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Nellie Mann Considered For Norwalk Fair Rent Commission

NORWALK, Conn. – The Rev. Nellie Mann, who resigned last week as Norwalk’s police chaplain, is in line for another opportunity to hold a city appointment.

The Rev. Nellie Mann, former chaplain of the Norwalk Police Department, is in line to be named to the city's Fair Rent Commission.

The Rev. Nellie Mann, former chaplain of the Norwalk Police Department, is in line to be named to the city's Fair Rent Commission.

Photo Credit: Nancy Guenther Chapman

Mann is slated to fill a vacancy on the city’s Fair Rent Commission, an appointment the Common Council is scheduled to vote on Tuesday night. It is a potentially controversial move considering the way her previous appointment ended.

The 14-member commission, which is empowered by state and local laws, has the authority to “decide whether a rent increase or the rent charged to a tenant is unfairly high,” according to city officials.

Mann has experience with housing issues, having served as a coordinator at Housing Opportunities Unlimited and with the local Heart to Heart Foundation she founded more than 30 years ago.

Yet last week, Mann stepped down as chaplain of the Norwalk Police Department about six months after serving a three-month suspension after she criticized the department of racial profiling following an altercation between rival youths at Calf Pasture Beach in the summer of 2012.

Her remarks offended the department and the police union, and while she resisted calls for her to resign at the time, she agreed to the suspension. She had largely been in limbo in the position ever since.

In her resignation letter, Mann thanked the department for the opportunity.

“After much reflection, I've found while serving as the police chaplain, this season has been an amazing journey full of wonderful moments, and hard moments which have allowed me to reflect on who we are as a community, what we choose to stand for, and how we choose to learn through the process,” Mann wrote.

Mayor Richard Moccia, who supported the suspension, said Monday that Mann is dedicated public official who deserves the new opportunity.

“I believe she will have support,” said Moccia, referring to the council. “We wanted to put the controversy behind us, yet keep the reverend involved in the community. Alternate on Fair Rent would offer her that opportunity.”

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