Palmieri Takes New Role As Minority Leader, Pocock Remains Chairman

For the past four elections, Christopher Palmieri has led the Town Council candidates in total votes. Now he is stepping into a leadership role as the council’s minority leader.

The popular , now 37-years-old, stepped into the role Monday night as he was selected by the Democrats to help lead the charge to a brighter future and he said he is prepared to put politics aside to do what is best for the town.

“Efforts from both sides have helped us lead to a number of initiatives in the past several years and now we are going to see those come to fruition. We have about to be renovated and the set to open in May, so we need to prepare to move our departments there,” Palmieri said after the Monday night.

“The primary goal, for both sides, is to look out for our taxpayers and maintain services and I believe we can accomplish that,” he said.

During Monday’s meeting, members unanimously selected officers for the 2011-13 term and it came as no surprise that the incumbent majority nominated Edward Pocock III as chairman and John Dobbins as vice chairman. The two served in those positions during the previous term.

Councilwoman Stephanie Urillo said under the leadership of Pocock, the council has been able to make great strides in addressing issues throughout the community and was confident he would help continue to move things the right way in the years to come.

One of the biggest priorities over the next term will be to identify and implement a capital improvement plan that will help rejuvenate the infrastructure and that will include taking a hard look at the town’s parks system, Pocock said.

“Tonight, we start a new chapter and I can’t think of a better group to do it with than those here tonight (on both sides of the aisle),” he said.

Dobbins added that with the passion the council will bring and the support of the town’s residents, they will work together to make Southington “the best it can be.”

Monday Meeting Notebook
Land Purchases
There were several items for the Town Council to tackle after being sworn in to the new term and members didn’t waste any time in getting to down to business.

The town has received $2.335 million from the state, which in late September granted permission of the grant money to be used in the purchase of the , a parcel of land off of Mill Street in Southington next to the Quinnipiac River, and council members Monday approved the purchase of the property.

The council also approved the purchase of 1043 S. Main St., a 1.16-acre parcel adjacent to the , for $260,000. The land will be used as part of the middle school renovation and could be part of a staging area.

Both items were forwarded to the Planning and Zoning Commission as an 8-24 referral, which is designed to make sure it fits with the town’s plan of development.

Always Remembering 9-11
Council members also saw a special presentation Monday night delivered by members of the 9-11 committee, who presented them with a special plaque and 10-minute video designed to commemorate the communities involvement throughout the process.

The plaque, made of stars with good deeds pledged on behalf of each of the victims of the deadly 2001 terrorist attacks, will circulate among the 60 organizations and businesses involved said the Rev. Jim Debner of Zion Lutheran Church, starting at .

Once completed, it will be presented to the Southington Historical Society. The video will also be displayed on the community access channel and we are working to include a copy of it on Southington Patch.

Hotel/Motel Tax Abatement Tabled
Council members, in a last order of business Monday, tabled a motion regarding in the community that would commit $100,000 or more to upgrades to their facilities. Click on the link provided for more information on the proposal.