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Norwich — The Nov. 19 public hearing on a controversial proposed zone change along Washington Street
has been moved back to City Hall, with promises from city officials that there will be live television-broadcast and TV feeds
into two other large meeting rooms for an overflow crowd.
But it's also possible that the City Council
won't take any public comment on the explosive issue that night.
As aldermen discussed a resolution to relocate
the Nov. 19 hearing to City Council Chambers, Alderman John Paul Mereen added that the City Council likely would not be able
to vote that night on the proposed zone change that involves seven properties along Washington Street across from The William W. Backus Hospital.
Before voting, the council must receive
a recommendation on the proposed zone change from the Commission on the City Plan. The commission isn't scheduled to meet
until Nov. 20. At this point, that agency has no plans to call a special meeting before Nov. 19.
Complicating matters further, the Nov. 19
meeting is the last meeting of the sitting City Council. Newly elected members would take office at the following meeting.
Mereen recommended that the council open the public hearing as legally required on Nov. 19, then postpone all comment to a
future meeting of the new council.
Mereen and fellow Alderman John Newson are
not seeking re-election, meaning there will be at least two new members of the council in December.
Alderman John Crooks suggested that all
the candidates are likely to be in the audience and could be asked to listen to tapes of the hearing to become informed on
the issue for a future vote.
Aldermen could not get answers to some legal
questions Monday, because Corporation Counsel Michael Driscoll owns property within 150 feet of the proposed zone-change area
and has recused himself from the issue. Part of Monday's resolution to move the hearing also authorized the city to hire “special
counsel” to handle the proposed zone change.
Driscoll did recommend that the council
post a prominent notice on the senior center door to alert people that the meeting has been moved back to City Hall. He also
suggested opening the hearing at 6:30
p.m. as advertised, but delaying taking testimony for about
15 minutes to allow anyone making the drive from the senior center time to arrive.
Moving the meeting also caused confusion.
The council originally scheduled the meeting for the Rose City Senior Center, as Mayor Benjamin Lathrop said, in an effort to accommodate the entire audience in one room. But Fire Chief Kenneth
Scandariato said subsequent studies have found that the senior center large conference room can hold about 250 people, while
the Council Chambers with more benches could accommodate up to 220 — although the chief added that it would be very
tight.
The senior center also has no television
hook-ups to broadcast the meeting live on the cable TV public government channel.
By opening Room 335, a former courtroom
down the hall from the Council Chambers and Room 108, a smaller courtroom on the first floor, with TVs set up in each room,
the overflow audience could follow the proceedings and come to testify when called. | 