Goshen GOP Caucus: Focus on Competitive Selectman and PZC Candidacies

On July 18^th, the Goshen Republican Town Committee will caucus at Goshen Center School at 6 PM to select its slate of endorsed candidates in the upcoming municipal elections. Three positions on the slate are targets of competitive candidates: the Selectman seat being vacated by Mark Harris and two seats on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

As reported in our 3^rd Edition, last month, local elections have a profound effect on our daily lives and as the only newspaper that reaches every Goshen mailing address, The Goshen News has opened its pages and website to all candidates in an unbiased manner. Our aim is to bring readers the information they need to make the decisions they believe to be best for them.

The Goshen News reached out to the candidates in these competitive races and invited them to submit direct statements of up to 300 words, and a photo. We asked them to center on their personal bio’s, qualifications, and platforms, and advised that the Goshen News would not be a vehicle for criticizing opponents.

Statements were received from two candidates for the Selectman’s position and three candidates for the Planning and Zoning Commission. They are presented below, in alphabetical order.

Board of Selectmen

SCOTT OLSON

Scott Olson, a lifelong Goshen resident of fifty years, announced his candidacy for the Republican seat on the Goshen Board of Selectmen.  Asked why he wants to seek the office of selectman, Olson states “I remember the days when the people were the most important part of the decision making in the town, I am committed to giving the people of Goshen their town back.”

Olson graduated from Wamogo Regional High School in 1990 and went on to earn an AS degree in criminal Justice. Scott served as Deputy Sheriff for Litchfield County and later as a Judicial Marshall for the state of Connecticut. He coached the Goshen Center School basketball team and currently coaches the Litchfield High School boys varsity tennis team.  Scott, a successful entrepreneur, resides in town with his wife Marcella (Fiora) Olson, a former Goshen Center School teacher, and their two daughters Riley and Grace. He is the Chairman of the town’s Economic Development Commission, and also serves on the Broadband Advisory Committee, and the Human Services Task Force.

“We cannot allow any corporate entity to dictate the direction and future of our town” Olson said. He is concerned about the political stronghold that The Goshen Housing Trust Inc. (a private affordable housing development corporation here in town) is trying to gain on the town's government.

DAWN WICKS-WILKES

My husband, Don Wilkes, and I have lived in Goshen for 35+ years.  I wholeheartedly love Goshen, where I kayak & tennis, and snowshoe with our dogs.

I built a successful real estate appraisal business, which qualifies me to understand property values, housing trends, and the impact on quality of life. I have actively volunteered for the RTC for many years, and have run AKC sanctioned dog shows at the Goshen fairgrounds.  I was elected Registrar of Voters and serve as VP of Goshen Housing Trust, Inc.

As Selectman, I will bring a fresh perspective to serve all citizens of our town.  I listen and am thoughtful about addressing what I hear.  I am a collaborative team-builder with a platform that is straightforward and unpretentious.

FISCAL POLICY & LOW TAXES - I will bring careful fiscal management and work to keep Goshen’s mill rate one of the lowest in our area.

ENCOURAGE VOLUNTEERISM – I support volunteer efforts to fulfill town needs over paid municipal services which result in higher taxes.

SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION – Quality education is the fabric of any community.  It sustains home values and attracts young families.  I will actively support the success of Region 20 and our excellent schools.

ENCOURAGE SMALL BUSINESS – Local business affords jobs for some, products & services to others.  This circle of economic stability helps us to thrive as a small community.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP – We must care for the flora & fauna, woodlands & wetlands, hayfields & waterways.  This is good for our health, property values, ecotourism, & recreation.

HOUSING OPTIONS – Goshen has an aging population.  Employers and volunteer organizations need ready and able help.  Young people need smaller homes or apartments that are affordable at starting pay rates.  Our seniors need options for downsizing, simplification, or living on a fixed  income.

Planning & Zoning Commission

JON CARROLL

Jon Carroll has announced his candidacy for Planning and Zoning Commissioner, seeking the endorsement of Goshen Republican voters in their upcoming caucus on July 18, 2023.

Jon is a longtime resident and twenty-year member of the Goshen Agricultural Society, he also serves on the Goshen Economic Development Commission. He and his wife, Jannelle, a lifelong resident and member of the Region 20 Board of Education, run their working Briar Hill Farm in Goshen with their two young daughters Jane and June.

In addition to the farm, Jon continues his twenty-year career working in environmental site and construction work. In recent years he has added land and farm management, which is his passion. He is well acquainted with Connecticut statutory language and requirements and has worked with municipal, state, and federal regulatory authorities. Jon holds various certifications in addition to being OSHA certified.

Jon stated in his speech to the Goshen RTC "It would be my privilege and honor to serve our community." Jon’s concerns for our town include the upcoming 2026 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) which is due to the state of Connecticut every ten years. It represents what our town has contemplated and can be relied upon by developers and others. Jon states “your elected Planning and Zoning Commissioners will determine what is contained in portions our POCD including open space, historic preservation, housing, subdivision regulations and related zoning changes.” Jon also said that “Republicans of Goshen need to choose their next two PZC candidates carefully as those Commissioners will affect what we are bound by through 2036.”

SHILO GARCEAU

Shilo Garceau has announced her candidacy for Planning and Zoning Commissioner. She will seek endorsement of Goshen Republicans for one of the two open GOP seats on the Commission. She is seeking to bring transparency to the Planning and Zoning Commission along with fair representation for the residents of Goshen.

Ms Garceau began her education at our own Goshen Center School and graduated from Wamogo Regional High School. Her accomplished background includes a B.S. in Mathematics, a MS in Teacher Leadership, and a twenty-year career in teaching. She is currently the Mathematics Specialist for Botelle School in Norfolk. Ms Garceau has been serving our Goshen community as one of our dedicated EMTs for the last twenty-five years and is a Lifetime Member of the Goshen Fire Company.

Shilo and her husband Jason Watley have both made volunteerism in Goshen a corner stone of their lives here. They have chosen to raise their two sons in the town they cherish. Ms Garceau also believes “it is time for the families who invested their future in this town to take the reins and protect it.”

DON WILKES

GOAL: I am Don Wilkes and I am running for re-election to the Planning and Zoning Commission.  I will continue our good works for all of Goshen in support and preservation of our rural aesthetic, which draws us to call Goshen home.

 EXPERIENCE: I have served the Town of Goshen as the Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission for 14 years and am highly familiar with the Commission’s duties and responsibilities. These include coordinating with our Zoning Enforcement Officer, our Land Use Commission Clerk and dedication to leading our monthly Commission meetings according to our Bylaws and Regulations.

 RESPONSIBILITIES: The Commission wrestles each month with sensitive Land Use applications, issues, and related topics.  In accordance with the Plan of Conservation & Development, the Commission’s agenda is to protect and preserve the rural character of Goshen with consideration of property rights, economic development, and sustainability of our community. In pursuing this agenda, I make sure that the business of the Commission is completely transparent. The public is welcome to attend Commission meetings in person or online using zoom in addition to reviewing video recordings of our meetings. All business is conducted at our meetings. Agendas, applications and minutes are posted online on the Goshen Town’s website. Proper notice of meetings, applications and decisions are properly posted in accordance with State Statutes.

 Thank you for your consideration and support.  I look forward to continuing to serve the People of Goshen.

JAMES WITHSTANDLEY did not provide a statement or photo.

NO DEBATES

PZC candidates Carroll and Garceau issued a debate challenge to candidate Wilkes and Withstandley. Wilkes declined to participate. Withstandley did not respond.