Last-Hour Picks Spark Review Rush

John Brehon, according to himself, knows nuttin' about zoning . So why was he named? How little do the rest of the appointees know about the boards they are to serve on?

How little do you have to know to be appointed and approved to be on boards? I have volunteered on several occasions but never received a reply. Ever. Maybe I know too much?? Yeah!!! Maybe if I start mkaing more speling erors and know nuttin', I can servie on a bored, to!!!

I can assume Mr Breen doesn't care for MAYOR HARL!! While we all know what it is, I find the title of this article distasteful, nasty and disrespectful. She is a 30 year public servant, whether she lost or not. Change the name to say, Mayor Harp's Picks...... The process that is described in the article let's all readers know how it's viewed.
Shame on the NHI.
Put some respect on her name!!!!!

@CityYankee

Wow!!! What a way to insult ALL appointees who have served or will in the future serve on Boards sand Commissions. Not the mention MANY New Haveners. It also bordered on racist.

Just WOW!

@City Yankee: Appointments to Boards and Commissions are politically loaded. Many outstanding people never hear from anyone after they submit an application to serve. There are a large number of vacancies, but never in those dealing with real estate and development.
When I chaired the Democracy Fund I recruited Leslie Blatteau to submit an application to serve. Her reputation for integrity and commitment make her a desirable asset any place she chooses to serve. After months of no action, it was clear that Ms. Blatteau's nomination was not going to be accepted and she withdrew it.

I am glad someone (Richard Furlow) is keeping an eye on last-minute appointments by outgoing mayor Harp. There are many qualified residents to serve on Boards and Commissions and these qualified people have applied and submitted their applications to the appropriate person/place. But the qualified people weren't selected by the mayor. We can do better. BZA is already really diverse with 4 women, one black, one Latina, a Latina female chair, etc. Mr. Victori seems more appropriate for CPC where his knowledge can be put to use along with his Spanish speaking ability. Its redundant on BZA. And BZA doesn't need people with agendas (like green or sustainable development) because BZA doesn't usually get into design guidelines and site plans.

Glad to see some Alders exercising their oversight role and at least asking questions. They should vote down all of these proposed appointments and let Elicker pick in January 2020. He won, by a lot.

These "lame duck" appointments are a nasty "goodbye" gift from the Harp people to the City of New Haven, not just to Justin Elicker. Can't we get people who have some limited/basic/working knowledge about the subject matter of the Board or commission they are going on to? They are out there; their resumes are in City Hall.

Kudos to the NHI for covering the meeting. But, what New Haven really needs is to shine a light on the appointments BEFORE the mtg so the Alders and Mayor know we are watching. And THEN, we need to(a) broadcast the mtgs live and (b) allow for REMOTE public comment.

Dennis Serfilippi

The real question is why all of a sudden, Mayor Harp feels the need to stuff the various boards with her appointees is quite interesting. Why the rush? Some of these positions have been vacant for quite awhile - is she trying to stuff people on these important boards with union/political bias - like zoning appeals? More pettiness that seems endless.

@Darnell - another racist accusation? You need a new tune.

Thank you, Darnell. My intent was to focus on the many hacks that get appointed to commissions. Mr. Brehon was honest enough to admit that he knew little of the commission's work but apparently, he has qualifications that make him acceptable to yourself. And you should know, as a recipient of the power of the Party in NH. But stop finding racism around every corner--- when you really see it; you won't know it.

One of the characteristics of the Harp administration when it comes to numerous appointments is IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, BUT WHO YOU KNOW.
Many qualified, experienced people who have submitted applications to serve on numerous boards and commissions, never getting a response or an appointment by Mayor Harp.
In the BEST interests of this city, the BEST people should always be selected, not the politically connected!
Why would the mayor, any mayor, appoint people to boards and commission who have no knowledge, training, background or experience to bring to those boards and commissions?
The people of this city should not accept this from this may or or any future mayor.

Planting the seeds of obstruction?

As usual, a few whiny babies who complain but have no real solutions.

Elicker sent out a survey to asks its citizens for ideas. Did any of you receive it? If not, you are not part of any useful circle that is involved with what's really going on in New Haven, are you? LOL!!!!!! Anyway, I've submitted three ideas so far, and I might submit one more before the deadline. I'm new to New Haven but I could make a change in this city with my eyes closed. Don't be a menace to politics while crying at your keyboard.

@TAP: the Mayor submits nominees for boards and commissions to the B of A and the Board of Alders vote them up or down. Mostly up.
There are no standards for appointment in most cases.
So how do you propose that process be changed?
I do agree with you on this.

CityYankee,

Thanks again for making my point -" My intent was to focus on the many hacks that get appointed to commissions." again, insulting all the fine people who take the time to serve this city as volunteers. I think Sabrina said it best why you probably haven't been invited to serve, no need for me to repeat this.

What I find interesting is these people who complain about the "well connected" being selected, and then complain about THEIR friends, the "best and brightest" are not selected. Something must be wrong with the system if their friends are not chosen. I guess we will now get to see how everybody gets a fair shot. OKAY.

@Darnell: One day I hope to meet Leslie Blatteau, but she is not my friend. So much for your assumption that one only proposes friends to boards and commissions.
I understand that people select from their personal circles. That's understandable.
I don't understand when outstanding people are not even given the courtesy of a response.
Thanks for alerting me that looking for people with skills to serve is so controversial. It explains a lot.

Go, Patricia Kane!!!!

Wow again, now Patricia Kane. I for the most part have admired you from afar, though you do seem to get a little personal with folks sometime. I'm so tired of folks disagreeing with me especially and others by making snide and rude comments.

"Thanks for alerting me that looking for people with skills to serve is so controversial. It explains a lot." That was your comment. That comment as well as the idea that YOU are the best judge of who has the qualities to serve seems a little presumptuous. Also appears entitled.

Just recently I was reading a Daily Kos article about the Red Summer of 1919 where "mouthy" black men like me paid dearly for having an opinion. You should read it at your leisure.

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2019/11/29/1900019/-Red-Summer-100-years-later-1919-was-a-yearlong-litany-of-white-brutality-against-black-Americans?detail=emaildkre

I'm clear about what qualifies someone to serve the city, and it doesn't include having your permission to consider folks other than on YOUR list.

Mayor Harp is likely doing the same as her predecessors. We have elected a mayor who ran on a promise of transparency. If we want change, now is the time to demand it.

And Patricia Kane, you channeling CityYankee days a lot also.

@ Dennis Serf...

"Planting the seeds of obstruction?"

Exactly my thought. Stacking boards with allies on her way out the door to maintain some degree of influence for herself or whatever cabal she represents despite losing a landslide election. Every single one of these appointments should be put on hold and/or thoroughly reviewed by the next administration before going through IMO.

Patricia Kane could channel worse, Mr. Goldson, though I do not know her personally.
It is difficult for some to accept that people can agree on some things and disagree on others. This is the quaint custom of discourse and dialogue, which has gone out of fashion for about 10+ years. The forces of PC, anti-Western, and anti-liberal fanatics have expelled thoughtful study from our media, schools, churches, and public life in general. Maybe it will come back. But the demagogues and venal climbers who seek to impose their will on the rest of us are doing well so far.

This is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of. I had always respected Mayor Harp for her commitment to New Haven. This is just dirty politics. #soreloser What a disappointment. And shame on the he Board for moving any of these.

City yankee To Darnell's point about borderline racism, your comment finished with slang and misspelled words purposely. Yet the candidate that didn't make the cut had a degree in biology and worked in the pharmaceutical industry. He Was honest enough to say he had no experience in zoning.
I, too, was perplexed as to why you equated inexperience with ignorance. Maybe you don't know the difference? Or maybe there's another underlying reason…

Many regulatory board are designed to be lay boards. I know with Inland Wetlands it mucks things up when members bring their own expertise to decisions, because that expertise is not always presented and questioned in the quasi-court like hearing of the board. These boards all have )or should have) expert counsel to advise them of the laws. In fact, sometimes one has just enough knowledge to be dangerous. I am impressed by anyone who, like Brehon, can make a go of business in New Haven. As a business owner and operator, he might bring a valuable "real-world" perspective to the board. Not to mention that these regulatory boards require many, many uncompensated hours of ponderous hearings and shifting of evidence and law to reach decisions, and are largely thankless tasks.
BTW, zoning is meant to be an apolitical, legal process. New Haven's charter involving Alders in zoning and planning is contrary to the general statutes which set planning and zoning up as appointed, not elected boards not subject to review by town meeting or elected town representatives.

Dear Westville Man, of course I spelled words wrong to imply that no qualifications except maybe political patronage are required for a commission spot. I see my sarcasm is wasted here. You, too, see racism around every corner. It is becoming obvious that even the NHI is no longer free to be a forum of ideas if they don't tow the PC line. Sorry but we can have opinions without being racist but you continue to root out racism wherever you think you see it--- or you can invent it; like other commenters.

You are a victim of your own past comments, city Yankee, nothing more.

In fairness, city Yankee, maybe I do see racism at every turn. The problem is you never see it.

Yankee

First, it is both you and Patricia Kane " who seek to impose their will on the rest of us are doing well so far". If those appointees don't have your stamp of approval, they are not fit or qualified.

Funny, at the least the US Senate republicans were ore upfront t about their opposition to Obama picks. Though he had the constitutional right to appoint Supreme Court judges, they refused to have hearings to approve the appointment for clear political reasons. You are not asking the BOA in New Haven to do the same. Shameful!

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared any appointment by the sitting president to be null and void. He said the next Supreme Court justice should be chosen by the next president — to be elected later that year.

"Of course, the American people should have a say in the court's direction. It is a PRESIDENT'S (Obama's) CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to nominate a Supreme Court justice, and it is the Senate's constitutional right to act as a check on the president and withhold its consent."

I just wanted to make sure all you folks blasting mayor Harp for performing her statutory rights to make appointments know who points you are parroting.


NPR —

https://www.npr.org/2018/06/29/624467256/what-happened-with-merrick-garland-in-2016-and-why-it-matters-now

I stand by all my comments, Westville man, but I am no guilt-ridden victim. Nor will I be stereotyped by the comments that I have made to make it easier to frame their attacks on the few words printed here. These few words are not the sum total of any of us; are they? I leave that tactic to the weaker minds.

@darnell: Thank you for posting the link to the Daily Kos article on the Red Summer. Although it pains, shames and disgusts me to read of the atrocities committed by white supremacists against people of color, I force myself to read the painful truth so I can be a better ally.

@ darnell...

"I just wanted to make sure all you folks blasting mayor Harp for performing her statutory rights to make appointments know who points you are parroting."

I can see how this comparison conveniently comes to mind. But in fairness I think the circumstances here are very different. When Obama's supreme court nominations were (literally) ignored he was still a sitting president with meaningful time left in office and also with an historically well established administrative process in place for putting forward supreme court justice nominations, evaluations and approval. In this case here in New Haven I believe we have neither. We have an outgoing mayor who has already shown an inability to accept the message she should heave heard loud and clear in the primary. She and her campaign cabal proceeded to dive right into frankly an ugly, pointless and predictable misadventure in the general election which she lost resoundingly. The message she missed was that the people of New Haven don't want her at the helm making decisions on our city's behalf any longer most especially any key appointments for which she has not always shown great judgement in the past. To me this last minute flurry of appointments as described in this article are a continuation of this inability to accept and understand the clear message of this election. So again I believe it's a little different then the simplified comparison you lay out. But I hear your point. If I amended my earlier comments to say that I thought these appointments should be paused until there was a better established and more transparent review process in place then I would be happy to say that instead.

@Sabrina...I know many many people including myself who not only completed the surveys, we made good suggestions to Justin's transition team just because we don't scream it from the rooftops doesn't mean it isn't there.
I have to agree with Ms. Kane regarding nominations to commissions. They are 99.9 % politically driven. If you are one who in part of the IN crowd or Harp's or are trying for a Cmsn nobody cares about - you get a bug thumbs up. If however, you are an outsider and critic of this administration, you are going to be waiting a long long time.
The number of wasted talent is really sad. I know more about housing than I ever thought possible. I know housing law, up, down and sideways. I know a lot about zoning and redevelopment, fair rent, the LEGAL obligations of both landlords AND tenants. I also have a tremendous amount of integrity. I have tried to get on the Fair Rent Cmsn. for the last year. Nothing, no word from anyone. It is very hard to have faith in New Haven when these incidents happen time and time again. So many friends have thrown their hands up sold and moved out. It is so hard to keep the faith, when good, really good people are continually kicked to the curb.

@ P Kane: Per City of New Haven Code of Ordinance Art. VII Sec. 2.B: "The Board of Alders may, by Ordinance, establish minimum qualifications, training requirements or attributes for members of Boards and Commissions for the sole purpose of assuring diversity of experiences, backgrounds or attributes and continuing education necessary to the functioning of said Board or Commission." The basic qualification for a good candidate who wishes to sit/serve on a board or commission is generally one who can serve the community well, and their central duty is to determine how to balance the public good with private rights and interests, and ensure a fair and open process by following required procedures for public notice and decision-making. Since the BOA has not revealed any specific 'minimum qualifications' other than being a resident of New Haven and possibly a member of a particular political party, anything else is opinion and speculation. So what in your opinion are the 'relevant skills' that people should have to sit on the boards?

"John Behon should be congratulated on his candor. But the question of whether someone should have some background for a particular appointment is a fair one". Was his truthfulness a surprise? This token compliment may be appreciated by some, but why is this not an expectation ... of ALL candidates? And what is questionable about his background? John was a 19 year business owner who most likely went thru the same municipal process to open his business that BZA applicants will go thru, so he has ...I dunno ... background? Your recruited applicant (a 10 year high school teacher) had a 'reputation for integrity and commitment make her a desirable asset any place she chooses to serve'. Great personality traits, but would you agree that a 'fair' question would be what are the skills or background that would make her an asset to the Democracy Fund Commission and John not a asset to the BZA? Just asking for a friend!

@Hill Resident: Thank you for the info re: the Board of Alders ability to "establish minimum qualifications, training requirements or attributes for members of Boards and Commissions for the sole purpose of assuring diversity of experiences, backgrounds or attributes and continuing education necessary to the functioning of said Board or Commission."

@ P Kane - my point exactly … without the qualifications being clearly defined - what makes John Brehon less qualified than Leslie Blatteau? By your own admission, going thru a process does not present as fact that one actually learned something about the process. But being a distinguished community resident, a Yale graduate, a recipient of numerous awards and having been involved in a political party makes YOUR candidate qualified … according to YOUR standards, which are YOUR standards … not THE standards. And some might be of the opinion … which again by your own admission we are all entitled to … that your 'being kind enough to congratulate Mr. Brehon for his candor'!!! sounds like a condescending pat on the head and has the appearance of entitlement … something I am certain you will vehemently deny … which is what those who blindly hold the assumption of entitlement usually do. Disclaimer: There IS a world that you have not nor ever will live in and cannot assume to know how it feels to live there, so don't feel obliged to comment because you have no experience to justify your comment. Why would you NOT expect that he would be anything but honest, even when YOUR accolades about YOUR candidate said nothing about her candor or honesty? You have doubts about Mr. Brehon's qualifications based on the standards YOU have set. Your question to me was 'what makes you think I'm qualified to specify them?'. Exactly! What makes you qualified to assume that Mr. Brehon is not qualified to serve on a board whose qualifications have not been clearly defined? He said, he's a "fast learner" and "will look for some guidance from my peers and also do my own homework" about how best to evaluate applications for variances and special exceptions related to the city's zoning code. There is specific text that he can draw his knowledge from and he is willing to do the work. Sometimes saying I don't know is the smartest thing one can do. That goes for Mr. Brehon, me … and even you!

Even without clearly defined requirements for sitting on a Board or Commission there are common sense fundamentals that should be undeniable to all.

For HDC; working knowledge of historic preservation, architecture, materials, etc. An architect could be good, but so could a myriad of other backgrounds. Academic, construction, resident with interest that's shown initiative to learns or has taken some continuing education in a relevant subject.

BZA. Common sense would dictate that the person be familiar with real estate terms, be able to understand the types of relief the board can grant. Ability to follow a complex code and apply (with help from staff) the intent of the code. Historically, lawyers, real estate professionals, insurance adjusters, Paralegal's, builders that have an intellect.

CPC: ability to follow a code and determine compliance (with assistance of staff). Awareness of trends in urban planning, familiarity with the lingo of development and land use, and familiarity with workings of local government (since city plan gives opinions to Alders, BZA, and other boards and departments.

I think there's a minimal level of competency and a minimal level of basic knowledge that commissioners must have. While Mr. Brehon may certainly be competent (in the general worldly sense) he just didn't have the basic knowledge.

Many lawyers and zoning practitioners had approached the mayor and City Staff for months (since the beginning of 2019) about filling vacancies on BZA. That she waited until after her lose in the election to make these nominations just seems problematic. The board was barely functioning this year with 4 members; the least she could have done was pick people with a strong background to return the board to a state of readiness at every meeting.

And many towns make available training to board and commissioners. It was invaluable for me. This should be mandatory. It's like we're setting them up to fail and get sued over and over again.

@Hill Resident

On my feet

!!!!!APPLAUSE!!!!!

@Hill Resident: The Democracy Fund Board set a minimal requirement of "some political experience" to participate.
There are no BZA requirements apparently.
The issue remains: there is a need for some minimal requirements so the appearance of cronyism is not brought up.
The subtext here seems to be that some people can comment without being personally accused and others can't.
You seem quite comfortable in that role, rather than stay focused on what should the qualifications be for appointment to boards and commission.

@DawnBli #1 I'm not sure how you found offense with my suggestion. My comment was obviously not directed at you and yet you felt compelled to reply. My comment was made well before yours so understand that there were only a few at that time I made mine and they were all being whiny babies...and racist.

#2 I could have listed all my experience, my degrees, my time on Wall St, my experience in affordable housing, my extensive volunteer work, my career as an educator, outreach coordinator, hell I even operated heavy machinery before. Blah blah blah. But I usually don't because I don't have anything to prove to anyone. Ever. I'm smart and people who are paying attention and see me regularly on NHI, know this.

I'm going to apply for a commission and maybe I won't be picked ever. But it won't be because I am not qualified. I have no interest in politics in a small town where people still act like its 1990. I already know people won't like me. When I show up I am about change. And people hate change. Everything about City Hall in New Haven says that.

No worries, Patricia Kane!! You and I don't agree on much else behind this so folks won't be conflatin' much longer!! ;)