In a surprise announcement at Monday night’s Nov. 3 Board of Selectmen meeting, second selectman Hal Clark announced that he will be retiring and stepping down from the Board of Selectmen, effective at the end of November.
“This may very well be my last BoS meeting. My wife and I have put our house on the market, we are technically supposed to close on Nov. 14. We could not find a place to rent in Wilton. So I will no longer be–if we close on Nov. 14–no longer be a resident here. In no event, however, will I stay on the BoS more than Nov. 30 of this year. It’s a personal decision. I have decided to retire. There are some family issues involved in this. I’ve had a wonderful time in Wilton, it’s great town to serve. It wasn’t an easy decision but it is the right one for my family,” Clark said.
First selectman Bill Brennan, who noted that both he and Clark were elected to office on the same day almost nine years ago, lauded his colleague for his tireless work for Wilton beyond the BoS meetings.
“He’s co-chaired most recently the Wilton Security Task Force, with a great output which has improved the security of all our schools. You’ve had a material input on the safety of our schools. You’ve been a member of the Wilton Energy Commission for several of years, the Selectman’s representative on Ambler Farm capital projects, Selectman’s representative on the Economic Development Commission and unofficial finder of town trustees for the library. You’ve had a lot of additional duties and on behalf of the board we want to thank you for all your contributions. We’re sorry to see you leave,” Brennan said.
Clark responded, “For anyone who’s considering public service, it’s an honor to serve the people of Wilton.”
Brennan added that a replacement is being sought.
“The RTC is aware of this and they will be actively engaged in sourcing a replacement candidate for us to consider, to replace Hal. When you know your definitive date, that starts the clock ticking on the 30 days to plug in someone.”