TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
WORK SESSION MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL TUESDAY, October 20, 2009
COUNCIL CHAMBERS TIME: 7:00 P.M.
1. Call Meeting to Order
Mayor Prague called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Mayor Cary Prague
Councillor Edward Havens
Councillor Kathryn Hale
Councillor Lisa Maneeley
Councillor Kevin McCann
Councillor Paul Oates
Councillor John Pelkey
Also Present: Matthew Galligan, Town Manager
3. Public Participation
Ms. Pat Botteron, 34 Victor Lane came before the Town Council. She explained that she was representing the Open Space Task Force tonight. Ms. Botteron reminded the Town Council and the public that on Sunday, October 25 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. there will be an open house at Wapping Park. There will be something for the whole family. Channel 16 or the website will announce if the event will be cancelled in case of questionable weather.
4. Communications
Councillor McCann thanked students from Orchard Hill School for their thank you notes thanking him for coming to the school for Read For the Record Assembly.
5. Town Manager’s Report
None
6. Items for Discussion
A. Presentation by Representatives from CRCOG regarding new Trash Facility proposal
Ms. Jennifer March-Wackers with the Capital Region Council of Governments, Senior Program Manager came before the Town Council to discuss municipal services and staffing the solid waste management activities of CRCOG. CRCOG is trying to establish a new solid waste authority, as well as, evaluate the alternatives for solid waste management in the current Connecticut Project Region for those towns who contracts with CRRA are expiring in 2012. Most of those involved to date
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6. A. (continued)
are current CRRA mid-Connecticut towns such as South Windsor, but there are a few that is not currently served by CRRA who are also interested in procuring services through the group. The intention is for the Authority to be established by the end of this calendar year, with a preliminary deadline of November 2, 2009 to have interest forms returned to CRCOG along with a $500.00 contribution to defray costs associated with legal time to set up the Authority and then after that the group with establish its governing structure. This will be consisted solely of municipal representatives on that Board and the Board will get to decide how they want to structure themselves as far as representation and voting rights and such. So in essence what we are trying to do is establish an Authority which will procure
services so after the governing structure is set we will then move to RFP to ask for solid waste management services for the group and that will be a characterization of the wide range of needs. Our vision is a basic level of service with alacarte items because every town has different needs as far as private collection, public collection, transfer stations, and other type of arrangements as far as solid waste disposal is concerned.
Town Manager, Matthew Galligan stated that a lot of the contracts that were written 25 years ago for the CRRA are now coming due. It was always felt that there was a lack of representation. CRCOG is trying to come up with a true municipal body that will be able to go through all of the seventy towns and figure out what their trash needs are and what their recycling needs are. CRCOG will then send out an RFP with all the needs spelled out and find a company that can meet all of the town’s need that are participating. I think CRCOG is moving in the right direction as far as making sure that all of the towns will have their needs represented. It is probably in the best interests of everyone involved to be looking to get this in a joint effort so that everybody can get the best economic price
at the same time. This is a regional approach to taking care of our trash issues.
Answering questions from the Council, Ms. March-Wacker explained that there are presently twenty-six towns that have returned their forms and contributed the $500.00 and fifteen towns have expressed interest. So there are a total of forty-one towns out of the seventy towns that will probably be joining this effort. The $500.00 contribution is to go towards legal fees, which are estimated to be between $15,000 to 20,000 to establish the Authority of legal time to draft out the documents required and then beyond that each town is committing to review the final draft of documents establishing the Authority. What will happen is the CRRA contract will be renewed under different terms and conditions or the Authority will decide on a different venue because the contract ends as of 2012 that is currently served by
CRRA. Ms. March-Wacker also stated that this will be a viable procurement even if there are only 29 Towns involved.
Councillor Oates expressed concern that the trash to energy process would not be used. This is an important issue that towns should be exercising. Ms. March-
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6. A. (continued)
Wacker stated that once the Authority is up and running, it will be up to the Authority to decide how trash is disposed of.
Councillor Hale stated that she was in support of this item and felt that the plan to have the municipal authorities have direct control was good. Councillor Havens also stated his support for this item and though it was good to give the Town different options for trash removal. Further questions were answered by Ms. March-Wacker.
7. Executive Session
At 7:45 p.m. Councillor Hale made a motion to go into Executive Session to discuss the possible purchase of the Nelson Property, 490 Deming Street by the Town of South Windsor and the Hi-G property. Councillor McCann seconded the motion; and it was approved, unanimously.
The following individuals went into Executive Session: Town Manager Matthew Galligan, Town Attorney Duncan Forsyth (present for both issues), Pat Botteron (present for the Nelson Property), Craig Stevenson who is the Economic Development Coordinator, Mayor Prague, Councillor Hale, Councillor Havens, Councillor Maneeley, Councillor McCann, Councillor Oates and Councillor Pelkey.
At 8:14 p.m. the Councillor Maneeley made a motion to adjourn the Executive Session. Councillor Pelkey seconded the motion; and it was approved, unanimously.
8. Adjournment
At 8:14 p.m. Councillor McCann made a motion to adjourn the Work Session. Councillor Hale seconded the motion; and it was approved, unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah W. Reid
Clerk of the Council
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