“We are in danger of making volunteering for board in our town a true case of no good deed goes unpunished.”
Kim Blank, RTM Education committeeHale McSharry of District 5 disagreed.
McSharry said the group that meets without masks in Binney Park is in violation of State pubic health mandates.
“It was her characterization of the group that gave some members pause,” McSharry said. “In her description of the group as a non political, friendly gathering, the appointee mentioned that the group met to discuss the dangers of wearing masks.”
“Holding the belief that wearing a covering over one’s face, nose and mouth to prevent contracting or spreading a deadly respiratory disease, which is spread through the air is dangerous, and should raise questions,” McSharry said.
He added, “The RTM serves a check on the Board of Selectmen’s nomination, and we are charged with making sure we have the right people for the job. Seeing as this appointment is for a committee dealing with public safety, I strongly feel that the appointee’s assessment of public danger, or lack thereof, is most relevant to the RTM’s decision on her appointment.”
First selectman Fred Camillo said he strongly supported of Ms Galletta’s appointment. “She is a perfect fit for this committee. What really disturbs me is what the last speaker alluded to.”
“We go down a dangerous path in this town if we start to question people’s personal views that have nothing to do with the committee, board or task force that they seek to volunteer on. We are a government of volunteers. God help us if this becomes the norm.”
Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo
For her part Ms Galletta, who lives in North Mianus and whose four children attended GHS, said her children were in Greenwich Schools on December 14, 2012 when the Sandy Hook mass shooting took place. She said she was passionate about school security.
Galletta said in addition to coaching basketball, chaperoning class trips, serving on the NMS board and serving as class mom countless times, she enjoyed giving back.
In her current job she said she reports to the chief revenue officer and attends weekly strategy sessions with a global team and the CEO.
“I have deep roots in security technology, including authentication and authorization solutions, which would then back end into provisioning and de-provisioning solutions,” she said. “Understanding what the overall population is, building access, keycard access, back ending that into systems that can again add users and remove users from systems.”
“Also it would be very easy for me to evaluate proposals from numerous companies, interview vendors and understand the solutions being presented,” she added.
Galletta addressed concerns about her participation in the maskless group she said, “I comply completely with all mask mandates. You may see me around town in a camo mask. …I’m not about harming anyone in the public, and those with any compromised immune system.”
She said the group that meets Sundays comes together to share information, and that most of the children have special needs, including respiratory issues or allergies.
“We come together and share different perspectives and share links,” she said.
“We’re meeting out in a park in the open air. …We’ve never been more than 20 people. We are socially distant and we’re out in the open air. We’re not breaking any mandates or rules. We’re just coming together to share perspectives,” she said. “We’re not a radical organization.”
In the end the RTM vote on Ms Galletta was 154 in favor, 59 against and 7 abstentions.