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bos 8-7-06
Town of Willington
BOARD OF SELECTMEN • 40 OLD FARMS ROAD • WILLINGTON, CONNECTICUT 06279 • (860) 487-3100 • FAX (860) 487-3103



BOARD OF SELECTMEN



REGULAR MEETING                                                                                                           AUG. 7, 2006
TOWN OFFICE BUILDING                                                                                                  6:30 P. M.

First Selectman Eldredge called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M. with the following in attendance:  Selectmen Patton and Lewis, Donna Latincsics, Mark Palmer, Carol Larson, Matt Ellis and Linda Worthington.               
First Selectman Eldredge led the Pledge of Allegiance.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

First Selectman Eldredge called for a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of 7/17/06.  
Selectman Lewis motioned to approve the minutes, Selectman Patton seconded.  Lynn Nicholls noted that under Public Works in the minutes, the new key is for the Public Works gate and not for the Public Works garage.
The Board approved the motion with the change.
VOTE:  3 YES (ELDREDGE, PATTON & LEWIS)    0  NO

Selectman Patton motioned to approve the minutes of the July 31, 2006 Special Meeting.
Selectman Lewis seconded.
VOTE:  3 YES (ELDREDGE, PATTON & LEWIS)    0  NO

PRESENT TO SPEAK

Revenue Collector, Carol Larson approached the board on the subject of tax sales.  The Town has three properties still owing taxes on the 2002 Grand List and totaling approximately $30,000.  The tax association uses an attorney who specializes in tax sales.  His fee comes out of the proceeds of the sale and not deducted from what we are collecting.  There is no cost to the Town of Willington.

Selectman Patton suggested that we use our town attorneys.  The company that the tax specialist represents led the FEDEX lawsuit in the past.

Cadlerock Company has two properties in Willington and one in Ashford—the one in Ashford has a contamination issue (a wire stripping operation was on the property) and the ones on the Willington side have an environmental lien.  Selectman Patton reported that this property has a history of court cases and wonders if it would be worth it to put it into a tax sale.  He suggested that we work with the Town of Ashford and the owners possibly to have a program with UCONN or a light industrial park on the property.  This would be in the best interest of all—possibly a Brownfield’s program.  One of these options would be a win-win situation for all.  The State DEP is giving the owners a hard time—they probably don’t care about owing $10,000 in taxes.

First Selectman Eldredge will contact Ralph Fletcher to discuss a regional approach.

CORRESPONDENCE
A list of correspondence was available at the meeting and in the Selectman’s office.

PUBLIC WORKS

Public Works Supervisor Lynn Nicholls reported that mowing, chip sealing and roadwork were taking place until last Wednesday when we had severe storms.  Now, they are still working on that clean up and it will most likely continue into next week.  Hipsky Construction is hoping to get Turnpike Rd. overlaid as soon as possible.  She was hoping to start chip sealing the second week of August but that is off schedule due to the weather.  Chip-seal routes need to be patched before chip-sealing.

Lynn asked if there was any money to order cones, signs, and barricades.   Wednesday’s storms created numerous problems in the north end of town.  Roads had to be closed due to downed trees and many were without power. Many of the important safety signs and barricades have been stolen—the roads were blocked for safety reasons and the thefts are causing a dangerous situation.   We have to have something secure that we can close a road and not have to worry about people going down it.  Jersey barriers were discussed;  First Selectman Eldredge noted that we would need heavy equipment to move them.  Lynn mentioned barrels and/or barricades that can be filled with sand or water as a possibility.  They would be harder to move and less likely to be stolen.  Selectman Patton stated that you don’t want to close it off so nothing can get through—we are trying to protect the innocent person who sees the sign or barrier—we can never totally stop the others.  

Lynn reported that as they are cleaning out cross culverts they are placing new guard posts with reflectors.  Turnpike Road needs some sort of sign to warn of the hazards.  Selectman Patton would like a Rough Road Ahead sign for Turnpike Rd.  Selectman Lewis asked if the overlay would hold up—Lynn felt it would.  We don’t have the money to put on a 2” overlay.   The money for some of these repairs is in the CIP plan three years down the road.  Selectman Lewis also asked about the potholes—is the Town responsible if we are aware of them—an attorney advised us that we are responsible.   Discussion was held on the FEMA money for the culvert on Tinkerville Rd.   Lynn asked what happens when that money comes in—she wasn’t sure since it was appropriated from FEMA to the roads—Selectman Patton says it is a reimbursement to the town and it goes into the General Fund and then we have to get the Board of Finance to move the money around.  He told Lynn that she has approval to spend money and how the town gets the money is of no concern to her.   Selectman Patton noted that all this is what happens when the roads are not maintained.

Lynn requested extra help for moving and odd jobs—a past community service person was discussed.  Selectman Lewis asked about hiring a temp agency.  First Selectman Eldredge and Lynn would like to have the community service person return.

OLD BUSINESS

No old business was to be discussed; Selectman Patton asked why the Hall School Water Project was not put on the agenda again?    First Selectman Eldredge reported that we are waiting for the DEP to send us a copy of the grant.  The DEP doesn’t want to issue the grant until they have an assignment from the DPH on the engineering section.  Selectman Lewis is concerned with the engineering—if we go into this blind and they hit ledge this is a problem.   First Selectman Eldredge wants to see the requirements of the grant.
Selectman Patton asked about planning ahead and setting up a building committee and was told this could happen after we get a copy of the grant.  Selectman Lewis feels that we should get the committee in place for when the grant comes in.  This is how they do it in larger towns. There should be terms of office assigned to each member—there are new people in town that may like to get involved.  A schedule of meetings could be set up.  We should be discussing this under Old Business to keep things going.  Selectman Patton would like to know the makeup of the commission and the charges of the commission.  If we wait until the last minute and wait for the grant, this is a problem. Lynn Nichols would like this committee set up for any town project that comes along and have that committee work on it.  It could be a drainage project on Village Hill, a school, Senior Housing etc.  Selectman Patton noted that we’ve had this discussion at meetings before and the subject never gets on the agenda.  First Selectman Eldredge said that this committee is going to handle both aspects of bringing the water to Hall School and the interconnection and we are going to ask for approval at a town meeting on 8/9/06.  However, he says Selectman Patton can make a motion in favor of adding this to the next
agenda.

Selectman Patton moved to add Hall Memorial School Water System to the next agenda.
Selectman Lewis seconded.  
VOTE:  3 YES (ELDREDGE, PATTON & LEWIS)    0  NO

TAX REFUNDS

First Selectman Eldredge made a motion to reimburse Joseph Hipsky $35.03 for the Grand List of October 1, 2005 the reason being that his veterans exemption was not included in his tax bill.
Selectman Lewis seconded.
VOTE:  3 YES (ELDREDGE, PATTON & LEWIS)    0  NO

GOOD & WELFARE

Discussion was held on a special memorial service to mark the 5th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks.  The board will support this service.  Donna Hardie and Mary Bowen are interested in arranging the service.

Selectman Patton asked why Lenard Engineering was not paid and if there are any vendors not being paid.  Discussion was held as to why the delay from April to August to pay Lenard.  Selectman Patton said he was embarrassed when he called to ask Lenard for information only to find out they had not been paid.  First Selectman Eldredge asked Donna Latincsics to explain the time line of how the bills went to Wagner and Associates, then we waited for an approval release of money from the DEP and then we waited for State Department of Public Health approval.  It was July 3rd before we got that final approval of the payment from the DEP.  First Selectman Eldredge explained that this happened at the worst possible time because they are in between two fiscal years and everything got delayed to August 3rd for the transfer of funds.

First Selectman Eldredge reported that he had called Jim Erikson at Lenard Engineering the end of July and explained the delay.  Selectman Patton stated there was enough cash for them to be paid.  We’ve been doing this for twenty years—paying vendors and then getting reimbursed and now you’re saying we can’t do it.   First Selectman Eldredge replied that this was the critical thing-they couldn’t release the funds in July. We went to the Board of Finance and we did not ask to use town funds be reimbursed by the grant, we only asked to spend the grant money; we didn’t set it up as a reimbursable itinerary.   Selectman Lewis noted it is a must that vendors are paid—we could have lost the whole project.  If there is confusion on that sort of thing, the entire board should been notified, not find out all of a sudden that its not being taken care of—the Board of Selectmen would then meet and discuss the situation and straighten it out.  Selectman Patton wants copies of the bills sent to the Senior Housing Project Committee for approval—they should be approving the bills, they are the ones overseeing the project, not the First Selectman.  Mike says they can have copies but the approval cycle on the STEAP grant goes to Wagner and Associates etc. and is the only one with the delay process.  From now on the Senior Housing Project Committee will get copies of the bills.

Selectman Patton asked First Selectman Eldredge to explain compensatory time for department heads, and how it is tracked.  He also noted that the subject of comp time is dealt with in the Personnel Policy.  First Selectman Eldredge said that this practice was there when he came on board.  Selectman Patton differs.  Lynn Nicholls said that in the past no actual times were listed on time cards (just listed worked, holiday or comp), however, when Mike came on board they were told to put their actual hours on the card.  First Selectman Eldredge said each individual involved (non-union department head) keeps track of the hours worked over their normal scheduled hours and puts in a request for comp time for that same amount of hours.  Selectman Patton feels this is not smart, it is a temptation, and you are now creating a benefit for salaried employees—its ok if the person leaves amicably but if not that employee can go to the Wage and Hour Division saying they weren’t reimbursed for comp time giving the Town of Willington a large uncovered liability.  He asked First Selectman Eldredge if he realized what exposure he was giving the by the unilateral decision to have hours put on their time sheets and to have them add them.  You have given the town a rather large liability that is not covered.

The board read the Personnel Policy regarding Compensatory Time Policy.  The policy reads:
      It is the position of the Board of Selectmen, that from time to time, certain employees work beyond their normal scheduled hours, and the granting of compensatory time to individuals is authorized under the following criteria.  
·       The employee must be authorized in advance to work the extra time by the department head.
·       The amount of extra time must be significant in terms of total and duration.
·       The number of hours worked and the compensatory time taken must be recorded on the appropriate time sheet.
·       Compensatory time earned must be used within a reasonable time frame not to exceed a one month time period.
·       In no event will compensatory time be used as the basis for additional compensation.

Lynn from Public Works said she has 1800 hours of comp time.  Selectman Patton doesn’t think this should happen week in and week out—it is an extraordinary event.  Selectman Lewis wants to get this policy stopped.  When the board adopted the Personnel Policy together, he feels the First Selectman should not override that decision and not ignore the personnel policy.  Policies and guidelines should be followed.   First Selectman Eldredge stated that he did not change the personnel policy.

Selectman Patton asked what the policy was regarding payment in lieu of vacation.  First Selectman Eldredge said it was up to the discretion of the First Selectman.  The policy states that people will not be paid in lieu of vacation.  Selectman Patton said that when you have policies and guideline you need to follow them; you cannot override the decision of the Board of Selectmen.   All three firms interviewed for town attorney said this also.  First Selectman Eldredge stated that he feels he has discretionary powers.

Selectman Patton moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:56 P.M.
Selectman Lewis seconded the motion.
VOTE:  3 YES (ELDREDGE, PATTON & LEWIS)    0  NO

Respectfully submitted,

Carol Noyes
Acting Secretary


Board of Selectmen
860-487-3100

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