First Selectwoman Responds to Attorney: “ I am fully committed to maintaining and preserving the original mission of TEAM Westport”
Westport First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker: Dear Attorney Marino:
I am writing in response to your letter of January 31, 2022 regarding alleged violations of the Westport Town Charter (the “Charter”) and state statute relative to membership on the TEAM Westport Committee. Upon receipt of your letter, I requested that our Town Attorney provide a response. Please see the attached letter from Westport Town Attorney Ira Bloom, dated February 11, 2022, which addresses the claims.
First and foremost, the work of TEAM Westport is important to the future of our community by helping to ensure that everyone - residents, employees, business owners and visitors alike - feels that they belong and are welcome here. The Town of Westport thrives on the volunteer efforts of numerous people, including members of TEAM Westport, who generously give of their talent and time. I am so grateful for our appointed board, commission and committee members who help make Westport the best place to live, work and play.
The First Selectwoman is responsible for appointments to all Town committees – and the legal claims made by you and the subsequent response issued by Town Attorney Ira Bloom have prompted a reevaluation of the membership of these committees.
Specifically in response to the TEAM Westport Committee, it is the opinion of our Town Attorney that the membership is not in violation of the Town Charter provisions regarding term limits and the removal of any member who ceases to be a Westport voter. This legal response is based on the fact that committees are advisory in nature. Committees are formed with the intention to utilize the most qualified volunteers to offer guidance and advice, and thus are not subject to the same Charter provisions as Boards and Commissions. However, based on a review of the Connecticut General Statutes, our Town Attorney advises that the minority representation rule should, in fact, be applied.
Given this intent and logic, in addition to the Town Attorney's legal advice, I will make the following changes to the TEAM Westport Committee membership: a) a member must be an elector of the town of Westport, and b) a maximum of 50% of TEAM Westport's members car be of the same political party. Going forward, prospective members of committees will be asked to submit an application articulating how their specific skill sets will assist the Town and indicate their political party affiliation (if any).
Finally, I am fully committed to maintaining and preserving the original mission of TEAM Westport. It is crucial. I am confident we have the knowledge and expertise among our residents here in Westport to fulfill the slightly amended membership requirements, and that TEAM Westport will continue to serve our community in its advisory role in creating a more welcoming, multicultural Westport.
Sincerely,
Jennifer S. Tooker
First Selectwoman
Town of Westport Public Meeting Schedule
Commission on People with Disabilities: 9:00 AM
Board of Education Finance & Facilities Committee: 9:15 AM
Board of Education Policy Committee Special Meeting: 11:00 AM
Board of Finance Special Budget Meeting: 1:00 PM
Tree Board: 4:30 PM
Youth Commission Executive Meeting: 6:15 PM
Youth Commission: 7:15 PM
Morning Weather Report
Today
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Southwest wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Tonight
A chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 10pm. Steady temperature around 51. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tomorrow
A 30 percent chance of showers before 10am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a temperature falling to around 36 by 5pm. Southwest wind 14 to 18 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 22. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Board of Education Gives Nod to Allow Optional Masking for February 28th
In a special meeting of the Westport Board of Education tonight, Board Chair Lee Goldstein described the Board’s overall support in the superintendent and his allowing Westport students to choose to unmask beginning February 28th. The Board also described policy that allows the Superintendent to make decisions “to develop health and safety protocols related to COVID-19 (the “Safety Protocols”) consistent with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and requirements, and to consider current guidance in the development of the Safety Protocols.”
Superintendent Tom Scarice gave a brief explanation as to why he decided to recommend the switch while giving a brief health and wellness update with Supervisor of Health Services Suzanne Levasseur. Scarice described a lack of masking outside of the school day, high student vaccination rates, and a continued downward trend in cases after the omnicron variant swept through Westport as some of his reasons that guided his decision to allow the optional policy. Scarice’s recommendation came after Governor Ned Lamont announced on February 7th the ending of the State masking mandate at the end of the month, with multiple districts in the surrounding area subsequently announcing their plans to transition to the mask optional policy as soon as they’re able to.
Tonight’s meeting was not a vote, but a discussion amongst educational leaders and members of the public. Explicit support in the Superintendent’s plan was given by Board of Education members and several parents who spoke at the podium while other parents described concern with unmasking directly after the district’s winter break. Scarice announced that parents would be contacted at the end of this week with updates after tonight’s meeting, with Chair Goldstein giving the overall nod - saying that she expects them to be moving forward with the plan to allow optional masking on February 28th.
The Board of Education’s policy committee will be meeting tomorrow, February 17th at 11:00 AM to discuss the masking and COVID-19 policies in addition to “Equity in Girls and Boys Sports, Student and Family Data Privacy, and "Board/Schools Interaction with Town-Appointed Committees and Community Groups.” Click here for the agenda.
The next full Board of Education meeting will be on Monday, February 28th.