MERIDEN - Mayor Michael S. Rohde has recommended 53 names for appointment and reappointment to various city boards and commissions this week.

The names are now subject to a two-week vetting period before the City Council votes to confirm them at its meeting March 16. While the majority of names on the list are reappointments, Rohde is recommending 10 newcomers who would replace outgoing board members.

Rohde, in most cases, replaced board members who are no longer interested in serving, but he ousted Zoning Board of Appeals members Robert Raguckas and Britt Hall primarily due to their decisions regarding a controversial auto distribution business at 850 Murdock Avenue.

Both Hall, a Republican, and Raguckas, a Democrat, voted to grant a variance that would allow the auto business on the property and both have terms that expire this year. Both, Rohde said, voted for the variance even after being advised not to by staff.

"Those gentlemen were given the full information from the planning director and the Law Department about the implications of what they did," Rohde said.

Rohde, who spoke with both about his plans, said he was also concerned about their length of service and wanted to get some new people on the board. Hall, for instance, has served for 28 years.

Rohde, a Democrat, said he considered appointees recommended by Democrats, Republicans and the city's third party, We the People. Rohde wants to appoint two We the People members to city boards -Bob Williams to the Commission for People With Disabilities and Nicholas Macri to the Human Rights Advisory Board.

Rohde also names some new Republicans to the city boards, such as Timothy Lenox to the Meriden Transit District. Lenox ran unsuccessfully against Tom Gaffey for the state senate last year.

Republican Town Committee Chairman Daniel Brunet said the party is happy with Rohde's suggestions overall, since it is retaining most Republican seats. But he added that he is disappointed that Rohde did not appoint any Republicans to the Board of Ethics, which is currently made up only of Democrats and unaffiliated residents.

"We have 6,000 registered Republicans in this town that do not have a voice on that panel," Brunet said.

Rohde wants to reappoint the two ethics board members whose terms expire this year, Kenneth Post, who is unaffiliated, and Joseph Galotti, a Democrat.

Rohde said he typically gives preference to people seeking reappointment, so long as they do not present concerns.

Rohde also calls for replacing Planning Commission member Art Geary with alternate Laura Uhrig and names Ross Gulino as a new alternate. Rohde said Geary's attendance record has dwindled to less than 40 percent because he is so busy. Geary agreed that he was too busy at this time to stay on the board, according to Rohde.

Rohde said Gulino, a prominent developer and landlord in town, would be a good addition to the Planning Commission. Some critics have previously raised concerns about placing developers on the commission due to potential conflicts.

Rohde reviewed such concerns with Gulino and said Gulino would be expected to abstain from voting in such cases.

"It is an issue and I had a conversation with him about that and I wanted to make sure that we don't have any conflict of interest," Rohde said.

Gulino, Geary and Uhrig are Democrats.

See the recommended appointments