AVON TOWN COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES
May 3, 2012
I. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. at the Avon Town Hall, in the Selectmen's Chamber by Chairman Zacchio. Members present: Mrs. Samul, Messrs. Pena, Evans, and May.
II. PUBLIC HEARING
11/12-70 Acceptance of Title to Open Space Parcel in Weatherstone Subdivision
The Public Hearing was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Chairman Zacchio. The Clerk read the legal notice as follows:
“NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
TOWN OF AVON
Notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of Avon, Connecticut will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, May 3rd, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Chamber, 60 West Main Street, Avon, Connecticut for the following purpose:
To accept a 22-acre parcel of open space land in connection with Section III of the Weatherstone Subdivision.
Dated at Avon, Connecticut this 9th day of April, 2012.
Brandon Robertson
Town Manager”
Chairman Zacchio reported that this public hearing is to accept a piece of property that was attached to the Weatherstone development, approximately 22 acres and connects the Found Land on one side to the Huckleberry Hill open space on the other side; we will now have approximately 450 contiguous acres that the trail system can be extended to. He noted that the contractor, Toll Brothers, will be blazing a trail and constructing a small gravel parking lot to offer more public access to that area as part of the agreement.
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mr. May, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council close the public hearing at 7:40 p.m.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
On a motion made by Mr. Evans, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council accept the 22-acre parcel of open space land in connection with Section III of the Weatherstone Subdivision.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
III. MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETING: April 5, 2012 Regular Meeting
April 11, 2012 Special Meeting
Mr. Evans clarified that he did not attend the April 5th meeting as the meeting minutes indicate under the “Call to Order” and motions made after Executive Session.
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mr. May, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council accept the minutes of the April 5, 2012 Regular Meeting as amended.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, and May voted in favor. Mr. Evans abstained.
Mr. Evans questioned the statement, “It was the consensus of the Council to accept the request of the Board of Finance to reduce their budget in the amount of $177,832.” He commented that Council was not requested to give an acceptance but rather told them that was the amount of money that the Board of Finance would seek for Council to reduce their budget and have the right to decide whether it be allocated between operating or capital budget. Chairman Zacchio agreed. This statement should be revised as follows, “Town Council moved forward in accordance to the Board of Finance’s reduction scenario of $177,832 between their capital and operating budgets.”
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mr. May, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council accept the minutes of the April 11, 2012 Special Meeting as amended.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
IV. COMMUNICATION FROM AUDIENCE - None
V. COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCIL
Mr. May reported that today was the National Day of Prayer and Mr. Pena was the director with Steve Wilson and it was a well attended event. He, Mrs. Samul, and Mr. Pena, spoke at the event. Chairman Zacchio thanked Mr. Pena for spearheading the event.
Mrs. Samul reported that she had the privilege of representing the Town Council with Mr. May at the most recent Eagle Scout ceremony and presenting the proclamations from the Council to them and always is fun.
Chairman Zacchio thanked the Town Manager and staff for their communication with the accident that happened in Farmington that took out some of the phone lines, a second round from the October storm and some of the lessons we learned saw applied and a lot more communication in terms of how often they were coming out and notifying the public. He added that he received a few good comments about it which is good news.
VI. OLD BUSINESS
11/12-06 FY 12/13 Budget Development
The Town Manager reported that the Annual Town Meeting is on Monday, May 7th at 7:00 p.m. at the Senior Center and adjourning to referendum and held on Wednesday, May 16th. He commented that the budget combined is at a 2.45% tax increase which includes reductions required, approximately $177,832, to meet the Board of Finance mill rate. He noted that of the $177,832, $120,000 came out of various capital items and the balance of $57,832 came out of operating budget line items including pulling down a little bit more in terms of the pension and OPEB designations to meet the guideline. Chairman Zacchio questioned the reduction of $12,500 in General Service. The Town Manager responded this is a reduction in grounds maintenance; we have additional funding for salt in a Special
Revenue Fund which is not going to be necessary so for next year we will do a fund transfer from the Special Revenue Fund into the General Fund operating budget to reimburse that line item. Mr. Pena questioned if there will be a detail of the capital items for FY 2012/2013 at the Annual Town Meeting. The Town Manager responded yes.
11/12-58 Appointments: Natural Resources Commission (D – 12/31/2013)
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mrs. Samul, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council appoint Daryl Worobow to the Natural Resources Commission with a term to expire on December 31, 2013.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
11/12-59 Appointment: Town Council Representative – Senior Citizens of Avon (12/31/2013)
On a motion made by Mrs. Samul, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council appoint Caroline LaMonica as Town Council Representative – Senior Citizens of Avon with a term to expire on December 31, 2013.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
VII. NEW BUSINESS
11/12-77 Eagle Scout Proclamations: Graydon Stewart & Harrison Stewart
Chairman Zacchio recognized Graydon Stewart and Harrison Stewart, who were in attendance, for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. He reported that Mr. May would be in attendance for presentation of the proclamations at their Eagle Court of Honor ceremony to be held on May 29, 2012. One of them reported that his project was involved with Greenwood Cemetery where he went through and took pictures of all the headstones and put the information from each into a digitalized form of information source that can be accessed at the Library, VFW, and Historical Society. The other reported that he worked with the Town of Avon Public Works Department and applied two inch medallions on the storm drains around Town with the help of other scouts and volunteers so people will not dump waste into the drain. Chairman
Zacchio read one of the proclamations aloud.
On a motion made by Mr. May, seconded by Mrs. Samul, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Avon Town Council present to Graydon Stewart and Harrison Stewart the following Proclamation:
April 5, 2012
Permit the Town Council to join your many friends in offering our heartiest congratulations upon your achievement as an Eagle Scout.
This is indeed an appropriate honor for the many years you have spent as a Boy Scout. As a Boy Scout you have had to show qualities of leadership, integrity, loyalty and service to your troop, community, school, church and your friends.
The high standards of the Boy Scouts of America are well known and your elevation to Eagle Scout most certainly attests to your fulfillment of their high standards.
Congratulations on your outstanding achievement!
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
11/12-78 Set Public Hearing Date: Neighborhood Assistance Act
The Town Manager reported that the Neighborhood Assistance Act is a program that is administered by the State of Connecticut Department of Revenue Services. He added that every year the Department solicits various projects from communities and the Town acts as the conduit for the project. He reported that a few months ago the Town sent out letters to organizations who have applied for these funds in the past soliciting applications for the next year of funding and we will be receiving those applications. He noted that what is required of the Town Council, by the regulations, is to schedule a public hearing to receive public comment on the applications that are submitted and following the public hearing if Town Council is in agreement, they are approved and passed on to the State. He reported that
the program offers tax advantages to businesses that contribute to the approved programs so they can get some tax benefit.
Mr. Pena noted that last year the Avon Volunteer Fire Department was awarded $35,000. Mr. Evans questioned the nexus with Avon; do they have to be organizations formed in Avon or the purpose of their work has to be in Avon? The Town Manager responded that sometimes it is just a matter of timing and noted that the Farmington Valley Orchestra has been in front of the Avon Town Council and also applied in Simsbury in the past. Mr. Evans questioned if an organization can get more than one town to endorse their application. The Town Manager responded that he believes they can.
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mr. Evans, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council set a public hearing date to consider participation in the Neighborhood Assistance Act in accordance with Public Act 95-268 to be held at the June 7, 2012 meeting.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
11/12-79 Traffic Control Signal Installation-Authorization to execute
Chairman Zacchio reported that the traffic light installation will occur at the intersection of Lovely Street and Country Club Road. The Town Manager reported that the project is under design and have been assured that it will not be installed by the end of the current calendar year but hopefully sometime next year. He added that we received the Cost Sharing Agreement which means that it is in the pipeline and is a standard Department of Transportation agreement and indicates that they are looking for assurances from the Town that we will have the $9,000 contribution necessary to meet our obligation. He noted that we did include this funding in the current year operating budget.
Mrs. Samul questioned if this traffic light will have a button to push and walk across either street. The Town Manager responded that he thinks it is a standard traffic signal. Mrs. Samul clarified that it will not be like the traffic light at the corner of Country Club Road and West Avon Road. The Town Manager responded that he did not think so. He added that there will emergency vehicle pre-emption built into it. Chairman Zacchio commented that Mrs. Samul raises a good point and whether or not we are ever going to connect that with any kind of sidewalk having a crosswalk there that was button operated would be a nice feature. He questioned if there are limitations in terms of line of sight or if the traffic authority has to decide whether that is an appropriate use or not. He
asked the Town Manager to do some research on that; it seems that is far enough out and if we could make a decision that is different if he could give Council the facts around that. Mr. Evans questioned if the $9,000 is just for preliminary work relative to this project. The Town Manager responded that the $9,000 will be the entire contribution from Avon. Mr. May questioned if the Town incurs cost for maintaining that should something go wrong with it. The Town Manager responded no, that it would be a State responsibility. Chairman Zacchio questioned how that would be different if they were both Town roads; would we have complete control over that? The Town Manager responded yes.
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mr. May, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council authorize the Town Manager to execute the Cost Sharing Agreement between the State of Connecticut and the Town of Avon for Sharing the Cost of the Installation of a Traffic Light Signal, State Project No. 174-346.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
11/12-80 Set Public Hearing Date: License and Acquisition Agreement for Property
located at 652 West Avon Road
Chairman Zacchio reported that this property is front of Avon Health and where we have run the sewer extensions for the Haynes Road sewer extension project. He added that this is an agreement to be able to acquire that piece of property for the use of maintenance of the sewer system. Mrs. Samul questioned if we are actually acquiring the fee or an easement. The Town Manager responded it is only an easement at $0.75 per square foot which equates to approximately $20,000. He noted that we have been working on this for quite awhile and is in conjunction with the Haynes Road project; it has been a matter of finalizing the easement area, negotiating the easement, and getting the maps to reflect the area. Mr. Evans questioned if Sunlight Construction is installing the entire sewer line at their
expense. The Town Manager responded yes. Mr. Evans questioned if Sunlight Construction is contributing at all to the repair and maintenance. The Town Manager responded no, that once it is completed it will be turned over to the Town. Mr. May referenced the map and a sewer line running under a parking lot; he questioned when there is a break in the sewer line who is responsible for repairing the parking lot. Chairman Zacchio responded that the Town is responsible for those repairs. Mr. May questioned that the process of placing the sewer is Sunlight Construction re-doing that parking lot. The Town Manager responded yes. He added that there are fairly extensive improvements that will be occurring as the Town has a pump station in the back and putting up some fencing to beautify the area and did recall that there is some paving work to be done in the parking lot. Chairman Zacchio added that generally before we accept it, when
builders put the extensions in it is a completed project; we are not going to pave it.
On a motion made by Mr. Evans, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council set a public hearing date to accept a Sanitary Sewer easement as shown on a map entitled “Improvement Location Survey property of Avon Realty, LLC, 652 West Avon Road, Avon, Connecticut dated 01-08-2012, prepared by Hodge LLC to be held at the June 7, 2012 meeting.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
11/12-81 Energy Plan Update – a power point presentation is attached and made part of these minutes
Steve Bartha, Assistant Town Manager, reported that Bernie Zahren, Avon Clean Energy Commission member, and Steve Weisman, Peregrine Energy Group, will review with Council the final draft version of the Energy Plan. He noted that the Commission began working on the Plan in January 2011, here to review tonight in draft form, and hope to come back in June to seek Council adoption of the Plan. He reported that the Commission was formed in December 2008 by Town Council as an Ad-Hoc Committee as part of the Town’s participation in the State’s 20% by 2010 campaign. He noted that the 20% goal was met by competitively purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) on the open market to supplement the percentage of electricity that the State requires CL&P to provide as part of their electrical
offering to residents and towns; that percentage of the electricity we all consume that is clean plus the RECs that we bought allowed us to satisfy the 20% by 2010 campaign. He reported in August 2011 the Town Council re-charged the Commission as part of the 30% by 2015 campaign. He noted that the facilitation and development of an energy plan required the involvement of a consultant and we used our portion of a $250,000 regional energy grant that we are sharing with Simsbury, West Hartford, Bloomfield, and Farmington; Peregrine Energy Group was selected unanimously by the five towns. He reported that for the last year and few months the Commission and Mr. Weisman have been working hard to develop the energy plan.
Mr. Weisman reported that the combined expenses for buildings, street lighting, and vehicles were almost $2 million in FY 2011; the overwhelming amount of that energy is used in schools and Board of Education (BOE) buildings. He noted that the consumption by town vehicles has been dropping steadily over the last three or four years. He reported that in terms of relative energy use, the combined vehicle and building energy use has declined between FY 2008 and FY 2011 by approximately 9.5% which is very impressive, particularly when you consider that the high school got much bigger during that period of time. He noted that municipality building use declined by 2.85% and relatively steady. He noted that BOE building use declined pretty close to the average and anything that happens in the schools has
a huge impact on the overall town energy budget. He noted that vehicle fuel use declined by approximately 14% which is very impressive. He reported that his firm does a lot of work in municipal buildings all over New England and in looking at the buildings in Avon they are far better managed than the buildings in most of the communities we work with; the buildings are in better than average condition and the overall savings are actually significantly more than we would expect to find in a community this size and it speaks very well to the job that the facilities director in schools and the Department of Public Works has done to maintain buildings. He also added the willingness of the Town to make investments in replacing equipment that is at the end of its useful life when it needs to be replaced. He noted that what often happens in municipalities is that things are never replaced until they fail and that has not been the Town of Avon’s philosophy and
he commends the Town for that.
Mr. Weisman reported that there are opportunities still that can significantly reduce energy use in both Town and BOE buildings, specifically they found 14% savings possible in BOE buildings and approximately 7% possible in municipal buildings. He noted that the projects include low cost, operations and maintenance improvements, some efficiency upgrades, and modernization; the estimated cost of these upgrades is approximately $3 million. He commented that there are a few projects that are end of life that the Town will want to pursue or have already been identified, including the Roaring Brook roof top units and the next project in line with the schools; there is a boiler at the high school that should be replaced to improve reliability and some controls updates; those projects total approximately $2 million
and have paybacks of 56 years, 98 years, and 100+ years respectively. Chairman Zacchio questioned how close the estimated cost of upgrades at $2.9 million is. Mr. Weisman responded that is a high number and very rough, it is not based on bringing contractors in and actually having them respond to specifications but rather the firm’s experience in construction working with other communities. Chairman Zacchio questioned if under an RFP/bid process the Town would do better. Mr. Weisman responded yes. Chairman Zacchio questioned the annual estimated savings of $156,000 and if it is a mechanical efficiency equation. Mr. Weisman responded that both the savings and the cost are driven by the individual cost and the individual savings associated with many small projects in the different schools and Town buildings.
Mr. Evans commented that Council has had fair amount of discussion about the high school boiler and questioned if the boiler needs to be replaced because there is something currently wrong with it or because it needs to be replaced with a more efficient model. Mr. Weisman responded that it has been almost one year since they looked at the high school boiler and that it was an end of life or reliability operation and maintenance problem and they run a very good mechanical plant at the high school. He added that they rely very heavily on people who run these facilities and concurred with their sense that given the issues they were seeing the boiler should be replaced however it is not a situation where it needs to be replaced immediately. He noted that the high school boiler could be replaced within the
next five years. Mr. Evans commented on the BOE buildings energy use declining almost 10% and questioned if that is due to the energy bill being down or the use of energy being down. Mr. Weisman responded that when they assess a building they focus on units of energy consumed because that is generally what you can control as you cannot control the price you pay. Mr. Evans questioned that the suggestion is not being made that the school is not open the same number of hours rather there have been efficiencies measures taken by the BOE buildings and grounds staff to increase the efficiencies of use. Mr. Weisman responded yes and the schools have participated in CL&P programs, there has been an effort to use the energy management system as effectively as possible to schedule space and reduce the heat in areas of the buildings that are used less often. He noted that all in all there has been a concerted effort to run the buildings more efficiently and
they did not analyze the changes in hours of use but noted that there is a lot more high school space than there was in 2008.
Mr. Zahren thanked Mr. Weisman who has done a great job not only pulling together a massive database for the Town that gives us plenty of ammunition to work with. He noted that we actually have done the reverse of what many Towns do, they write a plan and then go out and start to gather data to implement, but we have the data already. He commented that he attended a session a few weeks ago and none of the Towns present have a database like this so we are in very good shape. He acknowledged the Commission members including the subcommittee that was formed to write the energy plan and the senior students who run the Green Club and very active in a new behavior modification plan to help save energy. He commented that the energy plan is about the future for our kids and grandkids and it is a long range
view that we have to take. He commented that our goal is not only to reduce Town and BOE facilities energy use by 15% but do it in the fairest basis which is use per available square footage. He noted that the library is out of this calculation as they did not have any metrics to go from 2008 to the new library which has doubled in size but a prime example. He reported that the energy use index is a BTU per square foot of space and as we add or remove space they adjust the index number to this goal. He commented that we can meet the 15% by 2015 goal.
Mr. Zahren reported that the 20% by 2020 goal is a lot harder. He noted that we have bought into this 15% by 2015 by simply buying some renewable energy credits from out of state and bought cheaply as they are in states where they do not have any value. He commented that what we need to do is actually reduce the real output of carbon and emissions and be sustainable in the Town. He noted that in Connecticut our electricity is somewhat greener than other states because we are approximately 30% nuclear. He commented that this goal is what he thinks the future goals, amendments, and adoption of this energy plan will be about. He reported that the Commission still has some of the $50,000 left from the energy grant and recommending that they engage Mr. Weisman to start pinpointing some of those
projects that he has identified where we can get the best return. He noted that there are grants, long-term financing, and something where every Town can get points toward grants and subsidies from the State for energy efficiency and energy improvements; the more points we get the more money we get to help get at the $2.9 million. He commented that part of the energy plan that is incomplete is how to finance some of this and is an ongoing issue. He reported on private capital, a bid currently out on ZRECs (zero renewable energy certificates) and available to developers who want to come in for example, and put a solar facility on our roofs and install it entirely at their cost and share the savings with the Town or BOE; we will not save 100% of what the solar will generate but will save a significant piece and at the end of some term you can own the panels without a significant capital investment. He noted that this bid will allow a developer to bid selling
these certificates to in-state utilities as they must meet a certain portion of their power from renewables so they will buy the certificates, the guesstimate is that they will go approximately $200, equivalent to $0.20 per kilowatt hour. He estimated that our average rate for the Town is approximately $0.15 per kilowatt hour so the certificates are worth more than what we pay for power now and a tremendous incentive to bring private capital and put in renewables; we are not rich in geo-thermal and hydro facilities in the Farmington Valley so solar is probably the most viable immediate applications for renewable energy in the Town of Avon.
Mr. Zahren reported that we have a tremendous opportunity right now with the new proposed Town Center and would love to engage the Town and Ensign Bickford in a way to make that a green community. He commented that private capital will come in and do things; the energy savings from certain facilities will more than pay for themselves over time if you do it right when you build it. He noted that this is becoming the new normal and if we have distributed generation capacity we would not necessarily be totally dependent on the grid for generation of power. He commented that this is a long-term proposal. He reported that one of the interesting things about the new proposed Town Center is to make it pedestrian friendly and not a bunch of cars fighting for a limited number of parking spaces.
Mr. Zahren reported that what the Commission is asking the Council tonight is to review the draft energy plan; the Commission would like to come back before Council in June and ask for formal adoption of the energy plan. He commented that the Commission welcomes comments, questions, and contributions of what the Town may be interested in doing. He noted that the Commission believes that we are uniquely positioned to be one of the greenest and most sustainable towns in the State, if not even in the nation, and we have a great head start on it. He reported that the Commission is asking the Council to endorse that sort of agenda; the Commission will handle this separately with the Board of Education. He commented on the fuel use in buses and the anti-idling law that we should be enforcing. He
noted that renewable energy is infinite as you can reuse the sun, wind, and water and we should be looking at all of those technologies. He reported that the Commission wants to get the Town and BOE facilities onboard first and then start preaching this to the rest of the Town. He noted that the Assistant Town Manager is a great asset to the Commission as well.
Mr. Pena commented that this is a town-wide project and want to make residents more aware of the grants and many programs that are available; he would like to see that we take a more active role at Avon Day, a separate energy area and invite other vendors that can tell residents more about energy efficiency. He noted that approximately four years ago Farmington Woods had a clean energy fair and it was very well attended so he could imagine that if we open it up more to the Town people would appreciate it. Mr. Zahren reported on the notion offered at last year’s Avon Day that if you signed up for clean energy, for every one hundred residents we could get a free solar panel and so far we entitled to four free solar panels. Mr. Pena commented on also utilizing the students at the high school and noted
that tomorrow night is Eco Night and last year was very well attended. He noted that as Mr. Zahren alluded to before the students are the future of the Town.
Mrs. Samul stated that Mr. Zahren made a comment that Avon is not rich in geo-thermal and asked what he meant by that. Mr. Zahren responded that there are two types of energy from thermal power in the ground; we are using one form at the library which is a very simple process once you get the below the frost line and the temperature of the ground is roughly fifty degrees so in the winter you can pick up and in the summer you can dump heat; it is not a real efficient process and the pumping which we are experiencing is expensive to run the fluid into the ground, capture and emit heat and anyone can do that on the face on earth because you have the ground temperature. He noted that the big geo-thermal thing is steam coming out of the ground. Mrs. Samul questioned when Mr. Zahren talks about encouraging the
community to incorporate green items into new construction, what has been his experience as far as the acceptance of the public for that type of things, whether it be a geo-thermal heating system or solar panels or landscaping that uses minimum water, etc. Mr. Zahren responded that the acceptances are growing painfully slow because it is usually all about cost. He noted that if it cost you more to put R-30 insulation in your walls instead the building code of R-19 you do not think in terms of the long-term; you might save three times that cost over the next fifteen years in energy but people are near-sighted with regard to that; we are a “what can you do for me now” society and we need to lengthen that viewpoint. He noted that we are 5% of the world’s population in the United States and we use 25% of the world’s total energy and the world knows it.
Mr. Kaplan commented that what is being accepted for the most part is the energy audit process, the $75 offer to come into your home and make some energy efficient improvements. Mrs. Samul commented that green is still more than just energy and if you start changing building codes she is worried not only about the expense as to whether it is marketable. Mr. Zahren reported that for residents there is a solar financing option where you can put the solar panels on, pay for it as an add-on to your utility bill at a few dollars a month so your net savings on energy per month far exceed your payment.
Mr. May questioned if Mr. Zahren knows of any other communities in New England that are embracing this in their building codes and the schools and how long it has been in place; he is worried about this possibly being a fad when there is other forms of energy that may be coming down the pike. Mr. Zahren responded fad is a subjective term because there is no question that there are many people working on new technologies in renewable and sustainable energy and saving energy. He noted that batteries are a prime example, they are still very inefficient. He noted that utilities’ big problems are the big peak days of the year, usually a hot summer afternoon when the grid cannot support all of the air-conditioning. He commented that if you had a solar panel on your roof and instead of dumping it
into the grid which is common today just to get a net benefit on your bill, instead you power a battery to use. Mr. Weisman reported that in Massachusetts they have a program called Green Communities and one of the criteria for becoming a green community is that you adopt the “stretch building code” which requires that new construction is 25% more efficient than the standard building code which is already pretty demanding. He noted that the incremental cost to increase efficiency by 25% is estimated at 3% to 5% the cost of construction. Mrs. Samul commented that years down the road panels that have been on the schools decrease in efficiency as they get dirty and the converter has a life span of approximately ten to fifteen years. She questioned Mr. Zahren and Mr. Weisman if they have any experience in towns that have put in solar panels on schools and how quickly does the efficiency diminish and do they replace the converter. Mr. Zahren
responded that you will get a twenty-year guarantee from the biggest solar panel companies and the degradation is a half a percent per year; the inverter is replaced in twelve to fifteen years and not that big of an expense compared to the cost. He noted that the Talcott Mountain Science Center installed twenty kilowatts of solar PV five years ago at approximately $9.00 a watt and today’s price is below $4.00 a watt thanks to efficiencies in production and manufacturing and volume of these panels. He added that at approximately $2.00 a watt solar panels are completely competitive without subsidies and we are not far from that. Mrs. Samul commented that when you talk about the payback are you talking about the efficiency at the beginning or the average over the life span of the panel. Mr. Zahren responded that in Connecticut we should do approximately 1,200 kilowatt powers annually of output for every kilowatt of installed capacity; you run the model
and take a half a percent off of that 1,200 every year. Mrs. Samul commented that it is like compounding interest. Mr. Zahren noted that the payback has gone from thirty years to under ten years.
Chairman Zacchio extended congratulations to the Avon Clean Energy Commission for their hard work in putting together this energy plan. He commented that he is not concerned that June is too aggressive but Council will probably have a lot of questions that come out of this. He noted that this really is what Council envisioned when they created the Commission, to have a plan in front of us that we could consider for long-term strategic goals.
11/12-82 Board of Education: Supplemental Appropriation Request $25,363
(Cafeteria Fund)
Chairman Zacchio questioned if this equipment is efficient, coming off an energy plan presentation. Mrs. Roell responded that it has to be more efficient than what it is in there right now. Chairman Zacchio commented that these requests will continue to come up as this year rolls on and Council’s role is somewhat a middle man, to make sure that documentation is in order and the funds are indeed deposited and available.
On a motion made by Mrs. Samul, seconded by Mr. Evans, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council hereby recommends to the Board of Finance an appropriation not to exceed $25,363.08 from the School Cafeteria, Other Financing Sources, Unassigned (formerly Unreserved Undesignated) Fund Balance, Account #14-0390-43913 and to the School Cafeteria, Board of Education, Cafeteria, Account #14-9401-59600, for the purpose of purchasing and installing a steamer (Roaring Brook School) and display cooler (Thompson Brook School).
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Evans, Pena, and May voted in favor.
11/12-83 Board of Education: Supplemental Appropriation Request $242,763.06
(unbudgeted revenue)
Mr. Spang reported that with the change in the Board of Education’s budgeting procedure from net to gross next year all of these revenues were part of their budget as they increased the appropriations. He noted that last year these monies would come in and go into the revolving account and when the expenses were incurred the expenses were taken out of the general fund linked to the revolving account. He reported that when the school year started in the fall they eliminated that revolving account; everything now goes through the general fund but in this kind of bridge year we have to come and seek appropriations to get these monies into the general fund because they were not budgeted there from which to spend them the way they were intended.
Chairman Zacchio commented that this process is to reallocate this year’s revenue for this year’s expenditures and we will continue to do that until the year runs out.
On a motion made by Mrs. Samul, seconded by Mr. Evans, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council hereby recommends that the Board of Finance amend the FY 11/12 Budget by increasing:
REVENUES
General Fund, Charges for Services, BOE Miscellaneous Receipts, Account #01-0340-43506 in the amount of $1,652.89; General Fund, Charges for Services, BOE Employee Bnft Contrib, Dent/Life, Account #01-0340-43505 in the amount of $7,470.89; General Fund, Charges for Services, BOE Cafeteria Rent Receipts, Account #01-0340-43510 in the amount of $9,957.28; General Fund, Charges for Services, BOE SPED Interdist Tuition Receipts, Account #01-0340-43513 in the amount of $223,682.00, for a total of $242,763.06.
and increasing
APPROPRIATIONS
General Fund, Board of Education, General Service, Account #01-9401-52185 in the amount of $242,763.06, for the purpose of recording unbudgeted revenues received to cover Board of Education operating expenditures.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Evans, Pena, and May voted in favor.
VIII. TOWN MANAGER’S REPORT/MISCELLANEOUS
Misc. A: Purchasing Update: The Assistant Town Manager reported that there were four bid openings coming up over the next few weeks. Mrs. Samul questioned if the bid for the Deepwood Drive drainage is the one that we have applied for FEMA money on. The Assistant Town Manager responded that FEMA has approved the reimbursement of 75% of the Deepwood Drive drainage project. He commented that the janitorial service bids are still being reviewed; some good news is that the third low bidder had all positive references and the two low bidders had poor references, one of which is our current vendor. He added that the potential bidder being awarded the project only uses green cleaning products but their first year price is significantly higher than the current vendor.
Misc. B: Construction Update: The Assistant Town Manager reported that the certificate of occupancy was issued at the Library on April 20th and re-opened to the public on April 23rd; the Friends had volunteers handing out floor plans and feedback has been very positive. He added that the second $400,000 of the $1 million grant was received on April 10th so we have $900,000 of the $1 million in hand and we will apply for the last portion once the letter of substantial completion which is already in the process of being finalized is in our possession. He reported that we are getting ready for the Library’s June 10th grand opening and invitations have been sent out to the delegation; the Building Committee wanted to make
sure that the Governor’s office received an invite. He reported that the Building Committee has a meeting on May 23rd which will probably be the last regularly scheduled meeting through the summer because we will have all of the construction related invoices received and approved and the next expense will be when we go out to bond in October which we have set aside approximately $60,000 in the budget for that based on previous bond sales. He reported that he and the Director of Public Works measured the potential sidewalk area; we will probably be able to do more than what Mrs. Samul was inquiring about earlier for less than what we have set aside. Mrs. Samul clarified that the monies were coming out of the Library project budget. The Assistant Town Manager responded yes. Mrs. Samul questioned if there was going to be anything left in the Library project budget. The Assistant Town Manager responded that it appears that there will
be a little bit leftover. Mr. Evans questioned the retainer of $37,000 going back to the Construction Manager. The Assistant Town Manager responded that when they submit their requisitions for payment there is a percentage that gets aside until work is complete so this is payment for work that is done but until the project is complete they do not get access to it; a hold back until we are satisfied with the building.
Misc. C: Board of Education Strategic Plan: The Town Manager reported that he had a meeting with Gary Mala and his team approximately a week ago and they walked him through the strategic plan that has since been adopted by the Board of Education. He added that Mr. Mala has requested that he be added to the agenda at a future Town Council so he can review the plan with Council as well.
Misc. D: Unplugged Learning Initiative: The Town Manager reported that he is working on assembling the subcommittee that Council asked him to put together at the last meeting to look at opportunities that may exist in this area. He noted that it will be a joint effort with Engineering, Planning, Police, and Public Works; we will take a look at the community and see if we can find some low cost options to enhance the walk ability and pedestrian friendliness of the Town and come back to Council with some recommendations. Chairman Zacchio reported that one of the first things we should probably look at is the Lovely Street/Country Club intersection for a crosswalk if it is appropriate.
Misc. E: Fire Training Facility – Farmington: The Town Manager reported that this item has been under discussion for quite a long time now and Council was last exposed to this item in the Fall under the Avon Volunteer Fire Department’s Capital Improvement presentation. He reported that he attended a meeting approximately a month ago with the Farmington Town Manager, Plainville Town Manager, and the First Selectman from both Burlington and Canton; the meeting had been called by Farmington at our request to learn more about the project. He reported that Farmington is going to be moving forward, they purchased the property which is located on Route 4 near the wastewater treatment plant and received approval by their Planning and Zoning Commission to site this
facility at this location in the Fall. He reported that the cost for participation is fluctuating and is a function of the number of towns that sign up; based on four towns signing up to participate in the project the projected cost now is approximately $345,000 per town. He noted that Farmington’s position is that they have put in all of the capital that they are going to for this project by purchasing the land and in terms of their contribution they will be fundraising those dollars privately. He reported that there are a number of logistical issues involved with this and was discussed. He commented that one item that he is particularly concerned about and does not have a good handle yet on exactly what any of the towns would be buying for their $345,000 investment. He reported that when the Farmington Planning and Zoning Commission approved the project they attached a number of conditions to it, one of which was that it could only be used for
live burn fourteen times a year on the weekends and evenings. He noted that he spoke to Kathy Eagen today and Farmington is developing some information in response to those questions raised at the meeting and should have more information back soon; as we get it and it continues to ripen up we will continue to talk about it.
Chairman Zacchio questioned the timing around commitment and then dollars. An Avon firefighter in the audience responded that he did not think that a full timetable has been discussed. He noted that yes it is fourteen live burns a year however the Avon Volunteer Fire Department would be able to use the facility for other training and any other opportunity that they may have, for example, weekly drills. Another Avon firefighter reported that with the live burn training they are currently only able to schedule two live burns a year based on having to go to Simsbury or the CT Fire Academy and limited availability so this gives them two guaranteed dates in Spring and Fall and use of the facility for other drills which would not put damage on our own firehouses or buildings by throwing ladders on them, etc. He noted that they have traveled to Bloomfield, Hartford, and Wolcott to conduct live burns so not only are we taking resources out of town for an extended period of time but
there is also wear and tear on the vehicles. Chairman Zacchio questioned if this facility is similar to the one in Simsbury plus a training facility. The Avon firefighter responded yes, the actual burn building is similar to what Simsbury has and his understanding is that there will be a classroom portion of it and also available to the regional SWAT team.
Mr. Evans questioned if the $345,000 is a one-time fee that gives us rights to the facility in perpetuity. The Town Manager responded that it is a one-time fee and we do not know yet what that entitles us to, there will be ongoing operational costs and they are not sure what they are going to be yet, maybe $5,000 to $10,000 per year. Mr. Evans questioned if the initial payment is a capital expense or a bonded expense. The Town Manager responded that we do not have funds currently available to pay for that. He added that one of the issues discussed at the meeting was that if Farmington is going ahead to construct the facility anyway can a town buy in on an annual basis by renting it, if it does not meet our needs can we pull out; there are a lot of logistical issues. Chairman Zacchio
questioned is it like a partnership. The Town Manager commented that likely what you would have is that Farmington would own the facility and then there would be use agreements between the towns and get into what the insurance requirements are, what is covered, rights access, etc. Mr. May asked if other towns have expressed interest with the facility or if they are having the same reservations. The Town Manager responded that there certainly is interest and anytime that you can do something on a regional basis it is worth exploring and taking a look at. Mr. May noted that if some towns did not sign up for it then we would not be at $345,000 per town. Chairman Zacchio commented that you would have to have a complete package together to know exactly what your costs are. The Town Manager responded that the more towns that are involved the less the potential cost is but the less access we would have; the less towns that would be involved it is the
reverse. He noted that Farmington is going to move forward and start construction in 2013; they have bought the land and they intend to fundraise the money to build the facility privately. Mr. Pena questioned if Farmington utilized any grant money for this project. The Town Manager responded no. He noted that there was a joint public safety facility that had been proposed for Rocky Hill and got caught up in a planning and zoning issue and we were of the understanding that the State had committed approximately $1 million to this facility but turns out that it could not be built because of planning and zoning issues and we did look to see if that money might be available to offset the cost but turns out that it wasn’t so they looked at other options. Mr. Pena commented that normally elected officials are sympathetic to the fire departments and why he is asking about grants on the state and federal side. The Town Manager reported that he will
provide additional updates to Council as it progresses.
Misc. F: Brochures: The Town Manager reported that brochures have been given to Nancy Anstey, Farmington Valley Visitors Association, and making their way out to the world. Mr. Pena questioned if they will be given to realtors as well. The Assistant Town Manager responded that the Chamber of Commerce will get some and Ms. Anstey will distribute them in whatever circle she travels. He added that we distributed some to the Library and the Senior Center. Mrs. Samul commented that usually a hotel has a rack of information so it might be worth it to have some at the Marriott and Avon Old Farms Hotel.
Misc. G: Personnel Update: The Town Manager reported that we have had a number of promotions and new officers that have recently come onboard in the Police Department. He commented that we are trying to coordinate schedules to have the new hires come in and be introduced to Council at a future meeting.
IX. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Pending Claim / Litigation – Tree Cutting on Public
Property / Collective Bargaining / Real Estate
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mr. May, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council go into Executive Session at 9:10 p.m.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
The Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, and Clerk attended the session.
Mrs. Samul remained in Executive Session for discussion regarding collective bargaining and real estate however she recues herself regarding pending claim/litigation – tree cutting on public property because of a possible conflict of interest. She left the meeting at 10:05 p.m.
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mr. May, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council come out of Executive Session at 10:15 p.m.
Messrs: Zacchio, Pena, Evans, and May voted in favor.
XI. ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 p.m.
Attest:
Caroline B. LaMonica
Clerk
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