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BOARD OF SELECTMEN 3-22-07

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

BOARD OF SELECTMEN

SPECIAL MEETING                                                                                                                    MAR. 22, 2007
TOWN OFFICE BUILDING                                                                                                              5:30 P.M.


First Selectman Eldredge called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M. with the following in attendance:  Selectmen Patton and Lewis, L. Nicholls and residents.

PUBLIC WORKS
The Board signed bills.  Selectman Lewis asked Lynn is there any more trouble with your pick up?  Lynn replied no.  Selectman Lewis asked are we going to continue with gas?  Lynn commented it is minimum.  Lynn gave the Board a copy of the roads completed from GASB and explained the computer had added in a number twice, the correct number of miles completed is 30.87 for GASB. First Selectman Eldredge commented we are about 50% complete, so we have 50% more to go.  First Selectman Eldredge asked will we have everything on GASB by June?  Lynn commented maybe, the weather has a lot to do with it. First Selectman Eldredge asked do you need more people doing it.  Lynn replied no, two is better.  Lynn gave copies of the Western receipts for the oil payments to the Board.  Selectman Patton asked about the payments on two pickups of 400 gallons each.  Lynn commented in December they overpaid.  Mike Makuch asked what happens to the oil the public brings in?  Lynn commented the attendant should put that inside the gate.  Lynn commented she would like clarification about the answer to the grievance about use of the shed.  You are saying they can be in the shed at all times.  My policy is that one attendant should be outside with the public at all times.  First Selectman Eldredge commented I don’t think we should be discussing a grievance that was answered.  Selectman Lewis commented we are discussion a policy.  Lynn commented in your letter to me your policy says they can use the shed at any time.  My policy is that one of the attendants should be outside of the shed at all times with the public, whether it be sitting in the backhoe where they can see and people can see them, or walking around doing their job cleaning up, cleaning the swap shop, helping people out.  Selectman Lewis commented in the extreme cold one person should be outside and one inside.  First Selectman Eldredge commented I don’t think that’s what I responded to the grievance.  Selectman Patton asked First Selectman Eldredge what is your take on the policy?  First Selectman Eldredge commented I don’t know if I want to talk about how I responded to a grievance.  Selectman Lewis commented we are looking at policy.  First Selectman Eldredge commented the policy, in my opinion, is the shack was put up there for creature comforts; when you have extreme cold there is no reason why both of them can’t be in that shack, it has a big window, when somebody comes in you need to go out and operate the Transfer Station.  You go out and do whatever it takes to do the activities, you unload something, check something.  Selectman Lewis commented when we put that building up there, I actually said it is not to sit in, this is a place to get warm or get cool, not a place to sit.  First Selectman Eldredge commented I disagree with you on that because in extreme elements that’s exactly why it is there; and that’s the way it has been used for the past 9 years.  Selectman Lewis asked why do you have to have two people?  First Selectman Eldredge asked why would I have one person standing outside?  Lynn commented I asked one of them to sit in the backhoe, it has heat.  A lot of people will not go to the shack and knock on the door.  First Selectman Eldredge commented they shouldn’t have to, when a person comes in you leave the shack and do whatever is necessary.  Selectman Patton commented you are saying if there is no one at the Transfer Station, there is a lull; two of them can be in the building.  First Selectman Eldredge commented especially in extreme weather.  Selectman Patton commented but if there are people there you expect them to be outside helping.  If there are people there and it is extremely cold one can say to the other I am really cold cover for me while I go in and warm up for a couple of minutes.  If there are people there they should be outside.  First Selectman Eldredge commented that’s right, if there is no one to help then stay in the building.  Selectman Lewis commented they also need to be sure the swap shed is taken care of.  First Selectman Eldredge

SPECIAL MEETING                                            -2-                                                                    MAR. 22, 2007

commented you have to do everything; it doesn’t negate any of the responsibilities of the Transfer Station.  Selectman Patton commented I think if it is really, really cold and there is nobody at the Transfer Station then it
is prudent. That rarely happens on a weekend but I can understand if it does happen you don’t want to be out there picking up the swap shed, I think everybody understands that.  Lynn commented as long as they are doing their job; the shack is not a club house, it is not for friends to come up and chit chat, they are working, they are being paid by the Town to work and it doesn’t mean having a social up there.  Conducting business is one thing; having friends sitting around chit chatting is another.  First Selectman Eldredge commented I’m sure residents stop and talk to them.  Selectman Lewis commented but if residents are there they are supposed to be outside.  Selectman Patton agreed, if someone drives through the gate and you can see everything from the building at that point you should be saying I have to get out of here and guide them along, so you should not be in the building since there are people outside.  We just agreed if the public is outside they should be outside.  Lynn’s point is they shouldn’t be in the shack with other people talking if there are people outside because they should be out with the public.  Lynn commented correct.  Selectman Lewis commented that ought to clarify that.  Selectman Patton commented it is a policy, if there are people there you shouldn’t be in the shack.  First Selectman Eldredge commented you have to go out and do what you have to do, no matter how cold it is.  Selectman Lewis commented that’s not what the letter says.  First Selectman Eldredge commented yes it is.  Lynn distributed a sheet showing the recycling pickups and receipts.  A.C. 5 receipts – 7 picked up, refrigerators 7 receipts – 14 picked up, dehumidifiers 7 receipts – 9 picked up.  Selectman Lewis asked should we be locking that again?  Discussion on this followed.  Selectman Patton suggested a turnstile type gate.  Selectman Patton asked what do we do about this, they picked up 273 tires and there were receipts for 172.  First Selectman Eldredge commented I do not know, are they charging for the tires?  Lynn commented they are still off 101 tires.  Selectman Lewis commented it is costing the taxpayers money; we figured out there was $1,600 worth of oil wasted and now add this on top of that.  We need some kind of deterrent.  First Selectman Eldredge commented if these are accurate figures something is wrong.  Selectman Patton asked if they are right what do we do about it?  First Selectman Eldredge commented I don’t think anyone is doing anything wrong.  Selectman Lewis commented I don’t either.  Selectman Patton commented we all say that but the fact of the matter is that something is going on here and I want to know what it is.  Believe it or not, there have been people in this Town that have done things that are wrong, people do wrong things at times and it is up to us managers to verify and investigate it and to fix it, if there is nothing wrong great.  It could be as simple as someone saying don’t worry about it, just put it over there, don’t pay me.  We are down from having 200 tires not paid for to 100 tires not paid for, that’s progress.  Let’s do something about it, you need to go up there and lay down the law and say this is how we do it, you guys better start doing some accounting up here because there is no reason that in two months we are off by these numbers.  First Selectman Eldredge commented I will go up and address the situation with the gentlemen.  Lynn commented I have a problem with that since Public Works is my department and they are not listening to me but they will listen to Mike.  Selectman Patton commented you take Lynn up and say this is the way it is.  Lynn gave the Board a print out of the Public Works budget.  There is talk of what we are going to do with the excess money; I am not seeing a lot of excess money.  Discussion on the budget followed.       

CIP
The CIP plan was reviewed by the Board.  Grants were discussed along with bonding.  Mike Makuch, Willington Hill Fire Dept. and Stuart Cob, Willington Fire Dept. #1, brought up the fact that the fire trucks were put off to the end of the plan and the trucks would be 31 years old, 21 years old and 16 years old.  They believe this is not being fiscally responsible.  Discussion on the trucks, Public Works equipment and roads followed.  


SELECTMAN PATTON MOVED THAT THE CIP PLAN BE SENT BACK TO THE CIP COMMITTEE FOR THREE REASONS:  1.  THERE IS NO MONEY FOR COMPLETION OF THE SENIOR HOUSING PROJECT BECAUSE THAT MONEY IS BEING TAKEN.  2.  THE FIRE TRUCKS SHOULD BE MOVED UP BY SOME TIME PERIOD AND NOT BE PUSHED OFF TO THE

SPECIAL MEETING                                              -3-                                                                  MAR. 22, 2007

END OF THE PLAN.  3.  IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PROJECTS AND FROM A COST EFFECTIVE POINT OF VIEW, TO DO SOME OF THE ROAD PROJECTS IN A ONE SHOT DEAL
INSTEAD OF SPREADING THEM OUT IN SMALL INCREMENTS.  TO GO BACK TO PLAN B WITH THE MODIFICATIONS AS DESCRIBED.
Selectman Lewis seconded the motion.
VOTE:  3 YES (ELDREDGE, PATTON & LEWIS)  

BUDGET  Not done.


SELECTMAN PATTON MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7:10 P.M.
Selectman Lewis seconded the motion.
VOTE:  3 YES (ELDREDGE, PATTON & LEWIS)    0  NO

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Bowen
Secretary

Board of Selectmen
860-487-3100

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