Selectmen Seek Land Use Expert for New Commission

As Wilton seeks to substantiate a new Economic Development Commission (EDC), the need for a lawyer skilled in land use has become a top priority.

“What I’m promoting tonight is a ‘want ad’” said First Selectman William Brennan at Monday night’s Board of Selectmen (BoS) meeting located at .

While the inchoate EDC has a list of potential board members skilled in many areas, such as communications and marketing, it is currently “without legal experience” in property law, said Brennan.

The selectmen have compiled a list of about 18 viable candidates to staff the board, although commitments are hard to obtain due to career and family priorities.

The EDC is a project that the BoS has been . It involves researching and working with other comparable nearby towns in order to develop an economic growth plan for Wilton; in order to do this, the EDC needs to be staffed with volunteers who each possess a unique skill set. Furthermore, the EDC’s structure and function has not yet been clearly defined by the BoS, something the selectmen must do in the coming months.

Brennan said that the Board had recently put off developing the EDC due to the FY 2012 budget season eating up most of its time.

Selectman James Saxe said that a surveyor could be a candidate, given that a land use and regulations lawyer is “a rare duck” to find.

The Bos stated that persons interested in joining the EDC should contact them at Wilton Town Hall.