Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Appointments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Danbury ad hoc backs mayoral pick Robert Bria for Richter Park Authority after residency debate
Summary
Danbury City Council ad hoc considered the mayoral appointment of Robert Bria to the Richter Park Authority and debated whether the seat should require a Danbury resident; the ad hoc voted to support Bria’s appointment after members and the mayor’s office explained the selection process.
Andrea Gardner, chair of a Danbury City Council ad hoc committee, said the meeting opened to consider Mayor Bowen’s appointment of Robert Bria as a full member of the Richter Park Authority and as the liaison to the Richter Arts Association.
The ad hoc heard questions about whether members of the nine-member, mayor-appointed authority must live in Danbury. "We do not find anything either that requires residents," a counsel response recorded in the meeting said.
Councilwoman Candace Fay urged more local representation and flagged potential conflicts of interest. "I do believe that in a city of 92,000 people, there are Danbury residents that would be suitable for this position," Fay said, adding concerns that having an executive connected to the musicals could be seen as an "inherent conflict" if that person were also closely tied to a user of park facilities.
Pete Ciesinski, chairman of the Richter Park Authority, described the authority’s long development from a golf-course focus to a multiuser park and defended Bria’s nomination. "The appointment of mister Bria to a full member of the authority fills the gap ... it gives them a vote now at the table as well," Ciesinski said, noting Bria’s long involvement and the respect he commands in the arts community.
Farley Santos of the mayor’s office said the administration has been updating boards that had members serving past expiration and seeks volunteers who will contribute. "When we came into office, we found a list of boards, commissions and authorities that was outdated," Santos said, explaining that Bria volunteered and was recommended by authority leadership.
After brief discussion, a motion to support the mayor’s request to appoint Robert Bria was moved and seconded. Chair Gardner called for verbal assent; the meeting recorded ayes and the ad hoc supported the recommendation by majority. The committee then adjourned by acclamation.
The record shows the ad hoc debated representation and possible conflicts but no formal residency requirement was found in counsel’s review. The motion carried; the transcript does not record a roll-call vote or named vote tallies.
