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Danbury Charter Revision Commission elects officers, sets April 30 public hearing
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Summary
At an April 15 organizational meeting, the Charter Revision Commission for Danbury City elected officers, adopted meeting rules and a May–June meeting schedule, and set its first public hearing for April 30 as corporation counsel outlined an expedited timetable to prepare a draft for the council and voters.
The Charter Revision Commission for Danbury City held its organizational meeting on April 15, electing Joseph Britton as permanent chair, selecting Michael Sofranik as vice chair and Isabel Almeida as secretary, approving rules of procedure and adopting a regular meeting schedule with weekly sessions planned for May and June.
Dan Casagrande, the city’s corporation counsel, gave a detailed procedural briefing and timeline for revising the municipal charter. "The final report of the Commission, as per state statute, [must] be submitted to the council … within 16 months," Casagrande said, summarizing the statutory deadlines and the two required public hearings that the commission must hold.
Why it matters: the commission’s schedule and approach will determine whether a revised charter can be processed in time for the city council to consider it and place charter questions before voters. Counsel outlined target milestones intended to produce a redlined draft in time for city and council review ahead of a possible November referendum.
Key decisions and votes - Election of officers: The commission voted by voice to approve Joseph Britton as permanent chair (named by the commission), Michael Sofranik as vice chair and Isabel Almeida as the commission’s secretary. Votes were taken by voice with no recorded opposition. - Meeting schedule and procedures: Members adopted a regular meeting cadence — proposed weekly on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. for May and June — and approved a set of rules of procedure governing roles, agenda preparation and meeting conduct. - Public hearing date: The commission set its first required public hearing for Thursday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers and instructed staff to notice the hearing in accordance with applicable law.
What counsel told the commission Casagrande walked members through a multi-step timeline his office prepared, including proposed weekly meetings from May 4 through June 18, submission of a redlined draft by June 19, and further joint meetings and council review in July and August leading to council action and possible placement of charter questions on an autumn ballot. He also explained the relationship between the commission and the appointing authority: "The council may recommend some changes; the Commission is required to confer with the Council," he said, describing the statutorily prescribed back-and-forth if the council suggests amendments.
Commissioner remarks and process guidance A commissioner who later identified himself in the transcript as Joe Brann framed the commission’s approach as urgent but cautious, urging members to "assume positive intent" in deliberations and to centralize legal questions through the chair so the corporation counsel’s office is not overwhelmed with duplicate requests. He warned members to be mindful of FOI rules when using email: material exchanged among a majority of members could be treated as an unnoted meeting.
Members’ backgrounds Commissioners gave brief introductions highlighting community ties and professional experience: Wilson Hernandez described himself as a small-business owner and leader at the Ecuadorian Civic Center; Isabel Almeida said she is president and CEO of United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut; Michael Sofranik summarized two decades of city service; Linda Armstrong identified herself as a local science teacher and NAACP chapter president; Debbie McCary noted a background in child welfare and nonprofit leadership; Mary Jean Barbero and Joe Putnam described long family ties and business involvement in Danbury.
Next steps The commission will hold its first public hearing on April 30 at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers and is scheduled to meet weekly in May and June to begin substantive review and redlining of the charter text. Counsel and staff will post notices and coordinate logistics in accordance with legal requirements.
(Reporting note: names, roles and several date proposals reflect the commission’s presentation and votes at the April 15 organizational meeting. The transcript includes minor spelling variations for some participants’ names; this article uses the spellings those participants gave when they introduced themselves.)
