The Board of Selectmen held a regular meeting on Monday, February 7, 2005 at the C. H. Booth Library, Main Street, Newtown, CT. First Selectman Rosenthal called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm.
PRESENT: First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal, Selectman Joseph Bojnowski, Selectman William Brimmer
ALSO PRESENT: Finance Director Ben Spragg; Town Attorney David Grogins (7:55), Town Engineer Ron Bolmer, Legislative Council member Joseph Hemingway, two members of public, one member of press
VOTER PARTICIPATION: Ms. Barbara O’Connor, Little Brook Lane, asked if the town will have to pay for the recent oil spill at the Reed Intermediate School. First Selectman Rosenthal answered that we do have insurance coverage that attorneys are examining. If we can demonstrate someone else is responsible, we will also try to recover money from them. Ms. O’Connor also asked if HVCEO is doing anything about the deer problem. First Selectman Rosenthal stated that they are aware of deer problems, i.e. lyme disease task force. There is currently no kind of uniform policy for decreasing deer populations.
ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES: Upon motion by Selectman Brimmer the minutes from meetings held on 1/24/05, 1/31/05 and 2/1/05 were unanimously accepted as presented.
COMMUNICATIONS: First Selectman Rosenthal received a memo from the Police Chief, who was asked to look for any possible areas of reduction in the Police budget. This will be discussed later in the meeting.
Selectman Bojnowski arrived at this time (7:40).
2005/2006 BUDGET
ACCOUNT 310 POLICE
Selectman Brimmer moved to decrease line 2011 Program Equipment Supplies to $18,300. Motion seconded and unanimously carried. Police Chief Kehoe had advised in a memo that he will apply for a grant in the amount of $5,640.
Selectman Brimmer moved to decrease line 5080 Capital to $12,680. Motion seconded and unanimously carried. This removes $5,000 for computers, $3,200 for the Dynometer and $8,000 for the LAZAR. These reductions were offered by Chief Kehoe. He will try to fund these items from other sources.
Selectman Brimmer moved a new total for Account 310 Police in the amount of $3,284,873. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 270 HEALTH INSURANCE
Selectman Brimmer moved to decrease Account 270 Health Insurance to $2,583,500. Motion seconded and unanimously carried. This represents a $69,000 decrease recommended by Finance Director Ben Spragg.
ACCOUNT 240 SOCIAL SECURITY
Selectman Brimmer moved to decrease Account 240 Social Security to $724,987. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 570 CONTINGENCY
Selectman Bojnowski moved to decrease Account 570 Contingency to $387,353. Motion seconded and unanimously carried. This removes the 27th payroll which will be funded from another source – discussed later in this meeting.
Finance Director Ben Spragg advised that the Board of Selectmen has reduced the total budget requests by $1,829,250.
Selectman Brimmer moved a Total 2005/2006 Selectmen Budget in the amount of $33,178,956. Motion seconded and unanimously carried. This represents a 5.93% increase over the current fiscal year budget.
NEW BUSINESS
Maintenance Bond Release, Misty Vale Extension, Misty Vale Acres Subdivision
Town Engineer Ron Bolmer asked to hold off on this release. The Fire Marshal has found a problem with the fire suppression tanks.
Driveway Bond Releases
Selectman Bojnowski moved to approve four (4) driveway bonds as outlined on Attachment A. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
Cost Cap Insurance at Fairfield Hills
Board of Selectmen members received a draft report from Mr. Russell Bartley, environmental specialist who has been working on the environmental remediation at Fairfield Hills, regarding the costs for cost cap insurance. Town Attorney David Grogins explained that in July, the town purchased environmental insurance for liability for third party and pollution liability for the property, as part of the closing. We have also been looking at cost cap coverage to cover costs if the planned remediation substantially exceeds the estimated cost due to 1) more contaminated soil than estimated; 2) much more asbestos than estimated in the buildings; 3) significant groundwater contamination other than lead and pesticide; or 4) discovery during remediation of pollutants other than pesticides and lead requiring significant
additional remediation. Attorney Grogins gave an overview of the costs of this additional insurance. His opinion is that this insurance is too expensive for what the town would be getting from it.
Selectman Bojnowski moved NOT to purchase cost-cap insurance for the Fairfield Hills property and to forward this recommendation to the Board of Finance and Legislative Council for their concurrence. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
Appointments/Reappointments
Selectman Brimmer moved to approve the two appointments and one re-appointment as outlined on Attachment B. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
February Tax Refunds
Selectman Bojnowski moved to approve February 2005 Tax Refunds No. 8 in the amount of $11,399.98 Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
Special Appropriation for Twenty-seventh Payroll
Selectmen Brimmer moved to increase Revenue-Town Clerk Conveyance in the amount of $327,430 and increase Various Payroll Accounts by $302,430 and increase Social Security by $25,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
First Selectman Rosenthal advised that the auditors feel this would be an acceptable way to finance the 27th payroll. The pay date falls on July 1 (next fiscal year) but is actually for work performed during June which is the current fiscal year. The unanticipated revenue from last year’s conveyance taxes would be used to fund this “extra” payroll so that it could be removed from the 2005/2006 budget request, as was done earlier in this meeting.
Legal Matters – None noted
ANNOUNCEMENTS: First Selectman Rosenthal announced that the Grand List has had a 2.5% growth this year.
Ms. Sara Beier, Yogananda Street, arrived at the meeting and invited the Selectmen to a meeting of the “Citizens for Newtown” to be held on Tuesday, 2/15 at 6:30 pm at the Reed Intermediate School. This group is the former “Save Our Schools” who is now working to support the entire budget.
Jan Andras, Clerk
Attachment A: Driveway Bond Releases
Attachment B: Appointments/Reappointments
Appointments
Ad Hoc Trails Committee
Barbara Gaydosh, 90A Huntingtown Road 02/07/05 – 06/07/05
Ad Hoc Open Space Task Force
Mark Lurie, 131 Hanover Road 02/07/05 – 11/21/05
Reappointment
Lake Zoar Authority
William J. Soracin, Jr., 58 Housatonic Drive, SH 02/07/05 – 01/06/08
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