TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION
COUNCIL CHAMBERS OCTOBER 16, 2006
SOUTH WINDSOR TOWN HALL TIME: 7:00 P.M.
1. Call Meeting to Order
Mayor Streeter called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Mayor Matthew Streeter
Deputy Mayor Thomas Delnicki
Councillor Deborah Fine
Councillor Edward Havens
Councillor Kevin McCann
Councillor Tim Moriarty
Councillor John Pelkey
Councillor Cary Prague
Councillor Keith Yagaloff
Also Present: Town Manager Matthew Galligan
Town Attorney Duncan J Forsyth
3. Public Participation
Mrs. Annamae Davis, 9 Ridge Road, South Windsor came forward to say that she was present this evening to inquire, as to why no Councillors, other than Councillor Pelkey, were present at the DPUC/Conn. Water Company Public Hearing the evening of October 5 to defend the Townspeople’s position regarding the company’s proposed 30% hike in the cost of water for South Windsor’s residents. She also wanted the “record to show” that only Councillor Pelkey was present for what she felt was a very serious and costly proposal.
Mrs. Davis did say that she did not notice too many South Windsor residents present at this meeting—including, once again, Town Councillors. She expressed her feelings that the people were put on the Town Council to represent the citizens of South Windsor; and, in this case, did not. She added that someone besides George Daniels should have been present to speak out against this enormous price hike.
3. Public Participation (Continued)
Next to speak was Kate Evans, Executive Director, South Windsor Chamber of Commerce who was present to, once again, remind the Councillors of the Chamber’s 2nd “Booming Business Expo,” to be held on November 2, 2006, at Maneeley’s Banquet Facility on Rye Street, starting at 3:00 p.m. She added that over 50 local businesses that are participating as “sponsors” and as “exhibitors;” and Maneeley’s will be completely decked out in Expo Booths (trade show style).
Well over 400 people attended last year, she added; and the Chamber anticipated double that amount this year.
4. Communications
The Mayor, addressing Mrs. Davis’ remarks regarding the absence of Councillors at the Public Hearing held by the Conn. Water Company on October 5, said he could not speak for the other Members of the Town Council; however, he is attending college classes every night of the week. As a result of this commitment, he added, he misses many meetings and events that he, as Mayor, wishes he could attend.
Mayor Streeter then went on to remind the public that the Councillors attend as many events and meetings as they are able to.
The Deputy Mayor explained that on that particular evening he was unable to be at the Public Hearing because he was “filling in for the Mayor” at the ribbon-cutting at ECHN. However, he agreed with Mrs. Davis that the “Connecticut Water rates are ridiculous.” He asked that a letter be drafted expressing the Council’s “angst” over the Company’s proposed rate hike.
Councillor Pelkey said he did attend the October 5th Hearing on this issue, and complimented George Daniels and the Mayor of Vernon on the excellent joy they had done representing their affected residents. The Councillor expressed his feeling that the Town Council “should have taken a position” on this issue prior to that Hearing. He also commented that, as an owner of two properties in South Windsor—one serviced by Connecticut Water Company; and the other, by the Metropolitan District Commission, he has always noticed “a vast difference in the price”—Connecticut Water Company being much higher in cost; and the increase they are seeking, he added, is a “substantial one.”
4. Communications (Continued)
Councillor Moriarty, 90 Skyline Drive, commented that he and two of his abutting neighbors are considering installing a “well” where their three properties meet in order “not to have to pay the prices that the Connecticut Water Company are charging.” He felt that, considering the amount of potable water and aquifers existing in South Windsor, the “exorbitant rates” being charged by this Company were “ridiculous.”
Mayor Streeter asked the Town Manager to include the Connecticut Water Company issue on an upcoming Work Session Agenda. Mrs. Davis thanked the Council for this evening’s discussion; and reiterated that she was present this evening to solicit Council’s support for the residents’ concerns.
Mayor Streeter asked the Town Manager to find out the date this application was going to be addressed by the DPUC; and, then to schedule a Work Session prior to that date to get input from the public for that hearing. Mr. Galligan said he would do that.
5. Town Manager’s Report - None
6. Items for Discussion
A. Update on New Fire Station #3 (Howard Fitts, Chairperson, Public Building Commission to report)
Mr. Fitts reminded the Town Council that the Public Building Commission has been working on the new Fire Station #3 project since before the successful Referendum. He added that the Commission was extremely close to having contracts with both the Architect, and the Construction Manager, that meet all of their requirements and the requirements of our attorneys.
Saying that the Architect has continued his work, Mr. Fitts added that the point has been reached, however, where the Architect’s work needed to be reviewed by the Construction Manager before proceeding. Haggling over the terms of the contracts, he said, postponed any meetings scheduled for the month of September—namely with the Inland/Wetlands Agency, and the Planning and Zoning Commission. Presently, he said the Commission is in “limbo” and P&Z and Inland/Wetlands is waiting for the contracts to be settled. He hoped this would happen within the next 30 to 45 days.
6. A. (Continued)
The Chairman explained that the PBC had planned all along was to use the Fall and the Winter of 2006 for the “time of bidding” and for the ordering of materials and those items that had long lead times; and to “put shovels in the ground by the first of March.” He pointed out that the timeframes originally established for this project are only off by about a month.
Mr. Fitts said that “it has been a very frustrating experiencing.” The Commission was still awaiting insurance information to be certain it had the same requirements for the Architect and the Construction Manager that exist for the Town. The Town Manager, he added, is expecting that information within the next day or two. He said this was where the Commission was at the present time.
Deputy Mayor Delnicki asked if this delay would affect the overall cost of the project in any way. Mr. Fitts said the Commission had “plotted out a timeframe;” however, it did not control construction costs. He added that the cost of materials are “going crazy” and have been for some time.
The Deputy Mayor then asked to phrase it differently by inquiring if “securing the Construction Manager” has changed the target time the Commission was looking at to put the bid out on the street? Mr. Fitts said that it had not, since the schedule had been drawn up by the Construction Manager soon after he had been interviewed.
Councillor Pelkey, referring to the value engineering mentioned by the Chairman, asked if during the evaluation process on this project there were particular things the Commission looked at and eliminated or scaled down from the plans in order to lower the cost of the project. Mr. Fitts said that this hasn’t taken place yet because the principal architect of the value engineering is going to be the Construction Manager.
Councillor Pelkey said that his only concern regarding this project or any other building project done in Town is the possibility of ending up having an “undersized” building 10 years down the line--the result of having removed items during the planning process in order to reduce the cost of the project.
He gave the examples of the Timothy Edwards Middle School gymnasium; not putting a pool in the High School; the size of the Community Center. The Councillor asked that the Commission keep in mind during this planning process that this is a building he hoped would still be useable 40 or 50 years from now.
6. A. (Continued)
Addressing one of the projects referenced by Councillor Pelkey, Mr. Fitts explained that the reason no pool was put in the new High School was because “it would not fit on the property…..there was not enough room on the top of the hill to do a pool.”
The Mayor thanked Mr. Fitts for tonight’s appearance. Mr. Fitts then asked to meet again with the Town Council regarding this project “when we (the Commission) reaches the point of having a set of drawings that are pretty firm so that Council can see the nature of what we’ve ended up with.” The Mayor agreed.
At 7:30 p.m., Mayor Streeter recessed the Work Session in order to call the scheduled Public Hearing regarding Mutual Assistance Agreement with Manchester for the Designation of Fire Marshals
The Work Session was reconvened at 7:40 p.m.
7. Executive Session
A Motion was made and duly seconded to go into Executive Session to discuss the Town Manager’s evaluation. The Motion was approved, unanimously.
8. Adjournment
At approximately 8:15 p.m., a Motion to Adjourn was made; duly seconded; and approved unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Patricia R. Brown
Clerk of the Council
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