Report by Paula Antolini
July 13, 2017 8:13PM EDT
Bethel Democratic Party Is Seeking Volunteers To Run For Office This Fall
Message from First Selectman Matthew Knickerbocker:
Many of you have shared your thoughts and observations about our town over the past couple of years, and sometimes those opinions are quite strong. If this describes you, now you have an opportunity to put your ideas into action and make a difference.
The Bethel Democratic Party is seeking a few more new volunteers to run for office this fall. Forget about what’s going on (or not) in Washington and Hartford. Here at the local level this is citizen involvement and grass roots democracy at its finest. It is truly what made this nation great in the first place.
The openings available are in the land use area. Are you an environmentalist? Concerned about protecting native species of plants and animals? Then you might enjoy serving on the town’s Inlands-Wetlands Commission.
Are you concerned about development? There have certainly been no shortage of comments in this forum about that topic over the past few years. If this is you, then please consider running for a seat on our town’s Planning & Zoning Commission, either as a sitting board member or as an alternate. There are also opportunities to run for the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Many people who share concerns about development are unaware that under CT law, land use boards operate independently from the rest of town government. P&Z decisions cannot be overturned by the Board of Selectmen, by a town meeting or by referendum. These are boards with real clout, where every member has the opportunity to influence town development policy.
Remember that you do not need to have prior experience or particular expertise in these fields. If you do, that’s great, but all you really need is a strong interest in the subject matter and a desire to serve your community.
If you are interested, please contact the DTC vacancy chair Jon Menti. You can PM him through Facebook, and he will be happy to explain the process and answer questions.
Thank you for considering.
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