Police Chief Thomas Rotunda said he “had no regrets” after being feted with a 25th anniversary party at police headquarters, the April 26, 1990, Press reported.
As a child, Chief Rotunda, a native of Danbury, said, he wanted to be a fireman but told the people who attended his surprise party that he still enjoyed coming to work every day. Through the years, he said, he had seen a lot of changes in both the community and the department. The chief felt thanks were due because without the community’s support of budgets, the department could not function effectively. Holding the highest position in the police department wasn’t something he had planned on when he joined, but he encouraged his officers to reach for the job. “I happened to be in the right place at the right time,” said Chief Rotunda, who was the third senior police chief in Fairfield County.
After only three years as principal at RHS, Elaine Bessette announced that she was leaving the Ridgefield school system to assume the position of principal in the West Hartford system. Although her tenure in town took place during a period of brutal budget battles, Bessette said her decision was not motivated by a desire to leave Ridgefield. “It’s mostly for personal reasons, my family. … I live right next to West Hartford.” Ms. Bessette said she was also excited by the possibilities and challenges of her new job. “West Hartford is very progressive educationally,” she said. “They’re looking at the 21st Century, and in terms of developing programs to meet those needs, and that is going to be very challenging.”
Ten town offices, including the first selectman’s, would have the lengths of their terms changed to four years, according to a series of proposals approved by the Charter Revision Commission. The charter commission voted to propose changing the length of terms for first selectman and the four members of the Board of Selectmen from two to four years. Selectmen attending the charter meeting had differing views on the change. Incumbent Republican First Selectman Sue Manning favored the change, saying that even small projects can take a long time to accomplish those days. She also said longer terms might reduce political influence on financial decisions. Selectman Peter Yanity spoke against a proposal by the Democratic Town Committee to leave the Board of Selectmen’s terms to two years, while making the first selectman’s term four years. They ought to be the same, he said.
The commission took similar action concerning the terms of three town hall paid administrators: tax collector, town clerk and treasurer. At the time, all three positions were elected to two-year terms, and the commission voted to go to hearings with a proposal that would make all three positions four-year terms. In the past, the charter commission members had favored making these jobs appointed rather than elected, but no such proposal had ever been approved.
Bridgeport Hydraulic Co. signed a letter of intent specifying the terms for its acquisition of the Ridgefield and New Canaan water supply companies. By the terms of the sale, Bridgeport Hydraulic would acquire all of the outstanding shares of the common stock of the New Canaan Water Co. and the Ridgefield Water Supply Co. in exchange for the Hydraulic Co. common stock having an aggregate value of $3,250,000. The Hydraulic Co., a Delaware holding company, was a diversified water management services. Bridgeport Hydraulic, its largest subsidiary and one of the 10 largest investor-owned water companies in the United States, served approximately 460,000 in an 18-community franchise area of Fairfield, Litchfield, and New Haven counties. Ridgefield Water Supply served a population of 7,000 in Ridgefield.