Political Divide, Metro Center Discussed At First Selectman Forum

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield's candidates for first selectman at a recent forum sparred about the state of bipartisanship in town and the handling of contaminants found at the public works fill pile, but agreed on a need for more commercial development and better severe weather preparedness.

The forum for candidates Mike Tetreau and Brenda Kupchick was held Monday, just over a week before Election Day, by the Fairfield Rotary Club at the Gaelic American Club.

In response to a question about how to ensure all points of view are considered in Fairfield government, incumbent Tetreau, a Democrat, noted more Republicans than Democrats have been appointed to town boards and commissions during his time as first selectman.

"Everything we do in town, every tax dollar you're paying, has been approved by a bipartisan group," he said. "... this is not the state level where you can sit there and blame the other party."

Kupchick, a Republican and state representative for District 132, said that 20 years ago Fairfield did not have the partisanship she has seen over the last decade. Competing proposals from the Republican and Democrat factions of the Representative Town Meeting on how to handle oversight of the aftermath of the fill pile controversy was one example of division Kupchick listed, suggesting the first selectman should have mediated the issue with party leaders.

"That's the kind of thing I am going to do," she said.

When asked to address the issues surrounding the fill pile, the arrests of two town employees in connection with illegal dumping at the site and the discovery of contaminants from the pile at parks and schools across town, Kupchick responded by criticizing Tetreau's handling of the crisis. She listed a litany of grievances dating from 2011 to 2018, including a request for proposal for management of the pile site that was signed without going before the Board of Selectmen. Kupchick also implied Tetreau lacked leadership and oversight.

Tetreau disputed the implications, describing proactive steps his office took during the course of the controversy, and noting the clause of the Town Charter requiring the board to approve agreements such as the fill pile request for proposal has not been followed for 40 years.

Although Tetreau and Kupchick are running for first selectman, either could end up serving as a selectman. Whichever first selectman candidate gets fewer votes is then in the running to become a selectman, along with Republican Tom Flynn and Democrat Nancy Lefkowitz. Of those three candidates, the top two vote-getters are named selectmen.

Tetreau has been first selectman for eight years and prior to that spent 35 years in the private sector. Kupchick owns a small business with her husband and held seats on the Representative Town Meeting and Board of Education before becoming a state representative. Tetreau emphasized his managerial and communication skills Monday, while Kupchick talked about her experiences as a mother and business owner, telling the audience that Fairfield needs "a bipartisan, common-sense woman" in the first selectman's office.

The election is Nov. 5. Outgoing Republican Selectmen Chris Tymniak and Ed Bateson are not seeking reelection.

Both Tetreau and Kupchick agreed Monday that Fairfield must prioritize economic development. Tetreau noted 10 percent of Fairfield's tax dollars are commercial and only 4.5 percent of land in town is zoned for commercial use, adding there is an opportunity in the southeast section of town to develop aggressively, with the potential for four- to six-story buildings in the Metro Center area.

"We have a lot to offer businesses both coming into Fairfield but also for their employees to live," he said.

Kupchick lamented that Fairfield's mill rate has increased almost 20 percent in the last 10 years.

"We need to really work hard, and I mean prioritize, building up the Metro Center, getting the Exide facility up and running," she said.

When asked about how to handle natural disasters in Fairfield, Tetreau discussed the town's shift to better address intense localized storms by sending messages to residents through the CodeRED program and holding training for first responders. Kupchick focused on issues with the Rooster River, and said grant money that could be used to address river flooding has been returned to the state in the past. She pledged to work with Trumbull and Bridgeport to improve conditions related to the river.