That's good.

Good evening.

It's it's six o'clock, and my name's Peter Bazade, and I'm the chairman of this ad hoc committee on uh the appointment of a constable.

Also on the committee are Andrea Gardner and Candice Faye, Councilwoman's Andrea Gartner and Candace Fay in the room.

Uh we have ex officio members, uh Councilman Coello, Councilman Hawley, Councilman Chianese, Councilman Henry, and outside in the hallway listening in, Councilman.

I see him.

I think Councilman Salvatore, sorta here, and Councilman Giordano.

We have in our company the mayor, uh, and we have from the mayor's office.

Um we have our esteemed chief of staff, Taylor O'Brien, and also in the room is uh Michael Safranic.

So with that, uh this the charge of this, I'll read the notice.

The notice is to consider uh the appointment of a counsel, a constable, uh, and it is today before us uh we have uh received uh the nomination of Mr.

Michael Safranic, who is previously been a constable for a long time, about 20 years, is currently a hearing officer for the city and the airport administration.

I I'll start this off.

I just have a few questions for Mr.

Sefranik, if he doesn't mind.

Mr.

Sefranik, uh, if you don't mind, could you please tell us what political party you registered in?

I'm currently registered as a Republican.

Thank you.

Um with that I have no other questions of Mr.

Sefranik.

I'll I'll turn to members of this committee to see if they have any questions.

Umly one, I believe.

Um Mr.

Sefranic, I'm I believe I've I've learned that you've done some pro bono work for the city of Danbury.

Could you tell the committee about some of that work?

Sure.

Um I think I do most of the health department's uh services.

I do work for the probate office pro bono.

I do, I think uh planning and zoning when they need orders done immediately.

Uh I've done for hospice and I've done for the state of Connecticut, all pro bono.

Right, and I'm sorry, I should have been more specific as in your position as constable.

Oh, I'm just as a constable, yes.

Thank you.

Okay, probably a couple of the departments.

I think I did EIC a couple times also for for pro bono.

I don't charge the city for any any word I've ever done.

Thank you.

Councilman Gardner.

And and just as a follow-up, uh a constable uh in the city of Danbury serves legal process.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

Okay.

Um I'll open it up for ex officio members.

We'll go once around uh for one set of questions.

We'll start on my left.

Uh Councilman Coelho.

Do you have any questions?

Yeah, some of the questions I have were tied to uh why I sent this to ad hoc in the first place.

It wasn't about anything personal, it was more about procedural.

So so can we finish?

You I I just have a question.

We're we're really just here to consider the nomination that was before the council.

You can ask questions.

Oh no, I'd like to ask you questions.

Sure, go right ahead.

Yes.

Okay, that's all.

I just wanted to know how is how what was nominated came off of the agenda that process as the president.

I thought maybe you might know.

Uh uh I hold held your opinion.

So you we talked about the agenda from the last council meeting?

Yes, that was why I got sent to ad hoc.

It wasn't anything to do with who we have up for nomination, it was the procedure of it.

Town committee put up a candidate, it was submitted, and it was taken off the agenda.

So I would I would just tell you this based on the purview of this particular ad hoc, we are beyond uh that purview.

This is the nomination specifically of uh a specific person to be constable, and and I'm gonna refer to a charter section uh in the city charter, uh which is section two-six of the city charter uh regarding the appointments of vacancies of elected people.

Um, and and we we consider that and and I believe that's what the council's job is in this in this case.

So, in terms of the what what is on the council's agenda, that's beyond this ad hoc committee.

So there's no answer to the question there is no answer you're gonna get tonight from that question.

Okay, uh before us.

Do you have any other questions?

Do you have any questions for Mr.

Safranic in terms of his eligibility?

No, my questions were more geared toward the procedure, not personal issues.

Okay, which is why it was sent to ad hoc in the first place.

Okay.

Mr.

Hawley, do you have any questions?

Uh yes, I'm just not sure who to directed to, I guess I'll direct it to you.

Does this have to be uh Republican-held seat or is uh it it does?

Okay it's provided for in the state statute that's related to this, uh and that state statute is uh section 9-220.

Uh and that state statute is uh section nine-220.

That's the section referring to minority representation, right?

Correct.

Or no, I think we there's five constable seats.

Two of them are Democrats, there's one Republican and there's one open city.

So if we if there was say a Democrat in the C, it would still meet that statute's requirement.

Is that correct?

So so the requirement is that that the person the vac if the vacancy is a republican, uh the vacancy shall be filled by a republican.

That's the requirement.

Okay, thank you.

All right.

Um councilman Chinese, do you have any questions?

Just um question to I guess uh the Mr.

Safranic.

When you do the I mean you're the airport of ministry, which is a you're in full-time position.

Yes.

I'll call 247.

You're the parking officer, correct?

Hearing office as well, which has been over the last couple of months very jewelry in itself.

Parking, no, not at all.

With the parking tickets, no, uh every couple months we do parking tickets.

But the last few months has been bus, that's separate.

The bus, but it's still part of the same.

A little bit, yes.

And now as constable as well.

When you do your contact, do you do it during city hours?

It depends.

If I'm doing a free service for the city, I'll do it at lunch, depending on how fast it needs to be done.

Um a lot of cases, health department will call me and say, Hey, there's a leaking septic system we need done immediately.

I won't take lunch that day and I'll do it right then and there immediately.

The reason why they go to me is A, I don't charge the city.

That's thousands of dollars a year, and B, I do it immediately when they need it in an emergency.

I've been doing that for 20 years, as such, having all three of those positions.

Okay, and then it may follow up.

Now you may not know this answer, and I know corporation counsel is not here, but could you do it pro as an elected official?

Yes, I can waive fees whenever you choose.

Absolutely.

And that's in the statute somewhere to waive them, or it's am I fee-based government official as such, I can do that.

I can't charge more than the statutory allowment, but I can waive fees.

And I've done um when I done some when I've done tax warrants in the past, some of the elderly I've waived when they were in difficult situations, um, things like that I can waive at my discretion.

Okay, that's all I have.

Thank you.

Councilman Salvatore sitting out in the hallway.

No?

Councilman Henry?

Yes, to be a chair.

So my understanding is as a true vacancy to this position where nobody was ever seated or sworn in, uh, it goes to the next highest role total getter.

Is that correct or not correct?

I I I don't necessarily believe that's that that has to be that way.

Uh there's no requirement.

I the two the two uh operative uh parts of law that that are here is is the charter are section two-six is the most immediate one, and and that follows the language of of a a state statute, section nine-220 in the elections in terms of filling local vacancies.

Thank you, no follow up.

Uh Mr.

Giordano, do you have any questions?

No.

Okay.

Back to the committee.

No.

Nothing further.

So with that, I entertain a motion.

Just so it happens, I have one.

Do you want to make a motion?

I have a move to recommend that the city council appoint Mr.

Michael Sopranic as constable as a fill the vacancy created by the passing of Luis McMahon.

Okay.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

And with that, a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Second.

Thank you.

Thank you very much all for attending.