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Selectmen approve BrightView golf‑course contract after public calls to delay over pesticides
Summary
The Westport Board of Selectmen approved a three‑year contract with BrightView to maintain Longshore golf course, attaching a two‑page agronomic addendum and making approval subject to town‑attorney review after residents and RTM members urged delay to study pesticide and runoff impacts.
The Westport Board of Selectmen voted Jan. 28 to approve a three‑year maintenance contract with BrightView for the Longshore golf course, attaching a two‑page agronomic addendum that the company agreed to include in the contract and approving the deal subject to final town‑attorney review. Parks & Recreation Director Eric Barbieri presented the recommendation and said BrightView’s proposal was the only qualified bid and includes a roughly $1,068,000 three‑year price with an option for the town to extend for another three years at annual escalators.
The vote followed a lengthy discussion about pesticide use and environmental protections. Barbieri and Park Superintendent Nick Quetrano described the agronomic plan and said the company will follow Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices, report pesticide applications to the DEP as required, and seek to phase in more organic practices over time. Quetrano said IPM “encompasses a wide range of scouting techniques to be able to target treatment applications to where they’re needed rather than completely blanketing an area.”
Residents and representative town meeting members urged postponement to allow RTM committees and other town bodies to review pesticide impacts, water‑runoff risks and alternative approaches. “I’m urging you to not take action on this contract tonight,” Jennifer Johnson, an RTM District 9 representative, said during public comment, arguing the contract should be considered by RTM environmental committees. Other speakers cited water‑quality concerns for Long Island Sound and asked that any contract require demonstrable expertise in organic landscaping.
Assistant Town Attorney Dyleen Levine told the board the town can incorporate environmental standards and exhibits into a contract; she confirmed BrightView had stated a willingness to attach the two‑page agronomic letter as an exhibit. Selectmen debated the risk that delaying award could leave the course without a contractor and cause operational disruption. The board’s motion approved the contract with the agronomic addendum and made the award subject to final review by the town attorney.
The board recorded no formal roll‑call vote in the transcript; members approved the motion by voice vote. Staff said BrightView’s plan references IPM, chemical stewardship and a goal of reducing chemical reliance, but emphasized that fully eliminating pesticides would be a phased, multi‑year effort tied to turf conditions and weather.
Next steps: the town attorney will complete final contract review and staff will execute the agreement with BrightView and the attached agronomic exhibit.
