Ms Zukowski added that the committee did not have time or the ability to flesh out cohesive themes, and that provided for added opportunities for âhighly engaged public sessions.â ÂWhen weâre talking about transparency, itâs really transparency given that we know what weâre working toward or given that weâre about to start looking deeply into making something happen,â she said, âto really make sure that information reaches the public, not that the public reaches it.â Ms Zukowski said that one point referred to operational aspects of the campus, while the other was strategic. But on the very next page, you say thatâs what the authority ought to be doing.â âAt one point you say the town should be identifying a communication mechanism or person to represent the development on the campus. ÂIâm a little bit confused about what your group is recommending,â Mrs Llodra said. This was the first time the term âoperational transparencyâ was referenced in the report. Mrs Llodra then took issue with some points in the report that seemed in conflict with each other, or appeared to lead to suggestions about utilizing the Fairfield Hills Authority that are outside the scope of the authorityâs duties. âAnd it was comforting to know the difference was only two to three percent.âįirst Selectman Pat Llodra said she was particularly drawn to the reportâs vision statement, which she said provides âa destination and an end result,â based on the committeeâs collective outlook. ÂThe idea was to represent the townâs perspective on these issues, not just the individuals who answered,â Mr Lundquist said. ÂWe weighted to be sure the data represents the community as a whole,â Mr Lundquist said noting the respondents were more predominantly female, educated, and with higher incomes than what was determined to represent a median or average Newtown resident. Selectman William Furrier generated some discussion about the difference between weighted and actual survey results, but Mr Lundquist, who is a principal with a corporate survey and marketing firm, explained that when all the data was compiled, there was a negligible difference of one to three percent between the profile of actual respondents and the weighted outcomes. The meeting began with a brief overview of the committeeâs history, the process by which membersâ votes translated into action items in the final report, and highlighted some of the public engagement activities, including several focus groups and an online and printed survey taken by about 1,000 participants.

ÂI did not want to be on this committee,â she told selectmen, and while she said each volunteer took their charge very seriously, âI canât say any two members had the same viewpoint going in or coming out.â When asked for individual viewpoints on the finished product, Ms Zukowski recalled that she was initially guarded about accepting the committee appointment, saying that her apolitical approach to the challenge of reviewing the Fairfield Hills Master Plan stood in contrast to what she saw as a hot button political issue in town. Zukowski to that task and most of those volunteers were on hand to hear the officialsâ initial reactions.

The selectmen also agreed that further official discussion of ideas and information in the final report should take place after local elections, when the makeup of the next Board of Selectmen is confirmed.īesides holding what Chairman Michael Floros described as a final public presentation and conversation about the plan review, the work of the committee as charged was wrapped up October 2 when the selectmen formally received and initiated comments on the project.īack in May 2010, the same three officials appointed Mr Floros, Paul Lundquist, Robert Mauer, Michael R. Whether Newtowners see the townâs handling of Fairfield Hills as lacking âtransparencyâ or âclarity,â the Board of Selectmen agreed Monday evening that a report generated after nearly a year-and-a-half of meetings, surveys, public focus groups, and number crunching was well formulated and presented by the nine members who comprised a master plan review panel.

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