Thomaston Board of Selectmen Discuss Changing Structure of Planning and Zoning Commission
6/16/26, 6:03 PM
Present: First Selectman Rich Sileo and Selectman Michael Burr. Absent: Beth Campbell.
The Thomaston Board of Selectmen is considering making structural changes to one of its volunteer boards.
At their June 16 meeting, board members discussed potentially reforming the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission. The current board has two staff members: Zoning Enforcement Officer and Land Use Administrator Tony Adili, and Administrative Assistant Rebekah McGray. The board itself is comprised of five members and three alternates. The members are Chair Tom Mueller, Vice Chair Brian Davis, Secretary Joseph Hartz, Michael Clarizio, and Patrick Hyres. The only sitting alternate is Bill Guerrera.
The two alternate vacancies are of concern to the board of selectmen. First Selectman Rich Sileo said he wants to fully staff volunteer boards.
“I would like to look at this and see if it makes any sense at all,” Sileo said. “If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. This is not something I am losing sleep over, but I would like to see our boards fully seated as best we can.”
Changes to the Planning and Zoning Commission could include adding members and striking out the alternate positions, Sileo said. That would alter the structure of the board, but it may be necessary due to the lack of interest in being an alternate, Sileo said.
“The purpose of the alternate is to make sure we have a quorum at all times,” he noted. “At a permanent membership of five that brings us to needing three for a quorum.”
Alternates, however, are not voting members. They attend meetings, they participate and ask questions, but unless they are seated to replace an absent voting member, their input is limited, Sileo said.
“That has been a source of consternation for some people who have expressed some interest in joining the [Planning and Zoning Commission]. Even some people in the past who served on the alternate committee sort of said, ‘This is not really meaningful to me if I can’t vote and really participate completely,’” Sileo said.
On paper, the variance between both sets of responsibilities may seem small, Sileo said. He added that the prospect of not having a full set of powers as a member of the board is worth rectifying. A seven-member board would bring on two more voting members but would eliminate the alternate roles.
“That would increase the quorum threshold to four,” he said. “I don’t have any contextual history on this. I am reacting to what I have heard from folks.”
Selectman Michael Burr said he would like to explore expansion of the board’s membership in the future. He asked how volunteer boards are governed. Volunteer boards in several Connecticut municipalities are created by a series of state laws known as Connecticut General Statutes (CGS).
In Thomaston’s municipal code, the Planning and Zoning Commission is under Article X and was adopted on Dec. 17, 1979, according to a copy of the town’s municipal statutes. This article includes guidance on quorum, conflict of interest, compensation, membership and length of terms on the board, appointments, and more.
“We gotta’ do a little homework and have it under old business for the next meeting,” Burr said to Sileo. “I see your point and kind of agree with it; I’d just like to do more research.”
Next steps could involve Sileo going to an open discussion with the Planning and Zoning Commission at their August meeting.
“I did go to a Planning and Zoning meeting and had a couple conversations about me showing up to their August meeting and having a conversation about this, and getting everybody’s thoughts on this,” Sileo noted.
For Burr, the issue is clear. He said it is hard to incentivize residents to serve on these boards.
“I don’t know why anyone would want to sit there as an alternate not knowing if they are ever going to be seated,” Burr said. “Some of those meetings are long. If you are going through the trouble of volunteering and being there, you should be able to vote. It makes sense.”
