Residents and some council members fault committee appointments; council forms multiple committees

Public comments at the start of the Jan. 9 meeting set the tone for a contentious portion of the evening: residents urged the council to broaden the partisan and experiential diversity of electorate members being named to newly created committees.

"Dan Sempth is a republican, Bob DiLorenzo is a republican, Len Petrucelli is a Republican, and Rich Firdette is a Republican," resident Jim Simon read aloud as he questioned the roster proposed for the Building Needs Committee. Sonia Devitt told the council that "almost all of them that I know of are virtually Republicans," and urged inclusion of independents and unaffiliated electors.

Despite those public concerns, the council approved creation of a series of committees and named chairs. Highlights included:

- Building Needs Committee (7 members: 3 council members, 4 electors) — approved 6-4; Alvin O'Neil appointed chair.
- Public Works Committee (5 council members) — approved 6-4; Alan Lewellen appointed chair.
- Board of Education Liaison Committee (7 members: 4 council, 3 Board of Ed members Lisa Carroll Fabian, Sean Kennedy, Bill O'Brien) — approved 6-4; Carrie Whittam appointed chair.
- Ordinance Committee (10 member, all council members) — approved 7-3; Alan Lewellen appointed chair.
- Public Safety Committee (9 members: 3 council, 6 electors including Chris Ciucci, James Duffy, Bill Perillo, John Dobis, Jim Wiltsie, Dave Harden) — approved 6-4; Paul Aurelia appointed chair.

During the roll-call votes several council members spoke to the balance of representation and the need for experience on some subcommittees. Councilman Green noted that the slate of chairs and electorate members, as approved so far, included multiple appointees from the same party and several repeat appointees; he said he was concerned about the lack of diversity and representation in electorate roles.

The mayor and some council members said they had consulted during the negotiation process and, in some cases, prioritized experience for subcommittee membership. For the CDBG subcommittee the mayor noted many applicants with relevant experience were already included and offered to consider changes if council members requested them.

The council confirmed many other appointments that followed the committee votes and later voted 6-4 to confirm the mayor's full slate of appointments for commissions and subcommittees.