Referendum Organizers Mum With Week to Go

Residents attempting to force a referendum on $350,000 for a girls' Little League field and infrastructure for a park on Hoyden's Lane appeared today to have made little progress in reaching the required 1,765 signatures by July 13.

The Web site set up by referendum organizers Thursday night had only one follower as of this evening, and that follower, RTM member Hank Ference, R-3, said tonight that he signed onto the Web site a couple of days ago but hadn't been back since.

The Web site on Friday said referendum supporters planned to collect signatures "at a number of this weekend's town functions and at other public locations during the week" and that locations would be posted "as these other opportunities to sign become more finalized."

But as of this evening, no locations were posted on the Web site, other than the original location posted Friday, which was the Post Road office of attorney Kathryn Braun, a Republican member of the Representative Town Meeting from District 8.

Braun said about noon today that 10 to 12 people had stopped by her office to sign a petition during the Web site-announced hours of 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, though more than that had stopped by to get petition forms. Braun said she had additional hours for residents to stop by and sign this week, but the Web site, which referendum organizers said is the source of information on the referendum effort, hadn't posted them as of tonight.

"In general, there are a number of people out with petitions. I know some people went to the fireworks and to different stores in town and got some pretty good results," Braun said. "It's really a short time to get a lot of signatures."

RTM member Elizabeth P. Hoffmann, R-8, who said she was helping to lead the referendum effort, said it's been difficult to get signatures because many residents were away over the holiday weekend.

Hoffmann said the Web site would be updated as referendum supporters get more volunteers. She couldn't estimate this afternoon how many signatures in total had been collected. "I don't know how many. We're all trying to do the best for the taxpayers...That's where this comes from. It's not a NIMBY [Not In My Back Yard.] It's townwide," she said.

Kate Daniello, co-founder of We the People, a taxpayers' group, said this afternoon that her group supports the referendum effort and was trying to help, saying she had e-mailed We the People supporters, asking them to help in any way they can and directing them to Braun's office to sign petitions.

"At this point, I've sent them to Kathy Braun's office. I picked up petitions at Kathy Braun's office, and, next week, they're trying to get people to man the supermarkets. I'm waiting to hear what time that will be done," Daniello said. "I am totally behind them, and, whoever we can bring, we will. At the very least, it raises public awareness on the spending because it's just not appropriate on this issue."

Daniello said she wasn't against the girls' Little League field, but was against bonding $350,000 to build it and infrastructure for a park, such as a new driveway, parking lot, restroom building, septic system, electricity and a well. Referendum supporters have said an existing athletic field could be dedicated for girls' Little League and that the town didn't need to bond $350,000 to build a field and infrastructure for a park on town-owned property at 520 Hoyden's Lane.

Daniello said she hopes the 20 RTM members who voted against the $350,000 funding request would contact their constituents and encourage them to sign a petition. She said promises of fiscal restraint were how Republicans got a majority on the RTM in last November's election.

"I think each one of those would have people in their district willing to sign a petition. It would show they're willing to do what they were elected to do," Daniello said.

Daniello and Braun said they were concerned that four to five RTM members who appeared to have conflicts of interest voted in favor of the $350,000 funding request instead of abstaining from the vote. (The RTM approved the funding request on a 22-20 vote, with no abstentions.)

The RTM members are coaches in boys' Little League, and town recreation officials had threatened to take a field away from boys' Little League if town boards rejected the $350,000 funding request for a girls' Little League field. Rec officials also said they weren't moving forward with a plan for a boys' Little League field at Gould Manor Park until the girls' Little League got a dedicated field. Fairfield American Little League's plan for Gould Manor Park was on the town Parks and Recreation Commission's June 16 agenda for discussion and a vote but was postponed.

RTM Moderator Jeff Steele, R-2, is a coach in Fairfield National Little League, and RTM member Chad Stewart, R-2, is a coach and vice president in Fairfield National Little League. RTM member William Llewellyn, R-7, is a coach in Fairfield National Little League, and RTM member Timothy Lynch, R-7, is a coach in Fairfield National Little League. All four voted in favor of the $350,000 funding request. RTM member Harold Schwartz, D-7, said during the June 28 RTM meeting that he stands to make money as an umpire in girls' Little League and planned to abstain from the vote. Schwartz initially passed when his name was called, but then voted in favor on the second go-round.

The impact of the RTM's vote on boys' Little League could be seen on the Web site of Fairfield American Little League, which "tweeted" that residents should go to the RTM's June 28 meeting to show their support for Fairfield American Little League.

The "tweet," sent at 4:26 p.m. on June 28 and visible on the league's Web site tonight, says, "RTM Meeting tonight at the BOE offices on Kings Highway 8PM. Show up to support FFALL." David Pierpont, a vice president in Fairfield American Little League, referenced the threat during the June 28 RTM meeting, saying, the league would cut its programs if it lost a field. "I think that is a huge point, so don't miss it," Pierpont told the RTM that night.

Steve Schwartz, president of Fairfield American Little League, also referenced the threat that night, saying the league would lose 150 games and an age division if it lost a field.

The Standards of Conduct in the Town Charter speak mostly to financial and "personal beneficial" conflicts of interest related to contracts or purchase orders for supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services furnished to or used by the town.

But the last paragraph of the Standards of Conduct says RTM members should not "engage in any business transaction or activity or have a financial interest, direct or indirect, which is incompatible with the proper discharge of the official duties or which may tend to impair the independence of judgment in the performance of the Town officer's, employee's, or member's official duties."

Steele and Llewellyn were quite vocal about their ties to boys' Little League in RTM committee meetings, and Llewellyn mentioned it at the full RTM meeting as well.

In order to have a referendum, 1,765 Fairfield voters have to sign a petition in favor of a referendum and those petitions have to be submitted to the Town Clerk's Office by 4:30 p.m., July 13. The petition forms in circulation say the due date is 4:30 p.m., July 12, but the Town Charter says referendum petitions are due 14 days after the adjournment of the RTM meeting at which the funding request was approved. The RTM meeting at which the $350,000 funding request was approved began June 28, but the funding request wasn't approved, and the RTM meeting wasn't adjourned, until the early morning hours of June 29.