It’s been quite a year, politically.
Forget Washington and Hartford.
Here in Westport we’ve endured long and heated debates, on a series of topics.
Really long. And very heated.
The outcomes have not pleased everyone. They never will.
But decisions have been made. And they’ve been made by people we elected to make them.
The Planning & Zoning Commission spent hundreds of hours on one topic — the Hamlet — this year alone. There were many other agenda items too. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
They’re not random men and women. They’re fellow Westporters.
Our neighbors.
They sit through long — really long — meetings. They spend time before, reading reports. They spend time after, listening to residents.
You and I may not like their decisions. But they’re the ones who have stepped up, volunteered, and been elected or appointed to do the job.
Some are running again. Some have stepped down.
Some newcomers are on the November ballot. Some are petitioning to join them.
All deserve our thanks. They are doing the thankless, tedious and trying work of government.
We can watch the meetings, or not. It’s our choice.
They’re the ones sitting there, in person or on Zoom.
And some of those meetings are really long.
(PS: Interested in running for the Representative Town Meeting? You need just 25 signatures from voters in your district. The deadline is September 9. Contact Town Clerk Jeffrey Dunkerton: 203-341-1105; jdunkerton@westportct.gov.)
(“06880” is proud to honor Unsung Heroes — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)
One of my favorite T. Roosevelt quote: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Well and importantly stated. These volunteer citizens hold democracy together.
Sometimes democracy would be better off if the man and woman in the arena had simply stayed home and watched reruns. This is just as true in Westport as it is in Washington.
Illegally taking petition rights away from fellow citizens and setting up laws every person and institution in town needs to follow except the town government because of cost and inconvenience, is anti-democratic and erodes faith in government. Add to that kangaroo courts and other fun things which volunteers have inflicted on this town over this past year, makes me wonder if there is a better way.
The RTM has floundered under its current leadership and 29 bozos acquiesced. Need a brand new team.
To Paul, Amy, Michael and Patrizia, Thank you again for doing the right thing and voting down the Hamlet (anything but!) development. You all spent countless hours representing the majority of Westporters who opposed the project. Your efforts are very much appreciated.
So interesting that this hit the blog today. While away on vacation in a different time zone I watched live the last to work sessions on the Hamlet in full. Truthfully I was not only taking in the content about the Hamlet but I was watching closely the WAY they did their work. The Chairperson kept control and intern maintained decorum. many things I had heard during the public meeting were discussed further. It was very interesting to me to hear their discussions after attending all the public meetings. I watched closely how they arrived at their vote and how all commisioners had ample opportunity to offer their questions and comments. It takes a huge commitment to do that job well and this group at the P and Z does it better than any other governing body. They listen, they are fair, they do their best to execute the zoning laws of our town. I also don’t always agree and I have some criticisms but they are following the rules.
99.9 percent. PZC is the most transparent, well-run elected body in Westport. Now if only they retained independent legal counsel … they could exceed expectations unencumbered by conflicted lawyering.