and coordinate the process for the Rehabilitation of the Wall Street Bridge Project, for a sum not to exceed $6,500.

Account No. 0903 4021 5777 C0255

Mr. Linnartz reported that the City signed a contract to prepare design plans of the Wall Street Bridge with Dewberry-Goodkind, Inc. and it did not include the preparation of permit applications to the DEP since the City was anticipating preparing the applications themselves. The additional funds are needed to cover the completion of the permit applications. Mr. Linnartz stated that this is a fully funded project between the City and the State. Mr. Hempstead stated that Dewberry-Goodkind, Inc. does occasional work for Stew Leonards, however he had no conflict with this request.

** MR. BONDI MOVED TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR, RICHARD A. MOCCIA, TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH DEWBERRY-GOODKIND, INC., TO COMPLETE THE NECESSARY PERMIT APPLICATIONS AND COORDINATE THE PROCESS FOR THE REHABILITATION OF THE WALL STREET BRIDGE
PROJECT, FOR A SUM NOT TO EXCEED $6,500. ACCOUNT NUMBER 0903 4021 5777 C0255
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Plenty of time for all this land ownership issue to have been brought up and addressed don’t you think?

source: The Hour, First Taxing District: City officials stalling Klondike Park case, by Jeremy Soulliere, October 11, 2007