Greenwich RTM approves Hamill Rink project, reauthorizes speed cameras
Town Meeting · Meeting of June 15, 2026
Greenwich RTM approves $41 million Hamill Rink redesign, restarts speed cameras, kills Bush statue gift. In a session running past 1:30 a.m., the Representative Town Meeting voted 159-32 to approve a municipal improvement clearing the way for a new Dorothy Hamill Rink and rebuilt Eugene Morlot Park, despite objections from former RTM member Peter Berg, who argued a two-rink alternative would "save $16 million." Members also voted 100-60 to resubmit the town's automated speed-camera plan to the state, with Police Chief Jim Heavey citing a "92 percent" drop in school-zone speeding, over opposition from a 1,500-signature petition. A $100,000 statue of George H.W.
Bush proposed by donor L. Scott Frantz failed 81-110 after First Selectman Fred Camillo's appeal was outweighed by concerns over its Havemeyer Building site. Members also approved $6 million in additional funding for Central Middle School construction, 190-4.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,604 words
Source: the Town Meeting meeting of June 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
Consent Calendar, Housekeeping and the Board of Health Fight
The special Representative Town Meeting convened June 15 to finish business originally scheduled for a canceled June 8 session, taking up 33 items in a meeting that stretched past 1:30 a.m. Moderator Alexis Voulgaris noted it was likely the RTM's last meeting in the current Central Middle School building before members return to a rebuilt facility in September, and warned members it could be a long night: "I hope it is more Wizard of Ozish and not like Dante's Inferno with the Nine Rings of Hell." James Waters, District 12 and chair of the Old Greenwich School Building Committee, opened with a construction update: that project is in its third month, with a new addition targeted for occupancy by summer 2027 and full completion by January 2029.
Twenty items — mostly board and commission appointments plus a $400,000 interim appropriation for the Greenwich Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the town's Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan — passed as a consent calendar, 167-0 with three abstentions. Two appointments, Michelle Ann Moskowitz to the Board of Human Services and Sandra Harris to the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency, were pulled and postponed to September 28 because both nominees were unavailable to meet with committees. Members then adopted, by Steven P. Rubin's motion, a two-minute-per-speaker debate limit (five minutes for principal proponents and opponents) for the balance of the meeting, 172-4 with two abstentions.
The reappointments of Sarah Madden and Maryann Ramos to the Board of Health, ordinarily routine, were pulled from the consent calendar after members signaled objections in advance. Aaron Leonard, District 12, argued the vote was less about the nominees than about accountability: both had participated in the board's 2023 decision to strike the town's noise ordinance rather than adopt a seasonal ban on gas-powered leaf blowers sought by the group Quiet Yards Greenwich, a move he said forced the RTM to scramble to avoid falling under broader state noise rules. "My no vote stems from their participation in the striking of the town noise ordinance and the invalidation of the Greenwich home rule back in 2023," Leonard said, adding he sought "greater collaboration" going forward. Janet Stone McGuigan, a former selectman, said she had objected at the time but felt the matter had "already been litigated" when the two were reappointed previously. Board of Health member Lauren O'Keefe and Chair Dr. Sarah Gamble both defended the nominees' preparation and integrity. Madden was reappointed 154-16 with 15 abstentions; Ramos, 160-14 with 12 abstentions.
Cos Cob Mill Pond Park Historic Designation
Item 26 would designate a 1.21-acre town-owned parcel including Cos Cob's second-oldest burial ground as a historic property, formally folding it into the adjacent Strickland Road National Register district. Land Use Committee Chair Sandra Harris and Parks and Recreation Chair Myra Klockenbrink both reported support, calling the omission of the parcel from the historic district an old oversight. But Legislative and Rules Committee Chair Francis "Kip" Burgweger Jr. said his committee could not reach Historic District Commission Secretary Andrew Milo in time to resolve concerns about language in the legal description that "expressly omits and forfeits" riparian and roadway rights connected to the parcel — language Burgweger warned "could eliminate all kinds of things that [the town] currently enjoys." Milo, joining briefly by Zoom, said the disputed language was standard practice used for a partial-parcel designation, comparable to Bruce Park, and reiterated the designation would not block future municipal projects, only require they respect the site's character. Because ordinance amendments are automatically subject to a second reading, and no member moved to suspend that rule, the item rolls into the RTM's September 28 call unchanged.
School Building Committee Officer Terms
Item 27 would amend Article 9 of the town code governing how School Building Committees elect a chair, vice chair and clerk. Budget Overview Committee Chair James Waters and Public Works Committee Chair Cheryl Moss reported their committees supported the change as a governance improvement, while the Education Committee split 9-1-1, with District 6 arguing "we don't need more government." Legislative and Rules could not agree on clarifying language and took no vote. District 4's Lucy von Brachel, the committee's secretary, filed her own floor amendment removing ambiguity about when one-year officer terms begin and end and clarifying the ordinance applies to both new and existing committees. David Levine (listed in RTM minutes as David Aron Levine), District 1 and chairman of the Julian Curtis Building Committee, opposed rushing a vote: "I think there's a much simpler approach ... I think we need more time to review this." James Waters agreed the underlying policy was sound but said he would vote against waiving the second reading. Von Brachel's amendment passed 173-11 with 14 abstentions, but the subsequent motion to waive the second-reading requirement failed 54-135 with 10 abstentions, sending the amended item to September.
Central Middle School: $6 Million Interim Appropriation and Bonding
Central Middle School Building Committee Chairman Joe Rossetti sought $6 million in additional funding after the fire marshal found inadequate water pressure at the school ahead of its planned late-August reopening, requiring fire-suppression and fire-alarm upgrades including a temporary fire pump. Budget Overview Committee Chair James Waters reported the project remains under budget overall, but the original owner's contingency has been largely consumed by the fire-system fix, a change in owner's representative, and higher utility costs, leaving roughly $100,000 of contingency unallocated. Finance Committee Chair Scott Kalb reported his committee pressed Rossetti on why the fire department had not flagged the water-pressure problem earlier; Rossetti said the cause was a town-side pressure drop, not a fire-department oversight, tied to the school's location on a "dead-end" rather than looped water main — a condition Kalb said may affect roughly seven other town properties. Public Works Committee Chair Cheryl Moss said her committee is recommending the fire department and Public Works "engage proactively" with the town's water utility at the outset of future projects. The $6 million appropriation passed 190-4 with four abstentions; the companion bond resolution, which required a majority of the full 230-member body (at least 116 votes), passed 185-9 with four abstentions. Kalb noted the town expects roughly $20 million in state reimbursement and does not anticipate actually issuing the bonds.
Dorothy Hamill Rink Municipal Improvement
The night's longest debate concerned a Planning and Zoning-approved municipal improvement (PLPZ 2026 00044) to replace the 55-year-old Dorothy Hamill Rink with a 40,671-square-foot facility, relocate Strazza Field, add a second parking lot and new access road, and redesign Eugene Morlot Memorial Park in Byram — a roughly $41 million project that several committee members said could rise toward $50 million. Two groups of property owners referred the application to the RTM under the town charter, which allows a de novo review independent of Planning and Zoning's approval. One group, including Philip Dodson, Karen Fassuliotis, Mark Fichtel and Lucy von Brachel, argued the redesign conflicts with the Plan of Conservation and Development's guiding principles on neighborhood character, buffers and green space, and that Byram residents were never meaningfully consulted. The second, led by 22-year former RTM member and past Land Use Committee Chairman Peter Berg along with Jim O'Brien, Bob Brady and others, argued the process itself was flawed: Berg said a two-rink alternative at 100 Arch Street, costing roughly $6 million less to build, was never mentioned in the task force's final report, and that the site was disqualified on pedestrian-safety grounds without the task force consulting police accident data. "The two rinks cost $6 million less to build than the $41 million flip," Berg said, adding that combined with the elimination of a competing $10 million plaza proposal for the same Arch Street site, "Greenwich gets two rinks and saves $16 million."
Public Works Director Luigi Romano and Hamill Rink Task Force member Steph Cowie, District 8, countered that the Arch Street site had been reviewed and rejected twice by the task force, partly because it sits in a flood zone and the rink's mechanicals would sit beneath the building. Cowie said the current design followed extensive public outreach, including a member from the Byram-Arch Street Neighborhood Center and an accessibility representative added to the task force after an earlier version of the project was rejected by the RTM in January 2025. Public Works Commissioner James Michael, closing debate, reminded members a "no" vote would not kill the rink outright but would delay it and jeopardize already-approved capital funding for other projects, including the Riverside School renovation. Committee votes ranged from unanimous support in Finance (12-0) to a split 9-2-1 in Budget Overview and 5-3-2 in Legislative and Rules. The full body approved the municipal improvement 159-32 with 13 abstentions.
George H.W. Bush Statue Gift
Donor L. Scott Frantz (rendered "Scott France" in the meeting audio) offered to fund a statue of former President George H.W. Bush, valued in a substitute resolution at $100,000 (down from an original $200,000 figure on the call), to be placed at 290 Greenwich Avenue outside the Havemeyer Building. Budget Overview Chair James Waters reported Town Administrator Kate Bush had cut the statue's value in half and removed references to other potential donors in the substitute language; the statue itself costs roughly $65,000 to fabricate in Florida and $8,000 to install, with a separate $10,000 maintenance reserve. Committee votes split sharply: Finance backed it 9-2-1, Parks and Recreation 9-3-0, Legislative and Rules 4-6-0 on the merits, and Education voted 0-1-2 against, with Rubin stressing the no votes reflected concerns about the site, not about Bush himself. Cheryl Moss, chair of District 8, moved to kill the item outright, arguing the Havemeyer Building's future use is undecided, the public arts policy's cultural arts advisory committee was never convened, and the site was effectively chosen "by a process of elimination rather than by thoughtful selection" after the Historic District Commission and Planning and Zoning both rejected earlier locations. Sam Rosenfeld quoted Bush's own wartime letters deflecting praise from himself toward fallen soldiers, arguing a statue would be better sited at Town Hall. First Selectman Fred Camillo, closing debate, detailed Bush's World War II service as the Navy's youngest fighter pilot, shot down in the Pacific after losing both crewmates, and argued every process step — Historic District Commission, Planning and Zoning, a donor-funded maintenance reserve — had been followed. The motion to postpone indefinitely failed 86-110 with five abstentions; the substitute resolution itself then failed 81-110 with five abstentions.
Automated Traffic Enforcement (Speed Cameras)
The final and most contested item asked the RTM to approve submitting the town's automated speed-camera safety plan to the state Department of Transportation under C.G.S. §14-307e — an up-or-down vote only, since the RTM has no authority to amend, relocate or refer the plan itself. Sergeant James D. Smith introduced the item on behalf of the Police Department. Education Committee Chair Steven Rubin, reporting on a joint committee session with Police Chief Jim Heavey, Deputy Chief Mark Zuccarello, Blue Line Solutions CEO Mark Hutchinson and a representative of investor RAF Equity, said the program documented nearly 37,000 speeding violations in school zones during a one-week pre-enforcement study and produced a 92 percent reduction in violations once cameras were active. Fines run $50 for a first offense and $75 for subsequent violations, apply only to drivers 11 mph or more over the limit, and carry no license points; violation data is purged after 30 days and is barred from sharing with federal immigration authorities under the state's Trust Act, officials said. Finance Committee Chair Scott Kalb reported his committee split 5-4-3, citing unresolved questions about data security and camera-site selection. District 11 Chair Susan Fahey, backed by the Northeast Greenwich Association and its president, Ted Walworth, moved to postpone the vote to September, citing more than 250 constituent emails (roughly 87 percent opposed) and a petition signed by more than 1,500 residents, along with complaints about inconsistent signage and camera placements that miss walking-school neighborhoods. James Waters countered that postponement "does nothing" because the plan would return unchanged in September. The postponement motion failed 39-132 with one abstention. After nearly three hours of public comment, Scott Kalb's motion to cap remaining debate at 30 minutes passed 107-46 with two abstentions. Chief Heavey closed debate: "Being a leader sometimes requires that you make even an unpopular decision in the interest of the greater good." The plan's resubmission passed 100-60 with three abstentions.
Implications: The vote restarts a program the town paused earlier this year after a legal determination that RTM authorization, not just Board of Selectmen approval, was required. Any future changes to camera locations or hours will require a new public hearing and RTM vote; Heavey said Central Middle School's reopening this fall will likely be the first test of that process.
Moderator: Alexis Voulgaris, presiding. Attendance: 213 members present, 16 absent, one vacancy, per the Town Clerk's roll. Committee chairs quoted or reporting: James Waters (Budget Overview Committee, District 12), Frederick Lee Jr. (Appointments Committee, District 1), Steven P. Rubin (Education Committee, District 3), Scott E. Kalb (Finance Committee, District 7), Cheryl A. Moss (Public Works Committee/District 8 chair), Sandra Harris (Land Use Committee), Francis "Kip" Burgweger Jr. (Legislative and Rules Committee), Myra Klockenbrink (Parks and Recreation Committee), Susan D. Fahey (District 11 chair), Annabel Gatto (Transportation Committee). Town/appointed officials: First Selectman Fred Camillo; Selectperson Lauren Rabin, who introduced multiple resolutions; Town Administrator Kate Bush; Public Works Commissioner James Michael; Public Works Director Luigi Romano; Police Chief Jim Heavey; Deputy Chief Mark Zuccarello; Sergeant James D. Smith; Historic District Commission Secretary Andrew Milo; Board of Health Chair Dr. Sarah Gamble. Outside parties: Blue Line Solutions CEO Mark Hutchinson and COO Doug Deal; a representative of investor RAF Equity; donor L. Scott Frantz (offering the Bush statue). Rink MI referral proponents: Peter Berg (former RTM member and Land Use chair), Lucy von Brachel, Alex Popp, Karen Fassuliotis, Mark Fichtel, David Wold and other Byram-area property owners. Rink MI supporters speaking: Steph Cowie, Neil Rich, Seth Bacon, Javier Aleman, Joe Rothenberg, Jeff Hendrick, Donna Gaudioso-Zeale (remote), Peter Cruikshank. Speed-camera opponents speaking: Ted Walworth (Northeast Greenwich Association president), Ed Dadakis, Ingrid Hang, Maya Tichio, Alice Duff, Frederick Lee Jr., Sam Rosenfeld, Pierre Gordon (cybersecurity professional, District 11), David Levine. Speed-camera supporters speaking: Selectwoman Rachel Kana, Stephen Meskers, James Waters.
Blue Line Solutions, LLC — private vendor operating the town's speed-camera program under a contract cited throughout the Item 33 debate. RAF Equity — family-office investor in Blue Line Solutions, described in committee reports as pursuing long-hold, mission-driven returns. Northeast Greenwich Association (NGA) — District 11 civic group whose board voted unanimously against the speed-camera plan. Quiet Yards Greenwich — resident group whose 2023 leaf-blower petition to the Board of Health preceded the noise-ordinance dispute raised against Sarah Madden and Maryann Ramos. Historic District Commission — proposed the Cos Cob Mill Pond Park historic designation (Item 26). Central Middle School Building Committee — requested the $6 million supplemental appropriation and bonding (Items 29-30). Dorothy Hamill Rink Task Force — town body that developed the rink/park redesign now approved as a municipal improvement. Greenwich Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) — cited by both supporters and opponents of the rink project as the governing planning standard. Connecticut General Statutes §14-307e — the state law under which the RTM's approval of the automated traffic enforcement plan was required. Connecticut Trust Act — cited by police officials as barring sharing of camera data with federal immigration authorities.