MAYOR’S ADVISORY COUNCIL

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2008

The first quarterly meeting of the Mayor’s Advisory Council was held in the Enfield Room of the Enfield Town Hall, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, Connecticut on Monday, January 28, 2008. Mayor Kaupin began this session at 7:00 p.m.

INTRODUCTION OF ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS

The following Enfield residents were present: Steve Barrett, Tim Bonesteel, Chet Ciolkos Julie Cotnoir, Elizabeth Davis, Trudy Dorous, Charles Duren, Marlene Hoginski, Margaret Jedziniak, Nancy Kalyan, Charles Macsata, Diane Maxellon, Jack McCafferty, Jack McCuen, Sheila Munroe, Pam Nabors, Michael Perry, Brian Peruta, Lynne Pirrello, Michelle Polek, Paul Polek, Ray Regini, John Shlatz, Tim Slade, Damon Swift, Samuel Swift, Donna Szewczak, Lindsay Weber, Karen Weseliza.

PURPOSE OF ADVISORY COUNCIL

Mayor Kaupin stated his hope that through this group they can have an open dialog about anything on people’s minds. He noted nothing is out of bounds, and this is a way to communicate, raise issues and concerns. He noted after the discussion, it should be determined how often this group should convene. He stated initially, it was suggested this group meet quarterly, however, if there’s a desire to meet more often, that can be done.

OPEN DISCUSSION

Following are a list comments brought forward by those present:

• Taxes are too high for services that most residents receive.
• Residents should have more of a voice on the budget.

Mayor Kaupin noted the Town Charter requires one budget hearing and questioned whether people want more than one budget hearing.

• The Town Council should engage the public more often.
• Currently, there’s almost an adversarial environment at the one budget hearing.
• Could there be meetings with district Council members?

Mayor Kaupin pointed out the Town Council’s Policies and Procedures were recently changed and it’s now a rule of the Town Council to hold public informational meetings with no set agenda. He noted this would be a more relaxed setting, similar to community conversations. He stated the first public informational meeting is scheduled for February 25^th at 7:00 p.m. at a location to be determined in District #1. He noted such sessions could be held more often than just quarterly.

Mayor Kaupin explained the budget process.

· Can the budget be published early on?

Mayor Kaupin noted once the Town Manager’s budget is prepared, that proposed budget will be on the Town’s website. Also, budget books are available at the budget hearings, as well as at Town Hall and the Central Library.

· Can the school budget be available early in the process?

Mayor Kaupin stated school budget issues can be raised at the Board of Education community conversations. He pointed out the Board of Education has scheduled a community conversation this Thursday at the Hazardville Memorial School.

· What is the process to take the budget to referendum?

Mayor Kaupin stated there’s a method within the Town Charter that requires a certain amount of signatures to open the Charter for review. He explained the Council would then form a Charter Review Commission, which would be made up of residents who would make recommendations for changes. He pointed out once the Charter is opened, the entire document is open. He noted the Council needs to support the Charter revisions, and it would then go to a vote by the residents. He stated at the next Mayor’s Advisory Council, he will provide a more detailed explanation of this process.

· One of the most important things in the Town Charter is how much money the Town Council can spend at any one time for any one project.

· Caution should be used in appointing members for a Charter Revision Commission because it can be stacked.

· The Town Council has a lot of say as to whether the Charter is opened or not.

· There should be public transportation within Enfield to get people from one end of town to another, and to connect with buses going to Hartford.

Mayor Kaupin stated financially, the Town would be responsible for any bus transportation within Enfield. He went on to note the Springfield run was cut back due to low ridership. He noted the Hartford bus runs only between Bob’s Stores and Hartford. He went on to note there is an initiative for bus transportation within Enfield, however, it’s focused on senior and disabled persons. He pointed out public transportation has to be self-supporting.

• Possibly a demographic study could be made about the need for public transportation.

Mayor Kaupin stated he could work with the Town Manager and staff on an issue such as transportation to get their ideas. He noted perhaps they could utilize UCONN students to do some kind of demographic study on Enfield.

• The house numbering ordinance doesn’t appear to be enforced – this is important during emergency situations.
• The Hazardville Fire Department has reflective house numbers available to the public.
• House numbering could also be taken on as a project by the Boy Scouts, the high schools for a safe graduation project, or Asnuntuck Community College.

Mayor Kaupin pointed out two ordinances that the Town Council is currently reviewing are the Blight Ordinance and the Alarm Ordinance. He acknowledged there are several ordinances that aren’t being enforced, and the Town Council will review those ordinances over time. He pointed out the ordinances can be found on the Town’s website.

• One resident raised objection to the tipper barrel purchase being mandatory.

Mayor Kaupin stated his opinion the tipper barrel program is a service. He noted the Town already subsidizes the tipper barrels by $10. He stated the Solid Waste Committee recommended the Town supply tipper barrels to the residents who do not have them and reimburse those residents who already purchased their barrels with some sort of credit. He noted this would cost $1.3 million dollars. He noted the majority of the Council would rather keep that operating cost out of the budget and work to reduce the budget so that everyone benefits from a reduction. He pointed out the tipper barrel also allows the Town to go to one-man trucks over a period of time. He added the Town also wants to go to weekly recycling and include more recyclable products. He noted by removing recyclables from trash, the Town saves money on tipping fees to CRRA.

• One resident who purchased their tipper barrel stated she would not want any kind of credit if it resulted in a tax increase.

Mayor Kaupin pointed out the barrels have an 18-year warranty.

• Tipper barrels also cut down on workers’ compensation claims.
• It was suggested a more attractive color be used for tipper barrels.
• Is there a subsidy for people who can’t afford tipper barrels?

Mayor Kaupin pointed out the Town Council is discussing the idea of not charging certain people for tipper barrels, i.e., people on the circuit breaker program and those people being assisted by Social Services. He noted that information is currently being reviewed.

• What is the Town doing about rundown buildings, i.e., the Strand Theater

Mayor Kaupin stated the Strand Theater is not a town-owned building. He noted years ago a group was formed to raise funds to refurbish that building, however, they haven’t been successful. He went on to note there have also been some private initiatives to develop that property, but nothing developed. He stated parking availability is also an issue.

He stated on the Town side, there was a referendum about eight years ago to refurbish the Higgins building, however, that failed. He pointed out the Higgins building is still high on the Council’s agenda, and it’s a goal to do something within the next year. He noted a renovated Higgins could accommodate the Enfield Day Care, Board of Education offices and other Town offices.

Mayor Kaupin stated federal and state dollars are already in place for a commuter rail plan to link Springfield and New Haven, and this would also involve buses and taxis. He noted this would encourage further development in Thompsonville.

• If the Town sold the Higgins building, the Town should have a say as to how it’s developed.
• The Town should use the Higgins building for Town offices since the Town is paying a lot to rent office space elsewhere.
• It was noted there are a lot of empty storefronts in the Enfield Square and that something should be done to keep this mall viable.

Mayor Kaupin stated Enfield doesn’t have the demographics to support high-end stores. He noted the trend is now toward “big box” businesses, and people no longer wish to be enclosed within a mall setting. He added if a business isn’t doing well, they can be kicked out of the mall. He pointed out there’s not much in the way of new business coming in, therefore, the effort is going toward retaining businesses.

• It appears businesses aren’t included on the tax delinquency list.

Mayor Kaupin stated that will have to be looked at. He noted the tax delinquency list is posted on the Town’s website. He went on to note the tax payment plans are being revamped. He stated there will be a detailed report concerning the tax delinquency list at the February 4^th Town Council meeting.

A brief discussion followed concerning the foreclosure procedure on delinquent properties.

• Taxes are very high for education, however, it doesn’t appear they’re getting their money’s worth out of education.

Mayor Kaupin stated the Town Council is only the funding source and has no role in education. He noted the Board of Education is empowered by the State. He stated the perfect forum to raise concerns about education would be at Thursday night’s community conversation with the Board of Education.

• The Board of Education should have a merit system.

Mayor Kaupin pointed out the school system involves unionized employees and binding arbitration.

• What can the Town do to benefit and retain seniors?

Mayor Kaupin stated there are details on the Town’s website concerning the circuit breaker for senior citizens.

• It was noted the Town raised $7 million dollars in conveyance tax, which was a result in seniors moving out of town.

Mayor Kaupin stated the State Legislature has allowed the receipt of a percentage of conveyance tax for towns. He noted if the conveyance tax was taken away, that $7 million dollars would come out of the property tax.

• Concern was raised about the maintenance of schools, particularly at the high school level.

Mayor Kaupin pointed out the Town took over the maintenance of the athletic fields.

• Why don’t renters pay taxes toward education?

Mayor Kaupin stated supposedly they do pay those taxes because they’re built into the rent.

• The Town provided money for textbooks, however, there seems to be a shortage of textbooks.
• It seems the Town is hanging a lot on a train station. Thompsonville has to have a revitalization plan in partnership with the people who live there.
• There has to be some nice businesses in Thompsonville to entice people to visit that area.

Mayor Kaupin stated it would be helpful to get more owner-occupied buildings in Thompsonville. He pointed out a lot of homes are owned by absentee landlords, and this causes blight. He noted owner-occupied homes results in stability and property being maintained.

• When will the train station open?

Mayor Kaupin estimated the train station should be open within five years.

• There needs to be a development plan to go along with the train station.

Mayor Kaupin stated there is a development plan for Thompsonville, but it needs updating. He went on to state that the Planning & Zoning Commission has to form a Plan of Conservation and Development. He noted they need a big group of people for this Commission. He stated this will result in a master plan of how Enfield is developed over the next ten years.

• Is there any program in town for encouraging home ownership?

Mayor Kaupin stated there are such programs through the Loan Review Committee and the Community Development Department. He noted there are qualifications on income.

• When will the Powder Hollow bridge be completed?

Mayor Kaupin stated it’s going through the regulatory process and is in the hands of the Army Corps of Engineers. He noted DOT made some modifications to the plan. He went on to note this bridge is at the top of the transportation list for funding, and he believes it’s to be constructed in 2009.

• The youth feel there’s nothing to do in Enfield.
• The five catholic churches in Enfield sponsor youth functions which are open to anybody.
• The Lamagna Center has many programs, but it seems the youth aren’t aware of them, or they don’t have transportation to the Lamagna Center.

Mayor Kaupin stated at the recent Council goal setting meeting, there was discussion about a larger library and a community center.

• It was suggested the Higgins building could be used as a community center.
• Enfield needs a large outdoor facility.
• The school budget should be broken down to show where the money goes.
• Why did the Town sell the Asnuntuck Community College building, and for how much was it sold?

Mayor Kaupin stated Asnuntuck was sold for $2.1 million dollars, which was the result of a 20-year lease/buy agreement.

Discussion followed about the monies the Town of Enfield gets from the State for the use of Town sewers by the prison system. Mayor Kaupin stated the State reimburses Enfield when they go over the flow limit.

• It appears there are no consequences when a Town employee does something wrong.
• Does the Town get updates regarding the condition of the Suffield/Enfield bridge?
• Can the old Suffield/Enfield bridge be reopened?

Mayor Kaupin stated there have been discussions about the possibility of reopening the old Suffield/Enfield bridge as a walkway.

• Can there be stipulations as to how the Board of Education spends their money?

Mayor Kaupin stated if it’s in the education budget, it’s their dollars, unless it’s listed under capital improvements.

• Does the Town have to use a P.A. system to wake residents who haven’t moved cars during parking bans?

Mayor Kaupin stated if it’s going to snow, people should move their cars. He went on to note parking bans can be listed on the Town’s new Channel 16 as well as the Town’s website.

• How is the Town billed for street lights?

Mayor Kaupin stated the Town currently rents the street lights from CL&P, but the Town will soon own them, which will be a cost savings. He noted the Town can go out and buy power for the municipality.

• The game warden was slow in responding to a coyote complaint call.

Mayor Kaupin pointed out the Town has a new game warden. He went on to note if a person is not satisfied with a response they get after calling the Town, they can let him know.

• It was the consensus of the group to hold future meetings every other month.

The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 31^st at 7:00 p.m. Meeting will run a maximum of two hours and will take place in the Enfield Room if available.

Mayor Kaupin adjourned the Mayor’s Advisory Council at 9:33 p.m.