The Weston Forum Endorsements 2009

Written by Kimberly Donnelly
Wednesday, 28 October 2009 12:34

This year’s municipal election is an important one for Weston — not (as some party faithful from both sides would like you to believe) because it will determine the political make-up of some boards, but because some very difficult decisions lie ahead.

Whether we like it or not, budget concerns will shape the future of the town — how much money is available and how, exactly, it is spent, will touch the lives of all who live here. Decisions about development, growth, what is and is not allowed on certain pieces of property, as well as how much that property is determined to be worth, these, too, ultimately affect all residents.

Westonites are lucky: The candidates from which they must choose on Nov. 3 are good ones, people who are running out of a sincere interest in serving their community and making it a better place. However, the caliber of candidates also makes choosing the right ones difficult.

After weighing a vast array of information and much unbiased observation, The Forum endorses the following candidates.

Tax collector, Board of Assessment Appeals, Zoning Board of Appeals

Three races are not contested — the people looking to fill those slots still deserve your vote. All are incumbents, and all have done a good job, and will undoubtedly continue to do so.

Charity Nichols has served as tax collector for more than two decades with both compassion and efficiency.

Both Marina Coprio and Ryan Cornell will be elected to the Board of Assessment Appeals, although voters may only choose one. Ms. Coprio’s length of service (she, the current chairman, has been on the board for eight years; Mr. Cornell was appointed to fill a vacancy last year) tips the scales slightly in her favor, but their combination of legal and real estate expertise make them both qualified members of a good team.

On the Zoning Board of Appeals, Frederick Noyes and W. MacLeod (Cloudy) Snaith are the current chairman and vice chairman. Their extensive knowledge translates into decisions that are well considered and fair.

ZBA alternate

Four people are running for three “alternate” positions on the Zoning Board of Appeals. These folks fill in when regular of the board is absent. All four candidates have strong backgrounds in some combination of real estate, land use, and/or law. The two who currently serve on the ZBA, Ken Edgar and Marianne Murray, should continue to do so. While Debbie Rehr’s real estate background is relevant, Jeffrey Tallman has a slight advantage for the third slot; he has served on a town board (Board of Assessment Appeals) before, and as a local builder, his land use knowledge will serve the ZBA well.

Planning and Zoning Commission

Voters may choose three of the four candidates running for a seat on P&Z. The two incumbents, Stephan Grozinger and Paul Heifetz, deserve to be re-elected without hesitation. Mr. Heifetz brings more than a decade of experience to the commission. Mr. Grozinger’s methodical and reasonable nature, combined with top-notch legal expertise, has made him not only an effective chairman, but a leader.

Neither of the other two candidates has yet to serve in an elected or appointed capacity in Weston, but both have land use experience and have even worked in some capacity with other town’s P&Z commissions. While David Allen is qualified to serve, Joseph Limone’s legal background — which includes dealing with environmental and land use issues — gives him the edge, and makes him the better choice for P&Z.

Police Commission

There are six candidates for four open seats on the Police Commission. Again, the incumbents in this race, Jeff Eglash, Peter Ottomano and Rick Phillips, are easy choices for three of the seats. Both Mr. Phillips and Mr. Ottomano have chaired the commission (Mr. Phillips is the current chairman), and both have worked hard to identify and correct problems in the police department, such as excessive overtime costs, and personnel issues under the past chief of police. Mr. Eglash is a relative newcomer to the commission, having been appointed to fill a vacancy in 2008, but, as a former federal prosecutor and inspector general for the Los Angeles Police Commission, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Petitioning candidate Jay Faillace is correct in his assertion that unaffiliated voters are underrepresented on Weston boards and commissions. However, the Police Commission is not the place for Mr. Faillace, who has an arrest record with the town, resulting in an inherent conflict if he were to serve on the commission.

Steve Ezzes is a qualified candidate, with a financial/budgetary focus that could be helpful to the Police Commission in upcoming budget discussions. However, Hal Shupack far and away has the record that makes him the best choice for the fourth spot on the commission. Mr. Shupack served for 14 years on Weston’s finance board, six years as a selectman, and two more as first selectman of the town. His perspective will undoubtedly be an asset to the commission.

Board of Education

The majority of Westonites move here because of the quality of the schools; the nearly $44-million school budget accounts for about 70% of the total town budget. The school board must be able to serve a constituency that demands nothing but excellence in a way that is fiscally responsible. That takes leadership, financial and educational acumen, and finesse.

This year, there are three seats up for election, but because of state statutes, voters may only vote for two. Those two should be incumbent Dick Bochinski and newcomer Denise Harvey.

Mr. Bochinski has been on the school board for four years. He has previously served on — and therefore knows well how to work with — the Board of Selectmen and the finance board. He asks insightful questions, and always supports important programs while looking for innovative ways to keep spending in check.

Ms. Harvey is new on the political scene, but she has successfully led the PTO as its president, and has worked with the school board as a PTO representative. She has both financial and legal experience in the workplace, and is known as a “doer” in her community endeavors. Her leadership qualities have shown through during the campaign season, and she will be an asset to the school board.

Newcomer Sonya Stack will likely not disappear from the political scene. She is smart and qualified; all she is lacking thus far is experience. Incumbent Lyn Kimberly has experience on the board, but the leadership qualities shared by Ms. Harvey and Mr. Bochinski — and much needed on the school board — tip the scales in their favor.

Selectman

The Board of Selectmen is made up of the first selectman and two lower selectmen. Voters may only choose one selectman candidate. The one with the most votes is elected selectman; the other seat goes to whoever garners more votes — the losing first selectman candidate or the losing selectman candidate.

The choice for selectman is unfortunately an easy one — unfortunate because political newcomer Britta Lerner is an excellent candidate who seems to be a good consensus-builder and a quick study. However, Dave Muller is far and away the obvious choice.

Mr. Muller brings to the table a vast financial knowledge and a rare gift of being able to communicate that knowledge in a way that is easily understandable without being condescending. He understands the workings of and what’s needed to work with both P&Z and the finance board because he has served on them both with distinction.

Mr. Muller is not afraid to take the lead. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, he was the creative and driving force behind the wildly successful Weston-Lacombe, La. Town-to-Town Partnership. He will bring to the Board of Selectmen integrity, compassion and an ability to get things done.

First selectman

The choice for the top of the ticket — first selectman of the town — is a difficult one. Both candidates have their strengths, and both have their flaws. As Weston heads into one of its toughest budget years ever, the town needs someone with concrete plans and the ability to put those plans into action; someone who can see the big picture, yet take care of details; someone willing to listen to all sides and make decisions based on what’s best for the town as a whole. That someone is Gayle Weinstein.

Ms. Weinstein’s opponent, Dan Gilbert, has offered philosophy while she has offered ideas. He talks a lot about character and leadership and integrity. She has proposed ways to change the budget process and specifics about working cooperatively with other boards, towns, and organizations to find cost savings. While philosophy is important, it must be backed up with a plan of action.

Ms. Weinstein has missed some opportunities while sitting on the Board of Selectmen for the last two years: She could have pushed for the board, rather than an appointed committee, to regularly review the performance of the town’s legal counsel; she could have insisted from the get-go that the town complete as thorough a land survey as possible before attempting to rebuild a bridge; she could have championed a permanent change to an automatic adjournment to a machine vote for a town budget that tops $63 million. But is that lack of leadership, or simply a necessary learning curve?

More likely the latter, because Ms. Weinstein also assimilated a lot while sitting on a board with two very shrewd and seasoned politicians and town leaders. She has learned to work cooperatively, to speak her mind, to take the concerns of her constituents seriously, and to make beneficial connections with other town, state, and federal leaders. She stepped up to the task of tracking grant and other state and federal funding opportunities for the town.

Ms. Weinstein will lead Weston well.