East Lyme Board of Selectmen takes another look at populating the Fair Rent Commission

East Lyme ― The five-member Fair Rent Commission was down two members in its first week of existence.

The Board of Selectmen will meet Wednesday to fill the vacancies left when one member declined to accept his appointment and another turned out not to be a registered voter.

The move comes after the selectmen’s decision last week to appoint one Republican tenant, one Republican landlord and three Democratic homeowners was met with criticism from those who said the commission lacked diversity.

Selectmen appointed Andy Sklavouris, owner of Five Churches By the Bay, because his status as a Republican and a residential landlord fit the profile they thought was necessary to keep with state and local laws.

But Sklavouris dropped out the next day, according to First Selectman Dan Cunningham. The businessman had told The Day he didn’t know he’d been appointed and didn’t particularly identify as a landlord.

The departure means selectmen must find another landlord based on a provision in the ordinance approved last month requiring at least one tenant and one residential landlord. Cunningham said it doesn’t matter which party the landlord is from because restrictions on the commission’s political composition weren’t as stringent as he’d thought.

State law generally says no more than two-thirds of a board or commission can be from the same party. On a board of five people, the state rounds down to specify only one person needs to be from a minority party.

Selectmen in making their initial appointments had been under the impression two members would have to be from a minority party. The result was a lot of shuffling among 12 candidates ― with only two landlords applying ― to find five members and three alternates who checked all the boxes.

Remaining on the commission is Nancy Johnson, a Republican tenant, and two Democrats who are neither tenants nor landlords: U.S. Navy veteran John Vilcheck and attorney Dan Horgan.

Candidate Brian Wraight was disqualified because he is not registered to vote in town, Cunningham said.

Residents from the Windward Village apartment complex in Niantic began rallying for the creation of the commission after Shelton-based Alpha Capital Funds real estate investment firm purchased the building in June for $8.4 million and began to inform tenants their rent would increase between $800 and $900 when their leases came up for renewal.

There is a sense of urgency as more leases come up with each passing month. The mostly elderly tenants have reported a lack of affordable options in the area and years-long waiting lists for the subsidized housing that does exist.

“The unfortunate part is this delayed us another couple of weeks,” Cunningham said. “I was hoping to have everything in place by the end of the month.”

Some Windward Village residents after the initial appointments expressed frustration that selectmen had not chosen fellow tenant Alicia Chandler for a seat on the commission. The young, Black professional was active in advocating for the creation of the commission and said she would bring diversity to its membership.

Tenant Judy Plouffe this week said Chandler appeared to be overlooked by selectmen.

“I commend the Board of Selectmen for listening to us and working with us to get the Fair Rent Commission established, but they failed us when it came to who they appointed,” she said.

The appointment of seven men and one woman left many tenants feeling deflated, according to Plouffe.

“It’s extremely important to have a diverse board, and I’m hoping the two new people to be appointed will be more representative of our community,” she said.

While Cunningham last time around submitted a recommended slate for endorsement by the rest of the selectmen, he said he’s going to leave the choice up to them this time.

“I’m going to let the board decide that night who they want,” he said. “I’m not going to suggest anybody.”

Those interested in applying can contact selectmen directly or can send a cover letter and resume to sanderson@eltownhall.com. Selectmen will meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, in the Town Hall.

e.regan@theday.com