Fairfield, CT - At the August 24 RTM meeting, members took up two competing questions about the town's speed camera program, known formally as the Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Device (ATESD) program. The two votes pointed in opposite directions, and the results tell you a lot about where the RTM currently stands. There are 37 Democrats and 3 Republicans on the RTM.
The first significant vote was a motion to pause the program while the Ordinance Review Committee works on revisions. It failed, 9 to 29, with 2 members of the RTM absent from the meeting. The second significant vote asked members to reaffirm the program as it currently exists. That one passed, 25 to 12.
In plain terms: a majority of the RTM was not willing to pause the program, and a majority also voted to keep it in place without changes for now. Below is the full district-by-district breakdown so residents can see exactly how their representatives voted.
Motion to Pause the Program (Failed, 9-29)
These nine members voted yes, in favor of pausing the program while the Ordinance Review Committee studies the ordinance for possible changes:
Every other present member voted no, meaning the program will continue to run without interruption.
Motion to Reaffirm the Program As-Is (Passed, 25-12)
These twelve members voted no, against reaffirming the program in its current form:
Gil Larsen (D), District 2, who attended online, was not present for this vote.
Full Roll Call by District
| District | Member | Party | Motion to Pause | Motion To Reaffirm As-Is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Britton | R | Yes | No |
| 1 | Doug Kniffen | D | No | Yes |
| 1 | Melissa Longo | R | Yes | No |
| 1 | Brooke Sparacino | R | Yes | No |
| 2 | Scott Bisang | D | No | No |
| 2 | Craig Diamond | D | Absent | Absent |
| 2 | Gil Larsen | D | No | Not Present |
| 2 | Cara Leichter | D | No | Yes |
| 3 | Ashby Dodge | D | No | No |
| 3 | Sean Ellwanger | D | No | Yes |
| 3 | Myke Hartigan | D | No | No |
| 3 | Cindy Waldron | D | No | Yes |
| 4 | Jennifer Hauhuth | D | No | Yes |
| 4 | Laura Karson | D | No | Yes |
| 4 | Michelle McCabe | D | No | Yes |
| 4 | Elizabeth Zezima | D | No | Yes |
| 5 | Mary Lake | D | Yes | No |
| 5 | Betsy Elrick | D | No | Yes |
| 5 | Sharon Pistilli | D | No | Yes |
| 5 | Jay Wolk | D | No | Yes |
| 6 | Emma Barron | D | No | Yes |
| 6 | Erik Drewniak | D | No | No |
| 6 | Tracy Rodriguez | D | Yes | No |
| 6 | Alison Seyal | D | Yes | No |
| 7 | Steve Berecz | D | No | Yes |
| 7 | Catherine Cardell | D | No | Yes |
| 7 | Reinaldo Gonzalez | U | No | Yes |
| 7 | Scott Nickel | D | No | Yes |
| 8 | Leonard Braman | D | No | Yes |
| 8 | Christopher Carroll | D | No | Yes |
| 8 | Richard Jacobs | D | No | Yes |
| 8 | Eileen O'Reilly | D | No | Yes |
| 9 | Dru Georgiadis | D | No | Yes |
| 9 | Lisa Havey | D | No | Yes |
| 9 | Amanda Parrish Morgan | D | Yes | No |
| 9 | Eric Treschuk | D | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | Matt Ambrose | D | Yes | No |
| 10 | Justin Contratto | D | Absent | Absent |
| 10 | Margaret Horton | D | No | Yes |
| 10 | Pierre Ratzki | D | No | Yes |
Craig Diamond, D-2 and Justin Contratto, D-10 were absent for the full meeting and are not counted in either vote. Gil Larsen, D-2 was present for the motion to pause but absent for the motion to reaffirm.
What This Means
Nine members wanted to pause and let the Ordinance Review Committee do its work first. A separate group of twelve, overlapping with but not identical to those nine, was unwilling to say the program is fine as it stands.
Residents who want to weigh in on how the program is run, including fine levels, revenue use, and enforcement hours, can use the Ordinance Review Committee's process as the next opportunity to be heard, the schedule for which has not yet been released.
Did your representatives vote represent your views? Share thoughts with the RTM; click here.
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