The Legislative Council held a public hearing on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 in the Middle School Auditorium Queen Street, Newtown, CT. Chairman Rodgers called the hearing to order at 7:30 p.m.
PRESENT: W. Rodgers, T. Holian, D. Amaral, D. Brown, J. DiCandido, P. Baiad, J. Shpunt, M. Iassogna, J. Borst, F. Pennarola, R. Recht, J. Hemingway. .
ALSO PRESENT: First Selectman H. Rosenthal, Financial Director B. Spragg, Board of Education Superintendent Dr. E. Pitkoff, Assistant Superintendent A. Jackson, Board of Education Director of Business R. Bienkowski, Board of Education Chairman E. McClure and members A. Buzzi, L. Schwartz and C. Nanavaty , approximately fifty members of public and two members of press.
Chairman Rodgers advised that this hearing is to receive input from the public regarding the proposed 2005-2006 budget. He opened the floor to comments.
Lori Boyette, 1 Arlyn Ridge Road, is a member of the Ambulance Corps. She said that a new ambulance facility is direly needed. There is no bunk space for two crew members to sleep over and three crew members are needed for each call. The response time would probably be less if the crew could sleep at the facility.
Ross Carley, Currituck Road, is concerned with the slashing of the budget for expansion of the Senior Center. We need to work together to get a better facility for the seniors in Newtown.
Tina Fiorella, 47 West Street, was appalled at the disrespect shown the Chief of Police at the Board of Finance meeting. We need to listen to the needs for officers and weapons as presented by the Chief.
Herbert Rosenthal, First Selectman responded that those items were not cut from the budget by the Board of Finance.
Michelle Hankin, 48 Mt. Pleasant Road, said that last years budget was supported by 1,000 votes. The $400,000 should be reinstated in the Board of Education budget. We are above the ERG for the state in the number of students per classroom and she presented a chart indicating ERG, Newtown and State statistics (A).
Mrs. Murray, 38 Charter Ridge Drive, said that the Legislative Council should not use the teacher to student ratio as a weapon to make more cuts. There are legitimate reasons to put the 7/10 of 1% back in the budget.
Angela Brown, 15 toddy Hill Road, has a son in the PROBE program and supports the program.
Jack Magoo, 3 Pondview Drive, had a daughter in PROBE and also supports the program. We should reinstate the $400,000.
Ruby Johnson, 16 Chestnut Hill Road, asked that the Finance Committee address some items at their meeting tomorrow. It would be helpful to have more information on the debt service. For the Middle Gate waterline, principal and interest are listed but not the whole amount. The Board of Education debt service should be spelled out. There is no place for the people to understand the Capital Improvement Program. Consider listing what the principal and interest are actually going to pay. She feels that the principals of the schools requesting additional teachers have justified these needs. She does not support spending $40,000 for a consultant for high school space needs. This has already been studied. A parking garage for Oakview is a bad idea. Add the $40,000 back to the Board of Education budget. Fairfield
Hills is the only place we have to meet the needs of a future high school.
Dr. Evan Pitkoff, Superintendent of Schools, said that a consultant is being asked for a second opinion for a certain phase of the high school only. The parking garage is past tense.
Keith Jacobs, 2 Ashford Lane, said that he moved into town three years ago and things are quite different now. Some programs that we thought would be good in Newtown are no longer around. The Board of Education asks for less that what is really needed. He hopes that the $400,000 is put back in the budget. Let the community vote on the budget. Next year give us more.
Amy Mangold, 49 Butterfield Road, is concerned about escalating education budgets. She feels that her four children are doing fine in the Newtown school system. The gifted program is back. She asked that the Legislative Council approve the budget as presented by the Board of Finance. We need to control the fixed costs.
Kathy Huffman, 21 Taunton Lake Drive, is a teacher in Westport. Teachers are leaving Newtown and going to Westport. She makes $20,000 more teaching part-time in Westport than teachers in Newtown make. Please pass the budget.
Sara Bier, 7 Yogananda Street, said that there were 1,200 new houses built from 1997-2003. We have an increased need for services. Please put back the $400,000 in the budget. She thinks the Board of Education was too forthcoming in what they put aside for the oil spill.
Tracy Terry, 7-11 Old Mill Road, said that the town receives either 15% of the land in a subdivision for open space or fee in lieu of open space. The money the town receives from fee in lieu or from selling open space should be used for the schools.
Herbert Rosenthal, First Selectman, said that per State Statutes the money received for fee in lieu of open space can only be used to purchase additional open space and that land donated cannot be sold by the town.
George Powell, 15 Oak Drive, said that when people move to Newtown they look for education indicators, which are now good. The high school has a crowding problem. He would like to see quality programs as an unquestioned priority.
Mary Jacob, 65 Mohawk Trail, supports the school budget and asked those who want the $400,000 restored to the budget to stand (most of the audience stood up).
Maureen Elliott, 34 Cobblers Mill Road, is concerned that class size will be negatively affected if the Legislative Council cuts more money. She is confident the Council will make no further cuts.
Jill Bontificus Beaudry, 3 Queen Street, is the half time gifted teacher at the Reed School. She said that whatever the principals put in their budgets, they are scrimping. There is one counselor for 900 kids. Many sports have more support than the gifted program.
David Nanavaty, 28 Currituck Road, is a father and a member of the Board of Education. He distributed a list of the education bills currently in the state legislature. One would remove the fees for extracurricular activities which would cut the Board of Education budget. Another would eliminate school fund raising from K-5 grades which would cut the PTA budget for cultural enrichment, an additional cut to the budget. The No Child Left Behind Program needs to be amended or fully funded. Mr. Nanavaty urged the Legislative Council to contact their state legislators about this. Another bill would raise education cost sharing grants and the funding of grants and the town would get more of the share in the grants. He asked the Legislative Council to put back the funds that were cut by the Board of Finance. The
Board of Education took $216,000 out of their budget for the oil spill and many projects are being pushed back into next year. He said that last year Mr. Rodgers said there would be draconian cuts if the budget did not pass and it passed by 1,000 votes. Add the $400,000 back into the budget.
Jim Gaston, 18 Main Street, is a member of the Board of Finance who did not vote to reduce the Board of Education budget. There was overwhelming support for the budget last year. He feels that a budget increase that is historically in the range that has been passed in previous years should not be cut. He submits that the original budget from the Board of Education should be presented to the voters and that the Board of Education budget is under not over budget. Do not shortchange the children this year for what may happen in the future. He does not support back end budgeting.
Christine Rowan, 22 Poorhouse Road, supports hiring a new teacher for PROBE. She has a multi-handicapped daughter in the program.
Mike Snyder, 8 Megan Circle, would like the present budget passed on to the voters. He feels that the fringe benefit increase of $1.3 million in the Board of Education budget is too great and it is time to share the costs. He hopes that the Board of Education will lock in on an oil price next year.
The public hearing was closed at 9:25 p.m. Mr. Rodgers announced that the Legislative Council will act on the budget on April 6 at the regular Legislative Council meeting location of the Library.
Ann M. Mazur,
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