On Heels of Victory, Tesei Defines 3rd Term Priorities

Looking a bit more relaxed and rested than he did Election night, First Selectman Peter Tesei identified some of his major priorities he plans to accomplish in his third term.

On Thursday afternoon, the 42-year-old Republican said he is focused on public safety and intends to execute "the capital plan with the Central Fire Station being the primary" project. Other public safety projects on Tesei's agenda include "advancement of the King Street fire station initiative" that also would house the northwest Greenwich ambulance for the Greenwich Emergency Medical Service.

Tesei said other plans include addressing nuisance abatement, establishing a 311 consumer service plan, and continuing the Board of Selectmen's community involvement.

Focused on the 2012-13 budget cycle, Tesei said other major capital projects include the Music Instructional Space and Auditorium (MISA) project at Greenwich High School which has been mired in a contaminated soil cleanup effort. How extensive and costly it will be has not been finalized as the testing on the project site continues.

The Central Fire Station reconstruction project continues to be on the forefront even though various town agencies have approved it. The Representative Town Meeting has approved the temporary relocation of firefighter crews from the aging and crumbling Havemeyer Place headquarters to modular units and a garage to be built western end of the Horseneck Lane commuter parking lot, across from the Boys & Girls Club. However, historical preservationists have filed an appeal with the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation.

In response to a letter filed by preservationist Jo Conboy on behalf of the Greenwich Preservation Trust, to the state historic trust, state Attorney General George Jepsen assigned two representatives from the state to review the appeal. They met for about an hour Wednesday afternoon with Tesei, Greenwich Public Works Commissioner Amy Seibert, town Superintendent of Building Construction and Maintenance Alan Monelli and the architects who designed the new building.

"They acknowledged that we did do our due diligence and there is a need for a Central Fire Station and the options explored by several previous administrations for alternate locations and the inability to find a site to meet the geographic needs of the Central Fire Station," Tesei said. The town now waits for a decision from the state on whether it can proceed with the $20 million construction project or will be forced to retrofit the building at a $29 million cost.

Other public safety issues Tesei he plans to address "is the installation of generators. We are in very informal talks with Greenwich Library." In the aftermath of the March 2010 power outage, and Hurricane Irene and the freak Halloween weekend snowstorm, once the library regained power, it became a refuge for residents seeking Internet access, electric charging station for cell phones and portable computer batteries.

He said that he also wants to have generators installed at Eastern Middle School and at the North Street outport for the Parks and Trees division of the Public Works Department. "If they don't have power, they don't have the capabilties to do their job," Tesei said.

Tesei said he also wants to explore implementing a 311 information phone system that will help town officials track the progress of resolving residents' complaints and issues. He said that now the town relies upon e-mail to track issues. An automated system would be able to track all of that as well as the resolution of issues, Tesei said. "It will give use a better measure as to call volume and the status of those calls," he said.

In dealing with updating the nuisance abatement ordinance, Tesei said he wants to "strengthen the ordinance to make people cleanup their property ... and how to map it on the town GIS system" so residents can see what properties need to be cleaned up.

Tesei also said he envisions that he and fellow selectmen, Dave Theis and Drew Marzullo, will continue their community outreach programs. He said they all participate in various activities and host events for community groups.

As an example, he said a local Boy Scout troup visited the selectmen's office last Friday and one curious scout pushed the panic button in the reception area, as he asked what the button signified. "The activation prompted an automatic police response. We couldn't cancel it. And it gave us an opportunity to have the police officer come in and explain what they do. It was a good learning experience," Tesei said.