Newsletter Volume 3 • Number 25
We’re grateful for our elected representatives who’ve offered a personal touch as part of all they do
Serving as a legislator goes beyond shaping policy, attending late night floor debates and bringing tax dollars back home. A core part of the job is looking out for neighbors by providing constituent service in ways large and small. It could be navigating government agencies, finding public resources, or amplifying an individual’s voice. A few of their stories:
State Rep. Steve Meskers
Steve got a call from Greenwich resident Joel Halberli, who’d been stonewalled by his health insurance when it came time to pay for a serious medical event. The standoff had gone on for years, until Steve contacted the insurance carrier.“Lo, and behold,” Halberli says, “within a matter of days, the insurance company paid the bill.” Halberli even released a video saying he was “eternally grateful” for Steve’s help.
They have cut through red tape
State Rep. Rachel Khanna
Rachel says helping residents, whose requests have come by email or at coffees she’s held, has been the most rewarding part of her work. A chance meeting with one small business owner with lifelong ties to the town brought to light his struggle getting a loan. Rachel made inquiries and connected him with the state Department of Economic and Community Development.
Another constituent needed help with the registration for his electric pickup truck. It was classified as a commercial vehicle because its battery tipped its weight 40 pounds over the passenger truck limit. Out of concern for the environment, he had converted his home to run on heat pumps and solar power, but now his electric truck’s commercial status prevented him from using the town recycling center. So Rachel helped push through a change to the statute redefining a personal vehicle.
They’ve been there in times of need
A dyed-in-the-wool Republican was struggling to cover her rent after falling ill. Rachel helped her find resources at the Greenwich Department of Human Services, the State Department of Housing and Connecticut Legal Services.
In August, parts of our state were devastated by flooding due to torrential rains. Congressman Jim Himes heard from many neighbors “reeling from effects on their homes and businesses,” and was instrumental in obtaining a major disaster declaration that helped families access federal recovery funding. Himes’ office helps constituents navigate federal agencies, assists veterans in obtaining their benefits, and even arranges Capitol building tours for residents visiting Washington, D.C.
Happy Thanksgiving!
As you celebrate your holiday, join us in raising a glass to our public servants who have chosen not only to stand for office to improve the collective good, but also help our neighbors’ individual needs as well.
Last week, a hearing on First Selectman Fred Camillo’s long-stalled pet project to rebuild the Dorothy Hamill skating rink, with current plans calling for relocating it within Eugene Morlot Park in Byram, continued to draw opposition from neighbors and skepticism from members of the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) commission.
The proposed rink, which Camillo appointed his hockey enthusiast pal Bill Drake to design along with fellow rink users, has suffered repeated setbacks, in no small part because he failed to balance the building committee with people representing other interests and expertise.
As a result, estimated costs have fluctuated wildly, from $21 million in 2023, to $11 million a week later, when the finance board was voting on approval. (Some joked that they’d gotten “a Groupon half-price deal.”) At the P&Z hearing last week, project sponsors estimated the cost at $23 million or more.
Neighbors oppose putting a “Walmart-sized building” in the center of one of the few parks in the densely packed neighborhood, and its encroachment on a memorial grove honoring war veterans. Moreover, Greenwich’s broken capital planning process has put many other projects, such as making our schools compliant with disabilities law, on hold for years. Some worry Camillo will leapfrog his pal’s project to the front of the queue if it is approved. Stay tuned.
| Volume 3, Number 25 • November 21, 2024 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |