Whoopie. I’m now legal

Written by Jan Rifkinson
Saturday, 20 August 2011

As of Aug. 15, with all the financial papers in order, my campaign for Ridgefield selectman now has an official account at Webster Bank and I am trolling (singing loudly and without inhibition) for donations.

Candidates can only do so much. The rest of it is up to you, voters, to support and ultimately vote for the candidate of your choice.

So for those of you who may have secretly enjoyed my posts, discussions, blog, newspaper articles and pictures of my Bouvier, now’s the time to step up to the plate. And if you can convince any of your friends to join the party, so much the better.

Here’s the info: Checks should be paid to: “jan4selectman” which is the name of the campaign committee. Please Mail to: Jan Rifkinson P.O. Box 1197, Ridgefield, CT 06877.

Your donations will be itemized and deposited in the committee account at Webster Bank.

Asking for financial help is an uncomfortable endeavor but a campaign is a group effort so whatever you can comfortably afford will be much appreciated.

Your donations will go a long way to help my grass roots campaign as an un-affiliated candidate (by choice) spread the word that un-affiliated simply means that I will be using my common sense when making decisions that affect taxpayers.

I have been told I am on a Quixotic adventure, that I cannot possibly beat the town’s political machine. I say otherwise and I hope you agree.

I promise not to waste your hard earned dollars on party favors, liveried waiters and limos.

My entire campaign is an open book. Symbolically, our headquarters is out in the open, under a beautiful old Norway Spruce (or is it an old pine?) in the large median between Ross Bread and Talbots.

We have a park bench, a small metal table and three chairs. Me, Stella Bella and the campaign brain trust meet on Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to noon, to discuss campaign issues and strategy. We also engage other residents in conversation about Ridgefield and we are there to answer questions should any of you care to join us.

I’m really enjoying myself. This exercise in democracy is a wonderful experience and, with your help, I look forward to serving the Ridgefield community as a selectman come Nov 8.

Ridgefield Patch 08/10/2011 > Ridgefielders For A More Open Local Government

Written by Ridgefield Patch editor Michael Gibney

Recently, Ridgefield residents and the Board of Selectmen have discussed the possibility of including more time during meetings for public comment.

Possible solutions have ranged the spectrum, the more conservative of which would allow time only for members of the board to address private concerns at the end of the meeting. The more liberal solution would open the floor to any and all public comment in an "open-mic" fashioned part of the meeting.

As it now stands, the Board is set to discuss a compromise that would allow for a more open government without letting meetings devolve or slip into the midnight hours.

Jan Rifkinson, who is getting ready to run for a spot on the Board of Selectmen in November on an unaffiliated ticket, first brought up the idea with a request for "Old Business" and "New Business" items on each meeting's agenda to allow for meetings to address issues off the set agenda.

"I understand there's an agenda," Rifkinson said. "But people do come with ideas. Right now there's very little audience participation."

For Rifkinson, the more open the better.

"My point of view is that you encourage people to step up with ideas who may not come otherwise," Rifkinson said. "You allow people to say, 'Sometime down the road, I'd like you to look at X, Y and Z.'"

Both times the subject has come up, the Board has generally agreed with the sentiment, but when it came to logistics, there were some apparent drawbacks, one of which addressed the primary reason for having an agenda in the first place.

"When we have items on the agenda, such as a blight ordinance, for instance, a specific group of people show up," First Selectmen Rudy Maroni said. "People get upset when we talk about things not on the agenda -- that's the reason we have one."

Selectwoman Barbara Manners said that residents are welcome to call Marconi's office beforehand to secure a spot on the agenda, and they are often included.

"We make it clear that people can call the office and put something on the agenda," Manners said. "And I've never known Rudy to turn it down."

The Board of Education currently allows time before meetings for public comment, which draws a large crowd at times. Having been a member of the school board, Selectwoman Maureen Kozlark chimed in on that experience.

"I liked having it on the agenda," Kozlark said. "We don't necessarily want to make it a free-for-all for the public, but we want people to have the opportunity to speak their minds."

Selectman Andrew Bodner suggested opening it up to the members of the board for a "Board of Selectmen's Report," borrowing from the "First Selectman's Report" item currently on the agenda.

"We wouldn't want someone to use it as a pulpit for issues not relevant to the Board of Selectmen," Bodner said, addressing the "open mic" solution.

Currently, Bodner said, the board is "pretty gracious" in allowing people to speak.

"I don't think there's been any meetings that no one's been able to speak," Bodner said.

Rifkinson wants the process to be formalized, though.

The subject is still up for discussion, and the board was open to the compromise of permitting a short time at the beginning of each meeting for comment but without allowing a free-for-all kind of atmosphere.

"The bottom line is to have another conduit for people to comment," Rifkinson said. "Anything we can do to encourage a dialogue should be looked at in a positive way."

Ridgefield Press 08/11/2011 > A common Sense Approach to Grants & Abatements

Written By Jan Rifkinson

At the August 3rd Board of Selectmen meeting, the Jesse Lee Church requested an approximate $800 tax abatement  on about $12k in income derived from a parking lot business on their property.

After some discussion, the propriety of granting this abatement was tabled with the not-so-unusual statement by First Selectman, Marconi, that it had been rubber stamped for years without question based on some agreement made between some people at some time, some where.

In my view charity is a wonderful part of Ridgefield's heritage. What is problematic for me is how the monies are distributed.

When the last Charter Revision Commission was in session, I suggested that the BoS appoint a 'Grants Commission'.

Going forward any organization that wanted a grant would apply to that Commission in writing, explaining why a grant was needed. The Commission would  weigh the various requests, review usage reports from past recipients and present their recommendations to the BoS, which by charter, must disburse monies.

By doing it this way, I reasoned, disbursing grants would be independent of personal relationships and political spheres.

The Charter Revision Commission researched, honed and accepted this approach, presenting it to the Board of Selectmen who promptly killed it.

The First Selectman was protective of the current system. Di Master's voiced her opposition by saying that 'handing out grants was one of her most satisfying responsibilities'. Andy Bodner mused that the amount involved (currently in excess of $225k) wasn't enough to change the system. Both J Plock and B Manners were also skeptical.

I believe a common sense argument could be made that all grants, rent & tax abatements should fall into a single category so tax payers could easily see how many of their tax dollars were disbursed in this manner.

We might all be surprised how much we spend in discretionary funds.

What A tragedy.

I can't begin to imagine the loss of the 16 year old
who was driving this car alone @ 3:25 in the morning
Story and photo from the News Times