To the Editor:
My name is Greg Alprin, I’m a Democrat, 20+ year resident of Fairfield, and current member of the Fairfield Parking Authority Board of Commissioners, a position I have held for close to 10 years. I would like to clear up some rhetoric and misinformation around the recent dissolving of the Parking Authority led by the First Selectman and the Democratic super majority on the Fairfield RTM.
Speaking for myself, I do not have a public position if changing the structure of the Parking Authority from an independent authority to a town department is good or bad. I hope, for the sake of the commuters, it’s a transition that has no visible effects and the Town carries on all the good work all we have done to better the commuting experience. My displeasure with the situation solely lies with the lack of transparency, manipulation of facts, and the misinformation shared by the administration. The Town of Fairfield deserves better from their elected officials, and it must start and end with the public trust. Trust which has now been compromised.
I initiated the petition for a referendum on the vote for dissolve. While the Republicans took the lead on gaining signatures and filing the actual petition since I was not available to, it was a BIPARTISAN effort. As a Democrat, I am embarrassed by the attacks levied against the Republican RTM members. I apologize on behalf of the nonpartisan Democrats in Fairfield to the Republicans on the RTM and applaud your efforts.
To not rehash the entire situation there are a few points I would like to clarify, as recent public communications from the Democrat Town Committee, RTM member Dave Rock, RTM leadership Marcy Spolyar and Liz Zezima, and First Selectmen William Gerber, have included inaccurate information.
First, the Parking Authority and State Dept of DOT were never involved in a single conversation with the administration about their intentions to dissolve the Parking Authority. The Parking Authority only found out about their effort on Friday, February 14, one business day before the RTM began the dissolution process. The DOT Commissioner found out on Wednesday, March 26, three business days before the dissolution was finalized.
Second, the claim that the Parking Authority refused to pay its lease payment is unequivocally false. While there hasn’t been a lease in force since 2018, during the turnover of administrations many of our correspondence to the administration went unanswered. After listening to the commentary by COO David Becker about the Parking Authority and its employees, and inaccurate statements made at the July 16th and September 3rd 2024 Board of Finance meetings, I requested a meeting with Mr. Becker and Mr. Gerber in September of 2024 to settle the payment on the spot. In that meeting they refused to take the payment, stating it was too late to hit the 2024 books. Ultimately, as shown in the Town and PA’s 2024 books in the form of a payable and receivable, the Parking Authority made the cash payment as reflected in Dec 2024.
Third, First Selectman Gerber has been standing behind a narrative that his office has received overwhelming amounts of complaints regarding garbage at the stations. In the last five years the Parking Authority has received one complaint regarding garbage. In an effort to understand his position I made an FOI request last month to be furnished all the complaints to his office, Fairfield Police Department, DPW etc. regarding the parking lots or the stations. In all documentation provided to me by the town to satisfy my FOI request, there were ZERO garbage complaints dating back to 2020. ZERO.
Lastly, In Dave Rock’s (RTM District 2) recent Opt Ed published in the Patch in April 2025, he claimed the PA terminated a lease without notice with the Southport Conservancy. That’s unequivocally false. The Southport Conservancy was notified in October of 2019 their lease would not be renewed. It’s well documented with their past President, the State DOT, and local officials.
To my fellow Democrats, it is important to remember, that in local elections every single vote counts. While I am deeply troubled by the actions, commentary and tact by the Democrats on the RTM and the administration, I intend on being steadfast in holding our elected Democrat officials accountable for their decisions and actions going forward. While I know that may disappoint many, I do not subscribe to purely partisan antics as that is the quickest way to failure and destroying the town I fell in love with 22 years ago. That is the very least I can do as a member of the party who values our platform, transparency, and responsible governance.
Greg Alprin
Fairfield, CT
Alprin is a current member of the Fairfield Parking Authority Board of Commissioners,