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March 17, 2009 Meeting Minutes
Town of East Windsor
Board of Selectman Minutes
March 17, 2009



  • TIME AND PLACE OF MEETING
Ms. Menard called the meeting was called to order Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 7:32 p.m. at the East Windsor Town Hall

  • ATTENDANCE
Denise Menard, First Selectman
Gilbert Hayes, Deputy First Selectman
Dale Nelson, Selectman
Mark Simmons, Selectman

        Unable to attend:  Edward Farrell, Selectman (scheduled)

  • ADDED AGENDA ITEMS - None
  • PREVIOUS MINUTES
A.      Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes of March 3, 2009
MOTION:  To approve the regular meeting minutes of March 3, 2009 as submitted.
Made by Ms. Nelson, Seconded by Mr. Simmons
ALL MEMBERS IN FAVOR.  MOTION CARRIED

  • PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - None
  • COMMUNICATIONS – For the Board’s information
A.  EDC and Chamber of Commerce Invitation

    VII.     SELECTMEN’S REPORTS
          A. Denise Menard, First Selectman
  • High School principal Dave Chambers has resigned and Tim Howes is stepping in for the rest of the school year.
  • Interesting visit with the Housing Authority who are progressing on getting the new director.  Ms. Menard passed out a memo from the Housing Authority regarding finding a Director.   Ms. Menard detailed some of the great activities they have done recently thanks to efforts of Karen Boutin.
  • The windows for the town hall are just about done – the shades are installed.
  • The Treasurer working on getting pension statements to the employees this month.
  • Keith Tetro, Parks and Recs groundkeeper transition to public works department has begun.  
  • CRRA annual meeting – raising 62.50 per town to 69 per ton
  • Met with Windsor Locks to discuss sharing dog pound and that is moving forward.   
  • Suffield, WL, EW and town manager Enfield to discuss centralized dispatching.  Also discussed State mandating eventually that youths between 16 and 18 have to be segregated.  This requires a special facility in our station or is that a shared service we can do with another town, such as Enfield, who has a facility to house that.   Also discussed fire dispatching, which the town currently pays Tolland dispatch for.
  • CT Children’s Place will be at community day.  There is a drum team that will be entertainment.  They have also invited them to touch a truck by rotary club.
  • Small cities block grant meeting to be held.  She will meet with gentleman to discuss $500K grant to start rehab of prospect hill road drainage and road.  This project is just about engineered.  This is on the shovel ready list and others.  
           B. Gilbert Hayes, Deputy First Selectman

  • CRCOG meetings for transportation meetings and stimulus money – four projects submitted to DOT.  He let it be known that he is on the subcommittee which helps select projects to fund $17 million for 29 area towns, spent for four projects – remaining money 9.3 million divide it up or select projects left.  Explained the point system to determine how monies.  Discussed surrounding town projects as well.  Ms. Menard detail E.W. items for grant money were proposed in that engineering was ready Sewer project on north road submitted; Prospect Hill; East Road Bridge and dam at Millpond.   
           C. Edward P. Farrell, Selectman – No report
          D. Dale Nelson, Selectman
  • Building Committee was given a list of projects to look at, as well as looking into the dog pound facility.  The boiler at high school 99% done as the committee is not happy with some of the patching done afterwards – more cosmetic to fix it which should be done.  
  • The Pension meeting on Thursday, but no quorum and another will take place on the 26th at 4:00 p.m.
          E. Mark Simmons, Selectman
  • PZC discussed pending applications and discussion.  The March 24 meeting cancelled.
  • Veterans Committee welcomed Gil Hayes to Committee.  There is a meeting tomorrow at Enfield Sr. center 1:00 p.m. to discuss Veterans issues.   They voted to purchase flag holders for veterans’ graves in East Windsor.   There are about 800 E.W. Veteran graves.  Discussed monument to honor all E.W. veterans – hope to get all names.   They need a location and are looking in the area of the Scantic church.   May 25 is the Memorial Day parade at Warehouse Point – there will be an effort to get floats for the parade.  Fred McDermott, a member, is very ill and is in the thoughts of the members.
  • BMX committee had a pastry sale and raised $2,300.  A five year old won the bicycle drawing.  The fundraiser at Elaine’s went well and they earned $500.  The next fundraiser is the March 28 bus trip to Mohegan Sun.  
  • Park and Rec discussed the boundless playground; also a special meeting of all boards and commissions to meet April 14.  Voted to keep the camp fees the same as last year.


VIII.     BOARD AND COMMISSION RESIGNATIONS & APPOINTMENTS      
          A.   Resignations:  None

          B. Re-Appointments: None

          C. New Appointments:
        Board of Finance Alternate Vacancy (D) term to expire 11/17/2009
MOTION: To appoint Adam Mehan as an alternate to the Board of Finance to fill a vacancy term to expire 11/17/2009.
Made by Ms. Nelson, Seconded by Mr. Hayes
ALL MEMBERS IN FAVOR.  MOTION CARRIED

 D. Board and Commission Current Vacancies (See Attached)

***MOTION:  To take item 10A out of order
Made by Mr. Hayes, seconded by Ms. Nelson
ALL MEMBERS IN FAVOR.  MOTION CARRIED

10A  Community Health Resource Discussion – discussed above out of order

Beth Connor and Howard Sovronsky of CHR came before the board and distributed a packet of information.  Ms. Menard detailed that since the Board always advocates for contribution to organization at budget time may be good to hear what CHR does.  Their system has changed in recent years – they have grown with more services to offer and serve many E.W. residents.  East Windsor ranks in top five of towns who receive services.  CHR is North Central Counseling Services (Enfield) and Genesis center (Manchester).  They offer 55 services for children, adults and families.  There is a lot of capacity to serve folks with mental illness in the area.  Not surprising that the demand for these services have increased over the years, especially in this economic climate and the life stressors that come with that.
CHR is one of several agencies under the state that provide military support services – who work specifically with National Guards pre deployment; post deployment and deaths.  It extends to service member and families. This agency goes beyond the normal scope of mental health care by also providing specialized care.    The primary mission is to provide the best quality behavioral health support to communities in Connecticut.    A large part of growth is in children and family services. They work closely with school systems and emergency personnel.  

They offer two mobile services out of Windsor dispatched to folks in crisis; as well as central access calling system.  This is a 24 hour service.  Purpose to assist communities, families and police to respond to kids in distress – the goal is to provide on site assessment and prevention to avoid taken into custody by police or hospitalized the attempt is to intervene – if necessary staff have right to “paper someone” that is to direct police to take someone into custody.  It helps improve quality of life and avoids unnecessarily involvement in the criminal justice system if they are in medical crisis.

Ms. Menard asked if there could be a trending of E.W’s use over the last couple of years and update going forward so the town can have the numbers   

They discussed the scope of people serviced and thanked East Windsor for its ongoing support.  One in four adults in this country has some form of mental illness; 1 out of 10 children have a diagnosed medical disturbance – it encompasses everyone. Due to stigma associated with mental illness few get help.  The good news is early intervention has a positive effect – especially with children.  The goal is to encourage people to get help and at times such as these they can provide these services to people who may not be able to afford it otherwise.  

Thursday evenings at 9 p.m. public access series that mental health matters on Cox communications.    Invited the Selectmen to tune in to this community education effort as it details in even more detail what the organization does.  

It was asked if they did services for seniors.  Part of their strategic plan for the year is to expand to senior health as it is a growing issue.   They would be interested in talking to East Windsor about possibilities – a possible coffee hour topic.  There is not a specific program set up but they would be happy to talk partnership.  

MOTION: To return to agenda order
Made by Mr. Simmons, seconded by Mr. Hayes
ALL MEMBERS IN FAVOR.  MOTION CARRIED.

  IX.     UNFINISHED BUSINESS        
         A.  DEP/Television & Computer Equipment Recycling Program     

State gave deadline to come up with a plan and Ms. Menard passed out the implementation schedule which is an effort to get the towns to think about how they will be disposing of the waste.  Some towns are putting a specific dumpster at a transfer station – E.W. does not have that.  But there is a company in town NLR – that does electronic recycling and Ms. Menard will be meeting with him.   It does not appear there is an avenue with another town to share this service.   The information is an update so the Selectmen are aware of this process.


         B. *Resident’s Request/Municipal Tax Amnesty (pending information               from Tax Collector after March 25th)   
         C. *WHPFD & BBFD Request for Funding   
         D. *Discussion and Action regarding Snow Removal Ordinances
                 1.  Ordinance 68-2 Concerning the Removal of Snow and Ice
                 2.  Ordinance 74-4 Concerning Night Time Parking and Also Snow
               Removal in the Town of East Windsor  

   X.    NEW BUSINESS           
        A.  Community Health Resource Discussion – discussed above out of order
        B.  Public Safety Communications Committee

The original 18 month temporary committee was disbanded.  At last senior staff meeting the budget piece of communications was discussed.   There is money for dispatch and remaining money for phone, tower and equipment.  It seems there is no system in place for the radios.  Two members from BBFD and WHPFD came to the senior staff meeting and this piece was discussed – and there is a need for a committee to decide what goes into the communications budget and what radios were needed.  At that meeting the police department mentioned that they had radios that could be used.  It was suggested rather than have a public safety study committee that now there is a communications committee to provide oversight, a couple times a year, to discuss communications issues and to be able to make recommendations at budget time.  The town is good now but putting this in place would alleviate a request five years from now requesting a huge amount for communications that got run down.

Included in the membership would be public safety agencies – the fire department chiefs or a representative,  a fire marshal representative, emergency management member;  police department member.  It was felt that the ambulance did not need to be represented as that is a business. These folks would meet, possibly quarterly, and work on a charge given by the Selectmen.

The charge would include recommend the annual budget proposal; examine the current communication plan, recommend additions or changes to equipment and services and be responsible for presenting to the Selectmen the communications line for the budget.  These are ideas and a charge will be drafted formally for the next meeting.  It was thought to make this an 18 month ad hoc committee


    C.  Community Day Proclamation

MOTION: To authorize Denise Menard to sign the Proclamation entitled Community Week as May 4 through May 9, 2009.
Made by Ms. Nelson, Mr. Simmons.
ALL MEMBERS IN FAVOR.  MOTION CARRIED

        D.  Approval of Tax Refunds
MOTION: To authorize the tax refunds in the amount of $764.34 as recommended by the Tax Collector
Made by Ms. Nelson, seconded by Mr. Simmons
ALL MEMBERS IN FAVOR.  MOTION CARRIED

  XI.  BUDGET MATTERS
  • Budget Discussion
Previously the Selectmen had discussed an all town budget meeting on March 28.  Ms. Menard brought the budget calendar – the selectmen budgets are presented March 25 and therefore there is no time to obtain the various insurance final numbers; the pension board continues to have meetings – all of those pieces fit into the bottom number which has to be provided to the Board.  To have it that Saturday is too soon – the raw numbers are still available to the public while the Selectmen deliberate.   That March 28 meeting needs to be a meeting for the Selectmen to discuss the budget and recommendations.  This meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m.

Also the Treasurer and Ms. Menard have invited department heads to meet and discuss the budgets to make those department heads more part of the process.  This will take place prior to those department heads going before the Board of Finance so it will assist everyone.  

Ms. Menard distributed a document from the Treasurer which details 06/07, 07/08; current year approved; expended thru 12/31 and 09/10 requests; BOF recommendations; there is space for the BOS recommendations and the treasurer recommendations.  This is a one sheet look at.

XII.  EXECUTIVE SESSION
      A.  Pursuant to C.G. S. Section 1-200 (6)

MOTION: To enter into executive session at 8:37 p.m. pursuant to C.G.S. Section 1-200(6) to include the Selectmen and the Treasurer.
Made by Mr. Simmons, seconded by Mr. Hayes
ALL MEMBERS IN FAVOR MOTION CARRIED

MOTION: To come out of executive session at 8:52 p.m.
Made by Mr. Simmons, seconded by Mr. Hayes
ALL MEMBERS IN FAVOR MOTION CARRIED

No action taken.

  XIII. ADJOURNMENT

MOTION: To adjourn at 8:52 p.m.
Made by Mr. Simmons, seconded by Mr. Hayes
ALL MEMBERS IN FAVOR MOTION CARRIED


Respectfully submitted,


Cynthia D. Croxford
Recording Secretary
*Starred items will not be discussed, but will remain on agenda pending receipt of additional information.