Several appointed town committees — including the newly formed Bonding Committee — continue to draw scrutiny, both for questions regarding their official charges and concern over how or why appointees have been chosen to serve.

Wilton Capital Planning Committee Membership Moves Raise Process Questions

While at least one member of the public was unhappy after being told there was no room on the Wilton Capital Planning Committee to add an advocate for historical preservation, just this week — and with no explanation as to why — First Selectman Toni Boucher increased the number of representatives from each of the major elected boards, putting three members each from the Boards of Education, Finance, and Selectmen instead of two.

WCPC Chair Jeff Rutishauser said the choice on membership rests solely with the Board of Selectmen, but that he welcomed more participation.

“I can’t provide insight on this one as the decision to add members was an action of the BOS,” Rutishauser said. “But from my perspective as WCPC chair, I fully support having more members joining WCPC to contribute their knowledge and experience. The more experienced and smart people we have around the committee table, the better.”

Boucher did not respond to questions from GOOD Morning Wilton about her thinking, but on Tuesday, Jan. 20, the BOS approved the addition of BOF member Prasad Iyer to serve on the committee alongside Rudy Escalante and Kari Roberts, and BOE member Lori Bufano to represent the BOE alongside Chair Ruth DeLuca and Superintendent Kevin Smith. Boucher represents the BOS along with Selectmen Rich McCarty and Matt Raimondi.

Rutishauser said that along with the elected officials on the WCPC — all of whom are voting members — there are also two other voting members from the general community in himself and Rich Santosky.

“We were also appointed by the BOS, primarily for the deep real estate construct and development experience we would bring to the committee,” Rutishauser wrote in his email to GMW, noting that he and Santosky each have more than 25 years of relevant construction and development experience.

Several town employees serve as WCPC non-voting members, including representatives from the Department of Public Works, Wilton Schools and the Planning and Zoning Department.

Neither DeLuca nor BOF Chair Tim Birch commented to GOOD Morning Wilton about the decision to increase the representation on the WCPC.

Bonding Committee Formation Raises Oversight Questions

It was Birch who asked for the formation of the Bonding Committee, which he wants to see create an official model that can be used by the BOS to estimate and evaluate bonding forecasts.

“This committee is basically tasked with building a model in Excel,” explained Selectman David Tatkow, who is the sole representative from the BOS. “It’s a math problem. There are certainly no decisions to be made.”

While Birch originally suggested the committee consist of one representative from each of the three main elected boards, BOF member Kim Healy asked to see it increased so she could also serve. Birch obliged when he made his formal request to Boucher and the BOS, but Boucher set it at three members instead of six.

At the most recent Board of Selectmen meeting (Tuesday, Jan. 20), Tatkow addressed the move.

“It was planned as a six-member committee,” he told Boucher. “I think we thought, coming into the last meeting that it was going to be six member. I think we were a little surprised that it came out as three and we voted as such.”

“I’m of the view of not going to back to redo that vote,” he said. “If I could do it over, maybe I would do it differently, but I think we’ll make do with it and I think we’ll produce a result that’ll be helpful, but I think going forward in the future let’s just coordinate better with the Board of Finance, as it was their idea.”

Boucher said she had “internal conversations” with both Birch and new Chief Financial Officer Dawn Savo. “This is the size that I think people internally and externally are comfortable with right now,” she said.

Raimondi, however, who was not in attendance at the previous BOS meeting (Monday, Jan. 5) when the initial vote occurred, raised the question of why they were even forming the committee to begin with. When he was the BOF chair prior to Birch, Raimondi himself had created a simple bonding model that he said is an effective and adequate tool for the BOS to use for its purposes.

“My perspective is that I am a little confused about the committee,” Raimondi said. He explained that while the execution of the model was originally the responsibility of the CFO, he took the work on as a favor to her the last couple of years, as he wanted to get the information to help the BOF with budget guidance.

“Frankly that exists already,” he said, regarding a model to view debt throughout future years. “That’s what I built, so that’s why I ask the question, What more is needed? … Certainly everything can be enhanced. There’s no pride of ownership. I just don’t know what that is.”

“I say all this to say I think the CFO is probably the best person/position to do this and the reason why I think that is ultimately she is responsible for the bonding, she’s part of the Moody’s conversation, and historically that’s kind of where it sat,” Raimondi said.

Tatkow, who is joined on the Bonding Committee by BOF member Kari Roberts and BOE member Lori Bufano, agreed with Raimondi that it was a fair question.

Raimondi added that, if they were starting with the same model that he created anyway, wouldn’t it make sense for him to be serving on the committee too.

Boucher said the solution was that Raimondi could consult with Tatkow on a one-on-one basis, though it was stated that he couldn’t engage in the Bond Committee directly for reasons that were not made entirely clear.

Architectural Review Board Appointment Includes Disclosure

The BOS also unanimously endorsed Jan Hilgeman for the Architectural Review Board, but McCarty made sure a disclosure was put on the record.

“I just want to make sure that everyone here is aware and that the public is aware, that I believe her most recent employment was with Hines (Acquisition) LLC,” he said, noting that the company is the developer who has proposed a 280-unit senior housing project on the former School Sisters of Notre Dame Belden Hill Rd. property — a proposal that has drawn opposition from some Wilton residents.

“I have confirmed that Planning and Zoning was aware of that,” McCarty said, noting that he was satisfied with the vetting that took place by that commission.