Council Votes 5-2 To Change Land Acquisition Committee

The Town Council voted 5-2 to change the composition of the Land Acquisition Committee Tuesday at its regular meeting. The committee, which is charged with acquiring land the town might want for open space, recreation or municipal use, has been a five-member committee composed of two Farmington Land Trust members, two Conservation Commission members, one Town Council Member and ex-officio members.

The change adds an additional Town Council member plus one resident. At the council’s last meeting, it appointed Nancy Nickerson to the committee to replace William Wadsworth, who left the council in January to become Farmington’s state representative. Tuesday’s motion named John Vibert as the council member joining Nickerson on the committee and Wadsworth as the resident.

The motion was apparently a surprise to Democrats John Vibert and Mike Demicco, who protested the change to the committee, which both said had always functioned well with five members. Demicco objected to Wadsworth serving both as a state and town official.

Vibert said he didn’t want the commission changed to allow his membership, nor, he said, should the composition be changed to create a place for Wadsworth. He did say, however, he thought having a resident member was a good idea.

CJ Thomas, who took Wadsworth’s seat on the council last month, argued that Vibert was “throwing the baby out with the bath water” because he approved of having a resident on the commission, “just not this resident.”

“You can’t pretend that our newly elected state rep is an ordinary resident,” Demicco said.

Council Chairman Mike Clark concluded, “I just don’t see any other resident who could bring more value to the commission. Bill has brought great value to the commission for decades.”

And he will continue to. Clark asked for a vote and the Republicans voted in favor, with Demicco and Vibert opposing.