Community Corner
Council Taps Dan Russo for Vacant Planning and Zoning Seat
The former commissioner, who lost Middletown's primary in September, was the second highest Democratic vote-getter on Election Day. He's expected to be appointed to the spot vacated by Councilman Carl Chisem.
Editor's Note: The appointment of planning and zoning commissioners was removed from Wednesday's council agenda after Republicans questioned the legality of doing so during an organizational meeting. City Counsel Brig Smith wasn't able to offer a conclusive decision on the matter.
The common council is expected to appoint Dan Russo to fill the planning and zoning commission spot vacated by Carl Chisem last week at a special meeting Wednesday.
Russo, the former Middletown Democratic Town Committee chair up for re-election this year, lost the primary forced by Wesleyan Professor Stephen Devoto's petition drive in September. On Election Day, Russo was the second highest vote-getter among his party's zoning board candidates.
Russo would serve on the commission through November 2015.
At last week's planning and zoning board meeting, the first since Election Day, Chisem, who was sworn in as a member of Middletown's common council on Nov. 12, also claimed his seat on planning and zoning.
His actions prompted the three seated Republicans on the zoning board to leave the meeting, which was characterized by Commissioner Molly Salafia as "chaotic," canceling it for lack of quorum.
Republicans are up in arms over the expected appointment of former Council Minority Leader Phil Pessina as alternate this evening on the zoning board, according to the Hartford Courant.
Pessina, who will replace Republican Jeremy Clark, who also ran as a planning board alternate but won a full seat, will serve through November 2017.
Pessina, a Republican whose party failed to nominate them in September, ran unsuccessfully for common council on the Working Families party line.
Both Devoto and Salafia had hoped Beth Emery, the Democratic planning board alternate, would be appointed as Chisem's replacement. During the election, Salafia said, candidates had discussed who might be installed as officers, including herself as vice chair and Devoto as chair.
On the No Strip-Mall. No Wrecking Ball Facebook Page, Ed McKeon asks those residents who are behind Emery's appointment to show up at tonight's public hearing at the start of the meeting to speak. He writes, "Emery will vote for Devoto as chair. Russo will not."
A Middletown Eye article published today written by McKeon also supports Emery's full seat on the board.
The common council meets tonight at 7 p.m. in chambers at city hall, where all the council members will be appointed to their new committee assignments.
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