Thursday night’s Selectmen candidates debates in the GHS Performing Arts Center drew an impressive crowd estimated to be over 400.
The League of Women Voters were hosts and Kaye Maxwell was the moderator. There was a cumulative format was a cumulative time and at the end of each debate the candidates gave two minute closing statements.
First Selectman candidates Democrat Jill Oberlander (currently the chair of the BET) and Republican Fred Camillo (who is serving his sixth term as State Rep in district 151) debated first.
The questions were a combination of ones from the League and from the audience.
The candidates differentiated themselves from the get-go with a question about the redevelopment of the Greenwich Railroad station.
“The air rights are too valuable to give up,” Camillo said, adding he would like to see the Town give Ashforth Company either tax abatement or pay them. “Those buildings are tired. We can extend the lease. We’re in a position of strength right now.”
Oberlander said she worked for the MTA earlier in her career as an attorney and had negotiated contracts and handled procurement.
She said the deal, which is now on hold, had been negotiated without enough input.
“It was a closed door deal,” she said. “That would not happen in my administration.”
“We need expert advise on the valuation so we can be comfortable that the sale of the air rights is appropriate,” Oberlander added. “We deserve a magnificent gateway to Greenwich. I’d put together a committee with people from BET and P&Z to work with Dept of Public Works, Parking and Traffic to deal with all the issues.
Camillo said the deal was not done in secret. “While I disagree with the air rights component, the First Selectman was dealing in good faith.”
Oberlander said a large number of community members had heard nothing of the deal until it was announced in July.
“It depends on who is on the inside track,” she said.
Asked their plans for the troubled Parking Services Department which now reports to the police since a clerk was arrested in spring 2017 for Larceny, Forgery and Computer Crime, and the Director’s position was eliminated in fall 2017.
Camillo said parking services department is might be a good candidate to be outsourced, and that he would look at all the departments to see where they could be restructured.
Oberlander said the BET had to retain a forensic auditor to determine the magnitude of losses to parking services.
“That person determined there were 7 figures of funds that couldn’t be accounted for. However there were no records, so they couldn’t bring a criminal case,” she said, adding that a decision on how to handle parking services is on hold and the former director is suing the town.
“It’s under the police department to see if they can manage inventory, strategic planning, collections, management of permits and a number of issues not being performed well. We have to do something differently.”
Asked if they supported the senior housing building proposed at Armstrong Court Camillo said he works closely with the Housing Authority, and that he spent a lot of time at the public housing complex where his grandmother lived.
He said two weeks ago he met with domestic violence advocates and they asked if two units might be put aside in Armstrong Court aside for victims of domestic violence who need a place to stay. “They reached out to the Greenwich Police. It’s going to be really nice,” he said.
Oberlander said both senior housing and affordable housing are priorities. “We need more workforce housing so our teachers, fire fighters and police can come to Town.”
“When I was in Hartford I put a bill in to allow seniors to rent out accessory units and have it count toward the 10%,” Camillo said, referring to the 10% of housing the State says must be affordable. Until Greenwich reaches 10%, it will be targeted by developers applying under the 8-30g statute that exempts developers from local zoning.
Oberlander and Camillo disagreed on the place for public-private-partnerships, which Camillo referred to simply as P3.
Oberlander listed several public private partnerships she said were fantastic. But, she said, “I believe they are supplementary to government, which needs to be the primary seat at table. We can’t outsource the government.”
Also, she said, “Transparency, openness and accountability are all important. There must be an open process that everybody gets a chance to have their name on every opportunity, and it’s not done in a closed door deal.”
Camillo said he would only seek a P3 where appropriate.
“Other municipalities would love to be in Greenwich’s position to have groups like the Greenwich Athletic Foundation almost begging to get involved,” he said. “Of course if you have a P3 with the Town owning a property and leasing it out, there will be a risk. I’d put in place people who are really equipped, and make sure it’s transparent and open.”
In a discussion about infrastructure sparked by a questions about plans for the Hamill Rink, Camillo said, “We are behind. It’s embarrassing. We’re better than that.”
Oberlander said she wouldn’t want to rely on a P3 to make sure the ice rink is renovated or built anew, but that it’s important to prioritize.
“We have schools that are in disrepair and 30 years after ADA we have schools that are not accessible. We need a conversation about needs and priorities.”
Camillo disagreed.
“I do not want government funding everything. Our peer towns mill rates are West Hartford and Fairfield with mill rates of 38 and 25. We’re a little over 11. We’ll get to 30 pretty quickly if you look to government to pay for everything,” Camillo said. “I’m going to keep saying that you’re sick of it.”
Oberlander said it is important to fix infrastructure so that new families won’t drive past Greenwich to Westport, Darien and Wilton.
“We need to do it for our property values,” she said.
“I went here (GHS) and I taught in public school. The main thing is you want great education. Buildings don’t teach you,” Camillo said.
The other topic where the candidate for First Selectman disagreed was in their view of long term financing.
Oberlander said there are times it is appropriate for future generations to share an expense, and used the example of the contaminated soil at Western Middle School where students haven’ had use of the fields for three years. “Financing has to be part of the discussion,” she said.
Besides, she said, “We already have long term debt. We used it for Nathaniel Witherell, for sewers, and to purchase property. It’s already in play.”
Camillo pushed back. “You never ever want to abandon what has worked so well since the 1930s. If you go to long term debt, it’ll go to more spending and more taxes. Hartford was the wealthiest city in Connecticut. Now look at it. I’d never advocate for a change to long term debt as a policy.”