The League of Women Voters Greenwich is proud to release its Capital Projects Funding Study to provide the Greenwich community with transparency on how capital projects are selected, prioritized, calendared, and funded.
After engaging in a multi-year investigation, the eleven member Capital Projects Study Committee continues LWV Greenwich’s reputation for its in-depth and unbiased exploration of issues. Past LWV Greenwich studies include:
- supporting the building of one new high school to replace the old one in the current Town Hall;
- proposing improvements for Representative Town Meeting (RTM) operations and for functioning of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, the Executive Branch of the Town of Greenwich, as well as the Town Budget Process, and;
- creating clearer Ethics Policy for Town employees.
As a 501(c)(3) organization under IRS code, LWV Greenwich is both an advocacy and educational entity. The advocacy function of the LWV nationally, statewide, and locally relies upon a study of specific governmental issues and membership discussion and support to adopt a position.
Beginning in 2019, LWV Greenwich members approved the creation of a Capital Projects Study Committee (CPSC) to provide the Greenwich community with transparency on how capital projects are selected, prioritized, calendared, and funded.
LWV Greenwich formed an eleven-person Committee which included a balance of political and professional perspectives from both LWV Greenwich members and non-members. The requirement for candidates was their commitment to learning, listening and ultimately finding consensus on the direction of planning and funding capital projects in the Town of Greenwich. The names and bios of all committee members are in the final report (click HERE).
The CPSC Chairs are:
- Steve Waters, a Prior/current Board Chair and member of Finance/Audit Committees of
three public, ten private companies, and four nonprofits. Steve was Co-CEO of Morgan
Stanley International and is a current Chair of Compass Partners Capital. Waters has been
a town resident since 1976 and is a LWV Greenwich member. - Barbara O’Neill, a teacher, and administrator in the Greenwich Public Schools.
Following retirement, she served eight years on the Board of Education, two as Chair.
Currently, she is in her second term on the RTM, representing District 6 on the Education
Committee. Barbara is a forty-three-year Greenwich resident and a LWV Greenwich
member.
The CPSC reviewed the planning, approval and funding, processes used by the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET), First Selectman, Board of Education (BOE), Planning and Zoning,
Public Works Dept., Parks and Recreation Dept., and others. Committee members also interviewed several municipal officials from Westport and Fairfield to understand how comparable towns fund capital projects.
In addition, the CPSC worked to gain a better understanding of
- public awareness, and transparency during the planning, approval, and implementation processes.
- the oversight of planned projects and the role of various proponents in approvals, implementations, and results.
The CPSC presented its final report to the LWV Greenwich membership on January 11, 2023, responded to questions, and then developed a Concurrence Statement which was unanimously approved by the membership on January 25, 2023.
Subsequently, CPSC members held conversations with First Selectman Fred Camillo, Town Administrator Ben Branyan, Board of Estimate leadership Leslie Moriarty (Democratic caucus) and Dan Ozizmir (Republican caucus) and shared both the Report and Concurrence Statements with those interviewed. None have raised substantive objections to any findings of the CPSC.
The Report and the Concurrence Statement are designed to provide the Greenwich community with a greater understanding of the town’s approach to prioritizing and funding capital projects which will impact the town’s future.
We invite Greenwich residents to read the Full Report and the Concurrence Statement which are accessible on our website HERE, and to participate with us in a series of community dialogues planned for this summer and fall, both in person and on Zoom.
The following events are planned between now and September:
July 25, a community Zoom presentation by the CPSC of its findings followed by Q&A. Sign
up HERE. Note the presentation has been changed from 7:00pm to 5:30pm.
August 2 and August 8, two smaller Zoom discussion group opportunities, minimum size, 6 people. Sign up HERE for August 2 (morning) or HERE for August 8 (early evening).
September 13, 7:00 pm, In-person discussion and Q&A, Black Box Theater at the Greenwich Library. Sign up HERE.
The LWV Greenwich and the CPSC look forward to engaging with you on a discussion of this most important topic effecting our community.