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08/26/2020 08:29 AMClinton will once again participate in the Sustainable CT program, which is designed to improve the quality of life in its member towns. The Town Council has re-formed a sustainability committee and re-issued the committee’s charge.
Sustainable CT rewards towns for taking actions that fall into categories like protecting the environment, improving planning, improving transportation, and improving infrastructure among other actions. The program is a voluntary certification program that encourages towns to improve best practices and seek grant opportunities that help promote the quality of life of the town and its citizens.
In spring 2018, the then-Board of Selectmen actually formed a sustainability committee to work on the actions outlined by the Sustainable CT program. However, recently there was confusion about the initial committee’s membership and the groups official purview.
For example, former first selectman Christine Goupil was an ex officio member of the committee, but once her term expired in November, that was no longer the case. The blue book in the Town Clerk’s Office (the official document that tracks board and commission members) listed five official members of the committee as of July 1.
Town Council Chair Chris Aniskovich explained that it was felt the council needed to clean up the committee’s charge and membership info, and so last month it ratified a new charge.
“I think it’s good to set up these advisory committees with specific charges,” said Aniskovich. “That’s what we need to provide them with so that they know their specific responsibilities.”
Additionally, Aniskovich said that there are specific actions and duties that fall upon the Town Council to take, and that by outlining exactly where the committee had jurisdiction it would prevent any confusion.
At a July 10 special meeting, the council appointed Carrie Allen, Tania Abatello, Catherine Zamecnik, Erin Lindsay, Jim Smith, and Justin Teague to the committee. The council will appoint a seventh member, and Aniskovich said word will be sent out to the political parties in town that there is a vacancy open.
The council chose to appoint the committee with only six members so the group could start meeting soon.
Interested parties can fill out an application on the town’ website to fill the remaining vacancy.
Initially, Town Council member Christine Goupil had asked to be the seventh person on the committee and was endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee. At the Aug. 10, meeting Goupil asked why her name wasn’t put forward with the other six names.
“It was my feeling as an advisory committee that reports back to this council that council members shouldn’t be on this committee,” Aniskovich replied.
Reminded of Goupil’s past experience with the committee and informed of her disappointment in not being able to continue, Aniskovich further explained his reasoning for not including her in the named committee.
“Putting a council member on an advisory committee that has a specific charge, you have a council member on there, you know, if a council member is speaking in support or in denial of something, it could lead to some issue,” Aniskovich said.
Aniskovich later explained that by having an individual council member on any committee, whenever that council member speaks it could be interpreted that that person is speaking on behalf of the council and not just that individual person’s views. Aniskovich said that council member Eric Bergman had also put his name forward for the committee, but withdrew it from consideration for the same reason.
Some council members are appointed to boards and commissions as liaisons. For example, council member Carol Walter is a liaison for the Volunteer Fire Department Feasibility Study Committee, though she is not a full member.
“A liaison is completely different than a full member,” said Aniskovich.
Liaisons do not speak or vote at the meetings, but rather attend meetings to listen to the decision and report back to the council, according to Aniskovich.
Concerns About Process
When the council announced it was going to appoint a new sustainability committee, some members of the public were not pleased. Paul Gebauer was the previous chairman of the committee and said he wasn’t contacted about the committee being reappointed, and said he wasn’t aware of other towns participating in the program that had needed to reappoint their committee.
Gebauer did acknowledge he didn’t “keep as good records as I should have” when it came to it the committee.
“It’s been said that the committee wasn’t being run properly...that minutes were never submitted...so it had to be blown up,” he told the Harbor News. “The town was paying a clerk to work our meetings. The clerk never submitted the minutes. I’ll take responsibility for some shortcomings as a chair, but I’m not going to own things that weren’t my fault.”
Clinton resident Mary Jo Phelps attended a council meeting on July 15 to tell the council she was disappointed Gebauer wasn’t approached about the committee being reformed. Phelps also asked about a Clinton Town Charter provisions that state a special town meeting needs to be held when a change is made to a board or commission “not otherwise provided for in this charter.”
Aniskovich said that the Town Council looked into the issue, but found the charter section didn’t apply.
“The previous committee wasn’t disbanded; they didn’t have a charge,” Aniskovich said.
Aniskovich also said that the sustainable committee isn’t a formal commission or board, it’s an advisory committee and thus the section doesn’t apply.
On July 1, the committee ratified a new charge that in part requires the committee provide updates to the council every six months. The committee will aim to recommend to the council action items that balance environmental protection with economic development and social objectives. The committee will also commit to pursuing strategies to reduce solid waste in town and ones that encourage clean and cost-effective energy solutions.
Asked what kind of info he was hoping the sustainable committee would provide to the council in its annual reports, Aniskovich said, “what programs and what things are available that we can involve ourselves with.” Aniskovich said the committee will provide the council with information on various programs that the town can choose to pursue.