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09/11/2024 08:30 AMFor Clinton Town Council member Brian Roccapriore, giving back to his community is a priority.
Brian was motivated to run for a seat on the Town Council after speaking with members of the community about various initiatives he wanted to see the town improve upon last year. Eventually, Brian was persuaded to run.
“Instead of complaining on the internet, I decided to actually get involved,” Brian jokes.
On Election Day 2023, Clinton voters elected Brian to a four-year seat on the Town Council. Looking back 10 months later, Brian reflects that, “It’s definitely been a learning experience, especially when it comes to budget season.”
From learning about the cost of road maintenance to what it takes to maintain the Clinton Human Services Department, Brian says he’s quickly realized how much is involved in making sure the town runs smoothly.
“There’s a lot to it, and it’s a lot to make sure you do the job right. You have to make sure you’re doing things that are in the best interest of all in town,” Brian says.
So far, Brian’s favorite part of being on the council is hearing the average resident’s concerns about things which he might not have considered before joining.
“It’s great to get perspective from different people. We all have blinders on sometimes and things that we think and hear in our bubble, but it’s great to get out and hear from other people. For example, before I went and knocked on people’s doors, I would not have listed a senior center as one of our town’s needs, but after hearing it more and more from people, I realized that it’s actually a pretty big need,” Brian says.
In fact, Brian encourages anyone with a question or concern about the town to make the Town Council aware of it.
“Myself and the other people on the council are there to answer questions and would love to hear from people if there is something they are wondering about,” Brian says.
Even prior to his time on the council, Brian donated his time to his community. Brian has been a member of the Conservation Commission, the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association, and the Friends of Chatfield Hollow, and he has even designed the maps on the Clinton Land Conservation Trust’s website.
“I’m involved in a lot of outdoors and woodsy stuff, basically,” Brian jokes.
Brian’s love of the outdoors is something which came to him later in life.
“When I was a kid, I played a lot of video games, and I will still beat anyone in Mario Kart, but a few years ago, I was recruited to do trail running for a relay team. Since then, I’ve been big into the outdoor running, riding my bikes, or just walking the dogs. I’ve even done a few ultramarathons, too,” Brian says.
While his love of the outdoors may be something new, Brian has long been a proponent of volunteering—a trait he picked up when he was young.
“It goes back to the Boy Scouts. We were always volunteering, doing stuff there that continued...when I was an adult. I’ve volunteered at homeless shelters, as well as smaller community initiatives like in the schools and things like that,” Brian says.
Brian’s passion for looking for ways to improve the lives of people in the community has led him into his profession.
“I work doing disaster response for people experiencing homelessness and making sure they have equitable access to resources they need. We work all over the country,” Brian explains.
Brian he has been in his current role for about two years, but he has been working to combat homelessness throughout the past decade.
Brian grew up in Meriden and has lived in Clinton for the past 12 years, along with his wife Abby.
After living in New Haven for some time, Brian and his family moved to Clinton and found that they liked what the town has to offer.
“My wife had roots in the area and a good social support network and good friends. Our family was growing, and we thought Clinton was a cute, little shoreline town that was affordable and had good schools,” Brian says.
As for his spare time, Brian says, “I have three kids, so I spend a lot of time doing dad stuff.”
Brian explains that dad stuff includes a lot of school and recreational sports activities. Brian is also an enthusiastic volunteer with a local dog rescue and currently has two foster dogs in his care.
When asked about his favorite aspect of living in Clinton, Brian says that it’s “the people for sure.”
“I’ve lived a lot of places, and Clinton really is the personification of small-town America. It’s an amazing community of people and, yeah, we may argue from time to time, but we all come together to support one another,” Brian says.