A pair of prominent Democrats are leaving positions in Ansonia government.
Jerome Fainer, an Alderman first elected to serve the Fourth Ward in 2005, resigned in a letter dated Dec. 4.
Bart Flaherty, the chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission for the past decade whose term expires this month, was not re-appointed to the commission by Republican Mayor David Cassetti.
Alderman Resigns
Fainer announced his resignation in a Dec. 4 letter to Beth Lynch, the town and city clerk.
“It has been an honor to serve my constituents for these past years and I wish all the best for our community in the future,” Fainer said.
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Fainer was first elected to the Board of Aldermen in 2005.
The Valley Indy left a message with Fainer Wednesday (Dec. 10).
Cassetti thanked Fainer during the monthly meeting of the Board of Aldermen Tuesday (Dec. 9).
“I want to thank Jerome Fainer for his service as Fourth Ward Alderman for eight and a half years,” Cassetti said. “His commitment to the city of Ansonia is to be commended. I wish him well.”
Per Section 143 of the city’s charter, the Board of Aldermen now has the power to appoint a new Alderman “from the freemen” of the city to serve out Fainer’s term, which expires in December 2015.
The charter, which was revised this year, does not specify that an Aldermen needs to be replaced by a resident in the same political party as the departing member — or, oddly, even the same ward.
PZC Chairman Out
Meanwhile, Bartholomew Flaherty, the chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, was not re-appointed by Cassetti to a new term when his current term expires Dec. 31.
Instead, Cassetti put forward the name of Larry Pellegrino, a Finney Street resident.
Flaherty is a Democrat. Pellegrino and the mayor are Republicans.
“It is always encouraging to welcome fresh faces into city government,” Cassetti told Aldermen during their meeting Tuesday. “Please join me in wishing the new commissioners luck in their new positions.
“Of course, it is equally important that we recognize the contributions of those whose tour of duty on boards and commissions will be ending this month,” the mayor said. “I would particularly like to recognize and thank Bart Flaherty for his many years of tireless service to the city as chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission.”
The fact that Flaherty was not re-appoointed rubbed some Aldermen the wrong way.
Republican Joan Radin, who represents the Fifth Ward, said she’s attended zoning meetings regularly for years and commended Flaherty for his stewardship of the commission.
“I’ve sat through many and many a meeting where people have come with really not very nice plans and he has checked them out,” Radin said. “He goes out when there’s a question with the group. He spent three or four hours up at Fountain Lake when there was a complaint about the blasting. I would just like to say that I’m sorry to see he was not reappointed. I think he’s been doing a wonderful job.”
Alderman Edward Adamowski, a Democrat from the First Ward, asked Cassetti why Flaherty wasn’t reappointed.
“Just to change things up a little bit?” Adamowski asked.
“We’re moving in a different direction,” the mayor replied. “A new opportunity.”
Adamowski raised his eyebrows.
“That’s a good answer,” he said sarcastically, before offering his thoughts on the precise “direction” the city is headed: “South.”
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Adamowski’s fellow Alderman from the First Ward, Republican Charles Stowe, commended Flaherty for “the hours, days, weeks and years that he’s given this city.”
“He’s done a lot of wonderful things here,” Stowe said.
“You have a new administration here,” Stowe said. “This administration has plans that it wants to go in, and they have a right to be comfortable with who they work with. But I personally will never forget the interactions that I’ve had with Mr. Flaherty and watched him perform many duties for this city.”
The Aldermen then voted 7 – 3 to appoint Pellegrino, with Radin, Adamowski, and Fourth Ward Democrat Anthony DeLucia voting no.
Adamowski said Wednesday it was a shame to see someone with Flaherty’s institutional knowledge leave such an important position.
“I have no issues with Larry Pellegrino,” Adamowski said. “It’s just that you take somebody out that has that much knowledge of what’s going on … You lose somebody with that much knowledge, I don’t know.”
Adamowski said Flaherty was willing to ruffle feathers regardless of his political affiliation.
“The guy’s always worked with everybody,” Adamowski said. “He was against Dems too when we did something he didn’t like. It’s not like he was one-sided or had his own agenda.”
‘I Don’t Own The Position’
Flaherty said Wednesday he wasn’t surprised by Tuesday’s developments.
“The mayor had told me he wasn’t going to reappoint me, and that he’s looking to go in a new direction with someone younger,” Flaherty said. “I don’t own the position, the mayor has a right to appoint anyone he wants to.”
Flaherty has been planning and zoning commission chairman for the past 10 years, and served on the commission for four years prior to that.
In addition, he served for six years apiece as an Aldermen and a member of the Board of Education, as well as eight years on the Inland Wetlands Commission.
He is also currently a member of the Economic Development Commission, and will serve in that role until 2016.
Flaherty said he’s proud of the planning commission’s work during his time there, being fair to both applicants and to the city and its residents.
The city’s Plan of Conservation and Development was put in place, in addition to a “City Center Plan” to guide downtown development.
“Our responsibility by state statute is to enforce our regulations and to assess (applications) fairly and equitably and that’s what we tried to do,” Flaherty said.
So is he leaving his role with a bad taste in his mouth?
“I have no comment on that,” Flaherty said. “The mayor has the right to make an appointment, and that’s what I told the mayor. It is what it is.”
Asked whether he plans on a return to city politics, Flaherty replied: “Never say never.”
