Southington Council Bids Farewell To Two Members

SOUTHINGTON, CT — The town's top elected body said goodbye Tuesday, Oct. 24, to two Republicans who had their last meeting on the board, including the board's veteran leader.

The last Southington Town Council meeting before elections was also the last for Republican Town Council Chairperson Victoria Triano and Republican Tom Lombardi.

Both are not seeking council terms this election and the next council meeting in November will feature a new board to be decided at the Nov. 7 elections.

Throughout Tuesday's meeting, colleagues on the council feted the duo for their service to the town, as did speakers during the audience of citizens.

Triano was honored for her nearly three-decade stint serving the Town of Southington in various capacities, including many of them on the council.

Southington Town Council Vice Chairman Paul Chaplinsky, Jr., who if re-elected is the likely successor to Triano as chairman, stood up to fete both Triano and Lombardi.

Chaplinsky reached out to Southington's legislative delegation in Hartford and they were at Tuesday's meeting to honor the duo.

"There's a lot of commitment and a lot of love and passion," he said of Triano and Lombardi.

State Sen. Rob Sampton, R-Wolcott; state Rep. Chris Poulos, D-Southington; state Rep. Donna Veach, R-Berlin; and state Rep. Francis Cooley, R-Plainville, all said words of congratulations and thanks for Triano's and Lombardi's service.

Both Lombardi and Triano received citations from the legislative delegation for their service.

Throughout the meeting, board members paid homage to the duo.

Both Republicans were moved by the night's events.

"I just have to say the last couple of weeks have been different," Lombardi said in preparation for reading a statement thanking the community.

"Serving the residents of Southington over the last 10 years has been an honor," Lombardi said. "My service to the town was never about me, but you, the residents of Southington.

"I have a great deal of respect for all members of this council and all members of previous councils that I have served with," he said.

Public communications, a time of the council meeting often reserved for gripes and complaints, featured kind words for the duo as they left office.

Business proceeded with an "aye" here and a motion there, with Triano running the show as always.

When the hour-and-a-half-long meeting ended, Triano put aside her chairman's gavel, which was more symbolic as she didn't have one, and spoke from the heart.

"Before we go into adjournment, I do want to take one moment to thank everyone," she said. "I want to just say this, I believe that when we say yes to service, we are aligning ourselves with the person who actually put us in this line and I believe it's in Almighty God."

She paid tribute to all who served the town.

"I will tell you it is sacrificial, but every person that I have seen that has said 'yes' are doing great things in this community," Triano said.

Triano also touched on today's divided political climate, which hasn't spared Southington in recent weeks.

"As someone said, sometimes we disagree. Sometimes we have a different way of looking at things. If sometimes we get hot, and maybe speak from emotion and not from our head, If I've done that I want to apologize to anyone I may have offended," Triano said. "But I have great hope in Southington's future."

She also had a message for voters, who will pick a new council on Nov. 7.

"I want to make sure that everyone gets out to the polls. That you vote what you're heart is telling you to do and we will see Southington move forward in a way that is unprecedented," Triano said.

For the minutes of the Oct. 23 Southington Town Council meeting, click on this link.