Greenwich government checks and balances were on display at Monday night’s RTM meeting. It was the last meeting before the RTM’s summer break. Their next meeting is in September unless there is a special meeting convened over the summer.
Several items were of interest, starting with item 22.
The Health & Human Services Committee proposed a motion to the resolution that would delete $50,000 of Community Block Grant Program funding for Greenwich Communities (formerly known as Greenwich Housing Authority).
The $50,000 represented funding for epoxy painting of breezeways, walkways and balconies at Wilbur Peck Court, a residential property overseen by Greenwich Communities, formerly known as the housing authority.
Wilbur Peck Court
For those unfamiliar, the Community Block Grant Program (CDBG) is federal funding that originates from the US Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It has been administered annually by the town since 1974.
The back story is that the grant advisory committee prioritized funding for critical safety needs to 3 non-profits, and declined the request from the housing authority for funds for the painting project at Wilbur Peck.
From there the First Selectman made an executive decision to re-direct the $50,000 back to Greenwich Communities.
“I 100% appreciate what the housing authority does, providing low income housing for our community, which the United Way says is 26% ALICE, including 8% below the poverty line, but they need to do better. We own the land, and they need to open their books.”
– Mary Flynn RTM member and member of the CDBG advisory committee
Next, Alexis Voulgaris, the RTM moderator, in her role as chair of the CDBG advisory committee, went before the Board of Estimate and Taxation in late May asking them to revert the funds to the three non-profits saying the projects had greater direct client impact and safety values compared to the Wilbur Peck painting project.
She noted Greenwich Communities has been the single largest beneficiary of block grants over the years, receiving over $4.2 million in grant money since 1997.
The BET vote to revert to the original recommendation of the CBGB committee failed to carry in a 6-6 tie vote along party lines.
All 6 BET Republicans voted to uphold Camillo’s allocation of $50,000 to Greenwich Communities.
Alison Soler
That brings us back to Monday night.
Alison Soler, chair of the Health & Human Services committee said, sadly, 2025 will be the last year that the block grant program from HUD will be funded.
She explained the origin of her committee’s amendment.
“They felt the First Selectman’s changes undercut all the work of the CDBG committee put into these thoughtful decisions,” Soler said. “Some members felt the amendment sends a signal that we should protect the process that was fair and send a message that when committees do their due diligence, it shouldn’t be overruled.”
Soler said that Tyler Fairbairn, who oversees grants for the town, had explained to her committee that if the $50,000 in Community Block Grant Program funding for the Greenwich Communities painting project was deleted, the funds would be held in a contingency fund until the funds were designated to an organization, and that the only way the town would lose the funds would be to fail to spend them by the May 1, 2026 deadline.
Mary Flynn
Several people took advantage of their two minutes to speak about the proposal.
Mary Flynn said that as an advisory committee member she had interviewed Inspirica and learned there were families with children from Greenwich who were residing at Inspirica.
“We don’t have any facilities for homeless families in Greenwich on an emergency basis,” Flynn said, adding that the playground was part of a safe enclosed 35 ft square outdoor courtyard for parents and children.
As for Greenwich Communities, Flynn said, “I 100% appreciate what the housing authority does, providing low income housing for our community, which the United Way says is 26% ALICE, including 8% below the poverty line, but they need to do better. We own the land, and they need to open their books.”
David Snyder from HHS described the project at Wilbur Peck as “cosmetic, not critical.”
“We can’t re-direct the money, but we can vote to delete the $50,000. That would return the funds to a repurposing pool, allowing the advisory committee to allocate them in a transparent, needs based process,” Snyder added.
“To be clear, the First Selectman has the authority to re-aollocate funds, but in this case we are asking you to push back. This $50,000 came as you heard, at the direct expense of three highly deserving programs,” Snyder he said, adding that the Wilbur Peck project had been unanimously rejected by the committee.
Victoria Martin Young
Victoria Martin Young from HHS and Community Development Block Grant advisory committee who review the grant proposals, spoke in support of deleting the $50,000.
“Our debate was merit based, not political. After this exhaustive project we voted unanimously on our recommendations. The First Selectman has the authority to modify them, but should that authority be used to redirect funding from three carefully projects? I would argue no. Let’s be clear, Greenwich Communities has been CDBG’s largest beneficiary, averaging $150,000 per grant cycle,” she said.
Ms Young brought up the topic of retaliation.
“This body witnessed first-hand last year how Greenwich Communities publicly attacked one of their own rent-paying tenants over living conditions that they themselves are responsible for maintaining,” she said. “Your vote tonight should reflect your true convictions, not political calculations.”
Lindy Lilien, also from the grant advisory committee, said, “Someone asked if this amendment would create a circular process that might result in the same outcome. Not necessarily. I could foresee Greenwich Communities submitting another grant application if this occurs, possibly one that identifies a different project in use of funds. Hopefully, in doing so, Greenwich Communities would consider the committee’s assessment that in this cycle, grant applications that directly address pressing humanitarian issues should have priority over aesthetic projects.”
The vote on the Health and Human Services resolution as amended to delete $50,000 for Greenwich Communities exterior walkway painting project at Wilbur Peck Court passed:
163 in favor
7 opposed
12 abstained
*The three non profits the CDBG advisory committee had prioritized were:
• Inspirica, who provide emergency housing for women and children, to offset costs for a new playground at one of their shelters, with the next closest playground was a half mile away.
• Greenwich YWCA, who provide services to victims of domestic violence, who sought funds to offset costs of installing a new generator.
• Greenwich YMCA, daily serving 790 users, with many of those being children in aquatics programs, seeking grant money pay to purchase and install an emergency intercom and notification system that could be integrated with existing security system to support a lock down mode.
See also:
In Party Line Tie Vote, BET Rejects Request to Revert to Block Grant Committee Recommendation
May 20, 2025