‘Hope for the best, prepare for the worst’
Stamford reps shore up their rules as COVID-19 bears down
STAMFORD — As the Board of Representatives wrangles with difficulties wrought by the coronavirus outbreak, Army basics are being brought to bear.
The board’s president, Matthew Quinones, and the chairman of its Legislative & Rules Committee, Benjamin Lee, are trained Army officers. Together they are seeking to amend board rules to ensure a smooth progression of leaders should COVID-19 intervene.
They are employing an Army credo, said Lee, a District 15 Democrat.
“Hope for the best, prepare for the worst,” he said. “In case the president should be incapacitated, which unfortunately could happen in these circumstances, we need a seamless transition.”
The need for an unambiguous way for the board to convene without a president became clear in simpler times – September, when Quinones was on his honeymoon.
According to board rules, the majority leader steps in when the president is absent. But that month Rodney Pratt, a Democrat from District 9, was out with a medical issue.
Representatives scrambled to figure out who should gavel the meeting into session, and the board rules were no help.
“The rules, as existing, allow for the majority leader to serve as temporary chair and open the meeting. The issue is, what if the majority leader is unavailable?” said Quinones, a Democrat representing District 16. “That is what we are trying to clear up.”
The important thing, Lee said, “is to establish a line of succession deeper than one person.”
His Legislative & Rules Committee took up the matter by webinar Monday night and came up with a proposal that the full 40member board will consider when it meets April 6,
“In case the president should be incapacitated ... we need a seamless transition.”
Rep. Benjamin Lee, chairman of the Legislative & Rules Committee
also by webinar, since a state order designed to curtail the spread of coronavirus prohibits large gatherings.
It outlines a succession for how the board should succeed in the absence of a president and other leaders.
The clerk of the board would open the meeting and call for a vote for a temporary chairperson. If the clerk is not there, the majority leader would do it. If the majority leader is not there, the minority leader would do it.
Members then would vote for a temporary chairperson to preside over the election of a chairperson. The chairperson then would conduct the meeting.
There’s more.
If board members expect that the president will be absent for more than 30 days, they may, by majority vote, elect an acting president to serve until the president returns. The acting president would have all of the powers, duties and responsibilities of the president.
They are extensive. The president presides over the body that makes laws for the city and has final say on how money is spent and how big the budget will be.
Not only that, but if something happes to the mayor, the board president steps in.
The president has a second title — deputy mayor, Quinones said.
“I’ve been in that role temporarily,” Quinones said. “There were times Mayor Martin was on vacation, but he was never out of reach. I signed a document or two, but I did not do anything from a command perspective.”
During his briefing on the coronavirus Tuesday, Gov. Ned Lamont said the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Stamford topped 400, up from 157 the previous day. The number of infections is not expected to peak until mid-April, though no one can say for sure.
That calls for preparation, Lee said. “A lot of business has been put on hold, but some things still have to happen – the city legislature has to be able to meet,” he said. “We want to make sure we have in place a mechanism that will be resilient in these times.”
Representatives likely will tinker with the committee’s proposed rule changes when they meet April 6, Quinones said. They may disagree about the order of succession or alter the process for electing an acting board president, he said. He wants city attorneys to look at the changes.
“Things are moving so fast that the committee felt comfortable pushing this along and getting an answer from the legal department before the full meeting,” Quinones said. “I am sure there will be a lengthy discussion about it during the meeting.”
It’s important for residents to know that city government is working, Lee said.
“We are talking to constituents and getting them answers. We are taking information directly from the city so we can help reassure people,” he said. “I get a question, for example, about whether grocery stores will have food. The supply chains for food are all holding.”
Call your city representative, he said.
“We want to make sure the public has answers to help get them through this month. April is not going to be easy,” Lee said. “We’ve never been challenged like this as a city. We’ve never had reason to contemplate these scenarios.”
They are times made for Army training.
“The taxpayers went to great expense to ensure that Matt and I had skills for such moments,” Lee said. “In my view, we’re just handing it back.”