Committee forwards appointments and reappointments to New Haven advisory boards

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Automatic Affairs Committee of the New Haven Board of Alders on Sept. 29, 2025 moved several mayoral appointments and multiple reappointments for city advisory bodies forward favorably after brief testimony from nominees and short committee discussion.

The committee, chaired for the meeting by Alderman Yvette Hamilton in the absence of Chair Alderman Rosa Santana, advanced nominations to the Commission on Disabilities, the Environmental Advisory Council, the Livable City Initiative Board (LCI), the Board of Police Commissioners and reappointments to the Commission on Aging. Public testimony was called for and closed with no members of the public speaking on the items.

Why it matters: advisory boards and commissions provide feedback to city departments and elected officials on planning, public-safety oversight, aging services and accessibility. Filling vacancies and confirming experienced members keeps those advisory functions active and ensures nominees are available to attend and advise on items that come before their panels.

What the committee voted:

- Alexandria Foti — Appointment to the Commission on Disabilities. Committee members described Foti’s lived experience and professional background in vision education and disability services; the committee moved her nomination forward favorably by voice vote.

- Eldon “Randy” Hoffman — Appointment to the Environmental Advisory Council (LM2025-0466). Hoffman introduced himself to the committee as a retired engineer and project manager with nearly 50 years’ experience on water-supply, sewer and large public-infrastructure projects, including work on the London Olympic Park and major sewer rebuilds. The committee advanced his appointment favorably by voice vote.

- Jenna Waldfogle — Appointment to the Environmental Advisory Council (LM2025-0486). Waldfogle described academic training in environmental science and engineering and current remote work on long-term utilities and transportation planning; the committee advanced her nomination favorably by voice vote. (Items for Hoffman and Waldfogle were moved together on the agenda.)

- Peggy Moore — Appointment as an alternate member to the Livable City Initiative Board (LM2025-0472). Moore described four decades in education and indicated availability to serve on the LCI’s fourth-Wednesday meetings; the committee advanced her appointment favorably by voice vote.

- Nikia Dawson (appears in the record also as Nikia Dawson Douglas) — Appointment to the Board of Police Commissioners (LM2025-0465). Dawson described founding and leading a bereavement/bereavement-care organization that supports families affected by gun violence and said she has worked with both families and police. Committee members expressed support and advanced her nomination favorably by voice vote.

- Reappointments to the Commission on Aging (LM2025-0481, LM2025-0468, LM2025-0469). The committee moved the reappointments of Mabel Carroll, Nicholas (last name in the file: Colopo/Calabolfi; listed as Nicholas Colopo in the agenda) and Barbara Jackson forward favorably. Staff noted these incumbents have high attendance records and were not required to appear in person; the committee advanced the items by voice vote.

Passed-over and other items: the committee passed over (skipped) Item 3 (LM2025-0467, appointment of Michelle Michie Palmer to the Environmental Advisory Council) and Item 6 (LM2025-0477, appointment of Jacqueline Torres Rosa to the Peace Commission); those items were not considered during the meeting.

Procedural notes: the committee opened the public-comment period and closed it after calling for speakers three times and hearing none. Most approvals were by voice vote; the record does not include roll-call tallies or recorded individual votes.

Next steps: committee members moved the nominations forward favorably for the next step in the municipal process as recorded in the meeting minutes.