“Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” observed former Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis (1856 - 1941). Apparently, not so much, in the eyes of Felix Reyes, New London's director of development and planning, who failed to release the city’s blight complaint records to The Day, according to the recent CuriousCT installment (March 17). The Day’s investigation was prompted by my suggestion that more transparency is needed in the city's blight enforcement efforts.

Sadly, the recent article titled, “Shedding light on New London’s blight enforcement,” by staff writer Greg Smith, shed almost no light on the inner workings of blight enforcement officer Kenyon Haye, except that Haye’s boss, Reyes, blocked access to records on blight enforcement and blight fines. In fact, after reading Greg Smith’s piece, I now have more questions and very few answers.

The city failed to comply with The Day’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, drafted as part of Smith’s research for the article, to obtain what should be a matter of public record — blight enforcement complaints, fines, etc. Is that the intent of the blight ordinance, that all records remain confidential? Are the mayor and City Council on board with stonewalling?

Paradoxically, Reyes states, “He will make blight citation data available upon request to someone who is interested.” Is this why the city is stonewalling The Day’s FOI request to turn over blight enforcement records? Evidently, “someone” does not include The Day and its readers or me, as my own inquiries about progress on my blight complaints are routinely ignored by Reyes.

Apparently Reyes, who stated he “refuses to ‘shame’ property owners by publicizing a list of offenders” will decide who and what properties will be subject to any enforcement action. The term arbitrary and capricious comes to mind. As far as fines assessed, that’s apparently none of the public’s business either, lest we “shame” or embarrass any of our most recalcitrant offenders, our slumlords and out-of-town property owners, or “investors” whose inventory of neglected and derelict properties continues to grow and fester while home values decline amidst the decay.

The real shame is that city residents have to look at these eyesores every day, year after year, while the administration does nothing.

What is Reyes trying to hide? Is he trying to protect blighted property owners or cover up his own department’s shortcomings of fines forgiven or never assessed? Is Reyes alone the prosecutor, judge and jury in all things blight related? Doesn’t the public have a right to know?

Amazing that a city that is perpetually scraping for every tax dollar doesn’t believe revenue generated by blight fines is the public’s business. At fines of up to $250 per day for the worst offenders, that sum could be substantial.

In the March 17 piece, Reyes states: “There are residents with mental health issues, families with hardships, absentee owners and just a lack of education as to what is blight.” “I’ve had a father working two jobs who got a citation because he doesn’t keep his grass cut. There’s a hardship there. Someone may be struggling to pay their mortgage and are out of work and yet we’re telling them you have to replace your roof or windows.”

Is this why the eyesore and boarded-up former florist shop at 369 Ocean Ave. has been allowed to languish for years and my blight complaint has been ignored? Seriously?

And which of the above excuses best justifies the laissez-faire approach by the city to the glacial pace of restoration of The Lighthouse Inn? At least demand that it be aesthetically palatable to the neighbors who must look at it every day.

The reality is, New London has a surfeit of degraded and neglected commercial and investment properties owned by out-of-town investors and absentee landlords that Reyes has given a free pass to for reasons unknown.

Mr. Reyes, please stop making excuses and do your job.

This newspaper has been generous and upbeat in its coverage regarding the aspirations of Reyes with trying to clean up downtown. It’s about time this city official returned the favor and opened the books.

Please keep readers apprised of The Day’s efforts regarding the Freedom of Information request. In the event The Day prevails in its attempt to obtain these records — and I hope you do — a follow-up article should be forthcoming with answers to the many questions that are still outstanding.

And there are many.

As Justice Brandeis would concur; the people have a right to know.

Clifford Marlow lives in New London.

Editor’s note: Felix Reyes said Tuesday city officials will soon meet with Day Staff Writer Greg Smith and provide the records requested. Stay tuned for a follow-up story.