Renaming sewer plant after HBO’s John Oliver appears likely
DANBURY — City Council is expected to vote Thursday evening on whether to rename its sewer plant after comedian John Oliver, but not all members are on board.
There is concern that naming the plant after a comedian could “trivialize” local government. The council has received dozens of letters in support of the name, however, and there seems to be enough support among council members to pass the resolution.
“John Oliver should know that every time I smell the plant. I’ll think of him,” council member Warren Levy said. at the City Council meeting Tuesday evening.
An ad hoc committee is reviewing the HBO host’s “dream” for the facility to be named the “John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant” in exchange for $55,000 in donations to Connecticut charities.
Local banks also plan to launch a community fundraiser for Danbury food banks in honor of the renaming.
Many council members said the naming and back-and-forth between Oliver and the city have brought levity to residents stressed out by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It has created this sense of Danbury pride in a time where we needed that,” councilman Roberto Alves said. “We needed a laugh.”
But some didn’t quite get the joke.
“I guess I’m missing the humor in all this,” council member Bob Taborsak said.
He said he didn’t think city buildings should be named after people with no tie to Danbury.
“It just seems to me we’re trivializing local government by having Mr. Oliver involved in this,” said Taborsak, adding he plans to abstain.
That concern was similar to councilman Paul Rotello’s. He moved for the ad hoc committee to be created to study this and future names of city property.
“The precedent of naming not just a sewer plant, but perhaps a school or a park or something like that for another issue that comes up in the future is something to explore,” he said. “I think this will be a good opportunity to do that.”
The committee will meet virtually at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, with a special meeting of the full council at 6:30 p.m.
But for this facility, the name shouldn’t be an issue, Levy said.
“I don’t think there's a long line of people that want their name on the side of the wastewater system,” he said.
Mayor Mark Boughton said the resolution to rename the plant is not binding.
“There is no permanency here,” he said. “Future councils can name it whatever they want.”
On his show “Last Week Tonight,” the English comedian had urged the city not to “Danbury this up” by turning down his offer.
Council member Farley Santos urged his colleagues not to “British this up.”
“Turning this down not only makes us look foolish, but also reveals how out of touch with our constituents we may be,” Santos said.