Dr. Jay Walshon is the retired chair of emergency services at Milford Hospital, former New Haven County EMS director, and 3-time president of the American College of Emergency Physicians state chapter.
Dr. Jay Walshon
He is the creator, photographer and author of the “Eye See You” children’s books.
He enjoys photography, painting and sports, and plays and teaches pickleball.
A 40-year Westport resident whose 2 childrens went through the Westport school system, he writes:
Considering its crucial role, I thought it enlightening to review the Parks & Recreation Commission’s 2024 accomplishments.
Detailed examination reveals that the entirety was spent on approving charity events, park sculptures, fee increases (though without expense/revenue data), the Compo Beach playground, a tree identification program, school restrictions targeting gardeners and dogo walkers, and prohibiting non-residents (and casual Westport residents) from using our public pickleball courts – milquetoast actions at best, while numerous consequential issues remain unresolved, unevaluated, unconsidered.
These include:
- A field utilization inventory (as promised), to define needs and scheduling
- Prioritizing public health to ensure the safety of materials that participants, observers and neighbors are being exposed to at PRD-controlled facilities
- Safe utilization of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides (including adjacent waters, wells, aquifers, residential property, etc.), and providing adequate notification of applications
- Environmental stewardship, incluidng transitioning to green alternatives in accordance with the RTM’s Net Zero mandate
- Identifying Parks & Recreation Department sustainability opportunities
- Community Gardens stewardship and protection
- Baron’s South maintenance, remediation and rehabilitation implement (comprehensive consultant analyses, recommendations, and a renovation concept was already paid for by our taxpayers
- Compo Skate Park safety and replacement
The Compo Beack Skate Park comes under Park & Recreation Department purview. (Photo/Larry Silver)
- Comprehensive Parks & Recreation Department audit, including expense/revenue analysis by activity
- Longshore Improvement timetable implementation;
- Longshore pickleball location (promised in 2023)
- Longshore clubhouse design, planning and fundraising initiatives
- Maintenance needs inventory, including equipment and deficient property
- Compo Cove access and public parking availability
- Winslow park access, maintenance, parking and utilization
- Compo Beach concessionaire contract (Hook’d evaluation and renewal/ replacement)
- Burying Hill flooding and infrastructure.
The list is substantial.
For example, the Parks & Rec Department’s $862,670 appropriation request (a 4-year lease of 12 pieces of gas-powered equipment) — absent the Parks & Rec Commission’s involvement and approval — illustrates their lack of initiative and failure to lead on a substantive issue.
Despite ample 2024 opportunities, not once was this important issue agendized for examination. It was a conspicuous strategy to bypass public engagement. It was a missed opportunity to initiate the exploration of viable “green” alternatives, suggesting passive rejection by town leadership of Westport’s Net Zero resolution and objectives.
While the motivation for such neglect and issue censorship can be postulated, what’s undeniable is the glaring absence of prioritized goals and objectives to direct the Commission’s energies, against which its efforts can be judged.
As 2024 reveals, the PRC remains primarily rudderless and reactionary. Organizations lacking clearly identified goals and objectives are defined by reactionary decision-making, and become vulnerable to stagnation, inefficiency, ineffectiveness, and mediocrity.
Accomplishments are constrained to items placed onto the agenda – and restrained by the lack thereof. Achievements are determined by what is discussed.
Acceding to my request would not only immensely benefit our community; it would significantly increase resident interest, and exponentially magnify the satisfaction derived by serving on this important dommission.
Considering the many neglected issues, valuable time and capabilities are not being optimally utilized. Our PRC could have accomplished more – much more.
If manpower constraints are an impediment, resident volunteers and local expertise can be recruited. The energy and capability of the RTM’s sub-committees can be utilized. Educational forums with recognized experts can be scheduled, and best practice guidance obtained. But that takes leadership, planning, and willingness to accept public guidance.
Dr. Jay Walshon would like to see items like the Hook’d contract be part of the Parks & Recreation Commission agenda.
I made this appeal at the Parks & Recreation Commission’s January 15, meeting, and in writing.
Last week’s meeting proved it fell on deaf ears. While our golf and fireworks charity events do require approvals, continuing an entire action agenda subsumed by such is embarrassing.
Currently there are no means for residents to agendize topics for discussion. Contact information of our PRC commissioners (other than the chair) is unavailable – even to our town clerk – insulating them from meaningful resident discourse.
While residents may share concerns at the beginning of meetings, all dialogue is strictly restricted to an agenda rigidly controlled by Town Hall.
A publicly endorsed list of goals and objectives is essential for the Parks & Rec Commission to transparently initiate these necessary discussions in earnest, and make meaningful progress in a timely fashion.
Stagnation on these imperatives must not continue in 2025. Perpetuating the status quo must not be tolerated by the public, the RTM, or the PRC commissioners themselves.
Perhaps the PRC commissioners should be elected by Westport’s residents, and thereby become accountable to them rather than to the first selectperson. However, that requires a tedious Town Charter modification.
Immediately doable remedies include
1. The above issues should be immediately prioritized and agendized to permit resident engagement.
2. There should be a reasonable mechanism for residents to get issues onto the PRC agenda for official public discussion.
3. The PRC commissioners’ contact information must be available, to enable and encourage resident discourse.
Any town deserves better. Westport deserves better.
==================================================
“06880” asked Parks & Recreation Commission David Floyd for comment. Here is his response:
The “Opinion piece” criticizes the Parks & Recreation Commission for various alleged omissions to act, secret subversive actions, and a perceived inability to listen to citizens.
Unfortunately, the writer is mistaken in several instances regarding the conduct, actions and purview of the PRC. This is somewhat perplexing, considering his consistent presence at PRC meetings.
Section C30-2 of the Town Charter states, in its entirety [my emphasis]: “The Parks and Recreation Commission shall establish policy for the maintenance and use of parks, playgrounds, beaches, swimming areas, boat mooring areas, playfields, indoor recreation areas and other recreation areas and facilities owned or controlled by the Town, except those under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education. It shall recommend and approve regulations for the use of parks and recreational facilities for adoption by the Board of Selectmen. It shall cooperate with other Town officials, boards and commissions and with private and public organizations concerning recreational plans and facilities.”
David Floyd
Public comment: PRC meetings are 100% open to the public, and do not limit the length or number of citizen comments. In fact, I have often been complimented (and criticized) for allowing citizens to speak at length about issues affecting our town’s parks and recreation resources — even permitting speakers to go on tangents.
By law, we are limited to discussing properly noticed agenda items as I announce at each meeting, but all citizens are welcome to address the PRC. The writer being a frequent, lengthy commenter. I forward emails to the commissioners, as is standard practice for appointed boards and commissions in Westport.
Transparency: Anyone who lived through the Longshore Capital Improvement Plan should recognize the level of transparency sought by the PRC. Fifteen months of plans, stakeholder meetings, public comments, open houses, public meetings. Decisions made in a public forum. All for the betterment of a park we all love and use extensively. Compo Playground, Art in the Parks, WestportMoms festival, and others further illustrate this bias for openness.
There will always be a prioritization of projects and adoption of policies. Every wish or desire cannot be acted upon.
As chair, I have chosen to focus the PRC on real world projects and issues we can solve (e.g., Longshore Plan, Compo Playground rebuild, smoking/vaping policy), and encouraging a “citizens first” attitude at Parks & Recreation Department. I do not apologize for that.
The Longshore Plan is a “real worldl project” for the Parks & Recreation Commission.
The absence of a P&R cirector and parks superintendent is an unprecedented situation never before faced by a PRC and P&R Department. It has presented challenges up and down the line, but the staff (top to bottom) have adapted, taken on additional responsibilities, and moved forward.
To this end, we have a new director starting. I look forward to working with him to adjust where needed.
Thank you to my fellow commissioners, the staff at the P&R Department, maintenance crews (P&R and golf) for your support and efforts every day.
(“06880″‘s Opinion pages are open to all readers. And we could not do what we do without reader support. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
