To The Editor by The Minority Leader of The Council

To The Editor:

Public Hearings of the NB Common Council as well as the public participation sessions before Council meetings are interesting. Some have no participants. Usually hearings on zone changes attract more people.

Some people show up just to show up. Some show up to speak on whatever is the subject, while others have a personal interest in the subject. One also learns that many have computers and have learned to “GOOGLE” subjects for information. Etc., etc.

Agendas for Council meetings are published on the Friday before the Council meeting. Notices for public hearings are and must be published in the local newspapers, days before the hearing, especially for zone changes.

Now, with reference specifically to Mr. Zagorsky’s Editor letter, today (6.17.11): Mr. Zagorsky, an attorney, is a participating member of the City Plan Commission and probably knows the rules better than most. The agenda for the 6/8/11 meeting of the Common Council was available to the press and the Council on Friday, 6/3/11. A Public Hearing of the Council’s P. Z. & Housing subcommittee (for a zone change) was scheduled for and held on, 6/7/11 and had been properly noticed in the media. Many spoke at the public hearing and the meeting ran very late.

When some of the same folks that were present at the Public Hearing on 6/7 started showing up for the 6/8 Council Meeting, I told them that there was no agenda item on the Hartford Rd. zone change for the 6/8 meeting. Some people left. Others (about 15 or so) stayed because they had come prepared to speak; Mr. Zagorsky was one that stayed. Before the meeting, the Herald reporter came and asked why there was no zone change item on the agenda. Remember, as has been said, agendas are published the Friday before the meeting, in this case, 6/3. The Council meeting was for, 6/8.

My incomplete response to the Herald reporter was, “... the meeting the night before ran late... “ Remember, issues, especially zone change issues must be properly noticed. There hadn’t been time for this. Certainly, an attorney and member of the City Plan Commission must know this. Yet, Mr. Zagorsky uses my incomplete answer to the Herald reporter as one of his points of contention (???). Mr. Zagorsky had come prepared to speak and, speak he did, for about 15 minutes. Also, I take considerable umbrage at what I refer to as Mr. Zagorsky’s unprofessional characterization of the motives of City attorneys that had offered opinions on Alix Stanley’s gift to the city and his wishes as to its use. Mr. Zagorsky noted that of course, city attorneys were opining on an issue where the City was the applicant for the zone change – what is that supposed to suggest?

Other, unkind words and accusations have been spoken at the meetings and in the press. Please people, stop using this tactic.


Lou Salvio, Minority Leader
New Britain Common Council