Key Points:
- Wilton selectmen questioned whether work tied to Gilbert & Bennett studies was being handled through a properly authorized committee.
- First Selectman Toni Boucher disputed that any formal committee had been created.
- The discussion revived questions surrounding a previously undisclosed brewery proposal for the property.
Why it Matters: The debate highlights broader concerns about transparency, governance and decision-making authority as Wilton considers the future of the historic Gilbert & Bennett property.
While they’re happy about the work moving forward regarding the Gilbert & Bennett School, the Board of Selectmen expressed some trepidation on Monday, May 18, about the process that’s getting it there.
In particular, members were taken aback that in a five-page update memo to the BOS on the matter, Lori Fusco, chair of the Historic District and Historic Property Commission, identified an “ad hoc committee” that was “formed and approved” by First Selectman Toni Boucher without the involvement of all the BOS members.
Selectman Rich McCarty, who was chosen to serve as the board’s liaison with Fusco and those working on the G&B grant proposals, expressed concern.
“She refers to it several times as a committee, and whether it’s ad hoc or advisory, the Charter is clear about appointing committees, and the authority of those committees,” McCarty said.
Without specifically stating it, McCarty appeared to be referring to provisions in the Town Charter indicating that official committees are established and members are appointed through action of the full Board of Selectmen, rather than solely by the first selectman.
Boucher, however, said that nothing had officially been formed.
“I don’t know that it was a committee of sorts, other than three people to help her through the RFP process, that’s all, not actually to do the actual study,” Boucher said. “That was my understanding.”
Fusco is in the process of leading two studies on the historic town-owned G&B building, buoyed by $40,000 in federal and state grant money that was received through the state. One study focuses on an examination of the building itself, while another will aim to explore options for the building and property.
G&B became a hot topic of discussion this year after it came to light that Boucher had been privately entertaining a proposal to develop the building and property as a brewery. A local company called Twelve Gods Brewery had even made an offer, but the matter was never discussed publicly until other members of the BOS called Boucher out on trying to keep it secret.
In response, a number of residents expressed strong opinions that it was the town’s choice what should become of the property and that the decision needed to be considered publicly.
McCarty also asked Boucher on Monday if the offer was still on the table. Boucher, who previously denied that an offer was made, stated she was unsure.
“No, because the Board of Selectmen decided to take no action on it, so it really is out there but there’s been no action, so I don’t know if it’s still viable or not. I imagine they would have to come back to us,” Boucher said.
McCarty sought to clarify her response.
“What I hear you saying is that there has been no further communication with the Twelve Gods people either withdrawing or affirming that there’s continued interest in this property,” he said.
Boucher responded, “Correct. I think everybody’s just waiting on this study and again it’s a study or a committee, and I’m unclear as well because she keeps correcting me, like even on this agenda, it’s a study and I shouldn’t refer to it as a committee, but like you said — you’re understanding — the communication from them is that they’ve had a committee of sorts, so I think any interest in there may just have stepped aside and and just waiting to see what this study comes up with, what recommendations they may come up with.”
In her memo, Fusco identifies two preservation advocates as part of the aforementioned committee — Rob Sanders, a local architect and former chair of both the Architectural Review Board and the Conservation Commission, and Patti Temple, president of the nonprofit Friends of Ambler Farm.
According to Fusco a Request for Proposals (RFP) was posted to the town’s website with regard to the federally funded Conditions Assessment Report. An RFP draft is currently being worked on for the state-funded Feasibility and Adaptive Reuse Study, which the group plans to submit to Wilton’s town counsel for review.
“Do we think this is a committee, or is it as Toni just described it?” McCarty asked.
“As you read the rest of the report, they’re drafting RFPs, they’re talking to town counsel,” he said. “If we want to control counsel fees I think we ought to have a place where addressing town counsel gets pre-approved, so I just throw that out there as items that jumped out of this report to me.”
McCarty said that given the economics involved, it seemed more appropriate that Fusco should be dealing with the town counsel through Boucher.
Selectman Matt Raimondi agreed.
“It’s more of a legal question, I guess. For the work that they’re doing, do we need a formal committee that is empowered by the Board of Selectmen to do this, and only this work?” he said.
“I legitimately think we’re all agreeing on this. This is the right thing to do, this is what we want to do. The question is the legal construct of how to do it,” Raimondi continued, noting that it didn’t specifically matter if they were operating as one kind of committee or another, or operating within the auspices of the HDHPC — just so the legality and proper governance procedures were confirmed.
In response to some question of how much Fusco and the group intended to do on its, Boucher assured the BOS that they were due back to report on progress.
“They’re going to come before us before they do anything,” she said, also noting that she believed some of the grant money could or should be used for legal expenses.
“It seems to me that they’re planning to bring a recommendation, but we should expect that and we’ll communicate that with them for sure,” she said.