Committee on Committees - Regular Meeting

committee on committees subcommittee meeting this Thursday, August the 13th, and we're going to be starting right at six o'clock. I'm going to do the roll call and then we'll get started. So, Councilor DeVethan Brown.

Here.

and myself, Councilor Goodwin as chair, I'm also here. Councilor Waterhouse is out of the country at this moment, so she won't be joining us tonight. So you're just stuck with the fearsome duo for this evening. We have quite a few people to be interviewed tonight. And so what I'm gonna do is at the beginning of each interview pool, I'll just explain again the committee, and I'm gonna talk about the questions upfront. So everyone knows what you'll be asked and you can just speak to these things and then we'll move to the next candidate. The three questions are simple. Why are you interested in serving on the committee that you've applied for? What would you contribute? Can you make the meetings and the schedule? And is there anything else you want us to know about you? So I'll say it one more time. Why are you interested in serving on the committee? What would you contribute? Can you make the meetings in terms of the attendance? And is there anything else you want us to know? So if you would just speak to those three things, we'll help you out if you sort of forget one of the questions. And then we will try to move briskly through the evening so that I don't keep you all here until midnight, OK? So that's how the meeting will be conducted tonight. And we're going to get started right away. The first committee that we're going to be speaking to is the Emergency Medical Services Committee. The emergency medical services committee membership expired in November of 2025, and the full nine member commission needs to be appointed. for a term ending 11-8-27. So the whole committee is going to need to be reappointed. From my understanding, James Daly is in the room and James has to leave to go and volunteer. So James, if you are present.

He's not here as yet.

Oh, James. Okay. James is not there yet. Okay, great. Thank you. So the next person that I have on my list is Sharon Furman. Is Sharon here? Thank you, Sharon. And everyone who's in the room, yes, if you could go to the mic so that we all could hear you on Zoom. And those of you who are on Zoom, if you would remain muted until we call on you, that would be fantastic. So, Sharon. Those three questions again, I'll give them to you and hopefully everybody else will remember them. Why are you interested in serving and what do you think you would contribute? Can you make the meeting in terms of the attendance? And if there's anything else you want us to know, go for it, Sharon. Sharon, we can't hear you.

Thank you.

oh okay in that case i was shutting it off I've been a member of BVA since 79. I was certified at all the levels that they offered. I'm interested in serving on the committee because I physically can no longer be an active EMT, and I'm still interested and believe in BVA and want to participate in it. Besides being an EMT, I also was a first aid and CPR instructor. I did the BVA newsletter for many years every month. And as a side note, I authored the article that won BVA, Hartford Currents Volunteer Service Recognition Award. I can make the meetings. And I don't know, what else was there?

Anything else you want us to know?

I am a quiet person that does things. I am not the loud person that says I'm going to be doing something and delegates to somebody else. I'm the person that just does. Great.

Thank you so much, Sharon. Thank you for your time. The next person on my list is Robert Mara. Is Robert Mara in the room or online? Thank you.

Hi, how are you? Thank you for having me.

Would you like to speak to those questions?

Yeah. I'm interested in being a part of the EMS committee. mainly because my family and I have been here for almost 36 years. I started my EMT career at BVA, volunteered here for many years, since then moved on to a commercial service. But what I think I can bring to this organization is the 30 years of EMS experience. At the moment, I am a part of a very large organization ambulance service in the city of Hartford. And we contribute mutual aid to the town of Bloomfield as is already. But I think for the last 20 years, I've been leadership for that commercial service. And I think bringing some of that expertise into the already existing expertise of the committee can help and benefit. Can I make the meetings? Absolutely. I can meet them all. I live on Gab Road, so I'm right around the corner.

Great. And is there anything else you want us to know about you?

I'm glad that EMS is first, so we don't have to be here until midnight.

Right. Thank you so much for your time today. Thank you. The next on my list is Patrick Braun. Patrick, are you in the room or on Zoom? Patrick.

Present and accounted for.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you for allowing me to serve on this committee. I've been on it somewhere since the mid-80s, and we've worked on a lot of projects that's helped the ambulance in this town continue to exist and to provide a valuable service to the community. I was an EMT for 39 years, all in Bloomfield as a volunteer. I'm the vice president of the BVA fund that raises money to buy ambulances and support volunteer recognition efforts. And we've worked on many projects from the building to paramedics, to various types of ambulances, to various equipment. And the committee's purpose is to work with management, to work with the volunteers, work with the public, and get a good feeling for what's needed. The ambulance in a good, this is good because I don't mind being on this committee because it's not broke, we don't have to fix it. You know, we're very lucky in this town to have the support from the political people, from the management, the police department runs the ambulance, they do a fantastic job, volunteers, and then the BVA fund, you know, raises money to buy an ambulance and that's no short. There's one that's in the works right now, going to be delivered shortly. I look forward to continuing on the committee and contribute the efforts that I can. Thank you.

Thank you so much for your time. Our next friend is Phillips Brown. If you are in the room, so I don't see you online.

Not in the room.

Okay. Is James Dalian yet? No. Okay. What about Deidre Gilbert?

Not in the room.

Just double checking online. I don't see Deidre. Okay. What about Mary? I don't want to say your last name wrong. Layupa. Layupa. Okay, good. There's Mary.

I imagine this is the one, right?

Yes, we can hear you, Mary.

So I am Mary Liuba. I grew up in town and I've been involved with almost every kind of activity there is in town. and I have my master's in public health, which is what aimed me towards the EMS committee. Pat asked me one day, I don't remember why. What I can contribute is my public health and my community information. I've also worked with children and adults and with the Interfaith Council. So I have a lot of connections so we can liaison with them. I would gladly give up my space if that committee would put some people on there that weren't old white people. And I am not kidding. I don't think we're representing Bloomfield very well. So you can do what you want with that. But I do, I do make the meetings and I take the minutes. Is there anything else you would like to know?

That's great. Thank you so much. Okay. For those listening, that's an invitation to all residents to get more deeply involved. Thank you so much, Mary. Next on my list is Seth. And I think I saw you earlier online. Seth, are you there? We see you unmuted, but we can't hear you. Seth, I'm going to give you one more go around, and then we'll come back to you as you figure out technology, because Seth is here. Okay. The next person on my list is Susan Zetoff. Is Susan in the room?

Not in the room. I want to participate. I've been on the committee for years now. And I was an EMT for 20 years, active, and I taught CPR. And I feel for this committee because I'm really active in EMS. Did I miss a question?

No, it is just can you make the meetings and is there anything else you want us to know?

Most of them I can, yes. There's got to be a good reason if I can, but yeah.

Okay. And anything else you want us to know? No? Okay. Thank you, Susan.

Counselor Goodwin?

Yes.

James Daly is here.

Okay, great. Thank you, Susan. Welcome James. I'll just repeat the questions again. It's just, can you speak to us about why you're interested in serving is what would you contribute? Can you make the meetings in terms of regular attendance and anything else you want us to know?

Super. Um, so my name is, I go by Jay, um, Jay Daly. I've been a town resident while I was went through Bloomfield high. So I've been in town for a long time. I've had property in town since 94, um, been involved in the ambulance since 82. Um, when I was just graduating from high school, Bloomfield High. Obviously I am a member of the Bloomfield Voluntary Ambulance as well. I serve as the assistant chief over there. I worked in my role as chief. I used to attend the EMS committee meetings What's that called when you're like pro tem? Not pro tem, like something. That's it, ex officio. And then a few years ago, Lou asked if I would want to actually become a member of the town council. So I've been a member of the town council, EMS committee for years. It's been longer than 10 years. I don't remember when that started. I bring to the town council, obviously, experience from having done both the council and the ambulance for many years. Since I am an active volunteer, I bring that perspective to the council as well. And I think your last question was if I attend the meetings. And yes, I do.

And the last one was just anything else you want us to know. Jay Daly.

My favorite soda is Dr. Pepper.

Thank you so much for your time. Seth, I'm going to thank you, James. Appreciate you.

Thank you. Have a good night.

Okay. There we go. Yes, we can hear you and see you now. So would you like to give a go at some of the questions? Why are you interested? Can you be at the meetings and anything else you want us to know?

Yep. I've been serving on the EMS committee for the last four years. Um, I can contribute. I have 30 years experience as a volunteer firefighter and a community member in the community that I came from last time. I have an extensive background in how politics works and how things go. Sometimes I can make the meetings, as long as there's no snowstorms. I don't like to drive in the snowstorms. I live right around the corner here on Doncaster Road and I look forward to being a part of the committee again.

Thank you so much, Seth. And I'm going to just do one more call for Deidre. Did she make it in? No. In the room? Okay. And I don't see her online. Okay. Thank you, everyone who came to invest your time in terms of the Emergency Medical Systems Committee. Thank you for your interviewing and for your service. For those of you who've been serving in the committee, you are free unless you're interviewing for another committee later on. We will bid you a good night. Our next committee that we're going to be interviewing for is the Economic Development Commission and Development Authority. There are currently four open seats on the EDCD and for the following terms, 131.28, 131.29, 130.130, and 130.131. And the person we have interviewing tonight is Catania. So Catania, I know you are online and I believe you've heard the question. So please share with us.

Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate you having me. I apologize up front. I'm not feeling the greatest. Just got back in the country and I think I caught a bug or something. But why am I interested in the position? My background, my leadership skills, my working in with organizations. underserved communities, revitalization, community engagement. This is my field. This is what I enjoy doing. I love strategizing, putting programs in place and really, really helping communities to do things that they want to do and bringing the residents and the committee members together to really try and create the best solution. So I am excited to be here tonight. For those reasons, I think that I bring to the table, I think my biggest advantage, like I said, is my background, the ability to understand business development, strategy, my perspective on capital and what communities, what small businesses need. to access capital, not just to understand how to access capital, but also to become bankable so that once they go through the phases, they understand what is needed for them to continue to grow and how they can access additional money and program implementation. I am currently overseeing the Cottage Grove Business Park Initiative for their remodernization, working with Shelby Young and Mr. Graham. And really talking to the community has given me such a wonderful perspective. Obviously, I applied for this months back, but talking to the community has really solidified the fact that this is something that I would love to do Just enjoy pulling it all together and helping the town of Bloomfield. Something that you should know, I moved to Bloomfield in 1971, so I am a longtime resident of being here. Can I make the meetings? Absolutely. I'd be excited to attend.

Tanya, thank you so much for your time tonight.

You are very welcome.

Our next interview is the Fair Rent Commission. Lynn, is that you sharing your screen?

Hi, Rosario. I think you might be screen sharing. If you could just turn that off. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Okay, our next interview is going to be for the Fair Rent Commission. The Fair Rent Commission membership expired in November of 2025, and the full seven-member commission needs to be reappointed or appointed for a term ending in November 2026. The person we have interviewing tonight is Joy Chance. And, Joy, I think you have joined us.

Yes, I have. I am on the phone.

Okay, thanks, Joy. Joy, we're just asking if you could tell us why you're interested in serving, what would you contribute, if you can attend the meetings, and anything else you want us to know about yourself.

Absolutely. So why I'm interested, I'm one of the two people that reactivated the Fair Rent Commission 15 years ago. And I have been serving as the chair of when the original chair left abruptly. So I'm very passionate about seniors and young families living in Bloomfield who have proper access to healthy living. My contributions are my experience in chairing public hearings, knowledge of the Fair Rent Commission, Because I originally helped to write some of what we have now representing the fair rent. And also training that I have received through the state and or people with fair rent commission training. As the chair, I've attended all the meetings for the past 15 plus years. And again, something that you need to know about me, I've been living in Bloomfield since 1970. So I've been a longtime Bloomfield resident.

Thank you so much, Joy. You answered all of our questions. And thanks for being a model and an example that you can serve for over a decade on one of these many committees and commissions. So we appreciate you and your time. The next group we're going to move to is, yeah, you're welcome. We're going to move to the Youth Diversion Team. The Youth Diversion Team, the Bloomfield Youth Diversion Team has five vacancies for citizen representatives for a term ending in November of 2027. The full board, including staff and professional members, need to be reappointed or appointed. So the applicant we have tonight is Kate Keefe. Leave, Kate. Are you online?

I am.

Okay, great. So, Kate, did you hear the questions?

I did. I did. I am absolutely ready. My dog is deciding at the very moment to work, of course. So I'm going to relocate myself if it looks like I'm leaving.

The dog can serve as well. They don't have to. Okay, great.

You know, he's very friendly. He must be looking for his, like, dinner or something. Oh, it's nice to see you, Arthur.

We got a couple other dogs and cats, so go ahead.

So I'm just going to go upstairs where I can see. So why do I want to serve? One of the reasons that I want to serve is I went online and I took a look at the mission. So I've always known that I've wanted to serve in some capacity in the community that I'm in. That's a value that my family has always instilled in me. So I went on and I took a look at the website and I looked at all the committees that were available and I read the mission. of the Youth Divergent Team, which talks about giving youth a second chance in the mistakes that they have made and work to identify the root cause of behavioral issues and connect families with necessary resources to promote positive development and future success. So I read that and that felt like a really, really good match for me. And so I went on and did some further reading just to see sort of what specifically. So I went to the Connecticut Youth Services Association, which talked about that the philosophy of the youth diversion team is about, it's restorative, it's collaborative, it's equity informed, and it is individualized. So that is the reason that I want to join. What I bring, I'm an LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker. I'm a partner, I'm a mom and an auntie, a sister, a daughter. I've lived in Bloomfield since 2023, but I've been advocating for adolescents and their families for 27 years. Right now I'm doing utilization management and resource coordination for inpatient psychiatric facility. serving children and adolescents. I serve as a supervisor in the child and adolescent psychiatry family therapy training program. I've served as a clinician for adolescents, a director of a group home for girls on parole, a director in a residential treatment facility for 63 boys. Let's see here. Trauma-informed. very much in integrating the trauma, integrating the family component, and integrating also substance use and the impact that these youth and families. So I believe my combination of the knowledge about the available resources and my clinical experience would allow me to serve in this role extremely well to help families and adolescents find solutions to obstacles that they're encountering. I am able to attend the meetings. Anything else? I forgot. So as an, I actually, one of the, I gave the professional experience. Personally, when I was 16-year-old, I actually had to sit in front of a youth diversion team. So I also have the actual practical experience of being an adolescent and a family who is sat in front of one of these diversion teams and completed a successful diversion plan. So that brings... me to this day and really was impactful in my life. And I think that's it. And I apologize for my dog.

Oh, you're fine. Thank you so much, Kate, for your time. We appreciate you. Is Douglas Mosby in the room? No. Okay. So I'm going to move forward. The next committee is going to be the Youth Adult Council. And then, Councilor DeRethan-Brown, after the Youth Adult Council, I'll turn it over to you to start going through the next groups. The Youth Adult Council. The Youth Adult Council has six vacancies for a term ending in November of 2027. So for the Youth Adult Council, I have Kenesha Johnson-Crawalk. Is Kenesha there?

Yes. Great.

And Kenesha, were you able to hear the questions?

Yes. And I also wrote them down.

Perfect.

So why do I want to volunteer? I think first and foremost, I moved here in 98 and I went to Carmen A. Race in Bloomfield High School and Then went to Eastern. And so I've always stayed local for all of my education. And throughout all of that, I've always wanted to come back and serve in one capacity or the other. First, it was when I eventually had children and they went to the local preschool and just being involved there. And then kind of just progressing to local church that we went to and serving there. And again, all these foundations have been in Bloomfield to the point where I then, after finishing my doctorate degree, I decided that I was going to apply for a grant. And last year I had the opportunity to actually work with Bloomfield High School and the youth service there. center to actually implement a program. And after being able to do that, and actually even before that, over the years, I've actually volunteered in their summer programs to just do presentations. So another background, I'm also an LCSW. And so having that capacity and being able to engage with youth has always been helpful. I've been a social worker. at a correct magnet school for the last 13 years. And so I also have that experience in working directly with children. But I think in this capacity, being able to guide youth into developing programs for their community is like really important because they are our next generation. I have a 13-year-old and a 16-year-old who I think I also want to be a part of this experience with me because I want them to be invested in their own community. This is where they were born. This is where they're going to grow up. Whether or not they stay here is up to them, but I want them to feel invested in something that they've done. As far as can I attend the meetings? Yes, definitely. We have a lot of practices and things that we go to, but again, between the Carmen Airey soccer team, the Bloomfield Junior Warhawks and all the other teams that they're a part of, I'm usually on the field right there. So attending the meetings is not an issue. And I have my experience to contribute. I have my background knowledge, my passion to do it. And I don't think there's anything else to know about me. All right.

Thank you so much for your time. Appreciate you. Next on my list is, I'm probably going to say your name wrong, but Andrea or Andrea. Is she in the room?

Andrea Tavares. Yes, she is.

Hi, everyone. My name is Andrea Tavares. I have been a resident of Bloomfield since September 2012. What are the questions again? I've been on the youth adult councils. This is my fourth year now. I attend meetings. I have been involved with my daughter's school from pre-K through high school and even in college. I'm on the, there's a parent advisory for the college and I was part of that too. And like I said, this is my fourth year in the Youth Adult Council. So that speaks for itself. I don't have anything else to share really.

That's good. That's great. Thank you so much. Thank you. Councilor DeVita Brown, I'm going to turn it over to you to continue.

Thank you. And we're moving pretty quickly. Let's continue the train. So Board of Education, a vacancy on the Board of Education was created on July 9th, 2026. by the resignation of a Board of Education member from the Republican Party. Pursuant to the Board Town Charter, Chapter 2, Section 203, any vacancy in an elective town office must be filled within 60 days of its occurrence. The charter further provides that when the vacating member was elected as a member of a political party, The appointment to fill the unexpired term must be a member of the same political party. This vacancy was official on July 9th. The deadline to fill the position is September 7th. Our applicant is Mr. Robert Ike.

Good evening, everyone. My name is Robert W. Ike. Let me first say that I am here in memory of my father. fellow and former board colleague Thomas Moore. Had Thomas Moore not tragically died in January, he would be interviewed right now. I am a 25-year-old member retired as elected on the Board of Education. This term is the term that I retired from. So now I'm stepping forward for statutory reasons, but I can serve. I can attend the meetings. I have attended meetings from cruise ships, from resorts. I advocate a rigorous, rigorous, rigorous, rigorous, rigorous, rigorous school environment and high standards for our students. I will continue to do this as I complete this term. And I have served on the Board of Education, the Town Council. I'm presently one of the registered voters here in the town of Bloomfield. And I'm a 30 plus year resident. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next committee is the Golf Advisory Committee. The Golf Advisory Committee has three vacancies, all for two-year terms ending in June 2028. Mr. Matt McCarthy.

Yep, I'm here. Thanks for having me. I've been in Bloomfield for eight years now. And I want to serve just because I see what a lot of other town-owned courses around Connecticut are doing. And I see the potential in Bloomfield and Wittenberry on what they can do. What I can bring is I've been playing golf my entire life. I'm very active with the First Tee of Connecticut, which helps kids and teens learn life goals through golf. And I'd love to bring it to Bloomfield. And I figured the easiest way to do that was be on this committee. I can make all the meetings. Sorry if you can hear my two-year-old screaming in the background. Um, fun fact about me. I am playing a hundred holes in one day on August 31st for the first year Connecticut. They've already raised $35,000 for that cause. And, uh, yeah, that's. Well, all right.

Well, thank you for your service in that area. A hundred holes one day.

Yeah. It's going to take 12 hours. It's going to be a long day.

That's commitment. Thank you so very much. Our next committee is the Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Commission. The Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Commission has one vacancy, a term ending in November of 2026. Douglas Barnard is not here. We'll go to the next committee, which is the Public Art Commission. The Public Art Commission membership expired in November of 2025, and the full seven-member commission needs to be appointed for a term ending in November 2027. The first applicant is Mr. Chip Caton.

Thank you, Councilor DeBetham-Brown and Councilor Daryl Goodwin. I don't see the third member of the Committee on Committees. Yes, she's not here. I think I can't elaborate a whole lot on the information that you already have, but I can summarize it by saying that the reason I'm interested in this commission is that I love art. I started my career working for the Red Cross, and if any of you have worked in the nonprofit world, you know that you're not paid very well. But even then, I was able, when I had an extra $50 or $75, I'd buy a piece of art. So I've been collecting art since I was in my early 20s. After 13 years, I founded my own business, which was as an artist's agent. For the next 25 years, I actually worked with artists and illustrators as their agent, finding them work and negotiating contracts for them. And those artists, although it was in the commercial advertising and graphic design field, those artists were also fine artists as well. So I continued to be exposed to fine art. And I have a commitment to Bloomfield. I moved here in 2002. Since then, I've been a member of the Democratic Town Committee. I've been on the board of the Trap Rock Ridge Land Trust for about 15 years, most of it as the vice president. And I am now a friend of the Bloomfield Public Libraries. I didn't have room on the form to mention that I was a volunteer with Trees for Bloomfield, so I wore the shirt to remind myself. I can definitely make the meetings. I am retired. And aside from my volunteer activities, I'm pretty able to attend meetings easily. I also, because of my past career, have some pretty good connections with artists and photographers in the area. And last, it occurred to me that finding artists and putting on exhibitions and exhibits is really only half the battle. because you have to get people to see them. And again, my career was in advertising and public relations, and I think I could help the commission market the exhibits and get people out. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next individual is Mr. Neil Clark. I don't see Mr. Clark.

Neil is here. I'm sorry. Okay. I'm right here. Hi. Good evening, everyone. I am a longtime Bloomfield resident, lived here for over 50 years. I'm a retired architect, and I'm an artist myself, amateur artist at that, but I've been painting for 25, 30 years. A few years ago, I was at a meeting, at a gathering that the Public Art Commission put on, And I ran into Bob Ferger and talked to him about the mission of the Public Art Commission. And it struck a chord with me. The core being that I believe that art is the heart and soul of any community. And the mission statement of the Public Art Commission is to bring public art into a realm that can benefit and be exposed to the community to enhance its identity, to promote the heart and soul of our community. Consequently, I made an effort to join the committee and have served as an ad hoc member of the committee for a couple of years now, a non-voting member, but participating in every meeting that I could attend. And I think I had a pretty good attendance rate, even though I do spend some time in the South during the winter period. The great thing about the Art Commission is that all of our meetings are online. So it's easy to make a meeting and to make an impact. And a couple of things I can tell you is that I presently serve as a member of the Design Review Board in town. I've been doing that for a couple of years now. And last year I was asked to be a judge judging the, probably shouldn't say this, right? People might not be happy with what I decided, but I was asked to be a judge in the Trees for Bloomfield photography contest, which was co-sponsored by the Public Art Commission. So the Art Commission is doing a lot of things. We have a lot of great people. I've been involved and hopefully I can get endorsed as a permanent member of the committee.

Thank you. Thank you. Our next applicant is Mr. Patrick Lawrence.

Good evening, and thank you for having me. I'm a little tall, so I'm going to raise this up a bit. Pardon for those folks that are shorter than I am. So I am Patrick Lawrence, and my interest in serving on the Bloomfield Arts Commission is art is my passion. I am a visual artist by practice and trade. I have over 20... plus years of art education, working in public schools K through 12. I'm also a working artist, so I balance that with my regular work experience. Don't ask me, it's really more of a spiritual thing, but I do Afrocentric and portraiture, Afro-Caribbean work as well, and some photography. Anything art, I do it, even karaoke. Which is an interesting talent part. That's the last question about myself, something unique. I just put that in front. I kind of feel it's my civic responsibility to be a part of You know, the community that you live in. And that's one of the reasons why I want to get involved. I want to start slow. I figured art being that it's my wheelhouse. I'd like to start there first. And maybe I'll branch out and do other civic things. But for now, art. And I concur with my other colleagues who are looking to be on this commission that art is the heartbeat of a community. It's important that we reach not only young people, but older people as well. So it's something that spans all generations. And it is something that enriches our culture, enriches our community, tells us about each other. And it invites in other diverse experiences that, you know, towns such as Bloomfield, that's very diverse. You know, it really kind of captures that. And we really need to do more expressing that. those other cultures as well. So that's kind of why I want to be a part of it, bring my Afrocentric experiences in as well. I can make the meetings, and as, again, a fellow member mentioned, the meetings are all virtual, but I do and have attended, even having not been a member yet, I did, you know, pull my sleeves up and got involved with some of the events that's already happened in person. So I did the Pouser Prom recently, and I have been attending online meetings since. And I think that's it. That kind of wraps it up. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Vivian is not here. Okay. So Lee Good is not here either. And I do not want to mess up the names. I'm just going to go with A. Hines. Arshina, Arshina, you're on mute.

Okay. Hi. Can you hear me okay? Yes. Okay. Sorry. I had a technical problem. My phone died. So in case you were calling my name earlier. So I'm back on. Yeah. So I'm Arshina and I've been living in Connecticut. Well, I've actually been for a long time, very, very long time over two decades. So that's something that, you know, something that maybe more people don't know about me. I'm also an artist. I have an education background, a master's in education, and I'm actually a SAG actress as well. So my experience kind of goes way back. It's in facets of singing, doing writing, language arts, incorporating programs with the community. I have a strong background in the arts. So that's why I actually... drew me to being a member of the Public Arts Committee. And I've been a member for three years, and it's been very nice being able to meet different people, interacting with people from the community. I would like to see more programs for the students, probably get more different activities for some of the kids from the schools if I'm still part of the committee going forward. I'd like to see that. And other than that, everything's fine. Looking forward to continuing to serve as well. And I think something that maybe people don't know about me, I also, I couldn't mention I'm part of SAC, so I have a strong background in film and TV, media. And also, I do make the meetings. Making meetings is not a problem.

And I think that's it. Thank you so very much. Greatly appreciate it. Our next person is Robin Sherwood.

Hi, thank you. for having me. I have been serving on the Public Art Commission for the last two and a half going on three years as vice chair, working with Bob Berger and several of the people who have just spoken. And it's been such a privilege and honor to do so. And what's been wonderful is we've been able to bring several well-attended events to Bloomfield. One of the most recent ones was coordinating with Elizabeth Lane at the new library in town for book con because we had some leftover money in our budget. We were able to supply some art supplies and have them as part of the packages that were distributed to kids and families. And so a couple of us on the art commission volunteered our time and were able to distribute uh the not just the art supplies but the kids were able to pick up books as well all uh free for those who attended and it was just a phenomenal success um and beyond that we've been doing a variety of things as neil clark mentioned we uh co-sponsor the trees for bloomfield photo contest and we'll do so again this year um we have other things in our back pocket of course depending on who is resubmitted and applied for the Art Commission. So hoping we can proceed with some of the things we had talked about when Bob Ferger, our chair, was still with us. Sadly, we have lost him rather suddenly and unexpectedly. So hopefully we can carry his vision forward A little bit about me. I'm 35 plus year resident of Bloomfield. It's a town I love and appreciate for its diversity and in particular for its diversity. It's not like other towns and I I really recognize that and appreciate that. One of the other events that we did last year at the Oliver Filly House and La Salette Park, a rather underutilized park on the, what is it, the north side of town, We were able to bring Michael Borders, a local artist of great acclaim, to exhibit his absolutely phenomenal Connecticut Panorama, Connecticut Industry Panorama, which was eight panels of extraordinary art that basically covered all the counties of Connecticut and basically it was a historic and current representation of the different industries that have taken place in the state of Connecticut. It was incredibly well attended. Nearly 300 residents, not only of Bloomfield, but other towns and even out of state came to attend. So we were really, really pleased with the attendance at that event. And then prior to that year, we also did another art, poetry, and music festival, including Tony Harrington, who performed for us. All of this with a limited budget, but with the volunteers that we've had, it's really been a joy and a privilege to serve. Also, I should note a graphic designer by trade. I've run my own business for the past, gosh, close to 30 years, but I'm freelancing now, semi-retired. Um, so that does allow me the flexibility to attend, um, pretty much all meetings, uh, with the occasional absence, uh, due to.

Thank you so very much. You're welcome. Thank you. So, um, I'm just going to remind us, we are removing the ship. The ship is moving. So please let's, let's continue to move it with that, with brevity. Um, Our next committee is Conservation Energy and Environment Commission. The Conservation Energy and Environment Commission membership expired in November of 2025, and the full nine-member commission needs to be appointed for a term ending in November 2027. Brad Huskinson.

Good evening, Brad Huskinson, 45 Burr Road. So why am I interested in CEC? So global warming is an existential crisis, and I'm interested in many conservation efforts to curb climate change, but my primary focus is fighting plastic pollution, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. And as a speaker for the environmental advocacy group, Beyond Plastics, my interest is working with others advocating for plastic waste reductions. The CEC is a team that I would very much like to work with enacting changes to improve the environment of Bloomfield. I can make meetings. Other things to know about me. So I've been volunteering with the committee since March of this year. I've been attending meetings either via YouTube or in person. Participated in CEC's table at the Sustainability Fair in Simsbury in May. The CEC's Shred Day in Bloomfield, May. attended the ceremony for Bloomfield's Bronze Sustainability Award, June. I gathered information on converting Bloomfield's school cafeteria from single-use plastic and fiber items to reusable stainless steel tableware. And this should be a minimal cost event and eventually lead to cost savings and while improving the health of our students and the environment. I shared this with Paula Jones, who passed it to Nick Gabuzda, who shared it with School Superintendent Youngberg, and it looks like that change will proceed. Gathered information for the implementation of a Skip the Stuff law in Bloomfield. Shared this with Paula Jones, who shared it with Nick Gabuzda. This information, which included model laws from other towns in Connecticut, will allow Nick to draft a proposal for Bloomfield's version of a Skip the Stuff law. EARLIER THIS SUMMER, I PRESENTED THAT TOPIC TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. I AM COORDINATING THE FILM SCREENING OF THE STORY OF PLASTIC AT PROSSER LIBRARY HAPPENING ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH, AND THIS EVENT IS A COLLABORATION OF CEC, PROSSER, AND BEYOND PLASTICS. AFTERWARD, THERE WILL BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY WITH DR. KATHERINE OWENS, PROFESSOR AT UHEART, FULBRIGHT NEHRU FELLOW, and National Geographic Explorer. And the invitations were emailed last week to all counselors from me. And if you didn't get that, here's the flyer. And the space seating is limited. So sign up today. It'd be great if all Bloomfield leaders were there to support this really important issue. And that's it. Thank you.

Thank you. An interview and an announcement. Okay. Um, Harold Park is not here. Corrine? Corrina. Corrina, sorry.

That's okay. Um, you can actually call me Corrie. Everyone does. Um, I am interested in serving on C's. For a variety of reasons, I am the head of Bloomfields Pollinator Pathways, which is an organization that focuses on public education and the build out of pollinator friendly spaces, pollinators being essentially the basis of all of our ecosystems and our food chains. So I do a lot of ecological education for public events. We had our first kickoff event, I think it was early February this year, with about 60 residents attending. I also am the creator of a mutual aid project called the Bloomfield Native Seed Bank. I provide free native seeds and plants to residents of Bloomfields, along with education, about utilizing native plants and their ecological impacts. We are currently working on a project. I'm working on a project in all of these capacities to provide signage through pollinator pathways with our parks committee to support the ecological land management of our open fields and park spaces, particularly Samuel Wheeler Reed and La Salette. And we also have a project on deck for Philly Park. In addition to that, I am a Master Wildlife Conservationist with the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protections and do a lot of volunteer service through them. And I try and focus all of my volunteer service here in our town in Bloomfields to best serve my community. And professionally, I do ecological landscaping and sustainable design. So the reason I want to serve is because I just think it's such a crucial thing and too often conservation gets treated as a nice to have. And so I'm hoping to participate and making sure that that's something that our town can have. I think as a historically agricultural town, it's easy to find ourselves in a quick transition into a highly developed area, but I actually think That's the character that Bloomfield has and helping Bloomfield to conserve that as our character and allow that to boost us in other ways is super important. And yes, I can make all the meetings.

Thank you so much. Nancy Bowden.

Yes. Hi. I'm currently have currently been a member of the CEC. I'm not sure since we haven't been reappointed what my current status is, but I was appointed initially in 2022. And prior to that, attended meetings intermittently since probably 2018. I'm interested because my main issue is, like Brad's, climate change. And I first initiated discussion with the committee before I joined it about the climate emergency resolution that Bloomfield since passed. The reason I want to serve on the CEC is that I don't really feel like we're living up to the resolution. For one thing, we haven't really done much or nor treated it like the like an emergency. But that's not unusual compared to towns and cities, state, federal around us. So I would like to continue to to push on the climate change issues on the committee. I bring. years of education, self-education and participation in activist groups about climate change and all the ramifications. And I try to follow the science as best I can. I am a master gardener, so that brings in some horticulture and soil health and regenerative, land regenerative issues that I can contribute to the committee. Yes, I can make all the meetings. And we also are a hybrid committee. but I try to be in person as much as possible. I guess the only other thing I could tell you about me is it should be obvious that I'm old enough to remember the first Earth Day. And so I would like to also echo the comment made by Mary Laiupa that diversity on all committees, including ours, would be great. We do have some younger members, and that's great. We are largely white, and I don't think that's a very good representation of the town of Bloomfield. We're all under threat. And we also don't have any Republicans, by the way. So I think it would be great to have more people be concerned about our planet.

Thank you so very much. Thank you so very much. Yeah, I appreciate everyone who's asking for diversity. on these committees, I really do appreciate that. And diversity, whether it's, you know, party affiliation, culture, appreciate that. Bob Dickerson? Dickerson?

Yes. I feel strongly about all elements of the environment. And I feel especially strong about replacing fossil fuels with green energy. And I feel we should work in Bloomfield to generate enough within Bloomfield to equal the electric energy that we use. I have a background in engineering, so you might say I have a scientific background. I was active in South Windsor before I came to Bloomfield on their energy commission, and some familiarity with alternate ways that they have worked at their goals. I think I had a pretty good attendance record in the years that I've been on the Energy and Conservation Commission. And I prefer in-person meetings. I think we have better reactions, interplay with each other at in-person meetings whenever possible. I guess that's about it.

Thank you so very much. Thank you. And I'm going to apologize from now if I mess it up. Claudia Guardiak. Oh, perfect.

Perfect. Oh, see.

I'm going to stick to the English.

Most people on the CEC have said the things that I would say. I'm very concerned about the environment. My husband and I, we're both in our second marriage over 35 years, and we have 14 grandchildren. We're very concerned about the future of the planet. And I try to do whatever I can. My specialty that I contribute, I think, is writing. And so I've written a whole bunch of articles. in the Bloomfield Messenger about various topics. And I'm happy to do that. I have time to do it. And I've lived in Bloomfield since I was a baby, which was 1945. And my grandmother moved here in 1926. So my father also grew up in Bloomfield. Thank you so much. David Hagar is not.

Jones is here.

Good evening. First of all, I'll say one of the reasons I'm interested in the committee is because of all of the great people who serve on the committee. And something that's really special, I think, about CEC, and it was this way before I became involved about 10 years ago, is different people have different passions and different skill sets. And I think that really contributes to the effectiveness of the committee. The scope, the charge to the committee is very broad. And I think that's what really helps. So the interest is really wonderful and we're really passionate, which is also wonderful. On a personal level, I'll just say I grew up in western Maine, so I grew up in the woods, which was wonderful. I have bears in my backyard, and it doesn't freak me out now. But the flip side of that was... It was a town, one of the towns that prompted the Clean Air and Clean Water Act. We had the paper mill. Ed Moskey grew up there. And the Underscoggin River was one of the 10 most polluted rivers in the country when I grew up. So I've always had a lifelong interest in the importance of having a clean environment. Environmental justice is actually important to me as well. My hometown has a very... high cancer rate for a variety of different cancers because of pollution. It's still polluted. I think it made a list of, you know, 10 most polluted towns recently. It was kind of interesting and sad, actually. I've been here for 33 years. What attracted me to this was the diversity of the community. I love the fact that it was a boring suburb of Hartford, but it still had open spaces that really appealed to people. And I think those are the reasons I want to continue. I currently serve as the chair. I think what value I add, quite frankly, there are lots of talented people. I have a lot of relationships and connections, and a lot of those have been developed over the years here. I have a working relationship with one of the people on Simsbury's sustainability committee. I know the chair of West Hartford's sustainability commission. I know people on Windsor's conservation commission. And quite frankly, when environmental things kind of pop up, I often get a phone call. I'm really happy with our new environmental planner because now I'm telling people to call him because in many instances, given his wonderful background, he's really equipped to kind of deal with it effectively. But I think I mentioned on a committee last night, I've been working on spotted lanternfly for the last two days because we have an infestation in town right now and I hear about it when something like that happens. I can make the meetings. You know, it's been a pleasure and an honor to serve. And I would like the opportunity to continue. But again, it's the people that makes it really rewarding. Thank you.

Thank you.

Zalene Sandler. Yes, I'm here on Zoom.

Well, I think I've been on the committee the longest of any of the other committee members since I joined in the 1990s. And it was quite a different committee back then. And in that time, I've seen it grow into a real force for environmental concerns and change in Bloomfield. My background, I'm also a master wildlife conservationist for the DEP. I've been one for many years. And I'm the past president of the Hartford Audubon Society. So as you can imagine, birds and preserving habitat is one of my main issues. Sam Wheeler-Reed Park was mentioned and I was instrumental in, there was a plan to plant 60 oak trees in this beautiful area. which had nesting bobolinks, which are very uncommon. And we have the good fortune to have bobolinks in Bloomfield. And I gathered all of my Audubon members, the head of the Audubon, the head of the COA and we pushed not to have this little project go through. We didn't feel it was appropriate and it would have totally destroyed one of the few really nice grassland areas that we have in Bloomfield. We still have a lot of really good habitat. And I really am pushing not to have this wanton development without taking into consideration the beauty of nature and what we all need is something like that. And I've given lectures on various topics related to nature and conservation. And I've written articles for the Bloomfield, well, it was the Bloomfield Journal, now the Bloomfield Messenger, and also for the Hartford Current regarding environmental issues. I lead nature walks for the Appalachian Mountain Club. I'm also concerned with native plants and the pollinator pathway. And I've been choosing native plants and redoing my suburban lawn into a literal paradise for for all the little creatures that, that belong there, butterflies and bats. Um, I gave a talk on gardening for bats. Um, what else? I don't know.

Um, that's like I said, my garden. That's good. That's, that's, that's, that's some good information in gardening for bats.

Oh, oh yes. Well, bats are very important and I did, I have given talks on bats, but I'm not going to go into it now. Um, But my attendance in the past few months has been spotty because I've had some health issues. But I plan to be more reliable in my attendance in the coming months since I'm getting better. I don't know. What else can I tell you about me?

I've just been doing this a long time. That's some good information. Thank you so very much. Brenda Watson.

Can you all hear me? Okay. Yes. All right. Thank you.

Um, all of my fellow seat members have spoken to the issues that I care about, which is why I joined. Um, I'd like to also add that I'm passionate about, um, energy affordability and would like to use clean energy and renewable energy as a way to reduce energy burden for, um, our residents in town who are struggling with the cost of heating or, um, electric. And I think that that's an issue that impacts everybody, especially as rates continue to increase and they're not going to go in the down direction. I can attend meetings. There are times where work comes first because we meet at 4.30 and sometimes I do miss a meeting or two. I've been a member for under a year. I was appointed last year and in the spring, I organized a tour of Seabury so that we could introduce folks to the benefits of clean energy as Seabury has installed a geothermal network on their property, which has saved them, I think, about $1.4 million over the last seven years. We did invite members of the town council to attend.

Brenda? I think we lost her.

Yeah, we lost her connection.

So if she does pop back, we can definitely.

Jay and Hal have saved that money. So yeah, that's me. And I'm happy to be a member of SEEK.

Thank you, Brenda. I'm going to just let you know that you did chip out for a minute, but I think we got the essence of what you were saying. Okay, great. Thank you. Jessica White.

Hello, I'm here on Zoom. I have been a member of the CEC committee for, I think, three or four years now, and I really enjoy participating. I joined because I wanted to become more involved in civic engagement in Bloomfield. I love living in this town. I love the green spaces and the parks and opportunities like that that we have around here. So I thought the CEC was a great fit for that. I also am very concerned about climate change, as all of my fellow members also mentioned. That's definitely something that we have in common and I'm motivated to work to help to promote environmental protection and make that an issue that my fellow neighbors and residents in Bloomfield are informed about and concerned about as well. My background is in education and nonprofits. I've used some of those skills and experiences during my time on the committee. doing some presentations. I supported one we did a couple of years ago about nuisance insects like mosquitoes and bees and how residents can help protect themselves from that. I've been involved in a subcommittee that we have on heat, extreme heat, and how residents can also help to prevent health conditions and things that might arise from exposure to extreme heat, which we've been experiencing quite a bit of this summer. So I try to contribute and share my skills and show up as much as I can to the volunteer opportunities that we have, but I also feel that I get a lot out of participating as well. I'll echo what Paula said that one of the things I enjoy most is being able to interact with and learn from the fellow members on the committee. And I'm able to attend all the meetings coming up this year. So yeah, that's all I have to share.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Okay. To our passengers, the ship is almost in port. I'M GOING TO TURN OUR LAST COMMITTEE OVER BACK TO THE COMMITTEE CHAIR COUNSELOR GOODWIN TO DO THE RECREATION COMMITTEE.

Thank you so much. And I just offer a quick note just to say the answers tonight have been thorough. We've gotten to know each other a little bit more. And for those of you who will be watching this, hopefully you are learning more about your fellow residents in Bloomfield. So the Parks and Recreation Committee membership expired in November of 2025 and the full nine member committee needs to be reappointed. for a term ending in November, 2027. And the first person on my list is Jeanette Lawrence. And Jeanette, you have been here patiently. You were one of the first people to join our Zoom call. So I think you've heard the questions. So I'm gonna turn it over to you.

Thank you, hi. So I've been a part of Bloomfield community for most of my life, probably since I was 12. But even before then, my dad graduated from Bloomfield High, I graduated from Bloomfield High, and my daughter in COVID-2020 graduated from Bloomfield High. So I like to give back in a meaningful way. With my background in health and fitness, I'm especially interested in helping people excuse me, I have a little cold, create like an accessible recreational opportunities that encourage healthier, more active lifestyles for Bloomfield residents. And what I feel I can bring to the commission is A unique combination of experience. I'm a health and fitness professional, but I'm also a 20 plus year master's degree, human resource professional by trade. And so in addition to bring a health and fitness perspective, I feel I can contribute my experience with policies and people and organizational decision making. And I will definitely be able to be available for the meetings and anything additional about me. Bloomfield is home to me and my family. We have deep roots here. I care about the continued growth and community here. and the quality of life in our community. And at this point where I really like to become more involved and use my experience to give back.

Thank you very, very much.

Thank you.

I'm going to ask, is Lissandra Rosario in the room? No. Okay. And she's not, I don't see her online. I thought she was here earlier. OK, I'm going to go to is Nicholas in the room?

Yes.

OK. Nicholas, I think you probably heard the questions now many, many times.

Yes, I sure did. I am Nicholas Soros. You can call me Nico. I the reason that I would like to be on the Parks and Rec Committee is that. I have a two-year-old son. I have seen the effects of really effective parks and rec programs and what they can do for not only the youth, but for the adults as well. I think I wrote in my interest form that setting the foundation from young and having these instillments of health and wellness and other avenues aside, team sports to show how you can stay active in your life will lead to a lifelong of healthy lifestyle. I'm a physical education teacher as well. I'm a certified PE teacher from certified to teach pre-K up to grade 12. Being a PE teacher, I have a unique perspective as well. A lot of people don't realize how much actually falls under the realm of physical education, but we do things like letterboxing, geocaching, so many things that are outside of your traditional norm of sport. I'm also a musical theater performer as well. That's actually how I came to Connecticut. I was living in New York. I'm from New York City. So I grew up in New York City, lived there all my life, auditioned out of New York and came here and started working at a theater called Playhouse on Park. It's where I met my wife. And we live here. We call it Bloomfield Home now. Part of my unique perspective is that I... I want to be very candid when I say this. Working in physical education, most of my counterparts and colleagues in the month of February during Black History Month, they always do the normal basketball or football because that is where you see most black athletes. I chose to always do bowling because you see no black athletes or very few black athletes in the sport of bowling. But there are professional bowlers out there and people can make a career out of that. And even if it's not a career, students that are people that are not very athletic, can still find success bowling. And that is where you can still find community and so forth. And I think that that perspective is something that not many people think of. And I like to find that unique alternative to some problems. Something that I'd like to share about myself, something additional, is that I mentioned that I was a performer. During COVID, I was working as a cruise line singer, a production vocalist on celebrity cruises. We got stranded in the middle of the ocean. We were there for over 100 days in the middle of the Mediterranean. And it was, as you can imagine, for us there. People started to get cabin fever is a real thing. I'll put it that way. We started getting a little cuckoo in the head. We had to find ways to stay healthy. And part of that was creating activity programs. So I started a soccer program on the ship, on the basketball courts. I started a speed and conditioning program, a strength class. But from me starting those three classes, other dancers started dancing. their own classes as well, yoga classes and so forth. I got an award, a certificate on the ship because that kickstarted wellness here on the ship that a lot of us weren't having before that. So yeah, something I'm proud of. Thank you for having me and hope to be on the board. Thank you so much.

And then Paula, you're up again if you're still in the room.

Did you, she's not here.

Okay.

Sorry. I just wanted to make sure that you didn't skip anybody.

Well, I'm going to start, well, I'm going to start by saying that's a hard act to follow. I mean, seriously, that that's great. And, um, if I go on a cruise, I want to be on a cruise ship with you. I think it's stranded. So anyway, um, I think I mentioned earlier I have a lifelong love and interest in the outdoors. I grew up hiking. I like cycling. I'm just very active outdoors. It's more passive recreation because I'm not a natural athlete. I did things when I was younger before I broke my kneecap, but I was always middle of the pack, bottom of the pack in terms of participating in triathlons and things like that. But one of the things that really attracted me to Bloomfield was the larger parks that we had. And when I first got appointed, I didn't feel like those spaces were being given enough attention and being made as accessible potentially to the residents as they could be. So that was kind of my interest. I also serve as a Bloomfield representative to the Lower Farmington River Wild and Scenic Committee. I've actually done that for a couple decades. And I will say someday I will resign that and try to get somebody to step in because I've been doing it a long time. Part of the reason is because I have... INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT PROMISES WERE MADE TO BLOOMFIELD IN GETTING THE DESIGNATION, AND I'M MAKING SURE THAT BLOOMFIELD GETS ITS FAIR SHARE. SO BEING ON THE RECREATION COMMITTEE, I HAVE HELPED FACILITATE GETTING SOME SMALL GRANT FUNDING TO DO WORK IN THE RIVER CORRIDOR, WHICH HAS MOSTLY BENEFITED FARMINGTON RIVER PARK. The other thing I will say is I'm involved with Trap Rock Ridge Land Conservancy. I'm currently the vice president. I'm succeeding a rocking president, so that'll be tough when I step into the president role. But one of the things I'm really proud of in terms of Wittenberry Land Trust earlier and now Trap Rock Ridge is we just have had great partnership and collaboration with the town of Bloomfield. We co-sponsor programming. We do an annual over-the-mountain hike every year with leisure services. And we also, especially in the wintertime, we co-sponsor and arrange for speakers at leisure services. You know, environmental, we bring in the animals and do things like that for programs. So again, part of it is, for me, it's trying to facilitate and make connections and kind of build a pipeline. So I'm happy to serve again, but we have some good talent and I'm happy to see that. Just saying that. Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Paula. Am I missing anyone in the room who still needs to be interviewed?

No.

Okay. And I don't believe that there's anyone left online. For those of you who have interviewed, you are welcome to enjoy the rest of your evening. We just have a couple of other agenda items, but you do not have to stay here with us. The next thing on the agenda is a discussion and possible action, and I'm going to move that we table this. Counselor DeButham-Brown and I and Counselor Waterhouse have agreed that we'll be able to try to allow her to be able to view this video. Some of the committees were interviewed tonight and they were people we've already interviewed. Our goal, though, is to try to have a slate by our next council meeting to be able to move forward. So I said, again, we will endeavor to get Councillor Waterhouse, but Councillor Debeath and Brown, and I will also look at the list as well as the list of folks we've already interviewed to try to make sure we have a recommendation at our next council meeting. And some folks may have to wait for the council meeting after that. But Councillor Debeath and Brown. Mr. Chair? Yes.

I'm sorry to interrupt. I just had one point that I wanted to highlight. The Board of Education that is on this list for reappointment is statutorily needs to be filled by September 7th. And so I don't know if you would consider making a reappointment request for that. to just because it needs to go to town council for the official appointment before September 7th.

So counselor, can I just, give some information based on what I read, right? It's a, it has to be a reappointment of the same party. And I do believe that Mr. Ike was endorsed by the Republican party. So I think that might be easy for us to vote on so that we can send that to council.

Well, if we, so let's, but to just do this in order, if we could table A, C, D, and E, and then we'll just move forward with B. Agreed. Are you comfortable with that? Okay.

Yes, sir.

All in favor. It's two of us. Aye. Aye.

Aye.

Okay. But let's move forward with the appointment for the board of education. The candidate that we had was Ike.

I'd like to make.

Yeah, go please.

I'd like to make a motion that we submit Bob Ike as the replacement for the board, the Republican replacement for the board of education to the full council and

All in favor? Aye. I second it. Aye. Thank you. Okay, so we'll move forward. I'm going to move to public comment. Anybody in the room want to do public comment or anyone online? Do you have anything to say?

Mr. Chair.

Yes. I can't see who that is. Yes. I just want to say we had some outstanding candidates today and I'm very pleased first that there are so many people interested in volunteering their services, their expertise to the town. I'm very excited about that. And I think that that's it. I look forward to, you know, the next meeting. We see that more people are coming in to be interviewed and providing a whole entree of experiences. So it's, you know, we're getting to know our residents and their backgrounds quite well. And yes, when you do come, be short and succinct. We'll get it all. But thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be here tonight.

Thank you, Mayor. I see Kate Keefe online, Lynn.

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes, Kate, can you just state your name and address?

Sure. Kate Keefe, 16 Breezy Knoll Drive, Bloomfield, Connecticut. I first of all, I want to... Oh, I can actually show myself on this. I usually can't. I want to just appreciate the committee's time. I think that as a resident, this gives me here. I listened to the other one. I listened today. It gives me such hope for our community. I think that this is what people need to be hearing. When it was done behind closed doors, we weren't able to hear everything. from the residents. And I think that that's important in allowing residents to see this. My suggestion is that with the charter revision, I know that this is a top topic. I have been following it, but you've seen my emails. I do hope that the committee members and maybe even the mayor might consider the reappointment of the charter revision committee. I would make the argument that it's been long enough. And with this process started, it might not result in a different outcome, but I think that the impact that it would have on our community is really what we need. We need to hear these interviews. We need to see the process occurring. And so I just wanted to say that this has been delightful. Um, and that I hope that the charter revision committee can go through this committee and not just be reappointed by the one that was previously appointed by a different council. Thank you.

Thank you, Kate. Thank you. So I'll do a check again for anyone in person. And I don't know if there's, there's no one in person and no one, I don't see any other hands online. Okay. Councilor DeVitha Brown, did you wanna offer any words before we go to the next item?

No, just really thankful to Lynn and all the work that she's doing, trying to get all the people interviewed so that we can appoint, right? Because I know that people have been waiting for this and we're doing the best that we can. We're also being gracious if someone have missed the meeting, giving them another opportunity. So thank you to everyone that came out tonight. We got on the ship. at six o'clock. It's now 730. And I think we did a really good job. Counselor Goodwin getting all those people interviewed today. So thank you.

Thank you. I'll just simply add, I know for some of our community members, it has been a little frustrating if you're already serving on a committee to feel that you have to interview again. But I want to just highlight what Kate Keefe just offered. It is really beautiful to hear some of the things our residents have said tonight about their volunteerism, the ways in which they're enriching our community. And in a time where we all need a little bit of touch of hope, it's been wonderful to hear varying residents talk about their varying commitments, their community engagement, and some of the ideas they even have for continuing to move Bloomfield forward. So if you are reticent about having your couple of minutes in the interview, I would encourage you at our next meeting to connect with Lynn and make sure that you're on the schedule because we would like your voice to be heard. The next thing on our agenda is approval of minutes.

I'd like to make a motion that we approve the minutes of July 16th.

I'll second that. All in favor?

Aye. Aye.

Thank you. And then our last item is the adjournment. And thank you again, Mayor and everybody who was here and Councilor DeRethan-Brown for all of your hard work in this. And for Councilor Waterhouse, when you're watching this, you owe us both. We should be on vacation with you.

Yes.

Can I get a motion to adjourn?

Oh, actually, if you just say.

Oh, we don't need to do that.

The meeting is adjourned.

There's no other comments.

There's no other items on the agenda. Meeting stands at adjournment.

Amen. Thank you.