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Residents urge public hearing, IACO defends statue transfer
Summary
Multiple Middletown residents urged the council either to hold a public hearing about the Columbus statue's relocation or to celebrate its preservation; the Italian American Civic Organization said the move was coordinated with city staff and privately funded.
Several Middletown residents used the public-comments period on Jan. 6 to press the council on the fate of the Christopher Columbus statue and how it was moved from city storage to a private location.
William Corvo, who said he helped raise funds for the statue in the 1990s, told the council: "I don't want that statue at Harbor Park." He asked the council to hold a public hearing and to "listen to what the people say," arguing that the gift was accepted by the city and that there should be public discussion before any final action.
At the same time, Fred Taurasi, vice president of the Italian American Civic Organization (IACO), said the relocation was done "entirely in good faith," coordinated with city staff, funded through private in-kind donations and intended as a temporary loan until the city identifies a suitable public location. Taurasi told the council the IACO unanimously voted in October to return the statue for public display once the city identifies a location and asked the body to focus on "constructive and inclusive community engagement rather than divisive and wasteful investigations."
Bob Santangelo, another resident, said the statue had been kept out of sight for five years and that he supports a loan agreement that allows the city to reclaim the statue on request; he expressed frustration that the statue's whereabouts were not made public earlier.
Why it matters: The comments reveal competing public priorities — some residents want the statue publicly accessible at its prior site, others seek procedural review or alternative public locations; the IACO framed its actions as preservationist and community-focused.
Provenance: Public comment began at SEG 165 (William Corvo) and these speakers appear across SEG 165—113 (public comments and statements by Fred Taurasi and Bob Santangelo).
