UI Seeks Records From Fairfield & Bridgeport Officials In Monopole Fight

FAIRFIELD, CT — United Illuminating is seeking internal communications from several Fairfield and Bridgeport officials in its ongoing fight with the two communities over the utility company's proposed monopole transmission line project.

UI has filed Freedom of Information Act requests from the following, including members of Gov. Ned Lamont's office, UI spokesperson Sarah Wall Fliotsos told Patch:

• Rep. Cristin McCarthy-Vahey
• Rep. Steve Stafstrom
• Rep. Jennifer Leeper
• Rep. Sarah Keitt
• Sen. Tony Hwang
• Governor’s Office (Chief of Staff Brokman and Governor Ned Lamont)
• Fairfield First Selectwoman Christine Vitale
• Fairfield officials Timothy Bishop (Conservation Director), Emmeline Harrigan (Planning and Zoning Director), and Christine Brown (Chief of Staff)
• Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim
• Bridgeport officials William “Bill” Coleman (Deputy Director of Planning and Economic Development), Tom Gill (Director of Planning and Economic Development), Thomas Gaudett (Chief Administrative Officer), and Constance Vickers (Deputy Chief of Staff)
• Melanie Bachman, Connecticut Siting Council

Last week, the Connecticut Siting Council rejected UI's proposed plan, in which the company would have installed dozens of tall monopoles throughout portions of Fairfield and Bridgeport that would have carried high-voltage power lines.

Officials from both communities, in addition to business and religious leaders and residents, opposed the plan, and call for the power lines to be buried underground.

"We are deeply concerned that the Siting Council has failed to provide any justification or explanation for their vote to deny the Fairfield to Congress project, despite it being the least expensive and least environmentally intrusive option before them," Fliotsos said in a statement. "By submitting these FOIA requests, we hope to gather more information on what drove the Siting Council’s inexplicable decision so that we can pursue the most appropriate path forward to ensure the reliability and resiliency of the transmission grid in Fairfield and Bridgeport."

As of Friday, UI had not filed a Motion for Reconsideration of the Siting Council decision, and have until Oct. 31, or 15 days from the ruling, to do so. It would likely need to file such a request before moving onto a court appeal, if it chooses.

Fairfield First Selectwoman Christine Vitale said the town will comply with the FOIA request, as the other subjects are expected to do, too.

"The Town will comply with all FOIA requests from United Illuminating in accordance with state law," Vitale told Patch in a statement. "We remain open to working collaboratively with UI to meet the region’s energy needs while also protecting our community’s economic, ecological, and historical resources."