Letter to the Editor from Bethel First Selectman Knickerbocker in Response to Bill Hillman About Charter Revision Commission

Report by Paula Antolini
April 7, 2017 6:19PM EDT

 

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR /OPINION

Letter to the Editor from Bethel First Selectman Knickerbocker in Response to Bill Hillman About Charter Revision Commission

This Letter to the Editor was sent to Bethel Advocate today from Bethel First Selectman Matthew Knickerbocker, and is addressed to resident Bill Hillman in response to his recent Letter to the Editor about the Charter Revision Commission, posted earlier today. It reads as follows:

 

Bill,

Thanks for the email.

That process is open for discussion, and speaking personally, I have no intention of making those choices, when the time comes.  In fact, I would rather not be personally involved. The intent that all three selectmen verbalized at the meeting the other night was to explore the idea of a more open and transparent selection process that favors individuals who are capable of staying focused on the long term objectives, even in the event some temporary controversy arises.  None of us envisioned discarding the current party selection process. We were more or less thinking out loud of ways to enhance that process.  Nothing more.

For the record, I wish to avoid political appointments to the greatest degree possible. We are bound to follow state minority representation law and must balance the commission assignments between the two parties. But aside from that, what I would like to see are people who understand organizational structure, who can help us take inefficiencies out of local government decision-making. Maybe an additional interview process is a good way to get the right candidates, and maybe it isn’t. I am happy to have a cup of coffee and discuss.

Please note that I have removed Rich Straiton and Paul Szatkowski from my reply to this email.  Including them would have constituted an FOIA violation.

Regards,

Matt K.

Matthew S. Knickerbocker, MPA

First Selectman

 

 

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the letter writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Bethel Advocate.

 

 
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