At Tuesday night’s Jan. 20 Board of Selectmen meeting, officials acknowledged receiving a petition from Sensible Wilton, the group opposed to the current Miller-Driscoll Renovation project. The group delivered 1,100 signatures to Wilton’s Town Clerk asking for a revote on the Bonding Resolution on Jan. 8.
First selectman Bill Brennan said the petition was referred by the Town Clerk’s office to the registrars of voters, where the signatures were checked “over a period of days, many days.” He announced that the selectmen will discuss the petition at their next regular meeting.
“This matter for everyone’s benefit is tentatively scheduled to be discussed by the Board of Selectmen at our regular meeting on Feb. 2, 2015,” Brennan said.
Late on Wednesday, Brennan’s office issued a statement that press reports elsewhere indicating that the petition would be discussed in a public hearing were incorrect. Instead the selectmen will review the matter as part of their meeting. It will not include public discussion during the agenda item, but public comment will be allowed during the “normal” period allotted at each meeting for such comment from the public.
“This matter will be the first item on the Board of Selectman’s regular meeting scheduled followed by other agenda items in our normal format,” Wednesday’s statement read.
Brennan added that Wilton’s town counsel, Ken Bernard, will attend “and certainly he will be reviewing his thoughts on the legality of the question.”
He also acknowledged the sometimes heated tone discussions on the issue have taken, telling the board that a police officer will be present during the meeting, “…so that we treat this event in the civil manner that we all take for granted is the way we function in Wilton. Wilton has a reputation for being gracious when we discuss controversial issues, and we will do that on this particular issue also. I’m going to have a police officer here because I think it will be a lot of people here that night, and I want to make sure order will be maintained, because we have other things on the agenda.”
Sensible Wilton has filed complaints with the CT State Election Enforcement Commission alleging that town officials violated election laws prior to and during the Special Town Vote in September to approve the bonded project. Town residents narrowly approved $50-million renovation proposal, with 979 votes cast in favor, and 952 against. Only 17% of eligible voters turned out.
The Feb. 2 meeting will be held in the Board of Selectmen’s usual meeting location, at Town Hall in meeting room B, starting at 7:30 p.m..