Alders Vote Down Matteson As CAO

The Board of Alders for the first time exercised its power to scuttle top mayoral appointments by voting down the the Harp administration’s choice for the next chief administrative officer.

Over the objections of a small contingency of colleagues, one of whom unsuccessfully sought a roll call vote, the alders voted against confirming Sean Matteson, a former chief of staff for Mayor John DeStefano, for the position during their bi-monthly meeting at City Hall Monday night.

The alders were exercising authority they gained in a 2013 charter revision not only to review top mayoral appointees, but to vote them up or down.

Hill Alder Evelyn Rodriguez led the charge on the floor Monday night in support of Matteson, who has been serving as the acting chief administrative officer, or CAO, since Mike Carter resigned the positionabout a month ago. (Click the Facebook Live video below at the 17:02 mark to hear the beginning of the debate.)

Rodriguez, who serves as the chair of the Aldermanic Affairs Committee, said that Matteson came out of a grueling two-hour confirmation before that committee with a ​“strong record” that showed that he was ​“well qualified.” She praised his union work and said that she believed he had the chops to work collaboratively to address some of the biggest issues facing the city right now.

Matteson had worked for UNITE HERE, the union that represents Yale workers, before he went to work for CIty Hall for DeStefano; then he ended up on the opposite side of labor on some matters both in that job and a subsequent one with the pro-charter group ConnCAN. A majority of alders are affiliated with UNITE HERE.

Rodriguez said she recognized that colleagues might have a beef with Matteson leftover from his days acting as the consigliere for former Mayor DeStefano — a time when he was very ​“political,” she said. But the nuts-and-bolts oriented CAO is a different position, she argued.

At his confirmation hearing before the Aldermanic Affairs Committee, Matteson promised he would rein in police and fire overtime, which has already blown through 40 percent of their budgets in the first two months of the fiscal year. In addition to that, he planned to figure out how to deploy a small crew of tree-trimmers citywide, protect trash-collectors who are too often getting hurt on the job, and improve customer service on the police’s non-emergency phone line. He also promised to keep politics out of it. (Read more about Matteson’s hearing here.)

“There are serious problems happening in our city,” Rodriguez said. ​“We need all departments working together. I believe Mr. Matteson can do that.”

Colleagues like Newhallville Alder Delphine Clyburn weren’t ready to forgive and forget.

“I did have some personal things with Mr. Matteson,” Clyburn said in her floor remarks. ​“When my ward had come to the table on our own and was sitting at the table with Achievement First to make sure we get a community benefit agreement from Achievement First, that they would give back to our neighborhood, Mr. Matteson has said to DeStefano not to support us.” Achievement First operates charter schools, including Amistad High School in Newhallville. It negotiated a deal to open that school with Clyburn and other alders in 2012 when DeStefano was mayor.

“I’m just tired of everything with this administration, how they treat different wards,” she added. ​“I just don’t trust that it won’t be any political involvement.”

Hill Alder Dolores Colon said she didn’t trust such a promise either.

“I was here when he was chief of staff,” she said, ​“and political or not, the city did not thrive. As a result, the current mayor inherited a huge, huge amount of financial problems. Topmost on that list is something that he himself mentioned: the firemen and the police overtime. I know that is a complicated matter. But if we’re resting our hopes on his helping us resolve that long-term issue … I’m not willing to give him a second chance to resolve that particular issue.”

Colon said the Harp administration took three months to fill the position of fire chief. What’s the hurry? she asked.

“We can keep him in the position of acting … indefinitely,” Colon added. ​“We should not be rushing to make this decision without comparing him to other applicants.”

Dwight Alder Frank Douglass agreed with that sentiment.

“Haste makes waste,” he said. ​“There should not be a rush for this position to be filled. I’m quite sure there are plenty of other people qualified for this position.”

But time is of the essence Newhallville/Prospect Hill Alder Steve Winter said, speaking in favor of Matteson’s appointment: The city is wrestling with a large projected structural deficit, and Matteson demonstrated he understands the issues surrounding it.

“We need a candidate who can hit the ground running,” Winter said. ​“I believe Sean Matteson … is a good fit for this role.”

East Rock Alder Anna Festa tried to steer the discussion back the question of fitness.

“New Haven is a political city,” she said. ​“We are politicians. Everything is run on politics. All wards have special needs … The question here is whether or not Mr. Matteson is capable of doing the job. … Based on his past practices as well his resume, I think he is capable of doing this job.”

When it looked like Rodriguez might continue the fight, Amity/Beverly Hills Alder Richard Furlow, who also serves as the board’s majority leader, asked for the question to be called so that debate would end. Alders ultimately rejected Matteson’s confirmation on a voice vote. West Rock Alder Michelle Edmonds Sepulveda was the lone abstention. Though she was on the board when Matteson was chief of staff, she said, she didn’t feel she had enough information to vote on his fitness for CAO.

Matteson, who was present at the meeting Monday, said it was not the outcome that he hoped, nor was he expecting that people had such hard feelings from his chief of staff days.

“I don’t take it personally,” he said. ​“I do appreciate the kind words I did get.”

He said he’s sure there will be lots of discussions starting tomorrow about what happens next. His plan is to be at Tuesday’s Fire Commissioners and the Board of Alders Public Safety Committee meetings.

Harp administration spokesman Laurence Grotheer said that the mayor will meet with Chief of Staff Tomas Reyes Tuesday ​“to ensure continuity of services and the plan to move the city forward.”

Board leadership released a statement noting that Matteson previously served as chief of staff when police and fire overtime costs went over budget.

Harp has six months to resubmit Matteson’s name or that of another candidate. Until then he can continue working in the job in an acting capactiy.

About That Voice Vote …

Rodriguez had asked that alders vote individually at the end of her initial floor remarks in support of Matteson Monday night. (You can catch her request at around the 22:26 mark on the Facebook Live video.)

When Alder Furlow called the question (at around the 34:26 mark) Rodriguez tried to interject that she requested that alders vote individually. Board President Tyisha Walker-Myers told her that she ​“did not request the right thing.”

“You voiced your opinion,” Walker-Myers said. ​“So, if you are looking for something different, you need to figure out what the term is.”

Apparently, Rodriguez would have had to have requested a ​“roll-call” vote if she wanted to have her colleagues vote individually. Walker-Myers said that terminology was explained to Rodriguez at Democratic caucus. She also noted that any of Rodriguez’s colleagues who also supported the Matteson appointment could have made the proper request.

“This is not our first rodeo,” Walker-Myers said. ​“People put too many emotions in this instead of knowing the process.”

Rodriguez said she believes that her colleagues understood her request even if she didn’t use the right words.

“I believe it could have been considered, especially on a crucial item like this,” she said.

Click the Facebook Live video below to see the full debate which starts around the 17:05 mark.)