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Public commenters press Norwalk commission on in-person meetings, minority representation and minutes
Summary
Two members of the public told the commission they want a return to in-person meetings, stronger minority-party protections and better minute documentation; one requested the commission include letters in the meeting record.
Two members of the public addressed the Charter Revision Commission at the Jan. 7, 2025 meeting, urging changes to meeting practices, minority-party protections and recordkeeping.
Why it matters: Public comments flagged concerns about accessibility, political representation and transparency that commissioners said they would accept into the record and publish with other public submissions.
Rich Bonifant of 17 Parkhill Avenue told the commission that council meetings should generally be held in person except for declared public-health emergencies. "If a council person wants to participate from home or vacation, they shouldn't be allowed to vote," Bonifant said, adding that remote participation during the COVID era reduced public visibility of officials at committee meetings.
Lisa Britton, chair of Norwalk's Independent Party, asked the commission to consider council size and minority-party representation in its benchmarking with neighboring cities. "Norwalk's council is small with 15 and smaller still when you consider our hybrid model where 5 at-large members effectively run with the mayor," Britton said. She told commissioners that 43% of Norwalk voters are independent or unaffiliated and said that those voters currently lack representation in practice.
Britton also asked that written comments she and another resident submitted be added to the public record for the Jan. 7 meeting. The chair directed her to send the materials to the city clerk and to a commission member; staff said they will work with the clerk to publish written submissions alongside meeting documents.
The commission acknowledged the submissions and asked staff to confirm the process by which public comments and letters are posted on the commission's web page. No changes to charter language were proposed or adopted during the public-comment portion of the meeting.
Ending: Commissioners said they will publish submitted comments and continue the panel discussion at their next meeting.
