LWV-Greenwich — 2009-2010 Program
ACTION PRIORITY
•Ethics
•Health Care
•Affordable Housing
LOCAL STUDY
None proposed for this year LOCAL POSITIONS Government Board of Estimate and Taxation
(BET) — Adopted
June 2007
Currently in Greenwich each major political party nominates no more than
six candidates for the BET; all twelve are automatically elected unless
there are write-ins or candidates from other parties. To promote
accountability to its citizenry, the LWVG supports:
• Choice in electing the BET (i.e. having more candidates than seats
available on the ballot);
• Terms of the BET members being staggered rather than the entire BET
being elected in one year.
(This would require at least a four-year
term.)
• Selection of the chair and vice-chair of the BET by the current BET
members.
Ethics
— Adopted April 2009
The League of Women Voters of Greenwich believes that the public should
have confidence in the integrity of its government. Town government
officials and employees should be held accoutable for carrying out
their duties in both an effective and an ethically responsible manner.
The Code of Ethics and procedures for its administration should be
clear, transparent, comprehensive and effective.
Therefore, the LWVG believes that the Town of Greenwich should:
• Ensure that every newly elected, appointed or employed town officer
(as defined by the Municipal Code 2- 6a3) read and acknowledge
understanding of the Town’s Code of Ethics;
• Create an interpretative companion guide to the Ethics Code which
could include examples of ethical and non-ethical behavior;
• Develop a mechanism for the annual distribution of the Code of Ethics
Disclosure Form to all town officers and explicit procedures for
collecting, evaluating and storing completed disclosure forms;
• Provide sufficient funding and resources (e.g., storage and clerical
assistance) to support the work of the Board of Ethics, including annual
dissemination and collection of disclosure forms and issuance of the
code to town officers.The LWVG believes that the Town of Greenwich Code of Ethics should be
amended to include:
• Non-financial conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of
interest;
• An expanded gift policy section to address “pattern” of gifts, for
example, “no town officer should routinely accept any gift or item that
could give the appearance of influencing the performance or
non-performance of duties”;
• Requiring the appointing authority to acknowledge in a timely manner
the findings of the Board of Ethics and report action taken;
• Prohibiting the divulging of confidential information by town
officers;
• Increasing the current $100 threshold for filing a Code of Ethics
Disclosure Form.
• Requiring town officers to recuse themselves from deliberations on
issues where a conflict of interest exists.
• Prohibiting town officers from representing private interests before
the town related to his/her area of service to the Town;
• Prohibiting town officers from using public resources not otherwise
available to the public.The LWVG believes that the Town of Greenwich should:
• Enact a town ordinance that establishes a system to enable
disciplinary action as a result of Board of Ethics findings relating to
town officers.Executive Branch of Town
Government —
Adopted May 1983, Expanded
May 2000, Amended May 2007
In order to promote efficiency and accountability, the LWVG supports the
strengthening of the executive branch of town government by:
• Making the First Selectman responsible for all town administrative
functions where permitted by state statute, including supervision of the
staff of the current independent agencies, their boards then becoming
advisory;
• Establishing a permanent position of professional director of
administration reporting to the First Selectman;
• Requiring the First Selectman to prepare a five-year long-range plan
for the town;
• Electing the Board of Selectman for a term of four years instead of
two.
Town Budget Process
— Adopted August 1992,
Revised November 1992,
Reviewed 2008, Revised 2009
The LWVG agrees with the LWVCT position on Fiscal Policy with regard to
the state budget which states in part: “a budget should be an effective
policy making tool. The budget should be based on uniform accounting and
reporting procedures and should identify all money available for
allocation. The budget should contain clearly stated goals accompanied
by enough detail to enable priority setting among programs; financial
data on past performance in meeting goals; economic impact data and
program costs.”
The League believes that the Greenwich budget should reflect the
requirements and priorities of the community as a whole. Timely formal
public input is needed at appropriate phases of the budget process.
Budget information and documents should be adequate to allow the
public’s informed participation in the budget process.
The budget process should include formal mechanisms:
• To develop town-wide long-range and short-range financial plans.
• To determine priorities among programs at levels of service
agreed-upon by the public.
• To set management goals and objectives.
As part of the budget process, productivity and efficiency of the
delivery of Town services should be reviewed. It is desirable to
institute measures to encourage productivity and efficiency on the part
of Town departments.
The League believes that Charter revision is necessary to make the
preceding changes a permanent part of the budget process. For several
years, the above recommendations have been imbedded in the BET annual
budget message and calendar. However, they have not yet been
incorporated in the Charter to become a permanent part of the budget
process.
Natural Resources
Greenwich Land-Use Planning
— Adopted June 1995, Amended 1999, Amended
2004, Amended 2005
Effective town planning outlines projected development, formulates
policies to preserve resources and prepares the town to meet anticipated
needs. The town’s primary land use planning tool is its plan of
conservation and development. The plan sets forth the type and extent of
development desired by the community—its goals—and the policies and
strategies—the blueprint for action—to achieve those goals. The plan
itself is not a law; rather it is a guide for the Planning & Zoning
Commission and other town bodies as they formulate policies, draft laws,
review regulations, and make budgetary decisions.
As the town undertakes periodic reviews and updates of the Town of
Greenwich Plan of Conservation and Development and the regulations that
support it, the League recommends that the Town:
• Review and update existing land-use goals in light of current
development pressures and the irreversible impact of development.
• Coordinate land-use actions among all branches of town government.
• Educate and actively involve residents in land-use planning.
• Formulate and/or strengthen town policies and measures to achieve the
plan’s stated goals.In planning for Greenwich’s future, the LWVG supports the following
land-use planning positions:
Citizen Participation
Increased, timely, and expanded opportunities for public participation
and education in land use planning.
Drinking Water Supply & Protection (Adopted 1982, Amended 1985,
Amended 1996, Amended 2006)
Policies and measures that ensure an adequate and potable water supply
for residents served by the public water supply and those using private
wells. Measures can include but not necessarily limited to:
• An Advisory Water Supply Committee comprised of town representatives,
e.g., Department of Health and Conservation Commission, and volunteers
to make recommendations regarding the supply and protection of all
drinking water resources.
• Town developed programs and/or regulations to safeguard water quality
and water quantity. In particular, the Town should keep abreast of
weather patterns as well as the amount of residential and commercial
development in the town, particularly in the watershed area.
• The establishment of a formal working relationship with all towns
within the public water supply watershed to address our common watershed
and/or water supply distribution problems.
• If necessary, the Town should engage a professional engineer,
knowledgeable in water supply issues, as a consultant.We further recommend that the Town Plan of Development include specific
provisions to assure the adequacy of supply and the protection of all
drinking water supply sources.
Open Space Preservation (Amended 1986 LAND BANK position)
The League believes that diminishing open space* is a problem in
Greenwich and that the Town should actively intervene to change this
trend. We encourage preservation through existing or additional zoning
incentives.
We also support the continuation of the Selectman’s Land Acquisition
Committee which has responsibility for compiling suitable criteria and
planning for the acquisition of desirable properties. Upon approval by
the Board of Selectmen, this agency may negotiate, on behalf of the
First Selectman, to acquire these properties including easements,
development rights and other lesser interests. Land should be acquired
primarily for open space but the League feels that the Town should have
the option of using the land for a variety of community purposes, as
needed. Properties acquired for open space in the past or future should
be dedicated to preserve them from future development.
Purchases for open space preservation should be financed from a
dedicated fund subject to a “release of funds” by the BET and the RTM.
Sources of this dedicated fund are not limited to but could be any one
or a combination of the following: (1) through a percentage of the Town
capital budget which accrues annually or (2) through state enabling
legislation allowing the town to dedicate funds through one or any
combination of the following:
• Conveyance tax on the sale of real estate.
• Surcharge to the regular town property tax.
• Retroactive capture tax or a flat-rate tax on the sale for development
of tax-exempt property, or of property taxed at less than full rate.
*Open Space is defined as, “Any
area of land, including but not limited to, forest land, tidal and
inland wetlands, and farm land, the preservation or restriction of the
use of which would:
• Maintain and enhance the conservation of natural or scenic resources.
• Protect natural streams or water supply.
• Promote conservation of soils, wetlands, beaches, or tidal marshes.
• Enhance the value to the public of abutting or neighboring parks,
forests, wildlife preserves, nature reservations or sanctuaries, or
other open spaces.
• Enhance public recreational opportunities.
• Preserve historic sites.
• Promote orderly urban or suburban development.”Property Acquisitions by the Town of Greenwich (Adopted April
1985)
The League believes that the Town should consider all of the following
questions in determining the desirability of acquiring property for the
Town:
• Reasons for acquiring the property, including but not limited to:
o Type of property in short supply.
o Unique needs, including the examination of potential future benefits
or useful life of property.
o Need to relieve overburden on existing facilities.
o Protection of resources, such as watershed, open space,
etc.—enhancement of existing needs and uses.
o Protection of significant historic, cultural, anthropological, or
aesthetic features.
• How could or would the property be used by the Town or by other
owners?
• Could the Town adequately control the use of the property without
actually acquiring it?
• Would the expenditure be an appropriate use of Town funds in view of
current and future needs and priorities, and the impact on the tax rate?
• Are there other ways of acquiring the property, including but not
limited to: exchange for another property owned by the Town; lease;
gift; condemnation?
• How would the acquisition be financed and what would be the impact of
the financing package on the tax rate?Transportation Management (Amended 2004)
Land-use policies and decisions that provide for the coordination and
planning of transportation, including:
• The establishment of an entity within Greenwich government, including
community representatives, which would have the authority to plan,
coordinate, implement and enforce transportation-related initiatives.
• Support of numerous alternative modes of travel to improve circulation
and reduce the number of automobiles on Greenwich roads.
• Measures to promote better parking management in the downtown business
areas and other shopping areas.
• Measures that support the use of clean motor fuels where appropriate
and stricter emission standards where possible.
• Road, bicycle and sidewalk path design that protects the landscape and
character of Greenwich and provides for safe and convenient travel
choices, taking into account factors including, but not limited to,
distance from common destinations, density and topography.
• The same review process for all municipal road improvements projects
as that required for commercial sector projects.Affordable Housing (Amended from 1982 Town Plan of Development
position)
A town with a heterogeneous population of all ages and economic levels.
• Greenwich has long been home to people from many different backgrounds
and walks of life. In order to retain this historically diverse
population, the town should encourage mixed-income housing wherever
possible and make town-owned land available for affordable housing where
this is in keeping with other goals.
• The League believes that our community is best served when a variety
of residential types and densities are available and when there are
housing opportunities for people of low and moderate incomes.Mixed Use Neighborhoods
Encouraging the mixed residential and commercial use of land in areas
zoned for business.
Historical Preservation (Adopted June 2005)
• Policies and measures that address height, scale and design of new
development taking into consideration the character of the existing
neighborhood.
• Preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures.Planned Commercial Development
• Planning & Zoning Commission efforts to plan and control the growth of
the commercial sector.
• Preservation of the small neighborhood character of shopping areas
outside of the Central Greenwich Business District, particularly through
the review and revision of the zoning regulations to achieve the stated
goals of the local business retail zones.Regional Approaches
Town identification and consideration of regional approaches to land use
that will promote local land-use goals.
Plan Implementation
Measures to ensure that the goals of the next Plan of Conservation and
Development are observed and achieved.
Long Island Sound
— Adopted May 1992
In conformity with the National League’s position that natural resources
should be conserved and protected to assure their future availability,
the Greenwich League affirms the specific need to manage the impact of
development on Long Island Sound. The Town should consider the impact of
development on Long Island Sound when evaluating development that:
• Has an impact on open space, parkland, or farmland even if at present
it is zoned for development.
• Increases suburban sprawl.
• Necessitates more sewage treatment plants.
• Uses open land when densely populated.
• Is available for redevelopment.
• Causes cumulative impacts of development on the Sound.The watershed or drainage basin of Long Island Sound is the whole area
in which all the streams and rivers carry water to the Sound. Since the
Sound’s watershed extends from Southern Canada to Long Island, the Town
should actively support management of development not only within 1,000
feet from the shoreline (as at present under the Coastal Management Act)
but also within all communities of the Sound and Watershed areas
including areas that do not immediately adjoin the Sound and areas
beyond Connecticut in the region that impacts the Sound.
The League believes the Town should actively support the Comprehensive
Conservation and
Management Plan (CCMP) of the Long Island Sound Study. The League
supports having local input at the planning stages of land use plans.
The League believes that to manage development effectively, the Town
will need to implement a combination of local fiscal measures such as
local taxes, voluntary private participation, fines and penalties
dedicated to environmental issues, and fees levied on developers.
Waste Management
— Adopted March 1985, Amended 1998, Reviewed 2008, Amended 2009
The League believes that there should be regular collection of solid and
household hazardous waste financed by a combination of public and
private sources. The League supports continuous education on the need to
properly dispose of household hazardous waste.
Social
Policy
Greenwich Public Health Care
Services — Adopted
June 1997, Amended 2003, Amended 2004, Amended 2009
Public health care, according to the most widely accepted definition, is
“the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and
promoting health and efficiency through organized community effort.”
Greenwich has a wide array of public health services provided by both
government and community agencies. Some services are for special groups
such as infants and children, the physically or mentally disadvantaged,
alcohol and drug abuses, and people with AIDS or other sexually
transmitted diseases. Other public health services are for the general
public. These include such things as the prevention and control of the
spread of disease by immunization programs, sanitary disposal of sewage
and solid waste, and protection of the quality of drinking water.
In conformity with the National League’s health care position that
“every U.S. resident should have access to a basic level of care that
includes the prevention of disease, health promotion and education,
primary care (including prenatal and reproductive health), acute care,
long-term care and mental health care,” and to strengthen existing
public health services in Greenwich, the League of Women Voters of
Greenwich supports:
• Policies and measures that promote accessible and consistent health
care for Greenwich residents.
• Measures to insure periodic monitoring to determine how well the
Department of Health is meeting the changing health care needs of the
community (e.g., an increase in the aging population; preparation for
chemical, biological or nuclear disasters).
• Steps to maintain and improve home health care services in Greenwich.
• Recognition of respite care as a growing community need and efforts to
find ways of providing it for the increasing number of caregivers for
elderly, physically or intellectually disabled, or mentally ill
individuals at home who need periodic release from their
responsibilities.
• Measures to provide a level of local and regional mental health care
services that is consistent with the national league of Women Voters
position that every U.S. resident should have access to a basic level of
care that includes mental health.
• Measures to educate the public about the dangers of underage drinking
and measures to combat the incidence of alcohol and drug abuse by
providing local and regional residential services and outpatient
treatment to meet the needs of substance abusing women and their
children, pregnant women, adolescents, and other addicted persons who
are dependent on public services for treatment.
• Adequate care for people with intellectual disabilities, including
provision of sufficient community residential and therapeutic services
for those individuals not appropriately cared for in state institutions. |
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