Is Killingworth in need of a full time town planner? Consider that town policy is dictated by P&Z 10-year plan of conservation and development. Currently a new plan is under consideration to guide Killingworth for the next 10 years, but are the right people setting policy? The current chairperson also was chair or vice chairman 10 yrs prior and was also chair or vice chair 10 yrs. before that. Would it be wrong to think that his or her views on the kind of town they envision might influence regulations and policy? All residents were asked to respond to a questionnaire to help shape the new plan, but if only a small percentage get out to vote each year how many responses can we expect to fill out the survey, and how much weight is assigned to the results? Would it make more sense to hire an unbiased professional to set policy and to get all commissions working together, enacting regulations which would promote smart growth, possibly creating a tax base and ease the burden of our ever increasing educational costs?
We need a professional to help us connect the dots. A few years back a first selectman proposed a large rec. complex and a new town center, even looked into purchasing Pharmedica, all plans failed but how many tax dollars money were spent on these projects? Now fast forward to present day. The current first selectman doesn't seem to be in favor of the town center plan (good) and I believe took a $500,000 grant and exchanged it to offset costs for new ball fields. This example should show all of us how vulnerable our town can be when policy changes with new elections. A new election could bring us a new elected leader who could possibly try to undo the grant for ballfields and put it back to the town center or for a senior center or whatever resonates with that individual.
It is time for an unbiased professional planner to set forth policy, and ensure us that no matter who gets elected the dots will get connected, personalities won't dictate or influence and Killingworth can continue to be one of the best small towns anywhere. Agree or disagree this topic and many more should be debated by our three parties running for election. Haddam was recently on cable access channel 18, now it should be Killingworth's turn, perhaps questions could be submitted to this forum. The chairman of each party could then ask 5 questions to the other parties candidates to ensure genuine responses rather than rehearsed, boring speeches, set a reasonable time limit for responses, and grant a closing statement. Here's to a healthy debate.
Michael Venuti