BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting July 21, 2014
Lower Level Conference Room 6:30 P.M.
*Minutes are not official until approved at the next regular meeting
First Selectman Mailhos called the meeting to order at 6:34 P.M. with the following in attendance: Selectmen Kowalyshyn & Blessington and residents. First Selectman Mailhos led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of Minutes:
Selectman Kowalyshyn moved to approve the minutes of July 7, 2014
First Selectman Mailhos seconded the motion.
Vote 3 Yes (Mailhos Kowalyshyn & Blessington) 0 No.
Present to Speak:
No one was present to speak.
Correspondence:
A list of correspondence was available at the meeting and in the Selectman’s office.
First Selectman Status Report
First Selectman Mailhos went over the updated report:
- Senior Housing – The Board of Finance approved $1,500 to cover the cost of insurance and secretarial expenses for the Housing Authority. The Housing Authority will make this an annual request when preparing their budget in the future.
- Old Town Hall – the floor has been poured in the basement and the handicapped ramp will be installed in the next few weeks. The bathrooms have been framed and are coming along.
Polster Road Bridge – Planning & Zoning has approved the 8-24 and IWWC has also approved the plans. This item will be brought to Town Meeting, which will be called later during this meeting.
Turnpike Road, Phase 3 – The Town Engineer has begun the drainage plans. We have decided to use the new STEAP funds to pave the areas of Phase 1 and 2 and use the remainder to continue on with Phase 3 drainage.
TSOMP (Transfer Station Operations Manual & Procedure) – First Selectman Mailhos stated that we are not able to locate the electronic version of the manual. We will be trying to recreate it and bring it up to date, as it was last reviewed and revised in 2006. WFD#1 Chief Millix suggested checking with the Town Engineer, as he was the originator of the document.
Public Works:
Derek reported that the crew has been working on the following tasks:
The crew has been working on the following tasks:
Shimming in preparation for chip sealing
Vehicle maintenance
Roadside mowing
Installed risers on catch basins
Repaired roadway washouts
Mowed sight lines
Paved driveway aprons affected by shimming
- Award Winter Road Sand contract
First Selectman Mailhos moved to award the Winter Road Sand Contract to Herb Holden Trucking 59 Broad Brook Road, Broad Brook, CT 06016 as per their bid of $12.15 per ton delivered with testing to make sure it is the same as we have specifically requested.
Selectman Kowalyshyn seconded the motion.
Vote: 3 Yes (Mailhos, Kowalyshyn & Blessington) 0 No.
First Selectman Mailhos moved to award the Chip Seal Contract to New England Asphalt Services from Northford, CT as per their bid of $2.40 per gallon of CRS-2 emulsion for 3,000 gallons per day. This is based off the State Bid and the recommendation of the Director of Public Works.
Selectman Blessington seconded the motion.
Vote: 3 Yes (Mailhos, Kowalyshyn & Blessington) 0 No.
New Business
First Selectman Mailhos moved to add item D under New Business called Appointments.
Selectman Blessington seconded the motion.
Vote: 3 Yes (Mailhos, Kowalyshyn & Blessington) 0 No.
- Resolution – Town Clerk Preservation Grant
First Selectman Mailhos read and moved to adopt the following Resolution:
RESOLVED: That Donna J. Hardie, Town Clerk in the Town of Willington is empowered to execute and deliver in the name and on behalf of the Town of Willington, a contract with the Connecticut State Library for a Historic Documents Preservation Grant.
Selectman Blessington seconded the motion.
Vote: 3 Yes (Mailhos , Kowalyshyn & Blessington) 0 No.
First Selectman Mailhos read and moved to call the town meeting:
TOWN OF WILLINGTON
NOTICE AND WARNING
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
The electors of the Town of Willington and all persons who are entitled to vote in Town Meeting on the matters mentioned in the following warning are hereby warned and notified to meet in Town Meeting at the Willington Town Office Building; 40 Old Farms Road, Willington, at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 for the following purpose:
ITEM I
To see if the townspeople, on the recommendation of the Board of Finance will appropriate $500,000 from the Capital Projects Fund for continuation of improvements to Turnpike Road to be reimbursed by the Small Town Economic Assistance Program STEAP Grant once the 2014 $500,000 Grant has been executed.
ITEM II
To see if the townspeople, on the recommendation of the Board of Finance, will appropriate $310,000 from the Unassigned General Fund Balance for the replacement and repair of Polster Road Bridge to Line item 0503—Capital Projects.
ITEM III
To see if the townspeople, on the recommendation of the Board of Finance will authorize the appropriation of $50,000 from the Capital Projects Fund-LOCIP-WHFD for the purchase of purchasing and installing a generator at WHFD to be reimbursed by the State of Connecticut Local Capital Improvement Program.
ITEM IV
To see if the townspeople, on the recommendation of the Board of Selectmen and Town Assessor will amend the Local Option Veteran’s Ordinance.
ITEM V
To see if the townspeople, on the recommendation of the Board of Selectmen will authorize a tax abatement for volunteer fire fighters. Amended to: “To see if the townspeople will adopt a Volunteer Fire Department Personnel Tax Abatement Ordinance.”
ITEM VI
Public Hearing Item:
To see if the townspeople, on the recommendation of the Board of Selectmen will authorize the increase of fees at the Transfer Station (no vote on this item) Amended to: A presentation and discussion regarding a proposal to increase item fees at the Transfer Station. (no vote on this item)
ITEM VII
Public Hearing Item:
A presentation and discussion of a 7 year Lease/Purchase Agreement for new dump
truck for Willington Public Works Department. (No vote on this item)
Dated at Willington,
This 21st day of July, 2014
Selectman Kowalyshyn seconded the motion.
Discussion was held on the items:
ITEM II –
First Selectman Mailhos stated that the Town Engineer has estimated that the bridge should cost less than the original $470,000 which was earmarked in CIP.
ITEM III-
First Selectman Mailhos clarified that LOCIP funds have been put aside in CIP to cover the cost of a new generator. WHFD Chief Snyder added that the Fire Department sought out three bids.
ITEM IV-
Town Assessor Mary Huda was present. She stated that we currently have the Ordinance in place, however it is based on income guidelines from 1985 when the Ordinance was passed; not realizing that it does not update each year. She gave an example of a single income based on 1985 guidelines is $14,000 where the 2014 guidelines should be $34,000. She is proposing to revise the Ordinance to not only reflect current guidelines, but to update yearly with the State. Ms. Huda will have the draft of the proposed Ordinance to hand out at Town Meeting.
ITEM V-
First Selectman Mailhos stated that she was not able to attend the Board of Finance meeting last week. Selectman Blessington stated that he was there and the BOF felt that the presentation was vague and not a complete Ordinance. Chief Snyder clarified that the amounts were not clear as there was no set amount listed. First Selectman Mailhos questioned if we need to get approval from them (BOF) to do this? Selectman Blessington clarified that if we add to the meeting, we are leaving it up to the residents. He then asked if the Ordinance has been run by the Town Attorney as it has been presented. First Selectman Mailhos replied that it had, and they have suggested some changes, but have not been implemented. The Board discussed the suggested changes. Item 2A – suggested to remove
“excused for good cause”
Item 5 – Members must be current on their taxes for the past two years. Chief Snyder stated that he is in disagreement with that as it should not be used as a tool to keep people current on their taxes. Selectman Blessington cautioned that the Ordinance is not ready. We currently have a draft with a bunch of pen marks on it and is reluctant to go to Town Meeting with it as it is not ready. WHFD Chief Snyder stated that there are just a few simple changes – and asked First Selectman Mailhos if she can make the changes as presented.
First Selectman Mailhos reminded everyone that there were several discussions on what the amounts should be. She then asked how the Board of Finance felt about the amount. WFD#1 Chief Millix stated he got the feeling that the BOF felt that it was kicked to them from the Selectmen. First Selectman Mailhos clarified that if we (the BOS) didn’t ask the BOF first, they would have questioned why.
Selectman Kowalyshyn suggested that we should bring this to the Townspeople to decide (with the changes suggested by the Town Attorney) – not us.
Selectman Blessington made an amendment to the motion on the floor.
Adopt the final draft dated 4-17-14 with the following changes:
Under Eligibility – item 2A – remove “unless the member is excused for good cause”.
Addition of item #5 – Eligible members receiving this benefit must be current on their taxes for at least 2 years.
Under Certification – change the Board of Selectman to Board of Selectmen.
At the bottom of the document remove” adjourned to referenda.
Selectman Kowalyshyn seconded the motion.
Vote: 3 Yes (Mailhos, Kowalyshyn & Blessington) 0 No.
First Selectman Mailhos questioned the wording of item #5. The Selectmen were in agreement that they would not like the wording to say this Ordinance is “based on the recommendation of the Selectmen” as they have personal disagreements. The item has been changed to read:
“To see if the townspeople will adopt a Volunteer Fire Department Personnel Tax Abatement Ordinance.”
First Selectman Mailhos will make the changes to the Ordinance and will run it by the Town Clerk. A copy will be added to the minutes.
ITEM VI –
The wording was changed to read: A presentation and discussion regarding a proposal to increase item fees at the Transfer Station. (no vote on this item)
Selectman Kowalyshyn seconded the motion.
Vote 2 Yes (Mailhos & Kowalyshyn) 1 No (Blessington ).
- Review Town Office Building Needs Assessment submissions
We received one bid from LaRoche Builders, LLC. The Selectmen will review the submission. First Selectman Mailhos clarified that we had two people attend the walk through and only received one bid. The bid came in at $34,751, which is over what we had originally budgeted for ($20,000). First Selectman Mailhos stated that they submitted a detailed bid, but if we were to award it, we would have to go to Town Meeting to do so; noting that it would only be for the needs assessment. The Selectmen will look over the bid and will discuss further at a future meeting.
First Selectman Mailhos moved to re-appoint Mark Drobney as a regular member of the Willington Inland Wetlands Watercourse Commission, effective retro-active May 16, 2014, expiring May 16, 2016.
Selectman Kowalyshyn seconded the motion.
Vote: 3 Yes (Mailhos, Kowalyshyn & Blessington) 0 No.
First Selectman Mailhos moved to re-appoint Evan Brand as a regular member of the Willington Inland Wetlands Watercourse Commission, effective retro-active May 16, 2014, expiring May 16, 2016.
Vote (on the call of the meeting): 3 Yes (Mailhos, Kowalyshyn & Blessington) 0 No.
Old Business
- Fire Department Abatement
This subject was discussed under the Call of the Town meeting (Item V).
Good & Welfare
First Selectman Mailhos stated that our Animal Control Officer has taken in a lot of cats from two homes in town. Currently we have 12 one-year old cats available for adoption that all come with vouchers to have them spayed/neutered and to cover their shots. We will also be taking in some kittens in addition to the cats. The number is not yet known. We do not normally handle cats, but this is an extreme situation that needs help.
First Selectman Mailhos stated that a new lemonade stand will be opening tomorrow. Two sisters, Gwen and Victoria Almquist came in to get permission to open the stand with their business plan. First Selectman Mailhos commented on how detailed their business plan was, more than some of our businesses in Town. Their flyers have been posted around the Town Office Building. They are offering three different types of sweetener to put in the lemonade. The stand is located on 71 Old Farms Road with various business hours. (Closed on Mondays).
Kelly Trueb stated that the CERT Team will be hosting an Emergency Preparedness presentation at 6:30 PM on August 21st at 6:30 in the Community Room in the Library.
Selectman Kowalyshyn moved to adjourn at 7:29 PM
First Selectman Mailhos seconded the motion.
Vote: 3 Yes (Mailhos, Kowalyshyn & Blessington) 0 No.
*Attachments:
-Volunteer Fire Department Personnel Tax Abatement Ordinance
-Local Option Veteran’s Ordinance (with proposed changes are forthcoming)
Respectfully submitted,
Robin Campbell
Administrative Assistant
Attachments:
PROPOSED CHANGES ARE FORTHCOMING...............
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