October 2023
| I’d like to re-introduce myself and ask for your support. Glastonbury is an amazing town that I get to call home, and that I’ve had the pleasure of serving for nearly three years – initially as a member of the Racial Justice and Equity Commission, and now wrapping up my first term on the Town Council. My professional background is in research and program management in the areas of climate action, green buildings, sustainable development, environmental justice, and public health. Over the last few years, I’ve worked hard to listen to residents’ concerns and learn the ropes of local government. I’m equally proud of what I’ve personally contributed because of my background and research, what I’ve supported as part of the Democratic majority’s leadership, and what the entire Council has accomplished on a bipartisan or unanimous basis. One example of this is in the area of affordable housing, an important issue for municipal policy and one of my top priorities. When the Council was discussing our inclusionary zoning ordinance, I raised concern about a potential clause that would give preference to Glastonbury residents for the affordable units required by the ordinance. Because I’ve read extensively on the history of housing segregation in the U.S., including the seminal book The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein, I suspected that – while clearly well-intentioned – the clause would put Glastonbury at risk of violating federal fair housing law and, ironically, producing an exclusionary outcome. My concern was later validated in a written opinion from the Town Attorney, who recommended against the resident preference clause based on a review of relevant case law. This newspaper has covered Glastonbury’s history of exclusionary decisions related to housing (see the November 18, 2021 edition); this small “win” means our inclusionary zoning ordinance will not perpetuate that unfortunate pattern. We ultimately passed the inclusionary zoning ordinance with all six Democrats and one Republican in favor, requiring any future multifamily rental developments with 10 or more units to make at least 10% of those units affordable to residents earning up to 80% of the area median income. Not only will this put the onus on developers to provide a modest level of housing affordability in multifamily rentals, it will also help move the needle on Glastonbury’s effort toward compliance with state statute 8-30g, putting us in a better position to defend against developments such as the one at Manchester Road and Hebron Avenue that do not conform with our zoning regulations. Much more remains to be done to implement the Affordable Housing Plan the Council adopted in June 2022. I would be honored to have your vote to continue my efforts towards fair, smart, and reasonable municipal policy on housing and other matters. |
Spring 2022
| With the approval of the 2022-23 town budget at last Wednesday’s Town Council meeting, Glastonbury has a responsible budget that slightly reduces our mill rate while supporting our quality of life with great schools, strong infrastructure, and a safe and healthy community. Instead of rehashing the budget details and discussions which this newspaper has covered, I want to take this opportunity to share my reflections on the process. While there’s always room for improvement, our budget process as a whole is deliberate, transparent, and robust, ultimately reflecting the priorities and sensibilities of our community. Our town manager and superintendent of schools, along with their staff, do the heavy lifting of preparing budgets department by department, line item by line item, chart by chart. Then, by my rough estimates, more than 1,000 volunteer hours are collectively spent by the elected officials on the Board of Education, Board of Finance, and Town Council, carefully scrutinizing each assumption and weighting each decision with their peers. Yes, there is disagreement and vigorous debate on issues large nad small, but I believe we have all done our best as your elected representatives to find that critical balance between the services we need and the amount of taxes we collect, all with an eye towards risk management and our long-term fiscal health. I share this not to seek accolades, but rather to affirm from my own perspective that the central responsibilities of town government are working as described our Town Charter and that our town finances are in good shape thanks to smart management and provident spending. At the same time, I acknowledge that the budget process is complex for the average resident to follow, and there are many nuances to my own votes that I’d be happy to explain to anyone who reaches out ([email protected]). Finally, as the budget season comes to a close, readers should know that we still have millions of dollars in ARPA (federal pandemic relief) funds left to allocate, and the next budget seasons will begin soon enough. It’s never to early to too late to bring your questions, concerns, and suggestions to your elected officials. I look forward to hearing from you. |