Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners held on Tuesday, April 3, 2007 in the Lower Conference Room, 3 Main Street, Newtown, CT. Chairman Mattegat called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
PRESENT: Carol Mattegat, Gerald Finnegan, Robert Connor, Duane Giannini. ABSENT: Richard Simon. ALSO PRESENT: Chief Michael Kehoe, Captain Joe Rios, Public Works Director Fred Hurley, sixteen members of public, one member of press.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. John Kudzie, 61 Queen Street, said that the intersection of Church Hill and Queen needs changes. Three speed bumps should be placed on Queen Street as in the original design. Cross walks are needed in many areas.
Gary Sheehan, 72 Queen Street, said we are no closer to an answer than we were before the study was done. It is not proven that speed bumps will move traffic from one street to another. Try three speed bumps.
John Madzula, 20 The Boulevard, said it is not right to divert traffic from one neighborhood to another. Main Street is a main artery in town and this will not change. The largest problem is speeders and those who run lights. This is a town wide problem. The signal at Church and Queen should be changed. Crosswalks should be concrete or pavers so that people will slow down. Speed reducing tables are better than speed bumps. Extend Commerce Road to Mile Hill to divert traffic. We need to work together.
Sherry Bermingham, 42 Main Street, said that increased ticketing would be beneficial as Main Street has a lot of speeding traffic.
Jill Pontificus-Beaudry, 36 Queen Street, said this is not one road against another. When she began this project eight years, ago, residents from other streets were invited to join us. The light at Church Hill and Queen needs to be changed. She said that no one is taking a leadership role and she is going round and round between officials and commissions. She wants the Commission to be proactive. When people drop kids off on Queen Street, people speed around them Glover is the most dangerous corner.
Lisa Flores, 32 Queen Street, said please do not stop this process.
Peggy O’Neil-Murphy, 8 Meadow Road, asked the status of the request for a cross walk at the end of Meadow crossing Glover. Chief Kehoe has not seen this request.
MINUTES. Upon motion of Commissioner Finnegan, the minutes of the regular meeting of March 6, 2007 and the addendum and the minutes of the special meeting of March 1, 2007 were unanimously approved as presented.
CHIEF’S ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT (March, 2007). Overtime, Budget balances and GL Accounts were in good stead. Fleet is statue quo. We are looking to purchase several vehicles. The command vehicle is in and Officer Ketchum will receive motorcycle training. Personnel two new hires at the academy will graduate in May. New hiring process. Newtown and Brookfield will run a combined test for new hires. Training report is included. Two Letters of appreciation were received. Hank Kessler wrote to Senator McKinney concerning his traffic issues. Citizen’s Police Academy began last Wednesday and has 18-20 students. Queen Street traffic lanes. Chief Kehoe reviewed the site and said that said that it meets the original plans. He does not feel that two
lanes beyond where they are marked would meet approval. There dare two lanes going south coming to the light but not north of the light. He has received no comments concerning a program Slow Down in Newtown. Code Red is a new internet tool that the Town will use as a reverse 911 to allow the Police Department to contact part of all of the Town by phone concerning safety and traffic issues.
CAPTAIN’S OPERATIONAL REPORT (March, 2007) included Motor Vehicle Activity Report, DUI Report, Monthly Calls for Service and Detective Division Report..
The motorcycle is being made operational. Officer Ketchum is at the academy for three weeks of training. Checkpoints are planned for May through August. We are waiting for State grants for seatbelts, cell phone use, crosswalks and speeding. Chief Kehoe noted that the State took away the Justice Administration Grants from small towns but has agreed to give the grants to regional planning agencies for distribution.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Discussion and comments on The Borough of Newtown Board of Burgesses’ Report on the Queen Street Area Traffic Improvement Plan.
Public Works Director Hurley said that this was a very comprehensive study for the entire area and gives a complete picture of many intersections. The flagpole needs to be addressed. Widening of Route 25 by the State is a dead issue. Because of monetary issues, he does not feel that many of these intersections will be addressed for a long time. Projects that we will move forward with are sidewalks at Church Hill and Queen for this summer with review by the Borough and land owners. The Borough recommends that areas across commercial driveways have sidewalks rather than be painted. Also scheduled for this summer is the crosswalk at the Middle School which should be stamped so that it stands out. He is not aware of a request for a crosswalk at Meadow Road. We can get it striped if the Police Commission approves
it.
Chairman Mattegat said that Queen Street needs sidewalks. Children walk in the street to the Middle School. Commissioner Finnegan said that with the development of Fairfield Hills, children cannot be walking in the road to sports activities. Mr. Hurley asked if we want to refurbish the old bridge to try to connect the campus with the rest of the town.
Commissioner Giannini moved that as soon as possible striping be put down from Meadow Road crossing Glover Avenue. Second by Commissioner Finnegan and unanimously carried.
In response to an inquiry, Mr. Hurley said that speed bumps could be a problem with plowing. He will try to get answers as to whether equipment would be damaged.
Chairman Mattegat said that she is against the recommendation for the flagpole island because trucks could not go to the left of the island as they can now. Also she is against West Street becoming two ways at Main Street.
Commissioner Connor moved to install three speed humps on Queen Street as located in the report. Second by Commissioner Giannini and unanimously carried.
Commissioner Connor moved to recommend that the opinions and recommendations of the Regional Planning Bulletin from Vollmer Associates regarding the flagpole not be approved or put forward. Second by Commissioner Giannini and unanimously carried.
Chief Kehoe recommends that anytime we can put an intelligent traffic system in place we should do so. Also we should continue with education and selective traffic enforcement programs. He feels that the intersections that need to be looked at are the flagpole, Queen Street and Glover Avenue and Queen Street and Wasserman Way. Chairman Mattegat noted that the Police Commission will have to work with the Borough Board of Burgesses to address the triangle at Queen Street and Glover Avenue. She inquired about a stop sign at Queen Street and Glover Avenue to which Chief Kehoe responded that a major traffic study on this intersection needs to be done first. Also a study needs to be done about leaving the island.
Chairman Mattegat said that a letter will be sent to First Selectman Rosenthal requesting sidewalks on Queen Street noting that the safety of the children is a concern or else school buses should pick up the children.
Buses are still going down Queen Street. The Commission noted that the protected left turn onto Route 25 is a help for the buses.
Commissioner Giannini asked for a baseline report of the speed and volume on Queen Street before the speed bumps are put in.
Chief Kehoe said that the Traffic Calming Commission is working on guidelines. The status of the ordinance is not known.
NEW BUSINESS None.
Commissioner’s Participation. Commissioner Giannini asked that Mr. Rosenthal be invited to the next meeting on May 1. Chairman Mattegat asked that the residents also attend the meeting. A resident recommended asking Jay Maher of the Borough who is their sidewalk consultant.
Executive Session. Commissioner Connor moved to enter executive session at 8:45 p.m. to discuss update on pending civil claims and to invite Chief Kehoe and Captain Rios to attend, second by Commission Giannini and unanimously carried. At this time the clerk left the meeting.
Ann M. Mazur, Clerk
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