Council approves RFP for former GEMS building

Town Council · Meeting of October 13, 2026

BLOOMFIELD — The Bloomfield Town Council voted unanimously to seek proposals for the sale or lease of the former GEMS school building, appraised at $1.9 million. Town Manager Alvin Schwapp Jr. estimated commercial reuse could generate about $50,000 in new annual tax revenue, while Councilor Joseph Merritt argued the town should "sell it and get as much money this year as we can." Councilor Suzette DeBeatham-Brown said she has "no desire to approve the town being a landlord." Town Clerk Andrea DiStephan reported FOIA requests have jumped from 31 in 2024 to 202 so far in 2026, with 72 still open. The council also tabled two union contracts, for UPSEU Local 424 and Teamsters Local 671, pending a special meeting date, and entered executive session to discuss the town manager's evaluation.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,622 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of October 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Resolution

The council opened with a procedural suspension of the rules to adopt a resolution recognizing October 2026 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, read in full by Mayor Anthony Harrington. The resolution, brought forward in the absence of Councilor Darrell Goodwin, passed on a voice vote with no recorded dissent. Several speakers, including a public commenter addressing SNAP and energy-assistance programs, later referenced the month during citizens' statements, noting family members who are breast cancer survivors.

Freedom of Information Act Update

Background and stakes: The presentation responds to a steep rise in records requests the town has fielded, a trend Town Manager Alvin Schwapp Jr. said is happening statewide and that he linked to the use of artificial intelligence tools to generate requests. The town is also transitioning its internal workflow, a change that has operational and possibly budgetary consequences.

The question before the body: Town Clerk Andrea DiStephan presented data on request volume and a planned shift in how the town processes requests; the council was not asked to vote but to absorb the briefing and ask questions.

Substantive content: DiStephan said the town received 31 FOIA requests in 2024, 134 in 2025 and 202 so far in 2026. Of this year's total, 130 have been closed and 72 remain open. She characterized requests as ranging from "routine" (simple, readily available documents) to "complex," citing a six-page request for surveillance technology records, including automated license plate readers, enforcement cameras and drones, that reaches back to 2018. DiStephan said the town cannot charge fees for FOIA labor generally, though it may charge 50 cents per paper copy or for data conversion in limited circumstances. She described a current process in which nearly every step routes through the clerk's office and said the town is moving toward an "agency-managed" model in which each department handles its own requests directly, consistent with Freedom of Information Commission guidance, once a standard operating procedure is finalized.

The deliberation: Councilor Michael Oliver asked whether AI software could help manage the volume; DiStephan said a product called Goldfinch, used by Fairfield, costs roughly $30 a month plus a per-request fee and can help eliminate duplicate submissions. Schwapp used his turn to argue the increase is driven by a small number of residents, "no more than five or 10 people," using AI to generate complex requests, and said records sometimes go unclaimed after costly redaction work. Councilor Shamar Mahon objected to that framing, saying residents who once got answers directly from department heads, including himself as a sitting councilor, have been redirected into the formal FOIA process the town itself built, and that rising civic engagement should be welcomed rather than treated as an attack.

"These days what's happened is that citizens have been pointed and directed to going through the FOIA process... we've kind of created this beast and now our residents are now used to filling out these FOIA requests." [00:31:33] — Councilor Shamar Mahon

Town Attorney, whose surname was rendered inconsistently in the meeting audio, clarified there is no required "FOIA form," and requests can be made verbally, in writing or by phone. Councilor Joseph Merritt said a pending FOIA backlog, roughly 40 requests on the finance department's desk, had delayed staff research into state law options for mitigating revaluation-driven tax increases.

Procedural steps and outcome: No vote was taken; this was a briefing item.

Implications and what is next: DiStephan said the clerk's office will continue issuing weekly status reports as the agency-managed process rolls out. Oliver suggested the town explore AI-assisted search tools going forward.

Citizens' Statements and Petitions

Several residents and one business owner addressed the council. Shelby Young, who identified herself as the owner of Cottage Grove Business Park (formerly Cottage Grove Circle) at 112-116 Cottage Grove Road, told the council her Advocacy to Legacy Home Roots Initiative planning grant through the Community Investment Fund is wrapping up and asked the council for an updated support letter for the project's second-phase construction grant application, which opens October 26.

An unidentified speaker, who said she would return at the start of the month, gave an update on SNAP work requirements under federal changes tied to what she called "the One Big Beautiful Bill," including a new 80-hour work requirement and a prescreening tool on the state DSS website. She announced a health fair at First Cathedral on November 7 and said energy-assistance funds are now available earlier so residents can buy oil while prices remain lower, noting DSS projects prices will rise later.

Rickford Curtin, a Bloomfield resident, used his time to criticize Schwapp, stating the town manager was fined $1,500 by the state Freedom of Information Commission for "misleading and lying to the commission," a claim the meeting record does not independently confirm or rebut. Curtin also challenged the legal standing of the town manager's newly formed Blue Ribbon Budget Committee, arguing the council has ceded its budget-oversight responsibility to an advisory group the manager assembled rather than performing that oversight itself.

"You guys are not doing your job. You're plainly not doing your job. You're deferring this responsibility to the town manager." [00:41:42] — Rickford Curtin, resident

Erin Barringer, of 28 Kenmore Road, identified herself as a member of that same Blue Ribbon Budget Committee and said the body is modeled on citizen advisory committees used elsewhere in the country. She asked that debate over the committee "move away from the insults, mischaracterizations and personal attacks" while continuing to permit disagreement. Barringer also raised a FOIA request she filed in May that remains in the town's new CivicPlus "NextRequest" portal, which Town Clerk DiStephan said earlier in the meeting is not yet fully live to the public.

Consent Agenda

The council amended its September 28, 2026 minutes to note that discussion of the Board of Assessment Appeals, referred to informally as "BAA," had been tabled at that prior meeting but omitted from the record. With that addition, the council approved the consent agenda, covering the amended minutes, routine tax refunds, and, per the supporting memorandum from Recording Secretary Lynn Weisel, the appointment of Jaunice Edwards-Hassan, Bloomfield High School's Dean of Students, as the professional school representative on the Youth Diversion Team for a term ending June 25, 2027. The vote passed by voice with no dissent recorded.

44 Griffin Road South, the Former GEMS Building

Background and stakes: The Board of Education has vacated and returned the former GEMS school building to the town, agreeing to fund its maintenance only through June 30, 2026. The council faced a deadline-driven question of what to do with the asset before the town must absorb ongoing costs itself.

The question before the body: Whether to authorize the town manager to market the 25,400-square-foot building, appraised at $1.9 million according to Councilor Merritt, for sale or lease through a request-for-proposals process.

Substantive content: A town official introduced during the item only as "the director," later thanked by name as Coleman by Councilor DeBeatham-Brown, told the council the town is "not in that business" of managing real estate and needs authority to hire a consultant to market the property. He said the manager would also be allowed to hold direct conversations with other municipal agencies, such as a regional health district, that might want the building, while any non-municipal party would have to go through the standard RFP process. Schwapp estimated commercial reuse of the building could generate approximately $50,000 in annual tax revenue currently uncollected, and said he leans toward treating the property as a long-term revenue source rather than a one-time budget infusion.

The deliberation: Merritt and DeBeatham-Brown both argued for an outright sale. Merritt said the town should "sell it and get as much money this year as we can," citing budget pressure and the risk that real estate values, while likely to keep rising, make selling sooner more attractive given near-term fiscal needs. DeBeatham-Brown said flatly she has "no desire to approve the town being a landlord." Mahon took the opposite position, saying a commercial lease carries fewer landlord responsibilities than residential property and could yield more over time given regional demand, while reserving final judgment until market data comes back. Councilor Elizabeth Waterhouse and Deputy Mayor Cindi Lloyd both said the council should weigh both options rather than commit now; Lloyd, drawing on a real estate background, noted that lease terms can be negotiated to split or assign repair costs to a tenant, while a sale would likely proceed "as is."

"I don't believe the town should be in the real estate business. I think we don't need that building. Let's sell it and get as much money this year as we can." [01:03:11] — Councilor Joseph Merritt

Oliver asked about the extent of interior damage after the Board of Education removed kitchen equipment and who would bear the repair cost. The town official and Schwapp both said the damage, concentrated in sheetrock and kitchen areas, was caused by whoever the district used to remove equipment, not Bloomfield's Department of Public Works, and that the district's facilities manager has offered to address some of it.

Procedural steps and outcome: A councilor moved "to authorize the town manager to explore the repurposing of the town-owned property located at 44 Griffin Road South, the former GEMS school building, and to prepare and issue a request for proposal for the reuse of the property, with any proposal selected through this process to be returned to the Town Council for review and approval prior to any sale, lease or other disposition of the property." The motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote with no opposition or abstentions recorded. Lloyd then offered a friendly amendment requiring the council to review the RFP document itself before it is issued; that amendment was seconded and also passed unanimously by voice vote.

Implications and what is next: The town manager will retain a consultant and prepare an RFP that the full council must review before release, and any resulting sale, lease or other deal must come back to the council for final approval. No timeline for the RFP's completion was given at the meeting.

Collective Bargaining Contracts: UPSEU Local 424 and Teamsters Local 671

The council took up items 2027-08 and 2027-09 together. A roll-call style vote was recorded with Deputy Mayor Lloyd and Councilor Mahon both voting aye, and the chair noted the remainder of the council concurred. The presiding officer then stated the two items would be tabled until the council secures a special meeting date. No substantive terms of either contract were discussed on the record at this meeting.

Implications and what is next: Both union contracts remain unresolved pending a special meeting; a date was not set during this session.

Town Manager's Report

Schwapp announced eight town employees retired by October 2, 2026, naming Deputy Town Manager Sharon Ty Williams (21 years of service), Director of Senior Services Yvette Hugh-Pennell (41 years), Director of Social and Youth Services Camilla Hillian (26 years), Director of Human Services Rosa Matias (25 years), Director of Park, Recreation and Leisure Services Dave Valesco (26 years), Director of Public Works Daniel Carter (11 years), Assistant Director of Social and Youth Services Dawn Cooper-Grodger (25 years), and Assistant Director of Human Resources Catherine Roberts (15 years). He also announced the Economic Development Commission/Development Authority appointments of Malcolm Archibald (term ending January 31, 2028), a nominee Schwapp referred to in one instance as "Olwick Bryce" (term ending January 31, 2029), and a nominee referred to as both "Katanya Huey" and "Katani Huey" (term ending January 31, 2030), following the council's September 28 nomination vote.

Schwapp reported the town provided more than $4,200 in oil assistance this fiscal year to eight households, averaging $503 per household for 100 gallons, compared with no assistance provided in the same July-to-October window last fiscal year. He said an additional $5,000, $7,500 or $10,000 in crisis funds could help 10, 15 or 25 more households respectively. He also promoted an October 16 Trunk or Treat event at a town park ($10 per resident, pre-registration required) and a Purple Thursday domestic-violence awareness table at the Bloomfield Public Library with Interval House, noting Bloomfield ranks among the top five of roughly 24-25 communities Interval House serves by service need. Schwapp closed by reporting that a State Elections Enforcement Commission inquiry into a prior public allegation against him regarding the 2025 charter-question ballot issue found the allegation "not supported by the evidence," at a cost to taxpayers of about $5,000 in legal defense.

Mayor's Report and Council Comments

Mayor Harrington thanked the Committee on Committees' recommended appointees and discussed town efforts, with the Department of Community Development and outside partners, to assist businesses affected by a prior service disruption at Wittenberry Mall, naming Niagara Bottling and Waypoint as businesses in contact with the town. Councilor DeBeatham-Brown said the council as a whole has not given the town manager clear direction on the budget process and said the manager's Blue Ribbon Budget Committee lacks formal legal standing. Merritt said he would drop his effort to find a legal mechanism to mitigate revaluation-driven tax increases after what he said was public misunderstanding of his proposal; Deputy Mayor Lloyd said she would continue researching state tax-relief programs, including a Homestead Act option, for seniors, military members and disabled residents.

Executive Session

The council voted to enter executive session with Councilors DeBeatham-Brown, Mahon, Oliver, Merritt and Waterhouse, Deputy Mayor Lloyd and Mayor Harrington, along with the town manager and town attorney, to discuss the town manager's evaluation. The mayor amended the motion on the floor to remove reference to the two tabled union contracts. The vote to enter executive session passed by voice vote with no recorded abstentions.

Mayor Anthony Harrington, presiding. Deputy Mayor Cindi Lloyd, present. Councilor Suzette DeBeatham-Brown, present. Councilor Shamar Mahon, present ("a little under the weather"). Councilor Michael Oliver, present. Councilor Joseph Merritt, present. Councilor Elizabeth Waterhouse, present. Councilor Todd Cooper, absent. Councilor Darrell Goodwin, absent. Town Manager Alvin Schwapp Jr. Town Clerk Andrea DiStephan, presented FOIA update. A town attorney, surname unconfirmed, addressed FOIA form question. A town official identified once as Coleman presented on the GEMS building item. Shelby Young, resident and owner of Cottage Grove Business Park, public comment. An unidentified speaker addressing SNAP/DSS energy-assistance programs, public comment. Rickford Curtin, Bloomfield resident, public comment. Erin Barringer, Bloomfield resident and Blue Ribbon Budget Committee member, public comment.

Freedom of Information Commission — state body whose process-recommendations the town is adopting for its new agency-managed FOIA workflow. CivicPlus / NextRequest — software portal the town purchased for tracking FOIA requests, referenced by both the town clerk and resident Erin Barringer as not yet fully live. Board of Education — returned the former GEMS school building to the town and is funding its maintenance through June 30, 2026; also implicated in disputed interior damage. Blue Ribbon Budget Committee — advisory group formed by the town manager, discussed by residents Curtin and Barringer and by Councilor DeBeatham-Brown regarding its legal standing. State Elections Enforcement Commission — cleared Town Manager Schwapp of allegations tied to the 2025 charter-question ballot dispute. Interval House — domestic-violence service organization partnering with the Bloomfield Public Library on a Purple Thursday awareness event. Department of Community Development, Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce — cited by Mayor Harrington as resources assisting Wittenberry Mall businesses. Community Investment Fund — state/regional grant program cited by Shelby Young for the Cottage Grove project's construction-grant phase. September 28, 2026 council minutes — amended at this meeting to reflect the prior tabling of Board of Assessment Appeals discussion.