The City Council Monday night is expected to refer a resolution to the Ordinance Committee to “consider if Ms. Eleanor Guedes, a member of the City’s Civil Service Commission, violated both the City’s Charter, Chapter 2, Section 13 and the Municipal Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2, Section 2.02.080 while being registered to vote in Trumbull from June 2017 through January 2018.” Agenda here.
This council move is in response to board and commission members as a whole failing to comply with residency reporting requirements.
“It’s a little shaming there are so many people that have not adhered to it,” Council President Aidee Nieves said Thursday. “If we (city officials) don’t follow our own ordinances, how do we expect other residents (to)?”
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Someone must be reading OIB!!!!
Testa and Ganim will try to protect Guedes. Will it be a 12-8 vote in the CC to protect Guedes? Time will tell.
My prediction,Mark Anastasi will attempt to hijack the residency requirement resolution. CC members will have to speak up loud and clear then and there to put Anastasi in his proper role. I predict he will interrupt the CC precedinga when this resolution comes up.
Dear Aidee,
It is disappointing, isn’t it, but perhaps there is an opportunity for you to change responses among those who are required to report their address to the Town Clerk annually or within 30 days of a change of residence.
The City Clerk has, or can obtain the name of every member of every Board or Commission over which the Mayor holds appointment powers. And the Clerk also will have an email address. Draft a short note and ask people to visit the Town Clerk office and report their residence as required. Does that sound simple? Post that list with the Town Clerk office and ask them in 30 days how many folks have ignored the request? 60 Days? Maybe someone moved or died? Governance in Bridgeport? Time will tell.
Aidee
Here is a start. The article said a majority of council members and other elected officials have filled out the form. At the next council meeting announce that the council members have one week to complete the form or you will begin proceedings to remove the members who have not filled out the form for lack of proof of residency,
Sound simple enough.
I have not yet completed one year as an elected official and have officially provided my address at my swearing in ceremony as had every other newly elected official. So technically we are all in compliance in my humble opinion. Furthermore the reporting requirements have no teeth for duly ELECTED officials. Removal procedures can only proceed for appointed officers (which seem to be the central problem.
Failure to abide by section 2.02.080 by an elected official may result in the filing of a formal complaint by the town clerk to the Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission.
Failure to abide by section 2.02.080 by a board or commission member (mayoral-appointed or otherwise) may result in referral to the mayor and city council for removal pursuant to the Charter of the City of Bridgeport, Section 17. Removal of Certain Officers.
And one more reason for a Charter Revision Commision to be led by (Ret) Judge Carmen Lopez.
Joe
Without having the ordinance in front of me to see what it actually says, I am guessing that it does not say “members of boards and commissions who have served at least 1 year.”
So you must fill out the form.
I am sure in a city like Bridgeport there have been at least one commissioner who moved before they served a minute. If you would like write up language that you would prefer to see and submit it to your council representative.
If it passes, well he’ll, it will take more time than a year so you will still have to fill it out. But nice try.
I did have the language on hand when I wrote my post it says in part every one year before a certain day in Jan. Upon swearing in I filled out my name and address under oath and provided it to the town clerk. I have yet to serve a full year so the address I filled out is valid until January. If for whatever reason I chose not to fill it out (I will fill it out as I have nothing to hide) no current city ordinance (or possible future ordinance) can remove me from office. There is no city penalty for elected officials who fail to comply. A complaint can be filed with SEEC. It’s doubtful that SEEC would take action to remove a fully elected official for a minor paperwork violation. Not saying it’s right, just reality.
I provide my address and complied before Jan 31nfor last year. Here’s the language.
All municipal elected officers, as well as board and commission members (mayoral-appointed or otherwise), are required to provide their current residence street address of record to the town clerk’s office by January 31 st of each year of service. Any change of residence address during service as an elected officer or board member must be reported to the town clerk’s office within thirty (30) days of such residency change.
Bob, Joe, and others,
It is likely that you are each correct insofar as the story goes. Apparently the Town Clerk attempting to carry out the spirit and letter of the Ordinance, created a new form not in use before. As completed they are filed alphabetically in a notebook.
Perhaps the form Joe signed was one that the Town Clerk’s office has used in the past for BOE and other elected officers. I do not know. Perhaps the City Attorney office did no oversight? Perhaps they did? Was coordination sought?
In a City where there are homeless persons without shelter or those who surf from one couch to another depending on the luck of an evening, isn’t it special that the Chair of the Civil Service Commission has a choice of “residences”, municipalities within which to register and vote, and is so valuable to that commission in the eyes of the Mayor that though her “current” appointment expired nine years ago, she is the only one suitable?? I have often commented that our Board and Commission system needs a training and evaluation component. Grudgingly I recognize that the evaluation component is there currently: “How am I doing Mayor? Am I allowing your interests to be carried out without opposition?” Time will tell.
The arrogance of Joseph Sokolovic when he says not filling out the residency reporting form is a minor paperwork violation. Not filling out paperwork that would attest to your residency is a minor violation rather than a blatant lie or a monumental failure on his behalf. Not filing out a residency report form is no big deal and that he feels that the SEEC would do nothing because the tiger has no teeth.
Council President Aidee Nieves, the residents of Bridgeport deserve better than this arrogance displayed by Joseph Sokolovic and Eleanor Guedes who think the rules of fairplay and honesty either doesn’t apply to them or no big deal. Council President Aidee Nieves, you and your council contemporaries need to show Joseph and Eleanor that it is indeed a big deal that Bridgeport has rules that they and every other individual who meets this criteria will comply with, no exceptions.
Donald,I don’t think he is being arrogant. What I think he doing is interpreting the letter of the law(city charter) as it stands now. As I said above,just another reason amongst many which calls for a Charter Revision Commision.
***Slam dunk decision, Its a violation! ***
Frank, you are correct I misread, my bad. Having said that my comments are still validate with respect to Eleanor Guedes, who remains a political hack whose Bridgeport address is only to perpetuate a political fraud on the people of Bridgeport. C’mon Mayor, I know if you try hard you can find some political hacks that live in Bridgeport, you’ve never had a problem before.
No worries Mr. Day I am quite often mistaken for arrogant and quite often it is a correct assessment. I was just pointing out the inadequacy of the charter. And if you watch all the BOE meetings and how I vote and what I advocate for the children of my city (my own son included) i’d Say BRIDGEPORT BOE deserves 8 more of me. Now that’s something that can be misconstrued as arrogance!! There’s a certain freedom of likely being one and done and not looking for another job, caring about re-election. You can speak your mind, vote your conscience regardless of what the puppet masters desire.
I am attaching an article from the CT Post.Eleanor Guedes has at least two major issues. In addition to the residency requirement,she is a partner in Primrose(Guedes Family) Construction Company which just announced,along with Mayor Ganim,the two ice rink development-with 100% private funds! I would say her third major issue is her effectiveness as chair of the BPT Civil Service Commission. https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/In-Bridgeport-not-everyone-thinks-new-ice-rinks-13267328.php
Update on an on-going issue. https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Fired-Bridgeport-librarian-files-federal-lawsuit-13264004.php
As of the 10/1/2018 CC meeting,it looks like the Guedes Resolution has been moved on to the Ordinance sub-committee.