Boring Indicators of Progress

Progress is boring. 

I had already been thinking about this at Monday night’s Board of Finance meeting, as the board members received an update on the Ambulance Fund. According to Stafford’s Finance Director, Yana Abramovich, the first transfer she recalls making upon being hired last November was approximately $180,000 to cover the shortfalls in the Ambulance budget. This year, due to the near-constant work of Stafford Ambulance Association’s Alex Moore and First Selectman Bill Morrison to keep costs down, she said, the transfer needed to cover this line item will be less than $18,000. That’s around 10 times less than last year — but let’s be real, very few people are paying attention to these kinds of wins.

I was reminded of this when I heard, not for the first time, about a September Stafford Historical Advisory Committee (SHAC) meeting that became strangely contentious. The worst of it isn’t reflected in the official minutes — and I wasn’t there — so I won’t use names. Still, I’ve been told by credible sources that a member of the commission walked out of the meeting due to comments made by a member of the public who has a history of disruptive behavior. 

My first thought was, “Why was anyone even there?” 

SHAC doesn’t have much power to take action other than collecting information, compiling reports, and making suggestions. In other words, they aren’t making decisions about the town’s future. So, why did First Selectman candidate Brian Bagley, as well as Planning and Zoning Candidates David Roy and Jim Lyons, decide to attend this meeting? Bagley has participated in a variety of meetings here and there. I recall seeing Lyons at one of the Planning and Zoning Commission meetings over the past few months. I don’t recall seeing Roy at any meetings I’ve attended. So, why did this meeting of a relatively powerless commission attract not only three current candidates for public office, but also Chuck Alfano of the Economic Development Commission, and community member Henry Brooks? Even the Planning and Zoning Public Hearings rarely draw that many commenters.

From what I’ve gleaned from the minutes, it seems the Witt School was the primary concern. 

At the meeting, the candidates and others asked questions and shared their ideas on what they wanted to see from the Witt School (spoiler alert: no one seems to agree). At this point, though, the Brownfields Commission would be a better resource for anyone interested in the future of this building. (In fact, there appear to be some vacancies on that commission for anyone who is interested in helping steer the future of buildings like these.) 

This story about the latest on the Witt School garnered more than 1,200 views. This article, explaining why everyone is so confused about what can or cannot happen to the mouldering school, gained nearly another 1,000 views. It’s clear that interest is high, and if Stafford Free Press’ social media comments are any indicator, everyone has a different opinion about what should happen to it. 

I get it; big projects like the Witt School are highly visible. Whether the school is bulldozed or renovated, it will be a significant improvement for Stafford. And it’s a lot more fun to talk about what you think someone else should do with a building than it is to think about Ambulance budgets. And frankly, it’s probably easier to understand for people who just aren’t paying that much attention most of the time. But these projects take years, and the day-to-day of governing, especially in a town like Stafford, is about these much less exciting budgetary issues. 

At Monday’s BOF meeting, we also learned that after many years of submitting the mandated yearly audits late, the Town is ahead of where it was last year and at least marginally hopeful that it will be on time this year (or close to it). Again, it’s boring, but it’s a great indicator of the kind of progress that is made when the people in charge are actually on top of things and paying attention to the often-boring details that matter.