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Easton selectmen confirm dozens of appointments; several votes split and some motions go unseconded
Summary
At a Jan. 8 special meeting, the Easton Board of Selectmen approved a large slate of appointments and reappointments across town boards and commissions, with most passing unanimously but several decided by 2-1 votes and several motions failing for lack of a second or acted on unilaterally by the First Selectman.
The Easton Board of Selectmen approved a broad set of appointments and reappointments at its Jan. 8 special meeting, moving dozens of nominees onto town boards and commissions while several nominations produced split votes or were not seconded.
Most motions passed without opposition. Selectman Nick D'Addario moved to approve multiple reappointments and new appointments across the town's boards — including Gerry O'Brien as an Agricultural Commission alternate and Joe Palmieri to the Board of Fire Commissioners — with First Selectman Dan Lent or Selectman Kristi Sogofsky seconding and the board voting unanimously on these items.
A handful of appointments produced split votes. Dan Lent and Kristi Sogofsky voted in favor of appointing Rob Santageli to the Board of Ethics and Bill Andrews to the EMS Commission, while Nick D'Addario opposed both, producing 2-1 outcomes for those appointments. The board also approved Beatrix de Santiz as a Planning and Zoning Committee alternate by a 2-1 vote after a separate motion to appoint James Breen was not seconded.
Some motions were not seconded and therefore did not proceed. Motions that were moved but not seconded included the reappointment of Jonathan Webster as an alternate to the Agricultural Commission, the appointment of Mike Oppenheim to the Board of Ethics, the reappointment of Gloria Bindelglass to the EMS Commission, and the appointment of James Breen as a Planning and Zoning alternate; those items were not advanced at this meeting.
First Selectman Dan Lent reported two unilateral reappointments he made: Tom (Tim) Hughes as an alternate to the Conservation Commission/Inland Wetlands and Dori Wollen as a Conservation Commission member. Lent stated those reappointments in the meeting record as unilateral actions by the First Selectman.
The board repeatedly used unanimous votes to fill positions on the Easton Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, the Land Preservation and Acquisition Authority, the Library Board of Trustees, the Park and Recreation Commission, the Pension and Employee Benefits Commission, and the Senior Center Advisory Board, among others.
The meeting record shows the motions, movers, seconders and vote outcomes for each appointment or reappointment. After completing the appointments agenda, the board adjourned at 9:27 p.m.
Why it matters: The appointments set membership and leadership for advisory boards and regulatory commissions that guide land-use, public-safety, conservation and social-service decisions in Easton. Split votes and unseconded motions show areas of disagreement among selectmen and items that may return for further consideration.
What's next: Several items that lacked a second or that were continued may be reintroduced at a future meeting; the board indicated it will continue routine commissions business at its next session.
