TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
SPECIAL WORK SESSION MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011
COUNCIL CHAMBERS TIME: 7:00 P.M.
1. Call Meeting to Order
Mayor Pelkey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Mayor John Pelkey
Deputy Mayor Ed Havens
Councillor Saud M. Anwar
Councillor Gary Bazzano
Councillor Janice Favreau
Councillor Kevin McCann
Councillor Cary Prague
Councillor Keith Yagaloff (arrived at 7:03 p.m.)
Members Absent: Councillor Cary Prague
Also Present: Matthew B. Galligan, Town Manager
Dwight Johnson, Town Attorney
3. Public Participation
None
4. Communications
None
5. Town Manager’s Report
Mr. Galligan reported on the following items:
- He received a memo from Councillor Anwar concerning a Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Commission. Councillor Anwar laid it out into a nice program and Town staff has reviewed it and believes it works. This is an item that the Town Council should review and discuss.
- The Town collected 5,500 cubic yards of debris in South Windsor. The debris was brought to a reduction center in East Windsor because of the size of some of the debris was too large to be chipped.
- He is recommending that the Town Council support the decision for the Town to take a three-year contract with C.R.R.A. for solid waste disposal services and a five-year contract with Murphy Road Recycling, LLC for recycling processing services.
- He is recommending that the Town consider using 124 Sullivan Avenue for a Regional Animal Control Facility. There is a resolution on the agenda tonight to go back out and rebid the property which would be a good solution if the property can not be used for anything else.
ITEM:
5. Town Manager’s Report (Continued)
- There has been an $11,000 reduction in the cost for the Town’s Plan of Conservation and Development.
- The trip to the ICMA was very informative. There were discussions regarding such items as public pensions, HR updates, and labor and personal growth.
- The closing on the Hi-G property will take place in one or two months.
Answering questions from the Council, Mr. Galligan explained that the Town has applied for funds from FEMA after Tropical Storm Irene. An assessment will be taking place on September 27, 2011 and the Town will submit anything that has already been spent.
Councillor Anwar reviewed his idea for a Disaster and Emergency Management Commission.
Councillor Delnicki stated he is glad to hear that the old Firehouse at 124 Sullivan Avenue is being looked at for a Regional Animal Control Facility.
At 7:15 p.m. Mayor Pelkey recessed the Work Session in order to hold a Public Hearing. The Work Session reconvened at 7:17 p.m.
Answering further questions from the Council, Mr. Galligan explained that even if the Town rebids 124 Sullivan Avenue, the Town has the right to reject any bid so if the Town has the ability to use the property for another use, the bids can be rejected.
Mr. Galligan then explained that he will be having Sergeant Custer do an inventory of all of the defibrillators in Town so it is known where they are located and then went on to explain that the amount of legal fees spent on Connecticut Studios from June 30, 2011 until now is approximately $19,000. Robinson & Cole have been told to hold off on anything major because the bond resolutions and those types of documents will be expensive. Some costs will be reimbursed and some will be covered by grants. Mr. Galligan said he would inform the Town Council what will be covered by grants at a later time. The National Development of Council who is working on the Connecticut Studios Project has a set price no matter how many projects are done, so Mr. Galligan has that company working on two additional projects at
Evergreen Walk.
Councillor McCann questioned if the Town has received the solar panels that were earned a while back? Mr. Galligan explained that he believes the Town has earned three solar panels but the Town has asked for them to be held in order to earn enough panels to be able to power something and reduce the Town’s costs.
Answering a question from Councillor McCann, Town Attorney Dwight Johnson stated that it would be a mistake for any Council member to get into any conversations, written or otherwise concerning a pending legal matter.
ITEM:
5. Town Manager’s Report (Continued)
Mr. Galligan informed the Council that if Connecticut Studios does not go forward, there is a lot of information such as the appraisals that could be utilized for another project. The I-291 corridor has been being planned since 1987 and there has been a lot of good pre-planning for this area.
At 7:30 p.m. Mayor Pelkey recessed the Work Session in order to hold a Public Hearing. The Work Session reconvened at 7:34 p.m.
Council members discussed having a statement in the Project Labor Agreement concerning residents being guaranteed a certain amount of positions for the Connecticut Studios project. Town Attorney Dwight Johnson said that the developer, contractor and union have agreed to move in that direction. Attorney Johnson said he would send the Council the language that was agreed to and would review how New Britain was able to write something in their agreement that would allow them to have a preference for employment to their residents and then would get back to the Town Council.
Councillor Yagaloff felt the Town Council should try to get priority for Town residents to receive jobs with Connecticut Studios and it would be good to have a percentage built into the contract.
6. Items for Discussion
E. Connecticut Studios
Mr. Galligan explained that there is something to be presented by Mr. Dan Marsh, but he is under a non-disclosure agreement and some of this information is financial so Mr. Galligan requested that the Town Council go into Executive Session at some point to discuss this item further.
Councillor McCann explained that his comments are toward the change in the plan from building restaurants and retail space on part of the project to building a solar farm. The restaurants and the retail spaces had been part of the overall project to be developed by the Connecticut Studios LLC and they were part of the financing plan. There are two elements that Councillor McCann felt the Town Council should pay attention to which are there needs to be enough real property structures built to generate the taxes necessary to pay the TIF bonds; and the developer for the solar farm has to be a viable.
Council members discussed the pieces of properties that would be involved in this project.
Mayor Pelkey presented a proclamation to Dennis Sheridan for the 10th Anniversary of the South Windsor Mentoring Program.
ITEM:
8. Adjournment
At 8:00 p.m. Councillor Delnicki made a motion to adjourn the Work Session. Councillor Bazzano seconded the motion and it was approved, unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah W. Reid
Recording Secretary
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