Montville will sue over sex-offender site

Montville - They're going for it.

Town councilors said they've tried through negotiations to get the state to reconsider opening a sexual offender treatment facility on the grounds of the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center.

They've filed Freedom of Information requests in an effort to get more detailed accounts of how the site was selected for the $2 million, 24-bed facility to be run by The Connection Inc., a Middletown-based nonprofit social service agency.

Now, they're going to give the legal system a shot in an effort to stop the project from opening to clients in January.

"We have a long road ahead of us, but I do believe this is a start," Council Chairwoman Donna Jacobson said.

After a more than hourlong closed-door session Wednesday night with Attorney Michael P. Carey of Suisman & Shapiro and another 15 minutes of hearing from eight residents who primarily supported the move, councilors voted 5-1, with one abstention, to proceed with taking legal action through Superior Court. The resolution asked the attorneys to "formally act on the injunction and/or civil and administrative litigation."

Councilor Gary Murphy, who is opposed to the facility, abstained from the vote because he is an employee of the state Department of Correction, one of the departments to be named in the suit. Murphy said he did not want to jeopardize the town's case.

Although she "adamantly opposes" the project, Councilor Catherine "Candy" Buebendorf said she voted against authorizing the attorney to file for an injunction or begin civil action out of concern that the town does not have a strong enough case to prevail.

Resident Mary Clarke Wilson shared Buebendorf's concern and said she too hopes the project does not come to fruition, but asked how long the council would be willing to litigate the issue.

"I'm in favor of the litigation, but how far will we go with this? How much is the town willing to spend on this?" she asked.

Council Vice Chairwoman Ellen Hillman, who also drafted a new Child Safety ordinance that will be considered at a future public hearing, said, "There just isn't a price you can put on a child's head" for safety.

Resident James Andriote Sr. said money should not be a factor, particularly to fight something that could affect the town in the long term.

"This is an important issue in town. If we lose then we'll have to go back to think about it again," he said.

Jacobson said that the initial legal filing will be considered the first step in the process. Once it begins weaving through the court system the council will reassess the situation before proceeding to the next phase.

"It's part of a series of steps that must be taken," she said.

m.bard@theday.com