Call to Order: Leo Paul called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. All Selectmen were present: Ernest Bunnell, William Dranginis, Paul Parsons and R. Christopher Blake.
Approval of Minutes: Motion: W. Dranginis moved to adopt the regular meeting minutes of December 15, 2009, and P. Parsons seconded. All voted aye and the motion carried.
Public Requests/Comments: None
Selectmen’s Requests: None
Northfield Firehouse Update: L. Paul said he would leave this item on the agenda for a while longer until all bills are paid and the Building Committee can be dissolved. C. Blake asked about the progress on the bill approved for LaRosa Building Group regarding the contingencies. Finance Director C. Politano said CL&P is going to send a monthly breakdown of the charges, and then there is a decision pending on who will pay it. LaRosa has not yet been paid.
School Building Committee Update – Jack Healy: Mr. Healy said the last two bills have been paid, but recommended keeping the Committee intact until the audit is complete.
Resignations: None
Interviews, Appointments & Reappointments
a) Interview Judd Milani for Litchfield Housing Authority, Term Expiration 8/2012: L. Paul introduced Mr. Milani to the Board of Selectmen and asked him to share his background with the Board. Mr. Milani said he was approached by outgoing member Brandon Lajoie to fill his vacancy. He said he worked at a nursing home in Simsbury after serving in Viet Nam, and is now at a point where he would like to help in public service. He has lived in town five or six years and has attended four Housing Authority meetings. Motion: W. Dranginis moved to appoint Judd Milani to the Litchfield Housing Authority with term expiration of 8/2012. E. Bunnell seconded, all voted aye and the motion carried.
Liaison Reports/Commission-Committee Minutes: 11/5/09 Design Review Advisory Committee minutes; 11/16/09 Planning and Zoning minutes; 12/7/09 Planning and Zoning minutes (draft); 11/12/09 Board of Fire & EMS Commission minutes
Vacancies: The list of current appointed vacancies is as follows:
Beautification Commission: One regular member, 2/2010, one alternate 2/2010
Conservation Commission: One regular member 12/2012; one alternate member 12/2012
Economic Development Commission: One alternate member 6/2011
Board of Ethics: Two regular members 6/2012; two alternate members 6/2010, 6/2011
Milton Historic District Commission: Two alternate members 1/2012
Northfield Firehouse Building Committee: 1 member
Park & Recreation: 1 alternate member 6/2013
Recycling Committee: One member, 2/2012
Sandy Beach Commission: One regular member 12/2011
Veteran’s Advisory Committee: One regular member 8/2012; two alternate members 8/2012
Water Pollution Control Authority: One alternate member; 1/2010
Tax Refunds: L. Paul noted that all the refunds are motor vehicles. Motion: W. Dranginis moved to approve the 18 tax refunds in the amount of $1,797.85. C. Blake seconded the motion. All voted aye and the motion carried.
Transfers: None
Old Business: None
New Business
a) Bantam Lake Protective Weed Treatment Update and Funding: Connie Trolle gave a brief history of the Bantam Lake Protective and its work with Lake issues. Four years ago Litchfield, Morris, White Memorial and Bantam Lake Protective joined forces where each entity gave $25,000 for chemical treatment of the Lake. Last year they devised a five-year draft budget from 2009 through 2013. They try to keep the budget under $100,000 per year, with the largest item being the chemical treatment of aquatic weeds. She handed out an expense profile to the Board. They have also applied for a State grant to work on the invasive species called fanwort. The application was done through Litchfield because the fanwort problem was confined to the Litchfield areas of the Bantam River from Little Pond to the outlet and also near Point Folly. The program was disbanded and the funding did not come through; however, money was found in another State fund for this project in the amount of $78,000. She has been meeting with the DEP on this. They have spent $38,000 two summers ago having the fanwort pulled with a suction harness, similar to a big vacuum. They go into the water and suck the weeds out by hand. It is labor intensive and expensive but is extremely successful. Last year they did it again near the Litchfield Town Beach at a cost of $28,000. They are working with the DEP to plan future treatments, with Point Folly and the Bantam River being the next areas. Bantam Lake Protective is raising funds through fundraisers and donations. She noted the coalition fund is still set up, and Morris has given them $12,500 last year and White Memorial gave $12,500 and is committed to the five-year plan. That fund currently has about $35,000 and will be used for non-fanwort purposes. Their budget is $70,000 a year and there are no other expenses other than the two contractors they use. She asked for consideration in donating money to the Coalition.
b) Old Bantam School Property Discussion: L. Paul reviewed the activity on the disposition of the old Bantam School, knowing that the court will be moving out once the new courthouse is ready in Torrington. He said that in February 2009 the Board of Selectmen voted to move forward on discussions to determine if they could sell the building and put the money toward reducing the bond on the Town Hall renovation. The letter from the Bantam Borough shows they do not support the sale of the building. He enlisted the Board’s comments on what the next steps should be. He also added that he has learned from Sen. Roraback that the Governor is serious about the new courthouse in Torrington and is moving forward with the hiring of an architect to design and put this courthouse building out to bid. The Bantam Court could be leaving as early as two years from now. The fair market value appraisals of the Bantam School were between $1.8 million to $1.9 million. He felt it is important to have a plan for the future so the building is not left empty with the Town paying its upkeep, approximately $225,000 per year that is now self-sustaining by the lease incomes.
W. Dranginis thought it would be hard to sell the facility and it could be better used for Town offices. C. Blake disagreed with the Borough’s comment about the Post Office, saying that the idea would be to sell the building subject to the existing leases. Therefore, the Post Office lease would not be in jeopardy. Mr. Paul confirmed to Paul Parsons that the sale of the building would have to be approved at Town Meeting before it could be put on the market. Mr. Parsons recommended going forward to Town Meeting. Mr. Dranginis asked about percentage usage of the building, and Jack Healy, Public Works Director, said about 60% is court, 15% is the Post Office and 25% is Town offices and gym. C. Blake said it is much better to explore its future while there are still tenants in the building. J. Healy added that the Bantam School was considered but the Building Committee decided against that location for Town offices because there was a significant cost to renovation of that building and the feedback from residents preferred the Town offices to be centralized in the center of Town. It would be best to use the revenue from the sale to offset the cost of addition and renovation of the current Town Hall. C. Blake asked that this item be placed on the next agenda under Old Business, and the Board agreed. E. Bunnell said the issue of the zoning being listed as residential, non-conforming, has to be addressed, as it is possible that the Borough Planning and Zoning would not allow a zone change. L. Paul suggested contacting the Housing Authority and Housing Trust to see if either group would be interested in the building. L. Paul asked W. Dranginis and E. Bunnell to review Appendix E of the Town Hall Building Committee’s Report of Findings dated 7/24/08 for the next meeting.
c) Approve 2010/11 Capital Projects Budget: David T. Wilson, Capital Committee Chairman, was present to answer questions. L. Paul said the approval of the Capital budget does not have to occur at this meeting, noting that the proposed budget is higher than it has been in the past, at $2,289,000 as compared to $1.7 million last year. Amount to be bonded is $1.4 million. D. Wilson recapped the budget this year as mostly Public Works items that were unavoidable.
P. Parsons asked about the ten-year road program and why the chip sealing has not been taken out of capital and put into the operating budget. It was explained that the money was taken out of Capital and was put into operating last year. There still remains enough money left over in Capital to do the chip sealing and crack sealing for 2010/2011. So they took $300,000 out of the Capital proposal for the unimproved roads and pushed it over to operating. L. Paul agreed that none of this money should be in Capital, as maintenance should be in operating. After much discussion, P. Parsons suggested finishing the discussion at a later time. D. Wilson said this was one of the toughest years in Capital because there were necessary projects and not much fat and it was difficult to know where to make more cuts. When questioned on the bridges, J. Healy asked not to take money from the bridges. L. Paul suggested, assuming the Board wishes to reduce the Capital budget, taking $200,000 from the ten-year road program and putting it into the operating budget. It was decided to move the approval of the 2010/2011 Capital Budget to the next agenda under Old Business.
d) Award School Surveillance Equipment Bid (removed from 12/1/09 agenda): Motion: W. Dranginis moved to award the bid for the surveillance equipment for CenterSchool/LIS/LHS to low bidder Select-Telecon for $78,805.00. Paul Parsons seconded the motion. C. Blake asked if this had been previously approved by the Town and why was it being done. P. Parsons said it was an original project of the schools that got taken out of the budget. L. Paul said there was then a grant opportunity from Homeland Security to improve surveillance at the schools. Money was found in left-over project money in capital non-recurring ($72,153), and that was merged with the $43,961 grant to fund the equipment. Upon voting all voted aye and the motion carried.
f) Sign Annual Town Meeting Call – 1/12/2010: Motion: W. Dranginis moved to sign the Annual Town Meeting call and P. Parsons seconded. All voted aye and the motion carried.
Correspondence
a) Current and Revised Code of Ethics – Review for Next Meeting: L. Paul asked the Board to review the current and revised Code of Ethics for discussion at either the next or the following meeting.
b) Audit Report for Year Ended 6/30/09: Received and noted.
Motion: W. Dranginis moved to adjourn at 7:25 p.m. and E. Bunnell seconded. All voted aye and the motion carried.
Leo Paul, Jr., First Selectman
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