It was a festive affair Monday night as family and friends filled the legislative chamber in town hall to bid farewell to departing town councilors and to welcome three new members.

The transitional meeting began with tributes to Carolyn Thornberry and Charles “Chuck” Coursey that lasted more than an hour. Joe Visconti, who lost his bid for reelection, was not able to be present.

After the incoming council was sworn in, Scott Slifka was elected to be president, or mayor, and Tim Brennan was again chosen as vice president, or deputy mayor – both unanimously. They had the top two vote totals in this month’s election. While the charter does not call for a minority leader, the Republicans named Denise Hall, who was the highest Republican vote getter, to fill that role.

“We’ve made history,” Slifka said of the fact that Judy Casperson is the first African-American elected official in West Hartford.

“Our mandate is clear.” There must be great collaboration across the aisle. “The town rejected those candidates who rejected those practices.”

Saying that the economic climate is “not going to get any easier,” Slifka said the town expects an open dialogue and civility from the council.

Thornberry was praised by her colleagues for her public policy expertise, academic approach, grace, class, commitment, professionalism and leadership.

Slifka said that she was handed difficult assignments such as the suit against the town for its discrimination practices at the public pools, yet she “made it seem easy.”

Steve Adler thanked Thornberry for teaching him “how to understand the needs of the public a little better.”

“You are going to be missed, there’s no doubt about it. The town is that much better for you having served,” Brennan said.

Upon hearing that her Democratic colleagues made a donation to the Town That Cares Fund in her name, Thornberry said, “Now I’m really going to lose it.”

Serving on the town council “was one of the best things that I’ve ever done,” she said. She thanked the many town staff members with whom she worked, and told her colleagues she was “amazed at how free of ego we actually were.”

Slifka praised Coursey for his handling of even the most excruciating times with civility and class, saying Coursey set the precedent for being able “to disagree without being disagreeable” and taught him how to “bring a community to consensus” during the Blue Back Square debate.

Among the three qualities Leon Davidoff noted about Coursey was his ability to demonstrate the principle, “Say what you mean and mean what you say but don’t say it meanly.”

“His leadership as deputy mayor was critical to our success,” Sheri Cantor said. “He is the best listener that I know. He is such a gentleman.”

Adler called Coursey “fiercely loyal to the town and also a team player.” 

Coursey told his wife he loved her and thanked his five children saying, “Nothing I do will ever make me more proud than being your dad.”

He admired the town, noting that it is recognized as a leader in the state, and equating it to the New York Yankees saying, “We have an All Star at every position.”

In honor of his role in the upcoming production of Mrs. Bob Krachit's Wild Christmas, his colleagues made a donation to the Playhouse on Park.

In other council business, Slifka appointed the following council committees:
• Administration and Technology: Robert Durbin, chairman; Brennan;
  Adler
• Community Planning: Joe Verrengia, chairman; Cantor; Adler
• Education Liaison: Slifka, chairman; Brennan; Hall
       • Finance and Budget: Cantor, chairman; Slfka; Davidoff
• Government Liaison: Slifka, chairman; Brenan; Adler
• Human Services: Casperson, chairman; Verrengia; Davidoff
• Public Safety: Brennan, chairman; Durbin; Hall
• Rules: Slifka, chairman; Brennan; Hall