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ENFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
NOVEMBER 20, 2000
A Regular Meeting of the Enfield Town Council was held in the Council Chambers of the Enfield Town Hall, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, Connecticut on Monday, November 20, 2000. Chairwoman Strom called the meeting to order at 7:42 p.m.
PRAYER - The Prayer was given by Councilman Kaupin.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - The Pledge of Allegiance was said.
ROLL-CALL Present were Councilmen Dodd, Egan, Falk, Fiore, Giddings, Hall, Kaupin, Mangini, McGuire, Strom, and Vayda. Also present were Town Manager, Scott A. Shanley; Assistant Town Manager, Daniel T. Vindigni; Town Clerk, Suzanne F. Olechnicki; Town Attorney, Christopher W. Bromson; Director of Finance, Gregory Simmons; Director of Information Systems, Charlene Bond; John Kazmarski, Director of Public Works.
MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETINGS
MOTION #4911 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Dodd to accept the minutes of the November 8, 2000 Special Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4911 adopted 9-0-2, with Councilmen Dodd and Falk abstaining.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Stated according to figures from the School Department, the Towns population has dropped 6.7% between 1990 and 1998, and this leaves less people to "foot the bill" for the $35 million dollars in school renovations; $21 million dollars in streets and sidewalks; $6.2 in library expansion, plus a $57 million dollar school budget, plus the Town-side of the budget. She went on to note the 1998 per capita income is now $21,052, down from $27,052 in 1996 because of the influx of low income in Enfield and the large amount of senior citizens in this community. She stated shes very concerned about paying all of these debts. She pointed out Enfield will soon be having a revaluation.
Ms. Jedziniak stated according to the School Superintendent, the school population is now 6,809, and by his own figures its projected this number will go down to 6,323 by the year 2004, a decline of 486 pupils. She questioned why the school system is being enlarged when the school population is projected to decline.
Ms. Jedziniak stated according to Connecticut Magazine, in 1996 Enfield was at the bottom of a list of 32 towns of 20,000 to 50,000 population for quality of life and improvement in the education system from year to year. She noted current figures do not show much improvement. She questioned why Enfield is putting millions of dollars into a school system that is stagnating. She added Enfield has a high crime rate.
Bernard Kersis, The Laurels
Spoke about trash pick up for condo complexes. He noted the Town currently gives condo owners the option of leaving their trash at designated areas on designated dates. He noted there was a mountain of trash on North Maple Street, and he believes this causes a hazardous situation. He stated recyclables were not picked up, and it appeared someone not living in this complex dropped their trash off here.
He stated if the Town did buy a front end loader, the Town would then be able to provide some services directly rather than contracting out those services. He noted it appears the savings from the contractors and the credits for recyclables would generate the necessary revenues to cover the cost of providing service to all of Enfield with the exception of $7,500 per year. He raised the question of whether the Town would be willing to expend an additional $7,500 per year to provide trash service for 1,440 additional homeowners in Enfield.
Frank Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Commended the good work done by the Public Works Department in the Year 2000.
He stated he would like to rebut the Chairman of the Board of Education who stated there were 9,000 people who voted for the $6 million dollar school budget. He stated he does not believe this.
Mr. Jedziniak stated according to a newspaper article, the funeral home on Pearl Street will have a new use. He questioned who owns this funeral home. Mr. Shanley responded Mr. Browne. Mr. Jedziniak stated his understanding there will not be a lease on the funeral home. Mr. Shanley stated this has nothing to do with the Town. He noted this is between Mr. Browne and North Central Health District.
COUNCILMAN COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Councilman Kaupin stated tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. at Nathan Hale School the Enfield Police Department will be conducting a neighborhood meeting with residents of the Green Manor neighborhood. He noted all homes received a flyer regarding this meeting, and this is in response to an incident in that neighborhood. He stated resident concerns were brought to Council members, the Town Managers Office and the Police Department. He encouraged people to attend this meeting.
Councilman Fiore stated there will be a Housing Authority vacancy at the end of this month. He stated his hope this will be on the December 4th agenda. Chairwoman Strom suggested adding this to Items for Discussion and it can be moved to Miscellaneous.
MOTION #4912 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Vayda to add the Housing Authority vacancy to this evenings agenda under Items for Discussion.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4912 adopted 11-0-0.
Councilman Fiore stated a concern was raised about the Asnuntuck gymnasium. He requested this be added to this evenings agenda.
MOTION #4913 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Mangini to add an item under Items for Discussion regarding the Asnuntuck gymnasium.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4913 adopted 11-0-0.
Councilman Fiore questioned whether the vacancies for the Beautification Committee will be on the December 4th agenda. Mr. Shanley responded yes.
Councilman Fiore stated he received a request from the Veterans Committee to take down the banners. Mr. Shanley made note of this.
Councilman Mangini reminded everyone to consider the requests of Loaves and Fishes and the Enfield Food Shelf. She noted they are currently looking for volunteers. She added they are also seeking food or monetary donations.
Councilman Mangini stated it has been brought to her attention that the Gold Star monument still remains in the ground. She questioned the status of this. Mr. Shanley stated they havent made any progress on this because they havent identified a location for it. Chairwoman Strom noted Joan Smith might have some information regarding this.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT
Referring to the Connecticut Magazine article raised by Ms. Jedziniak, Mr. Shanley noted he has talked with this publisher in the past regarding Enfield. He noted Enfield does not benefit from their methodology. He stated Enfields cultural score is quite low. He noted they do not and will not take into account that Enfield is midway between Hartford and Springfield. He pointed out thats one of the advantages of Enfield, in that a person can be at very cultural locations in Springfield and Hartford within minutes. He noted in the smaller communities they count volumes of books in the library per capita as an indication of culture. He noted the second area where Enfield is negatively scored has to do with crime. He stated Enfield is a regional hub, and this towns daily population far exceeds the night time population. He noted to get the crime rate, they take the total overall crime and divide by the number of people who actually live here. He stated his belief the methodology used by Connecticut Magazine does not serve Enfield well. Chairwoman Strom added economically, they filter in building permits for single-family homes, and that is not an area that Enfield has a lot of room to expand in because this town already has so many single-family homes.
TOWN ATTORNEY REPORT & COMMUNICATIONS
There was no formal report this evening.
REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL
Councilman Mangini stated the Revitalization Committee met last Thursday. She stated they discussed the Hazardville Streetscape, i.e., shade trees, planters, benches, trash receptacles, and sidewalks. She noted they also looked at the progress of Save Our Strand, and theyre currently seeking volunteers for their board members and for people to help out with the project itself. She stated Northgate is moving along. She noted theyre currently accepting applications for reappointments and appointments.
Councilman Kaupin reported on the first subcommittee meeting of the condominium group. He noted they met November 8th, and the next meeting will be November 29th. Responding to criticisms as to how that meeting was run, Councilman Kaupin pointed out this was the initial meeting, and it was intended to get all of the issues out on the table. He noted this criticism will insure they will have a more structured agenda in the future, however, such an agenda might not allow for the dialog that they were originally looking for. He stated his belief that is unfortunate. He stated his belief committee members felt it was a very productive meeting because they laid out a whole host of issues, and they established an agenda for the next meeting. He noted they are getting feedback from the Towns insurance carrier regarding a proposed hold harmless agreement, and the Town Attorney will look at this agreement and will make recommendations for revisions. He stated they will also have a presentation from the Town Attorneys Office on court rulings that would be germane to this subject. He noted theyre also looking for road specification reviews. He stated theyve also asked the Public Works Department to look at the cost estimates for the last proposal of the front end loader and the picking up of municipal building trash and condo trash. He noted they are going to need feedback from the Council because they will start having a discussion on what people place in the context of a Pandoras Box, precedence setting, "knew what you bought, knew what you were getting into". He requested Council members provide their feedback as to their concerns in this specific realm so that they can have a good discussion and get some of the Councils concerns out on the table with the subcommittee and with Town staff.
Councilman Hall stated when they were doing borings for the Head Start building, they had located it at the bottom of the hill at Enfield Street School where the tennis courts are currently located. She noted their plan was to place the new facility here, and originally they hadnt talked about using Mitchell Drive as an access for the school buses. She stated safety concerns were raised, and the architects felt that Mitchell Drive would be the best way to access Head Start. She noted after doing borings, they came up with bad soil samples that has lead them to square one regarding the placement of this building. She stated they will start doing borings in that whole area and try to come up with a suitable soil site for this building. She noted one concern is the football field, and a few members of that committee do not want to impact that field. She stated her belief this needs to be discussed at the next School Projects Building Committee meeting, and perhaps they can look for some direction from the Council as to a specific site to test for borings, or come back and give direction to the Committee and tell them they dont want the football field impacted. She noted the football field should be a last resort.
It was the consensus of the Council that the football field be the last option for a building site.
Councilman Egan stated there was a recent meeting regarding the state corridor study of Route 190, and they are planning a Public Hearing for December 11th in the Council Chambers.
Councilman Hall stated the Revitalization Committee did vote favorably on the streetscape and the pavers. She noted this will also be coming before the Council.
OLD BUSINESS
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
MOTION #4914 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Vayda to remove Item #8 from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4914 adopted 11-0-0.
NOMINATION #4915 by Councilman Fiore to appoint Richard Tynan (D) to the Human Services Advisory Commission for an indefinite term.
MOTION #4916 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Falk to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4916 adopted 11-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Richard Tinen appointed to the Human Services Advisory Commission by an 11-0-0 vote.
MOTION #4917 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Vayda to remove Item #10 from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4917 adopted 11-0-0.
NOMINATION #4918 by Councilman Mangini to appoint Anthony DiPace (D) to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a term which expires 12/21/03.
MOTION #4919 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Falk to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4919 adopted 11-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Anthony DiPace appointed to the Planning & Zoning Commission by a 10-1-0 vote, with Councilman Egan voting against the motion.
All other Town Council appointments remained tabled.
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN MANAGER)
All Town Manager appointments remained tabled.
Items c., d., e., and f. remained tabled.
MOTION #4920 by Councilman Hall, seconded by Councilman Fiore to remove Item g. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4920 adopted 11-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: DAY CARE FACILITY LEASE APPROVAL
Councilman Hall questioned whether they can come to an agreement about a "drop dead" deadline. Mr. Shanley noted theyre paying the same rate that they would have been paying in the first year of the lease had they been able to execute it. He suggested they discuss this in detail in an Executive Session because this has to do with negotiations.
MOTION #4921 by Councilman Vayda, seconded by Councilman Kaupin to re-table this item. The vote was 11-0-0.
MOTION #4922 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Kaupin to remove Item h. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4922 adopted 11-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: TRAFFIC CALMING POLICY
Councilman Fiore stated at the last Council meeting he mentioned one of the fire chiefs has asked that they specifically include a sentence in this policy pertaining to having the local fire chief involved. He requested this change be included in the policy, and then they could instruct the Town Manager to schedule a Public Hearing on this new policy so that they can try to get this moving soon.
Chairwoman Strom stated her understanding it would not be difficult to bring the Traffic Calming Subcommittee together to add this language into the policy.
Mr. Shanley suggested they can add this language and pass this onto the two members via telephone to be sure theyre comfortable with this additional language. Chairwoman Strom agreed this could be done.
MOTION #4923 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Falk to re-table this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4923 adopted 11-0-0.
MOTION #4924 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Mangini to remove Item i. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4924 adopted 11-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: OPEN SPACE/CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
Councilman Kaupin suggested a work session of the Council to discuss the pros and cons of a split.
Councilman Vayda stated the Conservation Commission is about to consider going to a third meeting per month, and they would use that additional meeting to work specifically on conservation issues. He noted hes personally unsure thats the right approach, however, at the same time, they seem to be trying to do something to have a positive impact. He raised the question of what the Council should be doing. He suggested perhaps the Council should work with these members to come up with a good, long-term solution.
Councilman Mangini agreed with the idea of a workshop. She stated her belief the Council needs to work out any issues that the Council has prior to giving any direction or charge to a commission or perhaps two commissions.
Councilman Egan stated her belief there are a lot of different issues to consider. She feels each Council member should write down their own concerns and questions so that when they come to the table, there will be a good interaction of ideas. She feels this is not a simple matter.
MOTION #4925 by Councilman Vayda, seconded by Councilman Falk to re-table this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4925 adopted 11-0-0.
NEW BUSINESS
APPOINTMENTS TOWN COUNCIL
Appointments to the Ethic Commission remained on the agenda.
RESOLUTION #4926 by Councilman Hall, seconded by Councilman Kaupin.
RESOLVED, that the Town Manager, Scott Shanley is empowered to enter into and amend contractual instruments in the name and on behalf of the Town of Enfield with the State of Connecticut, Department of Transportation for the detouring of traffic during the construction of State Project No. 48-172, Route 190, Elm Street, and South Road. This requires the detour of traffic for a length of time over Moody Road, Elm Street and Palomba Drive which are Town owned/maintained streets. The States contractor will install and remove all necessary signs to detour traffic around the construction site.
Councilman Falk questioned whether there will be signage on the highway. Mr. Kazmarski stated DOT insured the Town all necessary signage will be put up. He noted if the Council has a specific suggestion, that can be passed along.
Councilman Fiore questioned if this will take place next spring and summer. He noted at the same time this project is underway, the new intersection at St. James and Freshwater will be taking place. He raised the question of traffic flow. Chairwoman Strom questioned whether these projects will be done at the same time. Mr. Kazmarski responded it will be close. Chairwoman Strom stated this is definitely something to take into consideration.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4926 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4927 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman McGuire.
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Chapter VI, Section 8(f) of the Town Charter, the following transfer is hereby made:
TO: Public Safety $2,500.00
~ Acct. #2100-619 ~
Other Supplies/Materials ~
FROM: Public Safety $2,500.00
Acct. #2100-322 ~
Professional Develop. ~
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify the amount of $2,500.00 is available from Account #2100-322 as of October 4, 2000.
/s/ Gregory Simmons, Director of Finance
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4927 adopted 11-0-0.
MOTION #4928 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Hall to waive the reading of a resolution regarding the Recreation Sub-Committee Charge.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4928 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4929 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Hall.
RESOLUTION RECREATION SUB-COMMITTEE CHARGE
(copy appended to these minutes)
Chairwoman Strom explained this creates a sub-committee with two Council members and two Board members with staff liaisons to study the need and use of town-owned facilities.
AMENDMENT #1 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Egan, to appoint two Council members approved by the Mayor, and two Board members.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared AMENDMENT #1 adopted 11-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4929 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4930 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Mangini.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Council of the Town of Enfield authorizes the cost of the installation of grass pavers abutting #710 through #738 Enfield Street.
Councilman Fiore questioned what account will the pavers come out of, and Mr. Shanley responded probably the Road 2000 sidewalk fund. Councilman Fiore questioned whether it could come out of some other fund. Mr. Shanley stated the Council would have to specifically appropriate that by a different action.
Councilman Fiore questioned whether the Town Manager feels confident this can be handled out of the Road 2000 sidewalk fund. Mr. Shanley stated there is a fixed amount of money for sidewalks in the Road 2000 fund.
Councilman Vayda suggested rather than speculating, perhaps it makes more sense to go ahead with this right now, and they might better know at the end of the year whether they need to appropriate monies. Mr. Shanley stated they will take a look at this to be sure theyre complying with the referendum.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4930 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4931 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Mangini.
WHEREAS, CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTE 7-149a allows municipalities to establish an ordinance designating highways or portions of highways as scenic roads; and
WHEREAS, THE STATUTE sets forth certain criteria for the designation of a highway as a scenic road; and
WHEREAS, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE is appended to this Resolution;*
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Enfield Town Council shall hold a Public Hearing on December 18, 2000 to consider the proposed Scenic Road Ordinance in accordance with the requirements of Enfield Town Council Chapter III, Section 6.
*Ordinance appended to minutes
AMENDMENT #1 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Mangini to schedule the Public Hearing of December 18th at 7:25 p.m.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared AMENDMENT #1 adopted 11-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4931 adopted 11-0-0.
MOTION #4932 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Vayda to recess the meeting for five minutes.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4932 adopted 11-0-0, and the meeting stood recessed at 8:55 p.m.
Chairwoman Strom reconvened the meeting at 9:06 p.m.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
The appointment to the Enfield Revitalization Committee will appear under New Business on the next agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: ENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
Councilman Falk stated his belief the Council should start thinking about the charge, the size, and formation of a subcommittee for this project.
Councilman Kaupin suggested running a similar subcommittee as they have for the school expansions and senior center. He noted School Board and Council liaisons can select the members and have it come before the Council for ratification. He stated he has heard there are people interested in this subcommittee, however, they need to formalize the process.
Councilman Vayda raised the idea of having the Board of Education as the building committee.
Councilman Egan stated the Board of Education meets often and is very busy. She noted there were a lot of people who were interested in serving on the last committee, and she feels there would still be some people willing to serve on this committee.
Chairwoman Strom stated she has had several Board of Education members e-mail her several names of people interested in serving on this committee.
Councilman Fiore stated he has heard from other Board of Education members saying theyd gladly serve on this building committee.
Councilman Kaupin questioned if theyve received input from both democrats and republicans. Chairwoman Strom responded no.
Councilman Hall stated if the Board is willing to take this on, it seems to make sense.
Chairwoman Strom stated she would like to hear more from the Board as to their willingness to take this on.
Councilman Falk stated his hope they would first start with a charge regardless of who that committee is.
Chairwoman Strom questioned if they could start working on a charge. Mr. Shanley indicated he could put a charge together using the School Projects Building Committee as a model for the charge.
Councilman Mangini stated her belief its important to have Council liaison representation because these are Town buildings.
Councilman Kaupin stated if the Council decides the Board of Education is the building committee, he hopes they would hold separate meetings rather than in conjunction with their regular Board of Education meetings because that would impact the ability of Council members to be active parts of that. He went on to note the advantage of a committee comprised of citizens is that they get public input. He pointed out these are public buildings, and its the publics money that has been approved in a referendum. He stated citizens should feel they are part of the process since its their money thats being spent.
DISCUSSION RE: AMENDING TAX DELINQUENCY POLICY
Mr. Shanley stated they received a number of phone calls regarding the tax delinquency policies specifically relating to building permits and people who have gone through foreclosure in the past and how the town deals with them and should the town deal with them differently. He noted they are looking for some specific direction on this.
Councilman Vayda questioned whether once they have moved on a particular property and foreclosed on it, does the Town have the right to treat the individual or organization as a separate class when it comes to any future property they might purchase or currently own.
Councilman Kaupin stated his belief this needs to be extended not only to owning property, but in the permitting process.
Councilman Falk stated many businesses or individuals form separate corporations to operate a business. He questioned who theyre tracking the individual or the organization. He stated his belief the Town Attorney has to be involved in this.
Chairwoman Strom agreed they need to discuss this with the Town Attorney.
Councilman Vayda stated his belief the goal should be that the Council expects people to pay their taxes, and if they do not, they should not benefit from other opportunities to build their own personal income based on the fact they avoided paying their taxes in one instance, and now they want to expand on another piece of property using money they could have probably paid their taxes with.
Councilman Mangini stated they need to be careful about separating people by classes or prejudge individuals who may have been delinquent at one time with an assumption that theyre going to continue that trend. She noted they have to be careful regarding violating peoples rights. She stated they should get a legal opinion as to how Councilman Vaydas idea would be accomplished.
Councilman Hall questioned where they stand in the process of trying to collect taxes as concerns the list of delinquent taxes. Mr. Shanley stated theyre currently complying with the policies that the Town has in place. He noted they currently have three properties in process for tax lien sales, and theyre having a series of meetings on vacant properties, and that will be going to tax sale soon. He noted this list is looking very good on behalf of those people who do pay taxes in Town as compared to a few years ago.
Councilman Hall questioned whether the Council will get updates on the progress that is made. Mr. Shanley indicated that can be done.
Councilman Mangini stated her belief its important the Council recognize the efforts of the Finance and Tax Departments. She noted Enfield is doing a fine job with its tax delinquency policy.
Councilman Kaupin requested the Council be given an understanding which policy applies to which property. Mr. Shanley indicated that could be provided.
Councilman Egan noted it might be helpful to learn what other communities are doing as concerns tax collection and what other steps are being taken beyond what Enfield is doing at this time.
DISCUSSION RE: FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
Mr. Shanley stated he had a meeting along with the Director of Social Services, the Assistant Director of Public Works, and the architectural firm that did the work about a year and a half ago on the Family Resource Center. He noted theyre updating the drawing to insure that its consistent and complies with the grant application that was awarded for $400,000. He noted theyre looking at reviewing all the variances that would be necessary for the property as well, and theyre updating the cost estimates they would have. He stated hopefully they will have all of this information by December 4th, and they can identify the difference between the $400,000 and the total cost of the project to identify the local share.
Councilman Fiore questioned how much is in the Social Services Fund Balance as of this date. Mr. Simmons responded $1.4 million dollars.
Mr. Shanley stated the last discussion they had indicated approximately $300,000 for the local match.
DISCUSSION RE: GRANT APPLICATION GHOST DUNE TIGER BEETLE RESEARCH
Mr. Shanley stated this is a matching grant. He noted the Council needs to determine whether or not they wish to do this.
Councilman Hall questioned whos property are they proposing to survey. Mr. Shanley stated thats not clear. He noted theyre looking for the confines of the dunes.
Mr. Shanley questioned whether the Council would like representatives from the Conservation Commission when this is raised under New Business at the next meeting. It was the consensus of the Council that a representative should be present at the next meeting.
Councilman Kaupin referred to the grant requirements and raised the question of how cooperative will land owners be regarding giving permission to do a study on their land. He questioned whether the Conservation Commission has gone out ahead of time to seek authorizations so that they can actually do the study once theyre awarded grant funds. He stated his impression the grant application would be stronger if the authorizations were in place.
Councilman Fiore stated he is supportive of the Conservation Commission, however, he has the same concerns as Councilman Kaupin. He questioned whether the Council wants to move forward with this.
Councilman Hall questioned whether the Town would allow this study group to go on Town property. She noted she has concerns about going forward with this particular grant at this point in time.
Chairwoman Strom stated theres the question of what a "detailed search" means. She noted she would like more information from Inland/Wetlands, and that can be in the form of a memorandum.
Councilman Egan suggested getting the minutes from the Conservation Commission when this item was discussed in detail. Councilman Fiore pointed out those minutes were included in a previous Council packet.
Councilman Kaupin stated his belief they should hear out the Conservation Commission regarding this matter.
Councilman Falk stated the memorandum raises a lot of questions, and the Council needs answers to those questions.
Chairwoman Strom stated this item will be under New Business and hopefully the Conservation Commission can provide more information. Mr. Shanley noted he will invite representatives for the next meeting.
DISCUSSION RE: FAIR RENT COMMISSION
There was no discussion regarding this item.
DISCUSSION RE: CHARGE FOR ENFIELD REVITALIZATION AND RELATED COMMITTEES
Chairwoman Strom requested the Town Manager supply the current charges for the Revitalization Committee and the Beautification Committee.
Councilman Fiore stated his belief theyll most likely be reappointing a large number of Revitalization Committee members in January. He stated in the future he hopes they will not again have 25 members with the same expiration dates. He noted hed like to see these terms staggered beginning in January. He suggested nine people appointed to a three-year term, eight people appointed to two-year terms, etc.
Councilman Fiore stated he has been approached by Planning & Zoning members stating that they would very much like to have a liaison seat to the Revitalization Committee. He went on to state his belief the subcommittees of the Revitalization Committee have done a fine job. He added his belief there are some misconceptions. He explained right now in the charge, there is no limits to minimums or maximums per district, thus the potential is there for one district to dominate the Revitalization Committee. He suggested if this remains a 25-member board, there be no more than eight members from a particular voting district, thus that district could only have one-third control of the total votes, and this would guarantee a fair vote.
Councilman Mangini stated its important that the Revitalization Committee does give to the subcommittees specific direction as to what role the subcommittee does play and that they report back to the Revitalization Committee, and that the Revitalization Committee reports back to the Council. She stated her belief a little more specific structure is needed.
Councilman Fiore suggested possibly they could extend the terms for Revitalization Committee members so they can get through this. Chairwoman Strom agreed that extending terms makes sense.
Mr. Shanley noted he could have a resolution ready for the next meeting so that they could extend the terms. It was agreed by the Council the terms could be extended to March 1st.
Councilman Giddings questioned whether they will let the members know that their terms have been extended, and Mr. Shanley responded yes.
MOTION #4933 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Vayda to suspend the rules to address Items h., i., and j. under Miscellaneous this evening.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4933 adopted 11-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: ASNUNTUCK GYMNASIUM
Councilman Fiore stated he was notified by the Enfield Parks & Recreation basketball league that they were under the impression that the Asnuntuck gymnasium would be available. He noted as of today, that gym is not available, nor was it brought up to par. He stated they contacted the Town Manager to learn the status of the gym and possibly learn why the college was allowed to re-stack equipment on a floor that the Town paid to have re-done a few years ago.
Mr. Shanley stated in order to use this facility, they have been working with the college in an attempt to have the college clear out all the material that was stored in the gymnasium in the off season. He noted they will be able to remove material and store it, however, they would not be able to re-do the floor. He stated as of Friday, most of the material was removed from the gymnasium, and for less than $4,000, the Town can re-finish the floor to prepare it for games. He pointed out this is a facility that is managed by the college, not by the Town, and they do have a right to store material in that gymnasium. He stated the Town can only request they treat the gym floor with respect.
Councilman Dodd questioned whether the Town could extend other programs into that area, and then perhaps the Town could gain a little more use and value for the $4,000 worth of work on that floor. Mr. Shanley stated the position of the college has always been that this is a year-to-year arrangement.
Councilman Hall questioned the history on Asnuntuck regarding the lease. Mr. Shanley stated the Town leased this building to the state, and they have a buy-out clause for 2008.
Councilman Hall questioned whether they could revisit the lease through the Town Attorneys Office to learn if they could have something written in to address the gym space. Mr. Shanley stated they could attempt to do that. He noted the position of the college is that they dont want to commit that space because as soon as they have the capital money freed up through their central administrative organization, they intend to build in that gymnasium space. He noted the re-opening of the lease itself is a major undertaking because this is a state lease. He stated they are looking to re-open that lease for other purposes, i.e., the playing fields since the Town would like to continue having access to those fields after a buy-out in 2008.
Councilman Hall questioned whether the Town could secure the gym space until the buy-out. Mr. Shanley stated the college doesnt want to commit more than one year at a time.
Councilman Vayda questioned whether the floor will be useable in time for the teams to begin their season. Mr. Shanley responded yes.
Councilman Vayda stated his belief the Town needs to get back into a partnership relationship with the college. He expressed his disappointment about the neglect of the gymnasium floor. He suggested perhaps they can work together with the college in order to maintain this flooring. He noted although this building is used by the state, it is still a public facility, and it should be treated with respect.
Councilman Egan stated her presumption the liability for refurbishing this in time for the students to be able to start their season rests on the shoulders of the Town. Mr. Shanley stated its the Towns responsibility because it is the Towns program. He noted he resists on spending a lot of money on contracted crews to go in and move material out and rent storage trailers as they did last time. He feels this expense should not be the Towns. He noted in the end, the President of the college concurred and cleared it out this time at their expense. He pointed out the floor will be useable in time.
Councilman Falk questioned whether Asnuntuck is charging a fee to use the gym. Mr. Shanley stated the Town has had to provide their own security in the past at times. Councilman Falk questioned whether the Town will have to provide security for this season, and Mr. Shanley responded not that hes aware of.
Councilman Fiore thanked the Town Manager on behalf of the basketball league.
Councilman McGuire left the meeting.
MISCELLANEOUS
RESOLUTION #4934 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Kaupin.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Council of the Town of Enfield hereby authorizes the Town Manager to pursue, by eminent domain to the benefit of the State, the necessary easement of approximately 15 feet depth, in front of 89 Elm Street consistent with DOT approved plans for the improvements to Route 220;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Westfield Corporation, Inc. shall post a bond with the Town of Enfield for all costs that could be related to that acquisition;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that adequate time up to 90 days be allowed for the private parties to conclude their transaction prior to initiation of Municipal action.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4934 adopted 7-3-0, with Councilmen Fiore, Hall, and Mangini voting against the resolution.
RESOLUTION #4935 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Kaupin.
WHEREAS, Lucent Network Care Professional Services has been providing services and consulting for the Town of Enfield Information Technology Department and the details of the creation of a virtual private network for the School Department; and
WHEREAS, the Towns Network Administrator has accepted other employment; and
WHEREAS, the department is operationally and technically in a very critical transitional mode;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Town Council of the Town of Enfield, finds it in the best interest of the Town to waive the bid process to allow Lucent Network Care Professional Services to provide a range of services outlined by Town staff until such time as a new Network Administrator may be engaged and be current until the transition period is complete for $120,000.
Councilman Mangini questioned if theres a specific time frame for the transition period. Ms. Bond stated the goal is January 1st. She noted they have to engage more consulting services to get that done.
Mr. Shanley explained the $120,000 includes network management services, but not exclusively network management services and that there are other things included.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4935 adopted 10-0-0.
NOMINATION #4936 by Councilman Mangini to appoint Thaddeus Buskowski (D) to the Housing Authority.
MOTION #4937 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Dodd to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4937 adopted 10-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Thaddeus Buskowski appointed to the Housing Authority by a 10-0-0 vote.
COUNCILMEN COMMUNICATIONS
No one wished to speak.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION #4938 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Vayda to adjourn.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4938 adopted 10-0-0, and the meeting stood adjourned at 10:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeannette Lamontagne
Secretary to the Council
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By Suzanne F. Olechnicki
Suzanne F. Olechnicki
Town Clerk
Clerk of the Council
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