By a 29-6 margin Tuesday night — and following 2 hours of debate — the Representative Town Meeting turned down a petition by resident John McCarthy.
If passed, the measure would have compelled the RTM moderator to place on the agenda any matter brought to it by 20 electors. Defeat of the measure now allows the moderator discretion in whether or not to bring a petition before the body.
McCarthy told “06880”: “This statement by the RTM invalidates over 150 years of precedent and takes away the right of Westport voters to petition the town government on matters that they find important.
“This is a low point for the RTM and the individual members who voted against making a statement that would have affirmed a right of Westporters which has been assumed to exist for generations.”
RTM moderator Jeff Weiser told “06880”: “Despite a lot of the concern by certain residents during this challenge to the way the RTM has always acted, the RTM, through its impressive volunteer members, will continue to be an extraordinary, transparent, democratic institution that Westport will be proud of. “
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Westport’s Department of Human Services and Domestic Violence Task Force honor it by collecting used cell phones and iPads, to benefit the Domestic Violence Crisis Center of Norwalk and Stamford.
The DVCC provides free, confidential services to victims of domestic violence and their children in Westport, Weston and surrounding towns.
Used cell phones or iPads are given to clients to assure their safety, and avoid tracking by their abuser. Devices should be no more than 4 years old, and reset to factory settings.
Donation bins are located at Westport Town Hall and the Senior Center. they’re available weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Other events this month include:
- Tomorrow (Friday, October 6, 11 a.m.): A Domestic Violence Month proclamation at the Westport Police Department, 50 Jesup Road.
- Wednesday, October 18 (7 p.m., Senior Center): The DVTF hosts a screening and discussion of “The Fire That Took Her.”
- Thursday, October 19: Wear purple and get coffee with the Domestic Violence Awareness sleeve at Kneads, Garelick & Herbs, Coffee An’, The Porch and Winfield Street Coffee; then snap a selfie and join the social media campaign with the hashtag #purplethursday, and tag @DVCCCT and @WESTPORTDOMESTICVIOLENCETASKFORCE on Facebook.
For more information on all events, click here or email humansrv@westportct.gov. To get involved with the Domestic Violence Task Force, email jcabana@westportct.gov.
Cell phones can be lifesavers for domestic violence victims.
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CLASP’s Rockin’ Halloween Bash is coming soon (October 20, 6:30 p.m., Fairfield Theatre Company).
For 5 days only — tomorrow (Friday) through Tuesday, October 10 — there’s a special sale: 25% off $45 tickets.
The event includes light bites, and music by Band Central. All proceeds benefit CLASP’s mission of providing loving homes and inspirational opportunities for adults with autism and developmental disabilities.
Costumes are optional. For tickets and more information, click here.
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It’s been 18 months since Charlie Capalbo died, a month before his 24th birthday.
But the Fairfield hockey player — and grandson of Westport writer Ina Chadwick — continues to be remembered, and memorialized, every day.
He battled acute myelogenous leukemia for 5 years. He was in remission 3 times, and survived several life-threatening complications.
He maxed out every chemo, radiation, immunotherapy available. A bone marrow transplant from his younger brother Will in 2019 bought him some good time.
He overcame lower extremity paralysis from treatment twice, relearning to walk both times while at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
Friends and strangers are raising funds for AML research. They’re nearing the $500,000 mark.
Will is now the men’s lacrosse graduate assistant coach at Jacksonville University. He’s gotten the entire program involved.
Click here to help with the fundraising cause.
Jacksonville University men’s lacrosse raises money in Charlie Capalbo’s memory.
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Wakeman Town Farm’s pastoral setting serves as today’s “Westport … Naturally” featured photo:
(Photo/Nancy Dodderidge)
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And finally … on this date in 1962, the Beatles’ first single — “Love Me Do” — was released in Britain.
The world was never the same.
(Do you love “06880”? Or just like it a lot? Show your affection by supporting our work. Please click here. Thank you!)
I’m sad to see this outcome at the Westport RTM. If you can’t bring a topic to the town RTM, where can you? And, what the moderator thinks is unimportant, really is irrelevant. Give people their few minutes to bring up any topic; argue and debate – respectfully and civilly – even if it’s an issue over which you vehemently disagree.
The right to petition a matter to RTM is in the Town Charter. Town Charters (and the amending thereof) are a matter of State Law. RTM does not have the authority to violate State Law.
Chris Grimm
Who are the 29?
They don’t represent their constituents.
Ditto for the Moderator
Very 😢 sad‼️
Remember in November.
Unless it’s against 06880’s editorial policy, and given our imminent election in which this may be an important consideration for voters, I think it would have been useful if our favorite blog had published the names of the six RTMs in Districts 1, 2, 3, 7 & 9 who were unsuccessful in their vote in favor of the petition. If we like or don’t like what our RTM is doing, we have the opportunity, envied by many in the world, to do something about it in only 33 days.
Voting in favor: Liz Milwe, Harris Falk, Ross Burkhardt, Matthew Mandell, Ellen Lautenberg, Sal Liccione.
And here are the names of the 29 Members who voted against Westporter’s Right to Petition their Town Government:
Kristin M. Purcell District 1
Chris Tait District 1
Jay Keenan District 2
Louis M. Mall District 2
Michael Perry District 2
Jimmy Izzo District 3
Don O’Day District 3
James Bairaktaris District 4
Andrew J. Colabella District 4
Noah Hammond District 4
Jeff Wieser District 4,
Peter Gold District 5
Karen Kramer District 5
Richard Lowenstein District 5
Claudia Shaum District 5
Candace Banks District 6
Jessica Bram District 6
Seth Braunstein District 6
Brien Buckman District 6
Brandi Briggs District 7
Lauren Karpf District 7
John Klinge District 7
Wendy G. Batteau District 8
Rachel S. Cohn District 8
Stephen Shackelford District 8
Julie Whamond District 8
Lori Church District 9
Nancy Kail District 9
Kristin Schneeman District 9
While I know and respect many of our town’s RTM representatives, I believe this vote marks a low moment for the organization.
To me this vote reflects a trend in which too many members want to retain power to make decisions without public input.
I have personally witnessed this in the recent past when I tried for two years without success for example to get items on the agenda of the RTM Transit Committee to discuss traffic related issues only to be told, in so many words, that “if you want a seat at the table you ought to run for RTM”.
The RTM needs to stop viewing public comment as a form of interference and start being more open and receptive to the views of the constituents it supposedly represents
Jennifer, Ironically the RTM members voted against their own interests by also saying that the moderator could block anything that any two of them wanted to be placed on the agenda. Well played.
I am one of the signatories on the petition and am shocked and disappointed that so many of the RTM members voted against it. The overwhelming concern of most RTM members was that it may open up the opportunity for frivolous petitions, some members citing….Waging war on Weston, Supporting White Supremacy and Nazi’s, whether the Yankees are a better team than the Redsox’s or what type of popcorn is preferred….etc. all ridiculous analogies.
When a person is able to rally support from 20 or more residents to put forth a petition for the RTM to hear….it “shall” be heard. After all, it would be pretty hard to get 20 signatures on a “frivolous petition” in this town made up of educated and knowledgeable people. During my 26 Years as a town resident, I have heard of very few frivolous petitions sent for placement on the RTM’s agenda.
Confused. I’m not active in town meetings beyond reading the details here. But its not difficult to find 20 extremists in town from either end. Wouldn’t passing this very likely end up bringing any progress on anything to a screeching halt of endless unproductive debate?
I do agree.
The idea that 26 RTM members, who volunteer their time to do the town’s business are conspiring against democracy is absurd. This very allegation that RTM members don’t represent their constituents shows a complete disregard for the work these people do, on their own time, for Westporters, their own neighbors. They really do an amazing job for us. That part is invisible most of the time. So when someone is upset about their issue not being discussed, whether it’s RTM business or not, then it’s OK to call out these same volunteers as power hungry, anti-transparency insiders? Please…
The very air of vitriol and conspiracy mongering seen in the accusations leveled here are a good indicator of why the vote went the way it did.
And I certainly can envision 20 people upset over things from space lasers to rainbows on coffee cups compelling these same volunteers to deal with their “concerns.” RTM meetings, dealing with all manner of essential town business often stretch to near midnight. And the moderator has to see that this business is managed.
The town attorney can settle what is legal and what is not.
Town attorneys are now the arbiters of the law? This is one of the silliest things I’ve read or heard this week.
I wonder if the vote on petitioning might have had a different outcome if the threshold number of petitioners had been larger. Twenty is a small number and does not seem to me to achieve what should be the concept – that a critical mass of voters can successfully bring what could be a substantive idea to the RTM. There should be a working mechanism in place to allow for this. I do not know what the best number would be but it should probably be greater than twenty.
Luisa, I don’t think the outcome would have been any different if it were 200 or 2,000 petitioners.
But I do agree that 20 may not be the right number. Taking into account population growth since the 1950 census when the RTM was put in place to replace the Town Meeting form of government, 20 would look closer to 50. Although I note that the 20 person requirement predates by over 100 years the founding of the RTM.
Of course the RTM Rules of Procedure, which set 20 as the number, are also codified in the Town Charter. So any attempt by the RTM Rules Committee to change their rules which would run counter to the Town Charter number of 20 will be illegal without a comensurate change in the Charter. And good luck with that happening.