Submitted by (*see list of names below)
First and foremost, we all want a new rink to be built as soon as possible. We are concerned at the divisive rhetoric being aimed at the RTM by our First Selectman. He is trying to paint the refusal to approve the Municipal Improvement (MI) referral as a political attack. Nothing could be further from the truth! This vote was the most bi-partisan vote of a controversial proposal that we have seen since we were elected to the RTM. There were only 52 Yes votes to the 136 No votes. We did our job and would like to set the record straight.
The “flip” plan is flawed on many levels. The First Selectman’s determination to continue on this path will only further delay the project. The “flip” was the number one objection of Byram residents.
The RTM made it clear last week that:
1) The Rink User Committee (RUC), which has lost the faith of the RTM and neighboring residents, needs to be overhauled or disbanded. We appreciate their hours of dedication, but for the greater good of this project, they need to step aside immediately. The new committee needs transparency in their meetings and the estimated costs they are projecting. The need a committee based on the school building committee model so that the process going forward has broad support from all the different stakeholders.
2) Make meetings accessible. There needs to be community forums held at night for community engagement in the process and design. All meetings need to be put on zoom so that they can be watched remotely and at more convenient times. Had they done this, they might have realized that everyone wants a concession stand, not food trucks.
3) Show us the numbers! Currently, we only have a back of the envelope estimate on the new rink. We need true professional estimates, not just of the new rink as a stand alone cost, but also the cost of tearing down the old rink, building the state of the art ball field, the proposed walking path, ADA accessibility, and parking lot renovation. This needs to be compared to the cost of building in place with a temporary rink versus finding a new rink location that is more central in town – this would have to include the cost of tearing down the old rink and building a passive recreational park in an area of town that desperately needs open space.
4) We need new soil testing. Osprey Environmental Engineer’s CEO, with a number of other Fairfield Town employees, accepted a plea deal of illegally disposing PCBs and other toxic materials on the same town of Fairfield site he was hired to clean up. This is the company the Town of Greenwich contracted to conduct the previous soil tests that came up as clean. We need reliable testing to allay local fears before we start digging up in a new area of that field. DPW’s member of the RUC’s latest comments that we should trust the numbers is not only disrespectful to the neighborhood but dangerous to the health of everyone nearby and could open the town up to future lawsuits.
If the town were to take swift action on these items, we would save precious time in building a new rink before the current rink collapses, which is another reason why we should be looking at a temporary rink location in case it becomes unusable before a new rink can be built. Instead the First Selectman and current RUC have doubled down on the flawed “flip”, continuing down the same worn path and wasting precious time.
This town deserves better from its leadership. We don’t need excuses, we need answers. We need clarity and community input.
Everyone wants to see a new rink built, but we can’t write a blank check when the Town has so many other equally important projects that need funding as well.
The voices of the residents of Byram should not be overlooked just as the voices of other parts of town are always taken into consideration.
*Signed by the following non-partisan members of the RTM:
Craig Amundsen D12
Jennifer Andrews, D6
Hector Arzeno, State Rep, D8
Maria Bocchino, D4
Kip Burgweger, D8
Jill Capalbo, D8
Peter Cruikshank, D8
Liz Eckert, D4
Christine Edwards, D8
Lisa Edmundson, D8
Pam Ferraro, D9
Jim Finn, D8
Dawn Fortunato, D3
Lynn Garelick, D1
Sammie Lazar Jacobs, D8
Myra Klockenbrink, D8
Lucy Krasnor, D5
Sharon Lazar, D8
Rosemarie Macaluso, D4
Mary Ellen Markowitz, D8
Stephen Meskers, State Rep, D6
Noelle Moore, D12
Richard Montier, D12
Cheryl Moss, D8
Barbara O’Neill D6
Jonathan Perloe, D8
Sheila Phelan, D8
Syl Pecora, D3
Gerald Porricelli, D11
Jocelyn Riddle, D12
Caryn Rosenbaum, D8
Steve Rubin, D3
David Snyder, D6
Jane Sprung, D10
Louisa Stone, D10
Brian Sullivan, D8
Joan Thakor, D5
Liz Tommasino, D8
Jeff Urdang, D1
Liz Urdang, D1
Lucy von Brachel, D4