Land Trust meeting excites crowd about open space.

The Danbury Land Trust had an important meeting yesterday regarding the open space bond that will be up for a vote on February 5th. The crowd was enthusiastic about the proposal and had a lot of questions.

One important point, there are two questions on the ballot. Question 1 is the open space portion and public works improvements. There are three parts to question one. The 6.6 million dollars must be used for open space and cannot be redirected to any other project in Question 1 without the expressed authority of the Common Council. Needless to say, the 6.6 million dollars will go very quickly as there are a lot of opportunities for land purchases. Question 2 is the sprinkler system for Danbury High School. Voters can vote for or against either question. Just wanted to clear that up because yesterday I did not have that information with me.

This is a terrific opportunity for our city and hope the voters will support the vision and the ideals behind this initiative. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me.

It was awesome to see such a pumped up crowd. Thanks to all who came to the meeting. Thanks for caring about Danbury.

All the Best,
Mayor Mark
PS. Picture from the News-Times.

Dedication of new Kiosk for the Ives Trail

Today we dedicated a new Kiosk for the Ives Trail. We will be adding three more along the trail to provide information to hikers. As soon as it warms take a hike through the area, it is outstanding!

The Ives trail is 15 miles long and it winds its way through Bethel, Danbury, and Ridgefield. Great job by Jack K. and the team. Special thanks to the Meserve Foundation for the financial assistance.

Mayor's Ball Tonight.

People will be dressing up and stepping out as tonight is the annual Mayor's Ball at the Amber Room. It is all for the Charles Ives Center and the Danbury Museum and Historical Society. There is a dedicated committee who have spent a lot of time and energy to make this event happen year and I want to thank them in advance for their hard work. So I will see you tonight at the ball!

All The Best,
Mayor Mark

A special thanks to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There will a service tonight in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Please join us to remember the contributions of a great American.

Details:

The celebration will be held on Monday, January 21, 2008 at 6:00 PM in White Hall on the WCSU Midtown Campus. The program features choir selections and praise dancers. The keynote speaker is Mrs. Carlotta Walls LaNier of the Little Rock Nine. A hors d' oeuvres reception will follow the program in Warner Hall.

Large fire last night at Westwood Village on Mill Plain Rd.

There was a large fire last night at Westwood Village on Mill Plain. Four condo units have been evacuated while our Fire Marshalls assess the damage. Minor injuries occurred to the occupants of one home. I was on seen at about 3:00 AM. Cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.

Busy morning in the Mayor's Office.

Saturday was a busy day in the Mayor's office as about 20 people stopped by to discuss issues or request help with a problem.
Several people came in to support the City's recent discussion surrounding the ICEACCESS program. One family came in to express their concern with the perception of the program.
The balance of residents came in to discuss a variety of issues. In no particular order they include issues like traffic, crosswalks, and school technology.
I want to thank the residents for participating in this program. I also want to thank the elected officials who stop by to participate. Next month we will be hosting a Town Hall forum. Details to follow.

All the Best,
Mayor Mark

Saturday's with the Mayor tomorrow.

Stop by and have a cup of joe if you want. I will be at City Hall from 9-12 am to answer questions and to listen to your concerns..

Hollywood here in Danbury?

Recently a Common Council ad-hoc committee approved Danbury spending $75,000 on fees associated with Danbury hosting the Connecticut Film Festival.

This is an interesting project. If run correctly and with an understanding that this is a multi-year project, Danbury could turn out to be hosting the "Sundance Film Festival" of the east coast. Several films have used Danbury over the last year for filming, and in 2008 we could host even more.

This event has potential. It will not take off at once, but it will take time to develop. But in the end, it will add much needed dollars to our community.

All The Best,
Mayor Mark

ICE ACCESS is a question of public policy, not politics.

The recent discussions surrounding the ICEACCESS program have begun in the community and that is a good thing. Debate, questions, discussion, are all a healthy part of our democracy and the sign of a passionate community.

Whether Danbury should participate in the program is a matter of public policy. It is a decision that some members of the Common Council support and some members oppose. The proposal has bipartisan support, and bipartisan opposition among the Council members.

That is the way that it should be. That is also a good indication that most of the Council sees this issue as a question of policy, not politics.

The recent survey conducted by this office of the residents of Danbury shows that there is broad support among the residents of Danbury for ICEACCESS. It was done in a spirit to provide residents an opportunity to be heard, to participate in our democracy. After all, several speakers at the public comment portion of the Council meeting asked if this issue could be put up to city wide referendum. All residences with listed phone numbers received a call regardless of party affiliation or whether or not they are a registered voter (our system does not keep that information).

Many residents have contacted me to thank the City for the opportunity to be heard. They found it refreshing that their local government cares about what they think. We should not govern by polls or surveys, that's bad public policy, but letting people participate and be heard is a positive thing and should be celebrated.. After all, this is a question of policy, not politics.

All the Best,
Mayor Mark

ICE ACCESS

I have resisted writing about the ICE ACCESS program because this issue is before the Common Council. However, some of you have asked about last night's meeting and the meaning of a referral to a "Committee of the Whole".

A Committee of the Whole is really just a committee of the Common Council that includes the entire Common Council. Last night Councilman Rotello asked that item on the agenda be referred to a committee (which under our code of ordinances any member of the council can do) I chose to send it to a Committee of the Whole so that all council people can have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the initiative in an informal atmosphere. If the Common Council decides to move forward with this program, a final vote will be required at the next meeting.

Some have also asked about the possibility of extending the public speaking time at the beginning of each meeting. I would be happy to do this. Unfortunately, the Charter is clear that only the first 30 minutes have each meeting can be for public speaking. If members of the public would like to address the Common Council about this or any other issue, I would encourage them to contact the individual council members via e-mail or phone, or they can drop off their thoughts in writing to the City Clerk who will ensure that the members receive the communication.

Sound complicated? It really isn't. Public participation in the democratic process is critical, and I want to encourage you to voice your opinion, pro or con.

Stay tuned as I am waiting for the Council to schedule the meeting..

All The Best,
Mayor Mark