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Protecting the Citizens

On April 6, I watched the Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting and became very concerned. While discussing a resolution introduced by Selectman Bruce Wilson concerning protecting Madison from state takeover of our zoning regulations, I wondered if all the elected members of this board really understand their role.

As a proud 14-year former member of the BOS, it was clear that protecting the citizens and town was our major responsibility. This resolution did just that and addressed potential legislation that could change our downtown density, traffic, and wastewater treatment and every neighborhood. These bills that have made it out of committee will take away, in many incidences, the right to a public hearing on any development that impacts your readers’ property and its value. We would no longer have a right to have a voice.

When First Selectman Peggy Lyons stated that she believed she needed to stay in her lane and not create a “shadow government,” I was shocked. If our first selectman doesn’t believe she has a right to protect this community from state takeover, then we have a problem. Everyday community leaders in towns like ours are stepping up and speaking up against this overreach by urban legislators, while ours thinks it’s not her lane and we should let the state decide.

These bills hide behind the need for affordable housing, but if you read them there is very little affordable housing incentives, it’s all about creating more density in our small towns. One proposed bill actually allows manufactured mobile homes in every yard as a right. The bottom line is these proposals take away local control and each of our voices and several of our selectmen don’t think that’s worth protecting. I think we have a problem.

Noreen Kokoruda

Madison