Minutes of the regular meeting of the Legislative Council held on Wednesday, February 20,2008 in the Meeting Room of the C. H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street, Newtown, CT. Chairman Rodgers called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
PRESENT: William Rodgers, Francis Pennarola, Daniel Amaral, John Aurelia, Jan Brookes, Jeffrey Capeci, Gary Davis, Joseph DiCandido, Joseph Hemingway, Patricia Llodra, Christopher Lyddy. ABSENT: Po Murray. ALSO PRESENT: First Selectman Joseph Borst, Deputy Director of Land Use for Conservation Rob Sibley, Conservation Commission Chairman Joe Hovious, Parks & Recreation Commission Chairman Ed Marks and Director of Parks and Recreation Barbara Kasbarian, members of the Board of Finance, six members of public, one member of press.
MINUTES. The minutes of the regular meetings of January 16, 2008 and February 6, 2008 will be tabled until the next meeting.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. None noted.
COMMUNICATIONS. Mr. Rodgers discussed Ms. Murray’s email comments. He was distressed to find out that he was unaware that she had sent his comments to others. He had replied that any responses would have to be in a public forum. She asked him to reconsider his position of omitting important discussion from the minutes to which he said he did not say important discussion was to be eliminated but that the minutes should reflect what is specified by Roberts’ Rules.
He said there would be no vote on the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) this evening.
Mr. Rodgers discussed the Budget Calendar distributed by the Financial Director. He noted that there were references to the 2007 budget process. The Legislative Council will receive the budget from the Board of Finance on March 14 and will discuss the budget at its March 19 meeting. The Legislative Council public hearing on the budget will be on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium. Final action on the budget is anticipated at the April 2 meeting. Minor committees should plan to meet the week of March 18. A special meeting may be planned for Thursday, March 27, Monday, March 31 or Tuesday April 1. The subcommittees will report to the Finance committee who will report to the full Council. The April 2 meeting will include a recommendation from the Finance Committee. The Board of Finance
hearing on the budget will be on Wednesday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium. Subcommittee chairmen are asked to notify Mr. Rodgers of their meeting schedules so that this information may be added to a new budget calendar from Mr. Spragg.
Lyme Disease Task Force sent a letter to Mr. Lyddy inviting the Legislative Council to attend a forum on Lyme disease in Newtown. Mr. Lyddy will contact the Task Force and ask them to schedule a meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Public Communications and Relations Committee. Mrs. Llodra reported that she, Mr. Lyddy and Mr. Davis met tonight. The Committee will report to the full Council with possible short and long term goals to engage constituents, including such as the use of Channel 17, outreach in the district and more. The Committee would like to do something during this budget season to enable people to be more informed and for them to provide feedback.
FIRST SELECTMAN’S REPORT. Mr. Borst distributed the Board of Education budget books and an executive summary for the general government budget.
Mr. Borst said that the State Bureau of School Facilities will not sign off on the Fairfield Hills project at Bridgeport Hall until the State Transportation Committee signs off on the application. The Transportation Committee wants a new traffic study because drainage is missing from the traffic reports. Bids will go out at the end of March. Mr. Davis asked what issues we may face with this project in April and May. Mr. Borst said that after issues are resolved with the Bureau of School Facilities the construction documents will go out to bid.
Mr. Rodgers inquired about the airline traffic study that was on the Board of Selectmen’s agenda. Mr. Borst said that the Board of Selectmen agreed to join the coalition against the FAA plan to shift traffic east over Litchfield, Danbury, western Newtown and Darien. New York traffic will be diverted to Stewart Airport. Towns in southwestern Connecticut have approved a budget of $920,000 for legal fees. Newtown may be asked to contribute up to $70,000. He said that the Board of Selectmen voted to join the coalition but did not authorize the money. Mr. Rodgers attended the Board of Selectmen’s meeting and thought that the Board of Selectmen authorized the fees as well but that Mr. Borst was resisting. Mr. Borst will check on this.
Mr. Borst said a resolution concerning Fairfield Hills and Bridgeport Hall was passed by the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Borst is concerned with heating the building and the electrical bill. He asked O&G to ask the architect about geothermal heating and voltaic roofing. Numerous wells would have to be drilled for geothermal heating which would be too expensive. There is not enough roof area that is exposed to the sun to make a voltaic roof feasible. Also department heads were concerned with their space and O&G talked with them. The Tax Assessor was concerned with accessibility because lines of people often wait to enter their office and Land Use, Building and Health said that instead of having two copier rooms, one would be sufficient and the other should be converted into space for files or a conference room. He said
there would be no change in design or costs. Mr. DiCandido commented that these issues seem to be space issues that can be resolved after a move. Mr. Borst said that the resolution was approved 2-1 to move forward immediately and don’t do any design changes or anything else.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
Request by the Town of Newtown Water & Sewer Authority to increase the general water rates and water rates for Nunnawauk Meadows retroactive to January 1, 2008. This item was referred to the Ordinance Committee. Mr. Pennarola said that a public hearing will be held just prior to the next Legislative Council meeting.
NEW BUSINESS.
Discussion of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
Ed Marks, Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission, listed the priorities of Parks and Recreation (P&R) as: Dickinson park, Community/Recreation Center, Eichlers Cove Marina, maintenance facilities at Trades Lane and a dog park that may dovetail with the proposed new dog pound. There was $600,000 in the CIP in 07-08 for design work for the Community/Recreation Center; P&R is prepared to move forward with this building and were asked to consider sharing space with a cultural arts center, a teen center, Newtown Youth Services or the Senior Center. It was decided to work with the Senior Center but the seniors have said that they do not want to share a building. P&R is looking to move forward with conceptual design work from O&G. The close proximity to the Newtown Youth Academy would
eliminate the need for a gym and as much program space as at present. This building would work for decades for P&R. P&R asked for $6 million for 08-09 in the CIP which was taken out but P&R will ask to put this back in the CIP next year. Mr. Marks said that it makes sense to turf Tilson field, which already has lights. In 08-09 there is $300,000 for lights for the Fairfield Hills baseball diamond; if we have one field with lights, we may not need another. There is $1.4 million in the CIP for the maintenance facility renovations and a roof, for Dickinson infrastructure and Treadwell renovations. P&R asked the programs who use the fields if they had concerns with artificial turf and they all said to go ahead. P&R has discussed artificial turf concerns with the Health Department and with the State and all feel that there are no serious issues. Mr. Davis suggested a master plan for recreation; Mr. Marks agreed but said that some items cannot wait for a master plan,
such as the maintenance facility which has health and safety issues for workers. He said it will cost $35,000 to look at Dickinson. Mr. Rodgers stated that the Fairfield Hills Authority and the Legislative Council suggested that the differences between the Senior Center and P&R be resolved. Mr. Marks said that P&R is looking to the Town to tell P&R to move forward with or without the seniors; Mrs. Kasbarian said that P&R has been working with the seniors and we need some guidance and that it is not up to P&R or the Senior Center to say what is to be. Mr. Rodgers urged P&R not to rely on being told what to do but to try to resolve the issues.
Mr. Rodgers said that the CIP will be finalized by the Legislative Council on March 5. He commended Mr. Marks as being one of the top half dozen officials in the Town; Mr. Marks commended Mrs. Kasbarian and Mr. Samuelson.
Joe Hovious, Chairman of the Conservation Commission, said that the Conservation Commission wants to work to have open space as part of the CIP; we are now funded in the CIP starting in 2011-12. He said that the Newtown survey by the Harrison Group indicated that open space for land and recreation is the #4 priority. He said it makes good business sense to fund open space. Pre-approval of funding allows us to take advantage of grants and purchase of property. Last year a tax program was about to expire so we were able to move quickly to purchase property. The funding provides seed money for grants. We have preserved 390 acres on which 55-60 homes were not built. We were also able to preserve access to Eichlers Cove Marina.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. None noted.
ANNOUNCEMENTS. Mr. Rodgers asked the Committee chairs to contact him with their schedule of meetings to go over the budget.
EXECUTIVE SESSION. None noted.
ADJOURNMENT. The meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
Ann M. Mazur, Clerk
| 
