BOROUGH OF NEWTOWN
NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT
Minutes of the meeting of the Borough of Newtown Board of Burgesses on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at Town Hall South, Newtown. Warden James Gaston called the meeting to order at 7:43 p.m.
Present: Warden James Gaston, Senior Burgess Joan Crick, Second Senior Burgess Jay
Maher, Zoning Officer Jean St. Jean, Treasurer and Burgess Marie Walker, Tax
Collector Jodie Enriquez, Burgess Betsy Kenyon, Burgess Anthony Baiad, Clerk
and Burgess Darlene Spencer
Absent: None
Burgess Walker made a motion to accept the November 10, 2009 meeting minutes,
seconded by Senior Burgess Crick and unanimously approved.
Public Participation: George Schmidt asked if the Borough’s report for the fiscal year end 2008-09 was complete.
Warden Gaston said that he has talked to Borough Auditor Glenn Nanavaty and the Borough audit will be completed by the end of the month and presented at the meeting in January.
Warden’s Report: Warden Gaston reported that he, Senior Burgess Crick, and Zoning Officer St. Jean just returned from a meeting with the ETH Board of Managers concerning the Edmond Town Hall, plans for the future of the building, funding, etc. Warden Gaston distributed a portion of the Legislative Council Ad Hoc Facilities Committee report concerning the Edmond Town Hall to the Burgesses. The report gives a history of the building, a summary about present day activities, suggestions for the future, and recommendations on who should lead the Edmond Town Hall toward a new future. The consensus of the report is that the Edmond Town Hall become an art and cultural center. It is recommended that leaders of the Borough, Town, and
Board of Managers put together a facilities usage plan, have a CIP focused on short and long term needs of the Edmond Town Hall, and provide a business plan laying out the objectives and strategies to help achieve these. They will meet in early January to begin the process. Discussion followed.
Warden Gaston said he received an application for a sign permit for the holiday festival which was granted and it hung over Queen Street.
Warden Gaston reported that the sidewalk committee, which included Borough Engineer Ron Bolmer, walked Queen Street recently to discuss sidewalks for the area. Warden Gaston stated that the path of the proposed sidewalks is a challenging one especially the island at Queen Street and Glover Avenue.
Borough Engineer Bolmer stated that the island presents some questions as to safety with respect to sidewalks and crossing the street at that area. He said that there is no safe way to cross the street at that traffic island. He displayed a diagram of a proposed reconfiguration of the intersection of Queen Street and Glover Avenue in which there is a three-way controlled stop to make it safer to cross.
Burgess Baiad noted that with the reconfiguration, the vehicle lights would shine directly into the Phillips’ house on Queen Street at the end of Glover Avenue. Borough Engineer Bolmer said that some kind of screening would have to be erected to help stop the light. Discussion followed concerning the Phillips’ house, tree removal required, and possible cueing problems at the island.
Warden Gaston said that if we are going to have a sidewalk on Queen, then one of the suggestions is to reconfigure the traffic at the island as Borough Engineer Bolmer proposed. Another suggestion would be to leave the island as is and extend the sidewalk from Queen Street around and down the south side of Glover Avenue to where a crosswalk exists at Meadow Road. The sidewalk committee will have to talk to the property owners on the south side of Glover Avenue. Discussion followed. Warden Gaston suggested that the Burgesses think about the possibilities and come to the January meeting with some ideas/recommendations.
Tree Warden: Tree Warden, Rob McCulloch, reported that a few trees in an open space area between 4 and 6 Mt. Pleasant Road had dropped branches and damaged some property. The trees in question were removed. He also reported that he is waiting to hear back from the Town on a few tree projects.
Burgess Maher asked Rob to take a look at two large trees on the west side of Queen St. from Glover Avenue to Elizabeth Street that need to be removed. Discussion followed. Rob will assess them soon.
Tax Collector's Report: Tax Collector Enriquez reported the following for the month of November: Total Taxes Due for the List of 2008: $159,409.74. Current Taxes $162,217.49; Back Taxes $1,172.13; Interest $574.69; Lien Fees $48.00; Return of Overpayments ($11,478.74). Total Submitted to Treasurer to Date $150,500.00. Current Taxes Collected 94.6%.
For the month of December: Total Taxes Due for the List of 2008: $159,253.03 (Grand List Reduced: COC Town #8256 Robert/Nwt. Ambulance–Tax Exempt assd: -270,190, Tax-156-71). Current Taxes $162,900.92; Back Taxes $1,172.13; Interest $625.95; Lien Fees $48.00; Return of Overpayments ($11,478.74). Total Submitted to Treasurer to Date $150,500.00. Current Taxes Collected 95.1%.
Burgess Baiad made a motion to accept the November and December Tax Collector’s Reports, seconded by Burgess Kenyon and unanimously approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Walker reported the following: A deposit of $2,453.00 was made from Zoning Officer St. Jean. The zoning violation settlement of $19,000.00 was added to the NSBMM Account as of November 17, 2009. A transfer of $8,000.00 was made to cover this month’s invoicing leaving a total of $400,090.90 as of December 8, 2009. Capital Reserve is $1,886.54 as of November 30, 2009.
Burgess Kenyon made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report, seconded by Burgess Spencer and unanimously approved.
Zoning Officer’s Report: Zoning Officer St. Jean met with the architect and builder for Toro Restaurant. The restaurant owners are interested in having hibachi tables upstairs. Discussion followed. The building next to Hawley School at 27 Church Hill Road, that the Board of Education was interested in purchasing, was sold. Hawley School needed it to help alleviate bus congestion. The new owner of the property is willing to grant the school an easement so that the buses can go around the building and out the driveway. Discussion followed. Zoning Officer St. Jean updated the Board regarding the building at the corner of The Boulevard and Church Hill Road, the traffic light at My Place Restaurant, the proposed building for the corner of The
Boulevard (east side) and Church Hill Road, as well as a proposed cottage in back of the Dana-Holcombe House. She met with Big Y and Caraluzzi’s Market regarding their outside displays of flowers, etc. The stores agreed to keep the displays small and clear of pedestrian traffic.
Historic District: Burgess Kenyon reported that there have been no new applications. The Borough signs were approved at the Borough Zoning Commission meeting. The Sign Depot is waiting until all of the approvals are met before they begin to make the signs.
Sidewalks: Burgess Maher stated that he priced the Queen Street (from Glover Avenue to Elizabeth Street) section of sidewalk at $38,000.00. An additional $5,000.00 for tree work.
Warden Gaston asked Burgess Maher to price the Queen Street sidewalk from Elizabeth Street to Borough Lane and to price sidewalk installation on Glover Avenue from Queen Street to Meadow Street.
Streets & Parks: Burgess Maher reported that the breaker is not holding at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. He has called an electrician.
Old Business: Warden Gaston stated that in accordance with the IRS compliance check and subsequent mandates, the Borough will have to pay employee withholding taxes. Discussion followed. Warden Gaston suggested that the Borough employees be paid once a quarter instead of once a month.
Burgess Spencer made a motion to convert from 1099 status to W4 for 2009 forward consistent with what the IRS auditor suggested and pay the taxes accordingly, seconded by Burgess Baiad and unanimously approved.
New Business: Warden Gaston read an article from the November 25, 2009 News-Times regarding the future of the Rt. 25 expansion. According to the article, there was a meeting held in Monroe with Connecticut State Representative Hovey, the Department of Transportation, and Monroe officials in which the future of Rt. 25 was discussed and how it will shape Newtown and Monroe. Warden Gaston reported that no one from the Borough of Newtown or the Town of Newtown was contacted about the meeting. Discussion followed.
Public Participation: none
The next regular meeting of the Borough of Newtown Board of Burgesses will be held on Tuesday, January 12, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the Borough Office at Town Hall South.
There being no further business, Burgess Walker made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:10 p.m., seconded by Burgess Maher and unanimously approved.
Respectfully Submitted,
Darlene M. Spencer
Borough Clerk
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