Residents urge east‑side fire coverage and registrar staffing safeguards at Torrington council meeting

Public commenters at the May 18 Torrington City Council meeting urged councilors to support east‑side fire coverage and warned about operational impacts of proposed changes to Registrar of Voters staffing.

Sharon Waagner, a long‑time Torrington resident, said she supports both the police and fire departments and asked the council to maintain a balance between fiscal responsibility and public safety while backing the east‑side fire coverage initiative. Jim Potter, also a resident, told the council the Torrington Volunteer Fire Department donated property, equipment and savings that the city used to purchase new apparatus totaling over $1,000,000 and argued that $300,000 plus in overtime funding was a small price to pay to improve east‑side response times.

Jacque Williams, identifying himself as the Democratic Representative for the Register of Voters, said he conducted a SWOT analysis of the Registrars' office and cautioned that eliminating the full‑time clerk while the Republican registrar seat is vacant would impose an undue operational burden during elections. He asked the council to consider retaining part‑time coverage or extending the existing staffing arrangement through the next election to preserve operational resilience and public confidence in electoral administration.

Separately, Fire Chief David Tripp reported the Board of Public Safety passed the fire budget with Torringford Fire Department funding by a 4–2 vote and expressed confidence public comment at forthcoming Board of Finance hearings could reinforce community support for east‑side coverage. The minutes record these statements but do not show the council taking immediate additional action on the public comments during the meeting.