Danbury City Council Meeting - June 2, 2026

The Danbury City Council met on June 2, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. with 18 members present and 3 absent. The meeting included the Pledge of Allegiance, a prayer led by Councilman Salvatore, and announcements of June events. Major agenda items included the confirmation of fire department promotions, approval of the Connecticut Cultural District designation, federal grants for the airport, and a resolution adjusting compensation for elected officials. Public comments were heard, and several items were approved on the consent calendar.

Consent Calendar

• Reappointment of Ryan Fucci to the Commission for Persons with Disabilities (term through June 1, 2029)
• Reappointment of John Genteel Sr. to the Commission for Persons with Disabilities (term through June 1, 2029)
• Reappointment of JP Shradinsky to the Aviation Commission (term through June 1, 2029)
• Acceptance of a $1,000 donation from Michael Scherer for the DPDCU ice cream truck program
• Approval of an agreement with Candlewood Lake Authority to store/repair vessels in the airport maintenance hangar
• Approval of resolutions for items 18, 21, 22, and 23 as presented
• Items 9 (Cultural Commission reappointment) and 10 (Richter Park Authority reappointment) were removed from consent and voted on separately.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jeff Harold (Foster Street) spoke in favor of the appointments of Chief William Lounsbury and Captain Dennis Ricard, citing personal knowledge of their capabilities and character.
• Lisa Scales (Mountain View Terrace), Executive Director of the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, expressed support for the proposed Danbury Connecticut Cultural District designation, stating it would connect existing arts and cultural assets, raise visibility, and support economic development and quality of life.
• Robert Aberhard (Six More Road) spoke in favor of reappointing Peter Szyzinski to the Richter Park Authority, praising his leadership and common sense, and noting the authority is at a critical crossroads regarding infrastructure.

Discussion Items

• Fire Department Promotions (Items 1–5): The council confirmed the promotional appointments of Acting Fire Chief William Lounsbury to Fire Chief, Lieutenant Sean Peltier to Fire Captain, Lieutenant Dennis Ricard to Fire Captain, Firefighter James Babcock to Fire Lieutenant, and Firefighter Mark de Grandis to Fire Lieutenant. Each appointee received unanimous approval and gave brief remarks.
• Reappointments (Items 9 & 10): John Cook II was reappointed to the Cultural Commission for a term through June 1, 2029. Councilman McAllister praised his commitment to the King Street neighborhood. Peter Szyzinski was reappointed to the Richter Park Authority for a term through June 1, 2029. Councilman Salvatore and others commended his service.
• Annual Suspense List (Item 12): The council authorized transferring $389,957.71 to the suspense list for taxes from taxpayers no longer in business, deceased, or relocated out of state.
• Audit Firm Appointment (Item 13): The council approved appointing RSM US LLP as the city's independent auditors, as recommended by the Finance Director.
• Water Main Extension (Item 14): A communication for a water main extension at 15 Great Pasture Road was referred to the city engineer and planning commission for a report back, and an ad hoc committee was formed (Council President Buzade, Councilwoman Jabur, Councilman Henry).
• Connecticut Cultural District Designation (Item 16): The council approved a resolution allowing Danbury to pursue official state designation as a Connecticut Cultural District. Councilman Hawley noted the district was informed by a public workshop and aligns with sustainable CT goals. Councilman Perkins called it a long-awaited step. The resolution authorizes application submission; any future contracts would return to the council.
• Community Development Block Grant (Item 17): The council approved the CDBG annual action plan for program year 52, allowing the city to apply for and accept $602,234 in funding (no local match required).
• FAA Grants (Items 19 & 20): Two grants for the municipal airport were approved: one for $675,000 (city share $33,750) and one for $3,518,000 (city share $135,900) for runway and taxiway improvements. Councilman Rotello discussed narrowing the runway width from 100 to 75 feet to avoid additional costs.
• Elected Officials Compensation (Item 24): A resolution from the ad hoc committee proposed setting mayor, town clerk, and treasurer salaries at $165,000 for the next term (starting December 2027) with automatic annual cost-of-living adjustments pegged to the mayor's salary. Councilwoman Faye moved to recommit, arguing the resolution was poorly written, ambiguous, and potentially violated state law. The motion to recommit failed. Extensive debate followed on timing, optics, and market competitiveness. Councilman Rotello emphasized broadening the candidate pool, while Councilman Coello opposed the 20% increase given economic hardships. Corporation counsel stated the resolution complied with state law and the charter. The main motion passed on a voice vote.

Key Outcomes

• Confirmed all five fire department promotions (Lounsbury, Peltier, Ricard, Babcock, de Grandis) unanimously.
• Approved reappointments of Cook and Szyzinski.
• Authorized transfer of $389,957.71 to the suspense list.
• Approved appointment of RSM US LLP as auditors.
• Referred water main extension for report and formed ad hoc committee.
• Approved resolution to pursue Connecticut Cultural District designation.
• Approved CDBG annual action plan acceptance of $602,234.
• Approved two FAA airport grants with city shares.
• Passed resolution setting elected officials' compensation for the next term, including automatic adjustments.
• Accepted departmental reports; noted crime reductions and discussed detour concerns and bus patrol camera data privacy.