Late last week, I sat down with First Selectman Rudy Marconi to ask him a few questions. We discussed his thoughts on the town/school budget passing, future construction projects on Main Street, and why he is undecided about running for Governor. We also talked about his Mother’s Day traditions, his SPHERE award, and his thoughts on the art scene in Ridgefield.
Q: There’s some buzz about your possible run for governor. Is there anything holding you back? We just want to give you the chance to clarify.
A: Peggy. It’s a tremendous commitment. Although I’ve had a lot of support here locally, to get support across this state is another matter and that’s what you need in a state election. You also want the support of the State Central Committee. Then, you have to travel to each and every town to try and persuade that respective local town committee that you're the right choice, to get their support. That’s a lot of work. There are 169 municipalities in the state of Connecticut and you’d probably have to visit 150 of them. The cities are the most critical.
Q: So are you still considering or have you decided, based on what you just said about having all that work, that it’s just not going to be an option?
A: There are some conversations that I have to have with some people, some state and federal leaders, to get their opinion, in Congress as well as in the state. If their advice is “Maybe you should stay in Ridgefield” then I’ll listen to that advice. The other part of it is without question, your family and the stress that that can have, because you’re literally gone - you have to make every single event you can possibly, physically do. And it’s exhausting. It means a change in how we live and that’s something that we have to weigh heavily.
Q: And would that impact Ridgefield? If you’re not here all the time?
A: I have a job to do and I’ll continue to do that job. It’s always Ridgefield first, I’m the First Selectman, so I’m going to have to fit it in, like the Mayor’s doing in Danbury. the Mayor of Danbury has a full-time commitment to the people of Danbury so he’s got to be sure he maintains his obligations and his fiduciary responsibilities to the taxpayers of Danbury, as I do here.
Q: You’ve considered running for Governor before, correct?
A: Yes, I have, in 2010.
Q: And how far along did you get the process back in 2010?
A: I dropped out just before the state convention, in fact my name, because it was so close to the state convention, was still on the ballot. But I had already withdrawn and there was no vote. I did last a while but money is the third important component with public financing. The requirements are very, very steep; you have to raise no more than $100 from a lot of people. It doesn’t seem like a lot but it is. So those are the three major parts of possibly running for governor: making sure it’s okay with my family, sitting with some of the state leaders to see what they think, and financing myself. So that’s the background on it. No decision at this point.
Q: Do you have any thoughts on the Town/School Budget Passing?
A: Yes! All positive! It’s always important for a budget to pass. Our concern is the state budget and the impact it may have. We heard from leadership, we heard from the speaker of the house, Joe Aresimowicz (or Joe A to Z as they call him). We heard from State Senator, Len Fasano, on the Republican side and also State Representative, Themis Klarides. And they are very respectful of one another, congenial, they shook hands, “How are you?” and everything, when it came to the question about the budget you could see the division. That’s what the big concern is, the negative impression that the entire state is getting from Hartford right now. We have a legislature that just cannot agree on anything. And that’s perhaps a bigger problem than talking about whether we’re going to get $100,000 or $400,000 cut - it’s the massive number of people that are losing their faith in our government here in Connecticut, and it needs to change. The process is broken. So I said, “If we were ever to structure our budget based on the Democratic budget, the Republican budget, and the Mayor/First Selectman budget, we would have the same issues. We would never get agreement because it becomes so political”. We need some positive actions taking place.
A: That’s a never-ending project it seems. The last email I got is that the two lanes, north and south, are to be opened Thanksgiving, sometime the end of November, beginning of December. The workers will then begin to dismantle the temporary bridge and clean everything up through the spring. It’s a small portion [of roadway] but they have to work within a tight area. There’s a lot of work that’s going on below the surface to get that footing structurally sound.
Q: What is the status of the widening of Main Street and the left-hand turn for CVS?
A: We are close. We have had a working group involved, made up of merchants and landlords, to look at Main Street. Originally there was a widening involved. It’s been reduced to stay within the current curb line now. It will be repaved and restriped. We will be adding a turn lane heading north in front of Town Hall towards Danbury and a turn lane for Catoonah Street. If you watch traffic, what happens is you’ll get one or two cars and they’ll put their blinkers on when the light turns green and they can’t move because there’s no left turn arrow. That backs everything up every peak traffic hour. Hopefully what these studies show is that the turn lanes will help reduce the backup. At the CVS-Prospect Street Intersection, originally, when that plan was submitted in the 70s, Prospect and the entrance of CVS were in alignment. Because of the Elm tree, the CVS entrance was moved to the south, right across from Prospect Street. That has created a lot of issues over the years, especially with people who are not familiar with it. It is not a safe intersection. It’s a level of service F as determined by traffic experts. By completing this [project] and aligning it, it will bring it up to a level of service C.
Q: So what’s the time frame on this?
A: We’re probably looking at construction in sometime in 2019. The sooner we reach consensus then the DOT engineering department will create plans and there will be additional public hearings in town. So between now and 2018, they hope to go out to bid for a construction season of 2019. So, we have the next year to get all the plans done, hopefully. We are almost there it is just a question of parking. We’ve had a lot of meetings.
Q: What do you think about the art scene in Ridgefield?
A: The town has done well through the recession only because we have some wonderful philanthropists in town who continually step up to the plate and make our community better and better. It’s to them I tip my hat to and thank them very, very much.
Q: What do you think about the new restaurants opening in town?
A: Yes, they’re wonderful. That’s why the arts are so important in terms of bringing people into the community.
Q: Do you have any Mother’s Day traditions?
A: On Mother’s Day, I’ve had a routine probably ever since Run Like a Mother started, about a decade ago. I get up early and start the race, then I head to a florist and buy a dozen roses. I usually pick up a card and then we’ll go out and have brunch together, spend a little time alone.
Q: So, you’re being honored by SPHERE in November at their 2nd Annual Gala with their “Commitment to Service Award”. Thoughts?
A: It is an honor. I’ve spent a better part of my years in this office working with Sunrise Cottage and SPHERE. In 2000/2001, there was a meeting about how we need to build a house for the adults now in our community who can live independently. We had just discussed the house right on the corner of Sunset Lane and Grove Street. That’s where Sunrise cottage is today. The next house we want to build is on Rich Drive (Route 35). I think the government has an obligation, to a certain extent to recognize that people in those situations need a life, need a place of employment - they have a good, strong work ethic, and they’re a pleasure to work with. It’s always been close to my heart.