KENT — With his grandson growing at record speed, First Selectman Martin Lindenmayer wants to be able to spend more time with the little boy. He has visions of fishing trips, bonding on the playground and bike rides. He also would like the flexibility to spend time with his wife, Kathleen, who recently retired, and see his two daughters more. He sees those as lost opportunities for the past two years.
For those reasons and the desire to travel, Lindenmayer has decided not to run for a second term as the town’s top official.
“I’ve really enjoyed it,” he said during an interview Monday. “I love this town. I like being able to meet people and help them. I’m glad I did it. It was fun.”
Looking back over his tenure. Lindenmayer, 68, said he is most proud of the expanded communication he’s been able to forge with the community. His monthly newsletter has been a hit.
“It’s gotten a good reaction,” he said. “It keeps people aware of what is going on.”
He also pointed to the establishment of an economic development committee, which was designed to have members see what residents want for the town. He said the group doesn’t just look at businesses, but the arts, recreational and cultural scene as well.
“It focuses on the town overall,” he said.
He is proud of the organic food waste program at the transfer station that was developed through Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority, which is preventing huge tonnages from going into the waste stream and providing compost for home gardeners.
The town's finances, Lindenmayer said, are in “good shape.” He is pleased the newly formed Cemetery Commission is working well and the six town-owned cemeteries are looking well-manicured, he said.
Additionally, he pointed to the increase made in the abatement for Kent’s first responders from $1,000 to $2,000 during his term, and the PILOT agreement cemented between the town and High Watch Recovery Center in which the center agreed to pay $30,000 per year for three years to settle the lawsuit it had brought against the town for overcharging property taxes against its nonprofit buildings.
Sitting on Main Street watching the bustling activity on a weekday morning, Lindenmayer said he likes the direction in which the town is going. Kent Memorial Library is central to the community, with a large renovation project set to start in a few months. He said businesses are growing and the schools, including the private institutions, are doing well.
But, as is the case in most Northwest Corner towns, he’d like to see more young people get involved.
More money needs to be directed toward the town’s roads, he believes, and at Town Hall, where he’d like to see a director of administrative services position formed to help out in all other offices when needed.
As for the town-owned historic Swift House, with its future the topic of discussion for several years, Lindenmayer said he favors it being sold, while there are some people in town who would like it to be upgraded and retained. An estimate to renovate it came in at $2.4 million. Lindenmayer said he’d prefer to put money toward the Community House, which is rented out for functions and brings in about $18,000 in revenue annually. A public vote on the Swift House could be on the horizon.
“I’d like to see public access to the river,” he said, describing how a launch could be placed near Kent Center School and provide wonderful recreational opportunities, as well as a practice area for emergency personnel.
With Kent the only town in the Region 1 school district without a public swimming area, he’d like to see that situation rectified, as well as having a work-out area where seniors could exercise. Town Hall is in need of upgrades, such as new windows and carpeting, and the audio system needs redoing.
The proposal to install speed cameras, which Lindenmayer strongly supported, was soundly defeated at a referendum, but he said that needs to be looked at again.
“A lot of folks recognize what it’s done for Washington and how much money they’ve generated," he said. "We need to have behavior modification for safety.”
The sidewalk project for the center of town has been held up by the process of securing easements, but Lindenmayer said those issues will be cleared up shortly. Most likely, the construction will begin in the spring.
The push for affordable housing has been quite successful in Kent with more units being planned for the area near South Commons. Lindenmayer said he steered the no-cost transfer of the 1.15-acre town-owned property to a successful town-approval completion.
“We have enough preserved land but not enough people,” Lindenmayer said, adding that housing should be the focus to keep the town vibrant. “I’d like to keep Kent not just rural, but forever.”
An effort to ban wake crafts on Lake Waramaug has raised controversy, with a recent town meeting having to be canceled due to the huge crowd that could not fit into Town Hall. Lindenmayer said he favors the ban because the lake’s small size precludes wake crafting from being a viable activity. A referendum on the ban may be set by the selectmen soon.
Following a career in the military and government service, Lindenmayer and his wife, who was raised in Kent, decided to make it their home in 2006 and came to live here permanently in 2010. He served five years on the Board of Education, including four as chairman. He said he hopes to remain civically active after stepping down.