Advisory Committee Present: Robert Czekanski
October 25, 2011 Randy Dinjian
Connie Benjamin
Terry Abdalian
Mike Zelenkov
Naveen Rohatgi
The Advisory Committee met at the Town Hall at 7:30 p.m.
Mr. Heaton and Mr. Ochsenbein, members of the Partners for Planning were present for the meeting.
Article 5: Purchase of Smith Property for Affordable Housing and Town Green: The Advisory Committee discussed the proposed article for the Town to purchase the 8.3 acre site, clean up the contamination, and implement a development plan in length with Mr. Heaton and Mr. Ochsenbein. This article includes a revision to borrow up to $640,000, versus the $440,000 that was previously stated in the article. This increase is a result of bond counsel’s advice that the Town must approve the borrowing for the total project costs no matter how strong the assurances are that grant funds will be available for the Town’s clean up costs. If the $640,000 has to be borrowed the average cost per single family home would increase from $14 per year to $19 per year for the life of the loan.
The proposed project meets all three requirements (historic district, affordable housing and town green) to be eligible for State and Federal Grants and/or loans to clean up the site and building a town green. Meeting all three requirements moves the project to the top of the list although meeting one of the requirements still qualifies the town to be eligible for the grants. There is an existing house on the property that could be converted to affordable housing. Any RFP will have to include the affordable housing proponent.
On a motion made by Abdalian and seconded by Zelenkov, the Advisory Committee voted to recommend the article for approval as written. (Dinjian – yes, Abdalian – yes, Zelenkov – yes, Rohatgi – yes, Czekanski - no, Benjamin – no)
A motion made by Benjamin and seconded by Rohatgi to reconsider the vote on Article 5 did not carry (Benjamin - yes, Czekanski - yes, Rohatgi – yes, Dinjian - no, Zelenkov - no, Abdalian – no)
FY13 BUDGET
Mr. Lowe distributed the FY13 budget message that stated the Board of Selectmen and Advisory Committee were requesting a level-funded budget and salary and wage budgets should reflect the appropriate step increases and/or any contractual salary and wage adjustments along with a 1% cost of living increase.
The Advisory Committee has been invited to meet with the Board of Selectmen on Thursday, October 27, 2011 to discuss the FY13 budget process.
The Advisory Committee will continue to discuss the FY13 budget process and come to a concensus as to how they will approach the budget this coming year.
On a motion made by Dinjian and seconded by Benjamin, the Advisory Committee voted to adjourn at 8:45 p.m. (Benjamin - yes, Czekanski - yes, Rohatgi – yes, Dinjian - yes, Zelenkov - yes, Abdalian – yes)
Respectfully submitted by Linda L. Day
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