Dear Editor,
I would like to comment on your recent story regarding the Mead Park Barn. I would like to talk about a “P” word and that word is not ‘Preservation,’ it’s ‘Process.’ Although the concept is less glamorous, it warrants its own respect.
I so appreciate all of the New Canaan Preservation Alliance’s hard work and their passion. However, we must deal with the facts before us.
Last week, the Board of Selectmen was incorrect to table the demolition contract. They should have approved or disapproved of it to settle this matter. It was improper of them to try to kick the matter back to the Town Council. Their suggestion that the Town Council rescind a previously approved appropriation is not legally permissible. The town’s law firm, Berchem Moses, has clearly advised us in a well researched memo that the Town Council does not have any authority to rescind previously approved appropriations.
It is no surprise that the NCPA has sought its own legal opinion that suggests differently. However, the Town Council has no option other than to follow its own legal counsel’s advice. To do otherwise would be a blatant breach of our duties as elected officials and representatives of the Town.
You can imagine the uncertainty that this would pose for our community at large if the Town Council had such powers. What if the Town Council started to rescind previously approved Board of Education budgets or Public Works budgets and multiple months later? This is a slippery slope we must not start. None of us would want to send our community into such a tailspin.
I would encourage the NCPA once again to appeal the Brick Barn matter to the Board of Selectmen. The demolition contract still sits with them even if on their sidelines.
Again, I want to thank the NCPA for their continued service to our community.
Sincerely,
Christa Kenin
Town Council member
Good to have your legal guidance here, Christa. I wonder why another lawyer in the mix, Selectman Nick Williams, does not accept the Town Attorney’s guidance and why he did not follow his own October 2018 statements when he said that the Preservation group had to round up over $100,000 in cash by Jan. 23, 2019. )That amount would allow for fixing the roof and the exterior.) Williams gave a “limited stay of execution” until Jan. 23, 2019. “Either it has to be fixed immediately or it comes down,” Williams said. Further, we know that The Town is not inclined to agree to a lease with a private organization, such as the Preservation Alliance, for commercial use in the Town’s Mead Park, especially with their tentative plan to sublease the space.
This little piece of Town property continues to be the prime example of government ineptitude, with the lack of will to follow through with its own decisions.
That’s a great question Greg. As we learned from his athletic fields vote, Mr Williams seems to have a history of not following legal guidelines on town procedure.
fact: The NCPA has all the money for the work on the barn; the town has not permitted any work to be done. Town elected officials are holding up the restoration of the barn.
fact: The town leases the historic Lodge located in Measd Park to Apple Cart a for profit food concession, a private organization, under a five year lease.
fact: the NCPA is a not-for-profit organization. In New Canaan it is common for not-for-profits to occupy historic structures in public parks like the Waveny estate, the Bliss estate, aka the Nature Center and Irwin Park
fact: the NCPA will restore the Mead Park Brick Barn with its own funds and state monies. No taxpayer dollars will be spent. If the Barn is demolished taxpayer dollars will be spent for this destruction of a CT State listed heritage asset, a vestige of New Canaan’s history and a nationally scarce structure perfectly situated on the edge of a municipal park.
fact: the NCPA will restore the Mead Park Brick Barn with its own funds and state monies. No taxpayer dollars will be spent.
!. how much funding do you actually have at this point … not promised, but actually have in hand?? how much state monies have in hand?
2. “no taxpayer dollars will be spent” … remind anyone about The Outback where the same was promised … and look how much it costs taxpayers now!
Also … do you really expect any state monies to be available for this type of venture when we are so low in funds that CT will soon be collecting tolls for ALL vehicles.
George
While you are absolutely correct, you can’t tell what might happen. Our Democrat Governor will spend money on anything from the sound of it.
Might be another avenue here, however. Someone should suggest to our First Selectman that the building could house the police station or the Board of Ed offices; would be a lot cheaper than building next to the Y or buying the Unim building.