Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Tuesday, Nov. 12, meeting of the Warren Town Council was the last on the body for both Brandt Heckert and Steven Calenda, who each opted not to seek another term in office at the 2024 election.

The duo, who together came to the body came to the body six years ago, were feted by their fellow councilors at their final forum. In addition, the town's General Assembly delegation of State Senator Walter Felag Jr. along with State Representatives Jason Knight and June Speakman acknowledged their service with proclamations from both the upper and lower chambers.

Heckert and Calenda were first chosen by voters to serve at the 2018 General Election, the last when all five members of the council were selected at once.

The top three vote-getters that year under the amended Town Charter provisions for the number, length and stagger of Town Council terms — Joseph DePasquale, Keri Cronin and John Hanley — were elected to serve four years rather than the two mandated previously.

As the fourth and fifth-place finishers in 2018, respectively, Calenda and Heckert served just a two-year stint, then actually ran unopposed in the 2020 election for their initial four-year term.

Similarly, DePasquale, Cronin and Hanley also had no opponents when they ran for another four-year term in 2022. They're term limited, two consecutive four-year stays, come the 2026 election.

Calenda and Heckert, under the circumstances, could have been afforded the opportunity to run again and serve a second four-year term in a row, though obviously declining the option.

Heckert notes
Heckert said the idea of now having to serve the longer of the terms factored into his decision to step aside this cycle.

"One of things is it's a four-year term, and I didn't feel like I could commit for a four-year term. If it was a two-year term, it might have been a different story," Heckert explained.

Though the council is now term-limited, he and Calenda were eligible to run for another spell because of being the two lowest vote-getters once the updated guidelines were implemented and would only have had the chance to serve six years in a row, not the eight of their counterparts. Regardless, under the new rules all five members can return to the body if they so choose after sitting out at least one cycle.

Also taken into consideration Heckert was his personal circumstances.

Up until two years ago, Heckert and his wife, Eileen Collins, were the sole proprietors of Pastiche Fine Desserts, a confectionery café, located on Federal Hill. The couple are in the process of selling the shop to a long-time employee. As Heckert put it, he's "an old guy now" and with the sale progressing toward a conclusion the moment was right to look towards the future.

"I feel like I did my time. I'm retired from my business, so I'm looking to do other things," Herkert continued. "My wife and I started that in the early 80s. And I ran it for 40 years. two years ago actually sold it to an employee of 30 years. I'm a consultant now."

Heckert said he is relatively satisfied with his years on the council, noting other than the recent financial crisis created by the town's $8 million portion of a $13 million legal settlement matters moved along rather well with the group.

"For the most part, yeah, I'm pleased," Heckert said. "I worked with a lot of different people and this (incarnation of the) council for quite a few years. And we had our differences at times, but for the most part I think we worked really well together. We're mostly respectful of each other, and that's really all you can ask for.

"The financial crisis kind of came out of nowhere, although we were aware of (the lawsuit) for quite a few years. But we never knew what the ultimate impact would be. It was a big tab, a tough blow. As it is, it's very difficult to run a small town. There's revenue restraints, and you still have to do the business of the town. Capital projects suffered. It's a sad thing, but I hope we can recover from that over time."

Heckert said it's unlikely he will make a return to electoral politics. Instead, both he and Collins, who is chair of the Warren Preservation Society among positions on other local boards and committees, will continue to offer their services where their interests take them.

"I'd say I probably won't be coming back...I think I might consider doing other things in town, volunteer things because I've always been involved in different aspects of the town. Both my wife and I have," Heckert added. "Both of us have been involved since we moved here about 26 years ago and I expect that to continue."

Calenda notes
Calenda, likewise, said the main reason for his decision not seek another term was based on his belief his time in elected office had come to a proper conclusion. The difference in term length, he added, "did not weigh in my decision."

Calenda said he was approached about a year ago this time by parties interested in learning about his next political move. He told them if there was one, he would make it known before the 2024 declaration period took place in June.

Actually, Calenda said he made his decision in April, after consulting with his wife, Laura. "I'm really thinking about not running again," he recalled saying in their initial conversation. Talking a bit more in-depth with his family, the choice was final.

"I go all the way back to 2009 on the zoning board," Calenda said, noting his 15 years in public service in Warren. He said he's sat in the same seat on the Town Hall dais where both bodies meet for the duration and, jokingly, added he might take the chair home with him at some point.

"I think I've accomplished everything that I wanted to do," Calenda continued. "It's been 15 years with the Town of Warren when you combine zoning and the council. And it was 22 years in the Town of Bristol (where he was a police officer retiring as a sergeant). It's not quite the round number of 40, but 37 years is good enough for me. I feel very comfortable with what I accomplished in both places."

Calenda, as well, previously worked in law enforcement with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. He served in the United States Army from 1981-87, later returning with the Department of Defense to take part in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009.

More recently, he's made a fifth or sixth or seventh career for himself, depending on how or what you count, by becoming a college baseball umpire, including at the top Division I level, and a high school soccer referee. Adding to his schedule, he's just become a labor consultant for the National Association of Government Employees/International Brotherhood of Police Officers.

"I also have to say that my wife has dealt with a lot being married to me...I owed it to her to try and dial it back a bit, (but) that was before I got an offer to come out of retirement," Calenda said, referring to the NAGE/IBPO consultancy.

And he's not quite done with public service. Calenda, who was the representative for the Warren council on the new Mt. Hope High School building committee, said he will remain an interested observer in the project as it develops over the next few years.

As to the end of his stay on the council, Calenda concluded, "I see it as a culmination of community service. I'm not leaving for any other reason. I'm not frustrated at all. I will actually miss them (fellow councilors). It just came to the point and time where I said, 'I'm good.'...Actually, this is just one more chapter closing and another one starting."