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Steve Pestillo
Town Council
The
people of Southington are clearly looking for changes at Town Hall.
We've seen the same faces on Town Council for 4 years, and things are
starting to get stale. Economic Development is at a virtual standstill,
roads are in dire need of repair, and our sewer infrastructure is a
$6.5million mess. Our property taxes are still too high, because too
much of the tax burden is placed on the residents of Southington.
What kind of responsible change will I bring to the Town Council? I've spent the last 15 years developing custom software applications for medium-sized businesses in CT and along the east coast. Software Development isn't about bits and bytes. Software Development is all about problem solving. It's about learning how a business operates and finding ways to make it operate better. I've applied my experience on the Board of Water Commissioners, where I currently serve as president. We lease space on our water tanks to cellular phone providers to the tune of $140,000 per year, we found ways of buying electricity at significantly reduced rates, and we sought and received almost $2million in funding from Washington D.C., all to take the burden off of our rate payers. Our plan is working. Just ask anyone who buys water in Plainville or New Britain about how much they pay for water.
My Goals
If elected to Town Council, I'll work toward:
· Breaking down the barriers that exist between the boards and commissions in our town. I've seen so much money wasted as a result of these barriers and "power plays". I've seen a road get paved on a Friday by the Water Dept., and ripped up by the Town 3 days later. I've seen pipe installed by the Water Dept., and watched it ripped out by the Town 2 years later. Simple communication will prevent situations like this.
· Making our roads a safe place for everyone. Streets like Lazy Lane and Spring Street are long overdue for an overhaul, and while it's nice to see them finally getting the attention they need, I won't wait until Campaign Season to focus on road safety.
· Getting our sewer infrastructure up to the high standards of our water infrastructure. Southington is faced with $6.5million in emergency sewer repairs. These are not preventative repairs...they are emergency repairs. That's inexcusable.
· Helping our children get the tools and help they need by working closely with the Board of Education and other organizations in Southington.
· Finding sources of revenue from somewhere other than the residents of Southington. How? Economic Development, Economic Stimulus, and the same "outside-the-box" thinking that I follow in business and on the Board of Water Commissioners.
Personal
I'm a life-long resident of Southington. I have 2 kids in the school system. My daughter is an honor student who loves softball and karate. She is also an extremely gifted artist. (You'll see her work at the Pepper Pot this fall.) My son is a HUGE baseball fan (go Sox) and NASCAR fan (go Dale...I mean Tony), and is currently working on his golf game. My wife Bethany is a special education teacher, a former president of the Thalberg School PTO, and is currently an executive board member of both S.T.E.P.S. and the Southington Education Foundation.
My Qualifications
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5 years serving on the Board of Water Commissioners, currently serving as president
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16 years as a software developer (aka "problem solver), 13 years self-employed and 3 with an organization in Farmington, CT
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6 years on the Southington Republican Town Committee Executive Board where I serve as Vice Chairman
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Bachelor's Degree in Civil/Structural Engineering from the University of Connecticut