Markeshia Ricks Photo
Armmand, center, speaks with Alders Jill Marks and Jose Crespo.
It’s a new year, and Mayor Toni Harp has a new legislative liaison, former Downtown Alder Esther Armmand.
The new role for Armmand was announced Tuesday during the Board of Alders’ public caucus before the regular full meeting at City Hall.
Armmand takes the reins from Rick Melita, who served in that role since March 2016. (Read more about Melita’s departure here.)
Armmand has remained active on the political scene after serving as an alder for a decade. She said representing the mayor’s office with a board she formerly served on will be an interesting challenge. She looks forward to it.
“I think my job is to listen and listen deeply to see how we can forge alignment to move forward on policy that benefits the collective in a positive way,” she said. “I look forward to working with each person individually but also the board as a whole to do this.”
Third Officer Greenberg.
Also Tuesday night, alders voted to install Wooster Square Alder Aaron Greenberg as the new “third officer,” or the Democrat who occupies the minority-party position and serves as a member of board leadership and acts in lieu of minority leader where one is required by statute. That position was last held by Yale Alder Sarah Eidelson because the board had no non-Democrats at the time. (The board does now have two members who were elected as independents rather than Democrats: Hacibey Catalbasoglu and Steve Winter. Both are, however, registered Democrats, so the board leadership didn’t need to select them to fill non-party slots on committees.)
Alders also were elected to the following councils and commissions:
• Ad Hoc Living Wage Commission — Jose Crespo and Kim Edwards
• Affirmative Action Commission — Darryl Brackeen Jr.
• School Readiness Council (formerly Commission on Early Childhood Education — Educare) — Jody Ortiz
• Capital Projects Committee — Rosa Ferraro Santana
• City Plan Commission — Adam Marchand
• Cultural Affairs Commission — Jill Marks
• Development Commission — Charles Decker
• Emergency Management Commission — Sal DeCola
• Environmental Advisory Council — Sal DeCola
• Equal Opportunities Commission — Delphine Clyburn
• Food Policy Council — Richard Furlow
• Legal Assistance Association — Evette Hamilton
• Litigation Settlement Committee — Tyisha Walker-Myers
• Parks Commission — Ernie Santiago
• Peace Commission — Dolores Colon
• Property Acquisition and Disposition Committee — Gerald Antunes and Frank Douglass
• Redevelopment Agency Advisory Council — Delphine Clyburn
• New Haven Slavery Task Force — Jose Crespo
• Solid Waste Authority — Gerald Antunes
• Transfer Committee — Rosa Ferraro Santana
• Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority — Sal DeCola
• Youth Commission — Evelyn Rodriguez and Michelle Sepulveda