From Joe Solari:
Chris,
Trying to spread the word to get tax payers, business owners and associations to the RTM meeting on May 9th – the night the RTM votes on the budget for the town of Greenwich. We need to send a message to our town government at this meeting. Can you help me get the room overflowing? I want to see Publius, Balzac, Cato, Cos Cobber, Mickster and (and dare I say Walt) at the podium!
Get up, Stand up against fiscal imprudence and higher taxes in Greenwich
It is time for the silent majority in town to speak up!
RTM Meeting – Monday, May 9th – 8pm – Central Middle School
For What It's Worth 
We are closing on our house in Old Greenwich on May 2nd. Is that too fresh to go voice my fiscally conservative views?
No, show up
Come to the RTM Meeting and give ’em hell!
Maybe I shall…, maybe I shall…
Publius doesn’t live here!
M,
Vote early, vote often…… and who cares about residency.
I am sure it is a relief for many that I don’t live in town. Greenwich doesn’t need another reason for a wobbly real estate market
Are you the Publius from Stamford?
On a different note, but related…
Hey Chris, the house we are purchasing was recently re-assessed for tax purposes (as was all of Greenwich). The new assessment is very slightly lower than what we are purchasing the house for (within 1%).
Of course, I am not happy about my taxes going up right when I buy the house! Is it worth filing for a grievance next year or is it moot because the assessed and purchased value are basically the same?
Remember the assessed value is 70% of what the Town feels is your market value. So take your new assessed value and work out the market value they have. If you paid a lot less than that market value (and it appears you have) you have the right to appeal.
Hey Mickster, thanks for the reply. I do know about the 70% and 100%. On the tax card, the 100% appraised value is approximately 1% less than what we bought the house for. The 70% value is approximately 70% of what we bought the house for.
Oh, ok if you’re buying for 1% MORE than the Town has appraised your house I would hardly think you have grounds for appeal. It also suggests that you had a lousy buyers broker and overpaid:))
Even though he speaks in partial jest I disagree with Mickster. If you paid 70% of the 70% value you have no grounds for appeal. The valuation is a very imperfect science, I doubt his Irish magic would have saved you any money even though he is a knowledgeable and affable local broker.
I think we got a pretty solid deal, and I can assure you once Chris posts our sale here after we close next week, you will agree.
Just was interested in if the taxes could be lowered but I guess we don’t have an argument if the appraisal was spot on.
Anon, we agree. I said “I would “hardly” think you have grounds for appeal. In other words you have NO grounds for appeal.
Dr Z, BTW I was joking about you overpaying:)) Last year OG properties sold on average at 1.8 times assessed value or 1.25ish appraised value. You did fine.
I know you were, my wink went to the wrong spot!
Yours is probably the only house in town that the assessor assessed accurately!
I’ll attend. Thanks for letting us know about it. The debt service has increased a lot. Where is that originating from – music palace, byrum pool?
May 9 Damn right.
The RTM will vote on $2 million for land for our 9th firehouse in Town, on King Street. In later years the taxpayer will be asked for millions more for the red trucks, the building itself, and 16 firefighters costing $1.6 million annually FOREVER.
Huge boondoggle worth tens of $ millions. They don’t allow speakers from the public on May 9, but contact your RTM representatives NOW and tell them NO NO NO !
http://rtm.greenwich.org/
Balzac – How do I figure out which RTM dunce-cap is my representative? I have no idea what district I am in and didn’t see a district map. And is a copy of the proposed budget available? Thanks!
Oh. And Joe Solaris – thanks for sending this to the Dude for posting. Can you wear a red dunce cap so I know which one is you?
Thank you.
Walt
http://rtm.greenwich.org/
Thanks Francis!
Just to correct Balzac. The public CAN speak out if you are a Greenwich residents. So come out and speak!
The RTM meeting this May 9th starts at 7:00PM, Central Middle School. While I encourage members of the public to come and voice their opinion, please don’t come only armed with your best Jimmy McMillan impersonation, we have enough of that already that could make the meeting last well past midnight. Please have specific areas of reductions, that can be acted upon that night, while keeping in mind existing collective bargaining agreements and applicable state laws. The RTM is limited to line item reductions or elimination. In reality a line item reduction can be overridden by a department head by moving funds within a budget section.
If someone wants to propose a 0% increase over last years budget, I would vote yes for it.
Are you saying you will not vote for a reduction if someone proposes a 10% cut?
Correct. A 10% cut is pointless grandstanding stunt until the OPEB are restructured somehow and the collective bargaining agreements are fundamentally renegotiated (tie GWI to inflation, get rid of or greatly limit steps, increase employee contribution to healthcare, etc.).
Ever hear of an interim appropriation? We would have them every month with a 10% reduction for essential things like road salt and plow drivers.
I certainly would vote for across the board cuts and lower taxes and less borrowing and a return to pay as you go. And I am confident most taxpayers in Greenwich would too. Aren’t our representatives supposed to represent us? Allowing “the system” to get in the way of what’s right is wrong. It’s time to take back our government – on all levels.
It’s hard to understand why we do not start with how much we’re willing to spend each year, and make the budget find the funds, rather than just deciding the wish list we want, setting mill rate, artificially tweaking the grand list, and borrowing to cover it all. Be that as it may…
IT IS ABSURD that Greenwich keep increasing its budget and taxes and when the town has been and will continue to be negatively impacted by the declining state of the state. The can kicking stops now.
It’s time to stop enabling Taxation without Representation – I hope everyone that reads this shows up and makes their voices heard loud and clear on May 9th. Fill that room up, and bring to the light of day what is going on.
And then, when the times comes, vote out anyone and everyone standing in the way of what is right.
from buck swope’s first comments it sounds like he wants to be on the RTM but he doesn’t want to stay there all night if that’s what it takes. Buck do us all a favor and resign.
Tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend. We used to be a pay-as-you-go town until the progressives took over the bull horn to promote the Misa Palace, Police Palace and Fire Palace.
You speak the truth but until more of you show up and make noise at meetings it wont matter.
By progressives, you mean Jim Lash, now of the the BET, who as First Selectman championed running up debt to accelerate these projects.
He created the means to deficit fund all these projects.
The train is so far off the tracks in Greenwich that there needs to be some kind of cold slap to the face of the First Selectman, the BET and a number of wholly unaccountable boards who think that just because they want to overspend, and spend recklessly, that all they need is the “insiders” to go along that they will be OK. Its not OK anymore and the RTM may be the only place to make everyone just stop and assess the potential wreckage. I’m going to get killed for saying the following, but I’m retired, so here goes:
1) I hope that the RTM votes down New Lebanon School funding. Not because I don’t think a new school isn’t a good idea, it is. But the process is so hopelessly out of control, and the state funding is such an illusion that it will probably wind up costing the Town many tens of millions of dollars we won’t “expect”. Kill it, have the BET come up with a hard number and make the BOE and the building committee meet that number, period
2) Firehouse. Goodness, the Town wants to buy an overpriced 4 acre carveout without any reasonable due diligence for a firehouse that we may or may not need. This is an example of an issue in search of a crisis. Yes, I am sympathetic to the dangers of fire in the Northwest, but I’ve been involved in Town government for more than 10 years and as of yet have not heard of an event that would warrant the construction. I’m still at a loss as to why New York mutual aid is not a reasonable cost-saving alternative but this is an expense that is only on the burner because the proponents have worn down everyone else. Its not an excuse, it should go down.
3) Witherell funds. I heard that the witherell is asking for $5 million because they have kept accounting that did not actually match the expenditures. While some think that it is based upon lack of state reimbursement, medicare payments or something else, if they botched their books to the tune of $5 million in just a couple of years, what is the actual long-term prognosis of Witherell. I’d even be in favor of long term subsidy to keep it open, but until they actually demonstrate truth in spending we can’t just keep going.
To me these (and more – go wild RTM, we need a discussion) and more are indicative of a Town government structure that only talks to itself and not to the people it ostensibly serves. Ask any person in Town Hall that volunteers for office and they will be admirably candid that they think what they are doing is completely right. Its not and its getting worse
Um, who are you and what did you do with the real Francis?
This!!! FFS where was this Fudrucker in prior times.
Just so everyone knows, the first due response district of the new proposed firehouse consists of 200 households. Cost benefit analysis anyone? I will be voting yes for the elimination of anything to do with expansion of the fire department.
Here’s an idea if you are super concerned about fire safety: require residential fire sprinklers in the RA-4 zone. Done.
Frank, I think you finally got your meds at the right dosage!!
Well done!
All great comments FF. Please come back out of retirement.
Find your district here: (there are 12 districts)
http://www.greenwichct.org/government/departments/voter_registration/voting_district_maps/
Budget here:
http://www.greenwichct.org/government/departments/finance_department/budget_documents_schedules/
Reading FF above: I’m very impressed. More power to you.
😉
There is one conservative college out there.
This college will let your kids bring guns into their dorms
By Associated Press
New York Post
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Liberty University will allow students with concealed handgun permits from the state to keep their weapons in their dorms beginning next fall.
The News & Advance reports those students would need permission from the school first. The guns would be kept in safes inside the residence halls at the private Christian university.
The policy change was given the go-ahead by the university’s board of trustees last week.
University President Jerry Falwell Jr. announced last year that eligible students could carry guns anywhere on campus. Previously, students who qualified could carry guns anywhere except residence halls.
Liberty University has over 14,500 residential students. One requirement for having a concealed-carry permit is being 21 or older.
Falwell says he expects the change to affect few people since not many 21-year-old students live in dorms on campus.
FF…the true FF is unleashed now that the shackles of the DTC have been lifted.
I totally agree with your list. But, lets go ahead and talk about the GROWTH IN HEADCOUNT…..Town Hall and BOE are bursting with layers of layers of paper pushers. There are Assistants to the Assistants in so many departments…. secretaries for every manager (who has that today?!, and way too much deadwood people who could give a shit about customer service—even after all that Tesei sponsored “be nice” training!
May 9, Monday at 7 pm……its in the calendar!
Years ago I attended (to please a friend) a League of Women Voters sponsored event featuring a preview of the town budget. I was the only (non-political) person in the room who commented that the expenditures for town employees was way out of line; the speaker admitted that yes, the town was “richly staffed” and that essentially the only way that would change is if the “common folk” would raise bloody hell. Time for the pitchforks, and good luck! Oldtimer
Dude –
The entire mindset that a 2.5% planned annual tax increase, with a corresponding spending increase IS A WIN, shows we have TOTALLY incompetent leadership. IT’S A DISGRACE!! It’s is not the real world economic environment. And even though everyone in Greenwich thinks we are “special” and not in a retard way, we really don’t fart roses. And we better wake up to that.
The spending is out of control, capital spending projects are poorly thought out, if thought out at all, Town employees are paid well above market and the private sector, and the headcount are way too high.
The pool project has been approved, and yet they don’t know how much it will cost, what the expected revenues will be, and what the annual operating costs will be. HOW DOES THAT GET APPROVED? Ignoring the fact we don’t need no stinking pool. NO ONE should approve a project with NO FACTS!!
MISA should have cost ½ of what it finally did. And why is the Town in the nursing home business? Is that its core competency? DOES THE TOWN EVEN HAVE A CORE COMPETENCY? Beside the ability to grant itself blank check spending? That’s not a skill, it’s a weakness.
IT HAS TO STOP!! FIX EXSITING PROBLEMS BEFORE CREATING NEW PROBLEMS. And the nursing home is a problem. DO THAT YOU MORONS. And stop new non-critical spending. And the pool certainly isn’t critical to anyone. Except the publicity starved, pearl wearing Aunt Bea blue hairs from the Junior League, who need a reason to throw more fundraising parties so they can get their pictures in the paper, FOR HAVING A PARTY!
The new firehouse? WE DON’T NEED IT! Any RTM member who supports this should be voted out. After they castrate themselves.
I want a 5% headcount reduction! YES THAT’S RIGHT!! They can do that and not impact services. Or they are the wrong people for the job. Why has technology allowed EVERY BUSINESS ON THE PLANET to be more efficient, except this town? IT’S NOT ACCEPTABLE!!
I want union contracts renegotiated to market. Healthcare and retirement costs are out of control, and we simply can’t afford it. FIX THAT!
I want a PBA card. A gold one. LOOKING AT YOU FRANCIS!
Why can’t towns like Greenwich and Stamford combine back offices into a shared service center, reduce headcount, space and overall costs? Why can’t that get done? It’s a win-win for both. Get creative you slugs. Instead of considering blank check spending a “win”. YOU SICKEN ME!! Not you Dude. The RTM and Tessio.
And how many people are on the RTM? TOO MANY!! That is how they all avoid accountability and responsibility. Our entire Town governance structure is obsolete, bureaucratic, and has been in place since your ancestors were still burning witches. We need a mayor. A strongman, with a bully pulpit, who is tasked with running an efficient operation, where annual 2.5% tax increases are considered a failure, and not a win. Because that is what that is. A LOSS!!
AND I DON’T WANT THE JOB! It would be fun, but my new BFF, Peter, would be really disappointed if I didn’t take the Superintendent of Schools job. As would the GHS Cheerleaders.
And can I ask you a personal question? What are you putting in Franciseseses coffee? Shrooms? Acid? He actually had a very cogent, lucid, non-“progressive” post in this thread. I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH HIM!
Or did you just give him a full frontal lobotomy? Does he need a dribble bib? I can send him some.
Your Pal,
Walt
1000% correct walt!!
Btw here is link to all RTM members
http://www.greenwichct.org/contact_us/search/
I counted 18!! For Riverside, wtf?! No wonder no one held accountable.
Sorry, link wont work properly, here’s complete RTM list
Search Contacts & Town Facilities – Town of Greenwich, Connecticut
Allen, Robert J.
RTM District 3 – Chickahominy
Address: 23A Putnam Green
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-531-5164
Alvarez, Francia
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Address: 25 Nimitz Place
Zip: 06870
Anderson, Gerald L.
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Office Phone: 201-767-7300 x 105
Address: 138 Clapboard Ridge Road
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-869-0437
Argento, Gerrit
RTM District 7 – North Center
Email:
Address: 84 Brookside Drive
Zip: 06831
Auerbach, Jason
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Email:
Office Phone: 646-522-6566
Address: 18 Field Road
Zip: 06878
Aurelia, Michael A.
RTM District 3 – Chickahominy
Email:
Office Phone: 203-622-9297
Address: 72 Oak Ridge Street
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-622-9297
Balidemaj, Granit
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Address: 652 Riversville Road
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-524-6322
Bardos, Jeffrey S.
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Email:
Address: 14 Druid Lane
Zip: 06878
Home Phone: 203-637-4985
Bavis, Louise T.
RTM District 3 – Chickahominy
Email:
Address: 74 Alexander Street
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-869-2571
Benoit, Jr., Joseph H.
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Email:
Address: 43 Riverside Avenue
Zip: 06878
Cell Phone: 203-962-5503
Home Phone: 203-637-1225
Berg, Peter E.
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Email:
Address: 28 Dandy Drive
Zip: 06807
Home Phone: 203-661-3830
Blank, Kimberly Morgan
RTM District 7 – North Center
Email:
Address: 124 Brookside Drive
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-869-2714
Brennan-Galvin, Ellen M.
RTM District 7 – North Center
Email:
Office Phone: 203-625-9252
Address: 136 Maple Avenue
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-625-9252
Broadhurst,III, Edward T.
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Address: 9 Druid Lane
Zip: 06878
Home Phone: 203-698-1605
Brown, Joshua H.
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Email:
Address: 7 Stanwich Road
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-661-7744
Bulger, Neil J.
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 11 Lincoln Avenue
Zip: 06870
Home Phone: 203-637-9484
Burke, Nancy B.
RTM District 2 – Harbor
Email:
Address: 22 Windrose Way
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-661-4730
Burrows, Mary G. “Nanette”
RTM District 7 – North Center
Email:
Address: 29 Hillside Drive
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-274-1996
Home Phone: 203-625-9445
Byrne, Thomas J.
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 337 Sound Beach Avenue
Zip: 06870
Home Phone: 203-637-4307
Cahn, Marilyn Ross
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Address: 2 Fairfield Avenue
Zip: 06870
Caldwell, Joan E.
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Address: 364 Riversville Road
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-869-2553
Carlson, Jr., Carl G. R.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: P O Box 1221, 20 Lenox Drive
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-869-1405
Chapin, Andrew M.
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Email:
Address: 190 Bible Street
Zip: 06807
Home Phone: 203-622-6686
Chelwick, George F.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Address: 7 Swan Terrace
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-661-8714
Clark, William J
RTM District 4 – Byram
Address: 42 High Street
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-531-5333
Collins, William R.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 59 Husted Drive
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-661-8755
Cracraft, John C.
RTM District 2 – Harbor
Email:
Address: 7 Relay Place
Zip: 06807
Home Phone: 203-861-2276
Crawford, Matthew J
RTM District 4 – Byram
Email:
Address: 29 Talbot Lane
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-912-9965
Curtis, Paul F.
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 8 Rex Street
Zip: 06831
Dada, El-Shaffei
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Address: 17 Marshall Street
Zip: 06870
Cell Phone: 203-570-5715
Dadakis, Edward D.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Address: 81 Mallard Drive
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-629-4535
Darer, Sarah E.
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Email:
Address: P.O. Box 201
Zip: 06807
Cell Phone: 203-550-5096
De Luca, Janet Lynn
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Zip: 06878
Devaney, Thomas M.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 5 Winterset Road
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-485-9325
Dietrich, M. Irene
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Address: 37 Gregory Road
Zip: 06807
Home Phone: 203-661-1628
Dodson, Philip A.
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Email:
Address: 18 Field Road
Zip: 06807
Home Phone: 203-661-9473
Duff, Alice B.
RTM District 7 – North Center
Email:
Office Phone: 203-618-3132
Address: 63 Midwood Road
Zip: 06830
Duge, Jr, John A.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Office Phone: 203-869-3844
Address: 22 Bruce Park Avenue
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-869-3844
Duus, III, Andreas “Andy”
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Email:
Address: 26 Cherry Tree Lane
Zip: 06878
Cell Phone: 203-858-9235
Home Phone: 203-637-7668
Eddy, John
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Email:
Address: 9 Kent Place
Zip: 06807
Cell Phone: (203) 550-7122
Ennis, Jason B.
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Email:
Address: 30 Orchard Street
Zip: 06807
Home Phone: 347-688-5172
Fahey, Susan
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Address: 10 Cedarwood Drive
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-625-7032
Fahys, Joseph
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Address: 11 Barnstable Lane
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-661-4628
Fassuliotis, Despina K.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Address: 62 Ridgeview Avenue
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-661-5991
Ferrer, Alberto
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Address: 34 Hettiefred Road
Zip: 06831
Fortunato, Dawn M.
RTM District 3 – Chickahominy
Email:
Address: 26 Booth Court
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-496-7720
Home Phone: 203-769-5270
Freiberg, Margaret B.G.
RTM District 7 – North Center
Email:
Address: 15 Zaccheus Mead Lane
Zip: 06831
Frumin, Gregory S.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Office Phone: 203-622-0177
Address: 22 Lenox Drive
Zip: 06830
Furano, Gina Marie
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Email:
Office Phone: 914-937-7651 X105
Address: 126 Bowman Drive North
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-532-5130
Gaudioso-Zeale, Donna F.
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 3 Leslie Avenue
Zip: 06831
Cell Phone: 203-918-8007
Home Phone: 203-531-4675
Ginsberg, Teresa B.
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Address: 63 North Ridge Road
Zip: 06870
Cell Phone: 203-274-3789
Home Phone: 203-637-4385
Goss, Judith G.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 20 Putnam Park
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-869-9685
Goss, Dean L.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 21 Ridge Street
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-869-1484
Goss, Dean C.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 200 Milbank Avenue
Zip: 06830
Greco, Thomas John
RTM District 4 – Byram
Email:
Office Phone: 203-622-6480
Address: 49 Burdsall Drive
Zip: 06831
Hackman, Victoria M.
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Address: 38 Hassake Road
Zip: 06870
Cell Phone: 203-536-3778
Home Phone: 203-698-9169
Hammock, Jacqueline K.
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Office Phone: 203-622-1100
Address: 51 Forest Avenue, # 93
Zip: 06870
Home Phone: 203-637-7947
Ingold, Kieran E.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Address: 207 Davis Avenue
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-622-9236
Jansen, Lucia D.
RTM District 7 – North Center
Email:
Address: 8 Sidney Lanier Lane
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-861-9425
Jenkins, Coline
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 201/2 Forest Avenue
Zip: 06870
Home Phone: 203-637-5872
Johnston, Mystique E.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 7 Hawkwood Lane
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-625-7630
Kennedy, Todd
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Address: 1004 North Street
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-869-6872
Krasnor, Martin Robert
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Email:
Office Phone: 203-618-4188
Address: 21 Spruce Street
Zip: 06878
Home Phone: 203-637-2277
Krautheim, Deborah R.
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 40-13 Ettl Lane
Zip: 06831
Cell Phone: 203-399-2374
Home Phone: 203-531-4169
Krull, Steven
RTM District 2 – Harbor
Email:
Address: 32 Butler Street
Zip: 06807
Cell Phone: 203-461-4185
Large, Abbe F.
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 11 Blanchard Road
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 917-359-4031
LeBien, Harry A.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Address: 64 Burning Tree Rd
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-629-3366
Leader, Adam L.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 7 Stoney Wylde Lane
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 914-233-3616
Lee, Jr, Frederick
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 164 East Elm Street
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-621-0613
LoBalbo, Katherine N.
RTM District 2 – Harbor
Email:
Address: 52 Loughlin Avenue
Zip: 06807
Home Phone: 203-241-1431
Lomazzo, Arline A.
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 14 Shady Brook Lane
Zip: 06870
Home Phone: 203-637-0875
Lucarelli, John M.
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Email:
Address: 57 Old Mill Road
Zip: 06831
Cell Phone: 203-561-6966
Maddux, Robert Algood
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Address: 33 Butternut Hollow Rd
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-869-9256
Maher, Brian J.
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 26 Rocky Point Road
Zip: 06870
Cell Phone: 203-981-7029
Home Phone: 203-637-5203
Manganiello, Edward M.
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Address: 3 Old Farm Lane
Zip: 06870
Cell Phone: 203-536-7674
Home Phone: 203-637-5381
Marshall, Nancy H
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Email:
Address: 297 Round Hill Road
Zip: 06831
Cell Phone: 203-912-0410
Home Phone: 203-485-0400
Mastracchio, John
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Zip: 06831
May, Robert T.
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Address: 6 Nimitz Place
Zip: 06870
Home Phone: 203-637-8676
McKnight, Jr., Robert J.
RTM District 4 – Byram
Address: 15 Peck Avenue
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-531-5233
Metter, Bertram M.
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Email:
Address: 41 Nutmeg Drive
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-531-9711
Metzger, Michael J.
RTM District 2 – Harbor
Email:
Address: 35 Morningside Drive
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-940-3337
Home Phone: 203-542-5481
Murdock, Ellen
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Address: 110 Hillcrest Park Road
Zip: 06807
Home Phone: 203-637-9647
Nacinovich, Wilma
RTM District 2 – Harbor
Email:
Address: 13 Butler Street
Zip: 06807
Home Phone: 203-869-0981
Neuman, Dana G.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Address: 86 Burning Tree Road
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-661-4902
Nicastro, Rosalind
RTM District 3 – Chickahominy
Email:
Address: 29 Putnam Green, Apt A
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-921-7021
Home Phone: 203-869-1337
Nobay, Rommel
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Address: 39 Dartmouth Road
Zip: 06807
O’Connor, Brian
RTM District 4 – Byram
Address: 8 Oxer Place
Zip: 06830
O’Keefe, Lauren B.
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Office Phone: 203-325-2695
Address: 33 Angelus Drive
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-531-8306
Oberweger, Timothy D.
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Email:
Address: 143 Lockwood Road
Zip: 06878
Cell Phone: 917-860-2739
Home Phone: 203-340-2950
Oca, Ryan C.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 119 Havemeyer Place
Zip: 06830
Oliver, David E.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 1 Winterset Road
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-554-0566
Oztemel, Karen S.
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Zip: 06878
Pecora, Sr., Sylvester J.
RTM District 3 – Chickahominy
Email:
Address: 14 Charles Street
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-869-5959
Penny, Ralph E.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 68 Stanwich Road
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-862-9802
Perkins, Jr., Russel G. “Grant”
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 70 Havemeyer Place, Unit A
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-661-1175
Petersen, Jr., Thomas G.
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Email:
Address: 134 Lockwood Road
Zip: 06878
Cell Phone: 203-561-6486
Home Phone: 203-637-1320
Podber, Jayson
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 9 Benders Drive
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 914-844-7560
Popp, Maria Madeleine
RTM District 4 – Byram
Email:
Address: 54 Mead Avenue
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-531-5490
Quake, Victoria B.
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 52 Park Avenue
Zip: 06870
Redmond, Jonathan Pierce
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 25 Cedarwood Drive
Zip: 06830
Reider, Stuart E.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 22 Birch Lane
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-629-3583
Richardson, Jr., William P.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 60 The Avenue
Zip: 06831
Cell Phone: 203-940-0692
Home Phone: 203-869-7809
Rickert, II, Barry W.
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Email:
Office Phone: 203-539-3113
Address: 25 Meadow Drive
Zip: 06807
Roberts, Patricia H. “Patty”
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Email:
Address: 9 Bramble Lane
Zip: 06878
Cell Phone: 203-252-9885
Home Phone: 203-698-2417
Robins, Robert
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 25 West Elm Street #16
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-992-1050
Rubin, Steven
RTM District 3 – Chickahominy
Email:
Address: 24-2 Spring Street
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-570-3618
Home Phone: 203-716-1818
Rudolph, David
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Email:
Address: 3 Ponderosa Drive
Zip: 06830
Russell, Matthew D.
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 10 Pemberwick Road
Zip: 06831
Cell Phone: 203-595-1587
Russell, Sarah E.
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 10 Pemberwick Road
Zip: 06831
Cell Phone: 913-488-6014
Sahrbeck, Jeffrey B.
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Email:
Address: 16 Welwyn Road
Zip: 06878
Home Phone: 203-698-7604
Samaniego, Romulo E.
RTM District 4 – Byram
Address: 1 Ocean View Avenue
Zip: 06830
Sanders, Elizabeth
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 30 Brookside Drive, Unit #4E
Zip: 06830
Schaffner-Parnell, Josiane M.
RTM District 4 – Byram
Address: 65 View Street West
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-531-4958
Shapiro, Richard
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 118 Greenwich Hills Drive
Zip: 06831
Cell Phone: 917-270-8196
Home Phone: 203-531-6755
Shedlin, Roger S.
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Email:
Office Phone: 914-318-1406
Zip: 06831
Silver, Warren D.
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Email:
Address: 12 Indian Rock Lane
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-542-5751
Solari, III, Joseph G.
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Address: 5 Annjim Drive
Zip: 06830
Sorenson, George A.
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 12 Fairgreen Lane
Zip: 06870
Home Phone: 203-637-8422
Spilo, Michael
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Address: 386 North Street
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-661-9843
Stauffer, Valerie
RTM District 7 – North Center
Email:
Address: 6 Pecksland Road
Zip: 06831
Cell Phone: 203-918-9059
Home Phone: 203-869-7451
Steinfeld, Rebecca Z
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Address: 16 Tod Lane
Zip: 06831
Stone, Louisa H.
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Email:
Address: 17 Sterling Road
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-661-5767
Tamm, Samarpana
RTM District 4 – Byram
Email:
Address: 5 Chinmoy Avenue
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-531-1820
Tebbe, Horst
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 16 Cove Road
Zip: 06870
Home Phone: 203-698-2334
Thalheim, Hans Christian
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 2 Grace Street
Zip: 06870
Cell Phone: 203-912-3411
Home Phone: 203-637-9670
Toretta, Eileen J.
RTM District 2 – Harbor
Email:
Address: 30 Lakewood Circle North
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-536-8725
Home Phone: 203-869-9148
Tuthill, J. Robert
RTM District 4 – Byram
Address: 64 Mead Avenue
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-531-5527
Varga, Helma H.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 74 Bruce Park Avenue
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-461-5044
Home Phone: 203-869-7321
Vaughn, James D.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 30 Brookside Drive (4K)
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 503-577-8577
Voulgaris, Alexis
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 19 Midbrook Lane
Zip: 06870
Home Phone: 203-637-4112
Vyas, Meeta R.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 155 Parsonage Road
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-552-1125
Wacek, Michael Gerard
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Address: 15 Wyngate Road
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-629-1885
Warner, M. Michael
RTM District 3 – Chickahominy
Email:
Address: 48 Spring Street, Apt #7
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-252-7804
Home Phone: 203-629-1454
Warzoha, Stephen A.
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 933 King Street
Zip: 06831
Cell Phone: 203-561-6055
Home Phone: 203-531-4556
Weiksner, George Michael “Mike”
RTM District 6 – Old Greenwich
Email:
Address: 12 Ledge Road
Zip: 06870
Wellington, Jr., Richard
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Email:
Office Phone: 203-869-0302
Address: 21 Scott Road
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-869-4041
Wells, Douglas J.
RTM District 2 – Harbor
Email:
Office Phone: 203-622-4455
Address: 18 Lakewood Circle No.
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-249-6707
Weston, Marla M.
RTM District 1 – South Center
Email:
Address: 2 Putnam Hill (3G)
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-869-7033
Whyko, Donald T.
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Address: 10 Park Place
Zip: 06878
Home Phone: 203-637-8709
Williams, Dora P.
RTM District 10 – Northwest
Email:
Office Phone: 203-625-8000
Address: 2 Stonehedge Drive South
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-531-9084
Wissmann, John
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Address: 5 Crawford Terrace
Zip: 06878
Home Phone: 203-637-0347
Young, Holly E.D.
RTM District 12 – Havemeyer
Email:
Address: 27 MacArthur Drive
Zip: 06870
Cell Phone: 203-253-5395
Home Phone: 203-637-3673
Zarrilli, Carol A.
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 10 Brook Crossway
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-661-5683
Zeh, Bonnie
RTM District 4 – Byram
Email:
Address: 20 Kirby Street
Zip: 06830
Cell Phone: 203-767-5219
Zorthian, Gregory J.
RTM District 11 – Northeast
Address: 6 Dogwood Lane
Zip: 06830
Home Phone: 203-629-9661
Zuckerman, Jared L.
RTM District 9 – Pemberwick-Glenville
Email:
Address: 40-21 Ettl Lane
Zip: 06831
Home Phone: 203-531-3624
deCsepel, John W.
RTM District 5 – Riverside
Address: 40 Cathlow Drive
Zip: 06878
Home Phone: 203-637-2393
von Keyserling, Christopher R.
RTM District 8 – Cos Cob
Address: P O Box 35
Zip: 06807
Home Phone: 203-869-0282
With all due respect to your objectives of reducing costs, you need to do your research first. For example, most town employees have already been migrated to defined contribution retirement plans. Exceptions are police and fire, as well as teachers who are on the state system. Migrating police and fire off the defined benefit plan is a goal of many, but there remains institutional resistance within the administration to take this issue on. For example, talk to Jim Heavey about that when you are asking for your PBA card.
You really don’t want Greenwich to have to share services with Stamford. That probably won’t reduce the cost per transaction for most services, and it would also reduce service levels too.
In terms of the firehouse, those who live in District 10, the area to be served by the firehouse, are strongly in favor of it. Many will vote against it, but probably not enough. Just last month, when the head of the Budget committee was speaking about key budget items, as soon as she raised the firehouse topic, a District 10 member objected to her being able to comment and forced a vote as to whether she could continue to speak The District 10 member prevailed, as the a lopsided majority voted to cut off the head of the budget committee from being able to continue to speak.
The point is these budget-busters must be fought one issue at a time, and it has become difficult to find a majority for common sense.
As FF pointed out, another project that has gone off the rails is the New Lebanon school. Given that we couldn’t find a majority to vote against the pool last year, I fear there won’t be a majority to vote the school back to the drawing board, as FF suggested.
Sounds like you are on the RTM. What are you doing to convince your colleagues to cut the budget? Why not talk to Joe Solari to see how you can be part of the solution to this budget mess instead of saying how nothing can be done!
With no due respect, I hope you are not on the RTM. Because your “can’t do” attitude will only ensure we continue to slide down the slope to becoming a shithole. The police, fire and teachers are a huge number of employees. The problem needs to be dealt with. Avoiding it by saying it’s a State issue, and “there remains institutional resistance within the administration to take this issue on” IS A DISGRACE. Institutional resistance? IT’S YOUR ROLE TO FIGHT THAT!! That is what the RTM is meant to do. If you are on the RTM, and that is your attitude, PLEASE RESIGN. You don’t understand why people elected you.
“You really don’t want Greenwich to have to share services with Stamford. That probably won’t reduce the cost per transaction for most services, and it would also reduce service levels too”. Actually, I really do. If done right, shared services will ALWAYS reduce costs, and it can be done without impacting service levels. But I do have no confidence that the current town leadership can do ANYTHING right. Even without a shared services solution, we have WAY to many “administrators” in the schools and the Town. ANY competent corporate executive could cut 5% of the headcount TOMORROW with no impact on services.
Your thoughts on the District 10 Firehouse issue support my point that we have a Governance issue. It’s obsolete. Let’s get a mayor, one person, who owns the budget. Everyone should be able to discuss a district 10 issue if they are funding it. And they are. So these points of protocol are just excuses you can all hide behind and continue to SUCK AT WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TOO DO!
Anyone who supported a new pool, with no plans, no budgets, no forecasts SHOULD BE SHOT. It’s inexcusable. NL I don’t know enough about to comment, but I think there are alternative solutions that have not been properly thought out. The easiest – and worst – way to deal with a problem is to throw money at it. And it seems that is all the RTM ever does. It will ultimately come back and bite us all in the ass. And your “can’t do” attitude will assure that is the path we continue to take. The path of least resistance. Which INEVITABLY leads downhill.
Walt, you don’t want to share services with Stamford because it is a black hole, with much higher taxes, a much larger welfare population, and significantly worse schools. Anything that starts working with Stamford is a camel’s nose under the tent for regional government, forcing us to pool resources with (meaning Greenwich will be subsidizing even more) our poorer neighbors.
Walt, your posts are often entertaining, but your armchair quarterbacking isn’t worth the cost of the storage that is being used to archive it.
Attend an RTM meeting, so you can see how the process works. Attend some committee meetings so you can understand the points of resistance. Attend your District meeting so you can meet those RTM members who represent you. Maybe you could join the RTM when an opening comes in your district, and show everyone else how they could have the impact you are expecting others to have.
Many on the RTM have an agenda of reducing town spending. Many others have an agenda of increasing town spending, building more buildings, more infrastructure, and expanding spending on services. It is the tug-of-war that exists in governments at all levels across the US. For example, the pool project was scaled back materially because the initial proposals likely would have been nixed by the RTM. Alas, they got it down to a small enough (but still excessive) size that it could squeak by. But it would be a bigger project were it not for fear that the RTM could reject the entire thing.
Everyone on the RTM is a volunteer. No one on the RTM is being paid. Numerous members put in countless hours, and get no direct reward for that. A few do belong because they get a benefit in their business of being a member. I doubt any are interested in taking advice or orders from those who don’t put the time and energy in to understand the details of the issues. Nothing you wrote is a unique idea, and most of it is out of touch with the way the town functions today, as well as with the range of alternatives that could be moved forward with a majority vote. And as Cato kindly pointed out, the idea of sharing services with Stamford is a really bad idea. That would only make things worse. If you really believe in scale economies when it comes to government, why don’t you just move to Stamford, because then you could get the benefits of Stamford’s without waiting for the RTM to weigh in on the value of your idea.
Claiming that someone should resign or sucks at what they do adds no value. At least RTM members took the initiative to join. If you have great ideas, take the bull by the horns and add some value yourself. You certainly are having zero impact with what you write here.
Your suggestion of changing government so Greenwich has a mayor very likely will only make the situation worse. The natural momentum is for government to grow. Even Ronald Reagan couldn’t shrink the size of government in California or at the Federal level under his watch, and after his time, each moved on to record bloat so that his respective administrations are merely a minor blip on the California and Federal budget trend charts. That is sad, but it is the reality we face. As much as you and I might like for the town budget to shrink, it is very unlikely to happen for a sustained period, particularly with the potential borrowing capacity the town would have if it started to use its long-term bonding capacity. So a mayor will only be a path for the growth agenda to move forward with less potential obstruction of the RTM. Get the wrong mayor, whether that be Jim Lash or Peter Tesei or someone else, and all these bad decisions will only happen faster with less potential for resistance.
So back to what you can do. Figure out what district you live in (if you can’t figure out what district you are in, call town hall and ask). Then go to your district meeting this coming Wednesday or Thursday night (link to meeting times and locations are below), so you can give your district leadership your opinion of town spending, and figure out whether your RTM members are supportive of your position to reduce spending. I am willing to bet you have no idea who in your district supports your position, and who among them are against your position. If I am correct, shame on your for being an uninformed citizen and voter. That would mean you’ve gone through presumably multiple election cycles without exercising your potential to impact the spending decisions that you have railed against here. Citizen government cannot function effectively when citizens are lazy like that! If you prefer professional government, then take your pick of Stamford or your favorite town in Westchester and move there.
In the meantime, to make up for your lost time, show up at your district meeting this Wed or Thursday. Citizens never show up at these meetings, so your ideas may make an impression on your representatives. You may be surprised to learn that you live in a district where the members vote FOR all these budget busters (several districts are loaded with BIG SPENDERS, and the pool vote was very uneven from district to district). And if you live in District 10, be sure to go to that meeting and let them know that you think the firehouse is a total waste, and that they should support rejecting it. IF District 10 would support rejecting the fire house, then it almost certainly would get voted down.
Here is a list of committee meetings and district meetings. Instead of wasting your energy responding to this post, channel all that energy into showing up Wednesday or Thursday, and then going to the full RTM meeting on Monday, May 9th at 7pm. That is the only way you can hope to have an impact on the outcome of this budget season.
Click to access rtnScheduledMeetings05-2016.pdf
There will be motions to cut the NW firehouse and to cut New Leb, at least pending clarification about state money. There is a fair chance the firehouse won’t pass, not sure about New Leb.
Nathaniel Witherell will probably be put off because the BET wants to study it some more. We were promised a few years ago when their renovation plan was approved that NW wouldn’t cost the town more than ~$1 million per year in subsidy – it’s now more like ~$4-5 million. We should sell it while we can and get the employees off of the Town’s payroll.
The idea of cutting the budget by a percentage is good, but you have to cut line items. That’s a big disjunct – any specific cut can rally defenders of the spending, but overall everyone wants to cut spending (except on schools, sigh….)
No one’s even talking about the mess the schools are in.
Sorry OT: What is the deal in town if you have a basement that you want to finish. I understand there is some factor or factors that would prohibit this, but I am not clear on what they are. Does it have to do with the height of the ceiling?
With respect to the inclusion of Basement within Gross Floor Area, the following shall apply:
1. Where the finished surface of the floor above the basement is less than three (3) feet above the grade plane and at all points the floor of the basement is more than four (4) feet below the grade plane the basement shall not be included within Gross Floor Area.
2. Where the finished surface of the floor above the basement is more than three (3) feet and less than five (5) feet above the grade plane, then 50% of the remaining space, after the exclusions stated below shall be included when calculating Gross Floor Area:
(a) Crawl spaces, space for parking, space for laundry equipment and space for building mechanical equipment shall not be included within Gross Floor Area. See Diagram No. 3.
(b) The following standards shall be applied in calculating the area to be excluded from Gross Floor Area:
– 300 sq. ft. per vehicle; no tandem spaces permitted
– 100 sq. ft. of space for laundry equipment
– 100 sq. ft. of space for mechanical equipment
3. Where the finished surface of the floor above the basement is more than five (5) feet above the grade plane, then 100% of the space, excluding
crawl space, shall be included when calculating Gross Floor Area.
Click to access PZ-Regs-Complete-2016.pdf
Thank you Anon 5:22am for this information. And for the link.
So what happens if one was to buy a house that has a recently finished basement that does not have a Certificate of Occupancy from the town? (I am not sure why – either the owners know it’s not legit, but want to maximize possible sale price of house or they just didn’t bother to get the Certificate before listing the house since they have already moved away)
What would worst case scenario be – having to rip the walls, ceiling and carpets out (and bathroom?)
If it is not included in the FAR they don’t need a C of O. But you should have your lawyer check it out.
Here is a list of committee meetings and district meetings. Be sure to go (bring your friends!) to the full RTM meeting on Monday, May 9th at 7pm. That is the only way you can hope to have an impact on the outcome of this budget season.
Click to access rtnScheduledMeetings05-2016.pdf