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ENFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 3, 2002
A Regular Meeting of the Enfield Town Council was called to order by Chairman Vayda in the Council Chambers of the Enfield Town Hall, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, Connecticut on Tuesday, September 3, 2002 at 7:45 p.m.
PRAYER - The Prayer was given by Councilman Tait.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - The Pledge of Allegiance was said.
ROLL-CALL - Present were Councilmen Edgar, Egan, Fiore, Hall, Jones, Kaupin, Mangini, Strom, Tait, Tallarita, and Vayda. Also present were Town Manager, Scott A. Shanley; Assistant Town Manager, Daniel Vindigni; Town Clerk, Suzanne F. Olechnicki; Town Attorney, Christopher W. Bromson; Director of Public Works, John Kazmarski; Deputy Director of Public Works, Geoffrey McAlmond; Mary Keller, Recreation Supervisor
PUBLIC COMMUNIATIONS & PETITIONS
Mary Ann Turner, 7 Meadow Road
Stated she has not yet received an answer to her earlier question regarding the Alcorn School. She requested Dr. Gallacher provide an answer as to why or why not they need Alcorn School.
Ms. Turner stated her belief more information is needed regarding the upcoming referendum, i.e., maintenance costs. She noted she will be voting "no' on the referendum.
Mrs. Collins, 25 Gordon Lane
Stated last May when the budget was being discussed, two Council members spoke in support of retaining the leaf pick-up program.
Mrs. Collins stated when she was younger she supported several referendums for the school system, i.e., - Enfield High, Fermi High, JFK Middle School, etc.
Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Stated her recollection there was mention of a well on the Fermi High property. She noted this well hasn't been mentioned recently and this puzzles her.
Referring to barbs being made in the newspaper, Ms. Jedziniak stated people would respond promptly.
Suzanne Longo, East Windsor, Connecticut.
Spoke concerning the Parks & Recreation residency policy. She noted she is one of the out-of-towners affected by the increase in fees. She noted she has two children who swim on the Enfield Dolphins and the U.S. team and she was shocked by the increase, and it costs her about $150 more to have her children swim for Enfield. She noted East Windsor doesn't have any swim facility. She pointed out she and her children spend four to five nights per week in Enfield when swimming. She stated other Enfield parents and out-of-towners do the same and spend money in town, i.e., shopping and eating in town, therefore, they are supporting the local economy. She went on to commend the excellent swim coaches and swim program.
Ms. Longo requested the Town Council reconsider this policy.
Robert Tkacz, 1300 Enfield Street
Stated a businessman near the state line is upset about plans for the state line area and how that will have a negative impact on his business. Mr. Tkacz suggested the Town should go after businesses violating the laws in residential areas.
Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Referring to people speaking about the non-resident fees, she stated Enfield taxpayers have to come up with this money.
Frank Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Questioned the delay in the project at the end of Elm Street/Hazard Avenue.
Mary Ann Turner, 7 Meadow Road
As concerns funding for the leaf pick-up program, Ms. Turner suggested using the $138,000 for the condo truck. Ms. Turner stated she spoke with Wayne Bickley regarding the Pheasant Hill issue. She stated her belief Mr. Bickley is doing a nice job.
Robert Tkacz, 1300 Enfield Street
Expressed his dissatisfaction at not yet getting an answer to a question he has asked at the last two Council meetings.
COUNCILMEN COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Councilman Kaupin stated at the last Council meeting he had asked how Mr. Tkacz would like him to get that information to him, but he has not heard back from Mr. Tkacz.
As concerns Ms. Turner's comments about more information being available concerning the referendum, Councilman Kaupin stated the Council has asked for more information to be provided during the public presentations on the referendum as concerns what the estimated cost will be for maintenance. He agreed this is vital information so that people can understand the entire package.
Councilman Mangini stated there would be a 9/11 vigil on the Town Green on September 11th at 7:30 p.m.
Councilman Mangini stated she has heard from a couple people who are interested in seeing the meeting agenda prior to the Council meeting. She suggested perhaps these could be made available at the Town Clerk's office.
Councilman Mangini requested the Traffic Safety Officer look at the amount and speed of traffic on Bass Drive on the corner of Colonial Drive. She noted the speed of traffic going around this bend is a public safety hazard.
Councilman Strom stated she feels the Journal Inquirer article contained some fairly erroneous numbers. She stated her belief the irrigation system for the athletic fields is included in the plan.
Councilman Strom stated she received a lot of comments from people saying they shouldn't be using potable water for irrigation, but rather using the Connecticut River, which would require digging a well. She noted at this time they are not exactly sure how they would do that.
Councilman Strom stated there are many department heads that live in Enfield. She noted Ms. Longo has been a Town employee for a long time and was a long-time resident of Enfield as well.
Councilman Fiore clarified the upcoming referendum amounts to $9.5 million dollars.
Councilman Fiore requested the Town's consultant investigate to learn if there is a well on the Fermi site.
Councilman Fiore stated in the last Council packet, they received a memo from CCM regarding the questions about litigation against CRRA. He suggested the following motion.
MOTION #6116 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Mangini to add a discussion item regarding litigation against CRRA.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6116 adopted 11-0-0.
MOTION #6117 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Mangini to add a discussion item for the next agenda regarding the Northgate project to learn the status of that project.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6117 adopted 11-0-0.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT & COMMUNICATIONS
Congratulated the contractors, Art Pongratz, building officials, the fire marshals and Colleen Brand for getting all of the elementary schools open on time.
Referring to the Journal Inquirer article concerning the Fermi situation and the well, Mr. Shanley stated his comment on the costs that aren't necessary were specific to the difference in the cost of drawing water from the Connecticut River vs drawing a well at Enfield High. He noted they are not far enough along with engineering to be able to make those kinds of differentiations. He went on to note that with respect to Fermi and the well, the issue isn't so much whether or not there is a well, but rather the issue is whether or not they could get DEP authorization to draw that much water from the same aquifer which is feeding neighborhoods.
As concerns Mr. Jedziniak's question regarding Hazard Avenue/Elm Street, Mr. Shanley reported this has to do with the delay in the arrival of all the signalization equipment for this project. He noted the Council has within their packets a revised schedule for this project.
Mr. Shanley stated the meeting agenda is generally posted on the bulletin board outside the Town Clerk's Office on Friday afternoon. He added the agenda is generally not finalized until Friday afternoon.
Mr. Shanley stated the scoping meeting regarding the prison expansion took place this afternoon. He noted that meeting was attended by Councilman Strom, Mr. Olson from the Conservation Commission, Inlands/Wetlands and a prison liaison was present, as well as representatives from the Department of Public Works, as well as the Department of Corrections. He noted this meeting related to the environmental impact. He stated an analysis is being done on the expansion in Somers. He noted they set up an arrangement with representatives for the Department of Corrections on calibrating the meters so that they all understand exactly how much flow is coming in and out of the prisons and that they're all calibrated at the same level. He stated they talked about the estimated increase in sewage that would result from an additional 720 beds. He added they also discussed improving technical communications.
As concerns a response regarding the Alcorn School, Mr. Shanley stated sometime ago he did receive a response from Dr. Gallacher where he indicated that he had suggested an alternative use and that would be administrative office space for that building.
TOWN ATTORNEY REPORT & COMMUNICATIONS
Attorney Bromson stated at the last meeting his office was instructed to review the Vicious Dog Ordinance to see if there could be an interim classification below "vicious". He noted according to civil law, they couldn't do this. He added the enclosure issues discussed would be included.
Attorney Bromson stated they are in the process of reviewing the alarm ordinance.
REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL
No items were raised.
OLD BUSINESS
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
MOTION #6118 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Strom to remove Item #11 from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6118 adopted 11-0-0.
NOMINATION #6119 by Councilman Fiore to reappoint Lillian Troiano (D) as an Alternate to the Historic District Commission for a term which expires 8/31/07.
MOTION #6120 by Councilman Strom, seconded by Councilman Jones to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6120 adopted 11-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Lillian Troiano reappointed to the Historic District Commission by an 11-0-0 vote.
MOTION #6121 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Jones to remove Item #12 from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6121 adopted 11-0-0.
NOMINATION #6122 by Councilman Fiore to appoint Laurie Ely to the Enfield Beautification Committee for a term which expires 1/20/04.
MOTION #6123 by Councilman Tallarita, seconded by Councilman Kaupin to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6123 adopted 11-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Laurie Ely appointed to the Enfield Beautification Committee by an 11-0-0 vote.
All other Town Council appointments remained tabled.
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN MANAGER)
All Town Manager appointments remained tabled.
MOTION #6124 by Councilman Edgar, seconded by Councilman Hall to remove Item c. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6124 adopted 11-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: WORLD WAR II HONOR ROLL
Councilman Edgar questioned the status on the test borings and cost estimates. Mr. Shanley stated he was supposed to get that information today; however, he has not yet received it. He noted the last time the leadership met, they discussed having a special meeting between now and the next Council meeting so that they could cover everything in detail. He stated he should have more information tomorrow. He noted he would defer to leadership on the date.
Chairman Vayda requested Council members provide a list of the dates they are available for a special meeting.
MOTION #6125 by Councilman Edgar, seconded by Councilman Jones to re-table this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6125 adopted 11-0-0.
MOTION #6126 by Councilman Jones, seconded by Councilman Fiore to remove Item d. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6126 adopted 11-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: CIVIC PARTICIPATION PRESENTATION
Councilman Jones stated September is Civic Participation Month. He noted he would like to see some preliminary ideas as to what direction they would like to go with this.
Chairman Vayda suggested such a work session on a regular meeting night.
MOTION #6127 by Councilman Strom, seconded by Councilman Tait to re-table this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6127 adopted 11-0-0.
Items e., f., g., h., and i. remained tabled.
MOTION #6128 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Strom to remove Item j. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6128 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #6129 by Councilman Hall, seconded by Councilman Mangini.
BE IT RESOLVED, in accordance with Chapter VI, Section 14 of the Town Charter, the annual salaries and rates of pay for full-time and part-time non-union benefited employees will be increased by 4% effective and retroactive to July 1, 2002. This increase is inclusive of the Chief, Deputy Chief and Captain of the Enfield Police Department, but exclusive of the Town Manager, seasonal and temporary non-benefited employees;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that said adjustment includes steps, seniority and merit.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Town Council directs the Town Manager to present no later than March, 2003 proposals and recommendations on the structure of the non-union pay plan and options for a new performance based plan.
AMENDMENT #1 by Councilman Edgar, seconded by Councilman Fiore to make this effective 2% July 1, 2002 and 2% effective January 1, 2003.
Councilman Edgar stated the Town is under negotiations for another group and asking them to delay to January 1st, and that's still on the table. He feels until this is settled, there should be equal treatment; however, he's willing to compromise with this amendment.
Chairman Vayda stated his belief there's a lot more here than just the matter of negotiations going on. He stated his belief it's unfair and unwise to evaluate these non-union employees in the same way.
Councilman Fiore stated this group of employees covers everything from department heads to reference librarians. He added he will vote in favor of the amendment, however, he will also vote in favor of the total resolution.
Councilman Strom stated when they're negotiating with other groups, it doesn't involve just salary. She noted this resolution covers a very diverse group of people and addresses just the salary.
Councilman Mangini stated she's not in favor of the amendment; however, she is in favor of the concept that they do revisit the entire issue going forward.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared AMENDMENT #1 defeated 2-9-0 with Councilmen Edgar and Fiore voting in favor of the amendment.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #6129 adopted 10-1-0, with Councilman Edgar voting against the resolution.
NEW BUSINESS
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
The appointment to the Board of Assessment Appeals remained on the agenda.
NOMINATION #6130 by Councilman Fiore to appoint Linda Wolodko (D) to the Human Services Advisory Commission for an indefinite term.
MOTION #6131 by Councilman Strom, seconded by Councilman Tait to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6131 adopted 11-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Linda Wolodko appointed to the Human Services Advisory Commission by an 11-0-0 vote.
MOTION #6132 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Mangini to waive the reading of the resolution.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6132 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #6133 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Jones.
A Resolution re: Acceptance Open Space/Conservation Easement Subdivision
(Copy Appended)
Councilman Fiore questioned what is the Town's policy for accepting open space easements as far as taking that open space as part of a development process. Mr. Shanley stated that question should be addressed to the Planning & Zoning Commission since they make these judgments in the context of the current ordinances and subdivision regulations. He noted there are a lot of things that go into play that will bring a developer and the Planning & Zoning Commission together with an amount of land to be donated as open space. He added his belief this is relatively wet land. He stated he could have someone come in and discuss this. Councilman Fiore questioned whether the Council would mind if he drafted a question to this effect to the Planning & Zoning Commission. Attorney Bromson indicated Councilman Fiore could make his own inquiry.
Councilman Strom stated she would like to see a response come to the Council regarding the Planning & Zoning process concerning these matters and how they look at and evaluate these pieces of land. As concerns open space, she stated it's usually in conjunction with other bodies, i.e., Inland/Wetlands or the Conservation Commission.
Chairman Vayda stated his belief it would be very worthwhile for the whole Council to have this information.
Councilman Tait questioned whether it's possible this land could be used to mitigate the wetlands on Till Street. Chairman Vayda responded that's worth exploring.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #6133 adopted 11-0-0.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
The appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals will appear under New Business on the next regular meeting agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: RESIDENCY POLICY
Councilman Fiore referred to Mr. Vindigni's August 30th memo in the Council's packets and commented on certain areas of the memorandum. He first read from the summary as follows:
"Recreation Department has experienced limited negative feedback from both individual users and leagues. In regards to the latter, two leagues - Adult Volleyball and Greater Enfield Men's Softball Leagues were unable to comply with the policy. However, as will be read in Ms. Keller's report, neither of these activities was completely prohibited from using the Enfield facilities. In the case of Adult Volleyball, Recreation made specific attempts to enable this activity to continue in some form. One of the strengths of the current policy is its uniform application to all Recreation Division activities. This feature facilitates enforcement. A critical concern of Staff would be an amendment to the policy that accommodates one or two specific activities that subsequently raises questions of fairness by others. Based on this concern, it is recommended that current residency policy not be changes and that it remain in its present form."
Councilman Fiore then referred to Mary Keller's August 29th memo and read from the paragraph, Children & Adult Programming as follows: "Comments received from participants have been positive. Parents appreciate that Enfield children will receive first priority for enrollment and that non-residents will pay a higher fee to participate."
He then read from the paragraph, Swimming Lessons as follows: "Comments received from participants have been very positive. Children in Enfield will have first priority. This has been a long-standing problem with parents that non-resident children were getting into lessons and their children were being shut out. The Towns of Ellington and Somers, however, are not happy since they do not have a pool and used to advertise our pool schedule."
Councilman Fiore read from the Skate Parks paragraph as follows: "Comments have been mixed."
Enfield Youth Basketball League & Open Basketball (for adults) - Councilman Fiore read as follows: "non-residents are not allowed. Both programs are full and are looking for more space. Enfield residents are happy with not allowing non-residents."
He read from the paragraph, Men's Over 30 Basketball League - "ran during the winter. There was no problem with meeting the residency requirement. No complaints. During the summer they could not meet the residency requirements so they did run their own individual league without a problem."
Councilman Fiore read from the paragraph Adult Volleyball League - "did not meet the residency requirement last winter. Out of 12 teams only 4 were able to meet the residency requirement. Instead the Recreation Division provided them with open gym time and they ran their own league. They were charged a very minimal fee. The Recreation Division provided them with gym time, the equipment and a supervisor who collected the admission fee and kept score for them. The Recreation Division thought that this was a good solution. However, it seems the league did not."
He read from the paragraph Outside Sports Leagues - "Thompsonville Little League, Enfield Little League, Men's Slo-Pitch Softball League, Over 35 Softball League, Women's Softball League, Girl's Softball League, American Legion, Enfield Soccer Association, Enfield Ramblers and Flag Football all ran their leagues without an issue with the residency policy."
As concerns the Greater Enfield Men's Softball League, Councilman Fiore stated his recollection this used to be called the Enfield Men's Church League. He noted this league did have an issue with the residency policy. He stated his personal opinion that league never should have been allowed to play in Enfield in the first place. He noted those teams that meet the residency requirements are allowed to play their games at Brainerd Park on Sundays, and those that don't are now playing in Somers.
Councilman Fiore stated he firmly believes that the taxpayers in Enfield should not be subsidizing people who don't live in this town and that they need to be protecting Enfield's recreation facilities so that they're used by Enfield residents. He pointed out amendments were made for company teams, i.e., Hallmark Cards, Lego, Casual Corner, etc. whereby if they're sponsoring a team, those people who literally work in the company building in Enfield can play on some of the leagues that the company is sponsoring. He stated his belief that is fair since these companies pay a lot in taxes.
As concerns the swim policy, Councilman Fiore stated they adjusted the rates so that the people who are on the Dolphins and the U.S. Swim Team have to be a lot higher fee, and he feels this is rightfully so. He noted these are elite teams, and he feels the Enfield
Recreation Department shouldn't be sponsoring elite teams and they should be private.
Councilman Fiore stated his belief the residency policy should stay in place, and he will be voting against any amendment to weaken this policy. He pointed out it's working and the townspeople are happy.
Councilman Kaupin agreed with many of Councilman Fiore's comments, and he believes overall the policy is working. He added his belief it's incumbent on the Council that once a policy is put into place, they should look at what is the effect and could there be some tweaking of numbers that might make a league actually function. He agrees Enfield residents should come first. He noted the fee for out-of-town players might be higher to further subsidize the programs. He stated his belief some people would be willing to pay that. He suggested perhaps numbers of players should be based on a percentage so that it's equal across the board. He pointed out a roster is in different sizes according to different leagues.
Councilman Mangini agreed with Councilman Fiore. She stated her belief the residency policy is very specific and she would not support any amendments.
Councilman Tait agreed with Councilmen Mangini and Fiore. He noted he does not like counter manning what staff has worked so hard to put together. He stated staff did a good job with this. He added he's not in favor of changing this policy.
As concerns Councilman Kaupin's comment about basing the amount of players by a percentage, Councilman Fiore stated with the volleyball league the math does not add up. He stated if the volleyball league is having this type of numeric problems, it tells him that probably two-thirds of the volleyball league is made up of out-of-towners. He noted if that is the case, this probably isn't a valid league.
Councilman Strom stated she would like more information. She noted she does want to support staff, but she also questions whether there's something that could be tweaked a little. She agreed Enfield residents should come first in everything and that out-of-towners should pay a higher fee.
Councilman Kaupin raised the question of how many teams constitute a league in order to make it successful and enjoyable for the participants.
Councilman Fiore stated his belief that whatever they do, they have to be consistent. He pointed out a lot of neighboring towns allow "residents only" in their recreational programs.
Councilman Mangini stated the residency policy is not designed to accommodate any percentages because percentages will vary between leagues. She concluded stating she does not feel comfortable making this policy any more flexible.
Councilman Tallarita stated he agrees with the overall intent of the policy to serve Enfield residents. He added his belief there needs to be some flexibility. He stated he would like to give this more thought. He suggested perhaps they could work in cooperation with other towns.
Councilman Hall agreed with Councilman Kaupin. She stated her belief when a policy is implemented, they should go back and check for fallout. She added her belief Councilman Kaupin had a valid point concerning percentages. She agreed Enfield residents should come first; however, she feels they should make accommodations for those teams that don't fit the mold.
Chairman Vayda stated his belief staff did a great job on this policy. He suggested more thought be given to this and that this be further discussed at the next meeting. He noted one of the goals of this policy was to give preference to Enfield Residents and to phase out and eliminate the subsidy, primarily when it involves out-of-towners. He stated he did not have a good feel for percentages and would rather think about this in the context of what they are trying to accomplish.
This item will remain on the agenda until the next meeting.
DISCUSSION RE: THOMPSONVILLE SKATEBOARD PARK
Mr. Vindigni stated they looked at four possible locations for a skateboard park in Thompsonville and staff recommends locating this park in a portion of the Higgins parking lot. He noted this area measures 110' X 70' and is a safe distance from the road and yet it's still visible. He added there would also be security lighting. He noted they would fence this site and post signs regarding safe usage of the park.
As concerns impact on abutting neighbors, Mr. Vindigni stated they focused on the northeast corner to try and maximize the distance from abutting residences.
As concerns the operation of skateboard parks, they're recommending an unstaffed operation. The Risk Manager reports there would not be an impact on the Town's insurance premium.
Mr. Vindigni reviewed cost factors in locating a skateboard park at the Higgins site: $7,000 for surface rehabilitation; $15,000 for fencing; $3,000 for relocating existing equipment from the Parkman site.
He stated they would be working with the equipment consultant and Risk Manager to be sure that what is installed is done so in a safe manner so that they don't create a hazard. He noted by going to an unstaffed operation, they're looking at a net savings of $20,460.
Mr. Vindigni stated this evening they're looking for a consensus from the Council to go forward and meet with the various land use committees, the Community Policing Committee, and Enfield Revitalization.
Councilman Tait commended Mr. Vindigni on this excellent report. He questioned the reasoning for relocating the Parkman equipment. Mr. Vindigni stated this is due to a combination of factors. He noted there were concerns raised by the Board of Education about having skateboard facilities on school property. He stated by locating the skateboard park at Higgins, there would be an even distribution of skateboard parks throughout Enfield.
Councilman Tait agreed with the recommendation to locate a skateboard park on the Higgins property.
Councilman Hall agreed with Councilman Tait. She questioned whether this has been run by the Community Policing Office. Mr. Vindigni stated if there's consensus by the Council, they will then meet with the Community Policing Steering Committee, Enfield Revitalization and the Town Planner's staff to start the implementation process.
Councilman Hall stated she would prefer to see the Parkman equipment left where it is and another set of equipment placed in Thompsonville. She pointed out at any point in time it can be observed that playground equipment in different locations isn't being used at all. She noted she wouldn't expect the Town to move playground equipment around to other locations. She stated she did see a whole group of kids using the Parkman equipment recently, and she's reluctant to pull that equipment from that area. She agreed with the recommendation to pull the supervising staff out of these parks, and she feels the cost savings resulting from that could help finance the equipment for the Higgins site.
Mr. Vindigni stated the original cost for this equipment was $40,000 and they anticipate that cost has gone up substantially.
Councilman Tallarita questioned the necessity of fencing the Higgins site. Mr. Vindigni noted the fencing would help keep the skateboard activity within the designated area for skateboarding.
Councilman Tallarita stated he has a problem making an investment at the Higgins property when they don't know what the future use of that site might be.
Councilman Tallarita raised the possibility of someone, i.e., a business contributing toward this endeavor.
Councilman Jones agreed with Councilman Tallarita about putting money into this property if they don't know what the future use of the Higgins property is going to be. He added his belief this skateboard park should be in Thompsonville, however, he does not believe they should move the equipment from other parks.
Councilman Edgar pointed out the first parties interested in skate parks came from Thompsonville, however, when those parks were installed, they were installed miles away from Thompsonville. He stated he supports the Higgins site without reservation. He added he does not feel they should spend another $90,000 for another park.
Councilman Mangini questioned if they're exposing the Town to more liability without the supervision. Attorney Bromson stated any time there's an activity that has inherent dangers such as this and it's unsupervised, the liability is certainly greater. He added the Risk Manager says if safeguards are taken, i.e., helmets, fencing, signage and waivers, the insurance carrier will insure the Town without increased premiums.
Councilman Mangini questioned who would enforce the wearing of helmets and the waivers. Mr. Vindigni stated the staff's approach would be to post the signage regarding the helmets and the recommended safe usage of the equipment. He noted because these parks will be an unstaffed operation, the Town would no longer be doing the registration, and they would not be able to insure users have signed a waiver, unless they periodically checked to find some form of identification that proves a waiver has been signed. He noted it will be very difficult to track waivers with an unstaffed operation.
Councilman Mangini questioned if Mary Keller is comfortable with the concept of an unstaffed skateboard park in Thompsonville. Ms. Keller stated they've had several requests from people in the area to have this type of facility in Thompsonville. She noted based on the numbers, she's unsure if they would want to have three skateboard parks. As concerns the parks being unstaffed, she stated her belief liability is greater if staff is present and someone is hurt. Mr. Vindigni pointed out the town of Colchester just implemented an unstaffed skateboard park.
Attorney Bromson stated his belief it's important everyone using these parks sign a waiver. He noted the Risk Manager's recommendation doesn't say anything about user registration. He stated his understanding this would be difficult to do without anyone monitoring the park.
Councilman Fiore stated he has no problem relocating one of the current skateboard parks to Thompsonville. He noted he is not in favor of spending more money to add equipment. He added his belief this won't get older skateboarders off the street because the current equipment will not be challenging enough for them. He questioned how fencing will keep kids on bikes out of the skateboard park if that park is unsupervised. He also questioned if they'll still replace the deteriorating fencing at Parkman, and what will replace the skateboard equipment at Parkman if it's removed. He added his belief that if they're removing equipment from Parkman, they should be replacing it with something else.
Chairman Vayda stated his belief they need to have a logical plan as to what would replace the skateboard park if it were removed from Parkman. He agreed the deteriorating fencing at Parkman should be replaced.
Councilman Strom agreed that Higgins is the best site for the skateboard park. She stated her belief the downtown area really needs this.
Councilman Egan agreed the Higgins site is the best location. She added her belief the waiver issue is very important and she would like this looked into further. Mr. Vindigni indicated a follow-up review can be done.
Chairman Vayda stated his belief they should have a more detailed discussion about the supervised arrangement. He added his personal opinion the Town would be better off with an unsupervised arrangement. He stated his belief the timeline depends on staff keeping them on line so that this could happen by spring.
Councilman Hall stated if it's decided the Council wishes to discontinue the skateboard park at Parkman School, there should be a neighborhood meeting.
Mr. Vindigni summarized those items the Council requires follow-up on:
- a meeting with the School Department regarding what would replace the skateboard park at Parkman and a neighborhood meeting to learn what residents would like to see go into that area
- whether the funding for the Parkman fencing will remain in place
- funding for the Higgins fencing to come from a different source
- examining a waiver policy and if it could be effectively employed in an unstaffed operation, or whether it should be applied in an unstaffed operation
DISCUSSION RE: LEAF VACUUM PROGRAM
Mr. Shanley stated the Council has a document from the Deputy Director of Public Works. He noted at the last meeting the Council wanted to know what it would take to reinstate the leaf program at this juncture.
Mr. McAlmond stated the primary thing right now is that they have not stocked any parts or materials, nor have they prepped any of the equipment. He stated there would be approximately a four-week lead time on the materials. He noted the overtime for the mechanics has basically doubled because they would have to work Saturdays and extra shifts to get this work accomplished while keeping the rest of the equipment rolling at the same time. He noted this is a period of time when they prep their trucks for the winter season. He stated the rest of the numbers on the document are all reflective of what was adjusted from the budget allocation.
Councilman Tait stated it's the process that concerns him more than the money. He stated his belief this process needs to be repaired before this program can be implemented again. He added his belief this can't be done this year.
Councilman Hall pointed out she did not support taking this out of the budget originally. She stated her belief it's hard to ask residents to support a $10 million dollar referendum and then take away this service. She noted she has received feedback from residents who weren't aware their leaves weren't going to be vacuumed. She voiced concern that there will be a lot of leaves at the curbside. She suggested there be a literature drop to let resident know their leaves will not be vacuumed.
Mr. McAlmond stated they have developed a publicity program so that people understand leaves will not be collected unless they're bagged. He noted that will be published in four to five weeks.
Councilman Fiore agreed with Councilman Tait in that this service is broken. He stated his belief a good service is still being offered when the Town picks up bagged leaves. He pointed out residents in a lot of other towns in this area have to bring their leaves to the dump, or the residents have to hire someone to vacuum their leaves. He stated his belief the leaf vacuum service is too costly.
Councilman Mangini agreed with Councilman Tait. She suggested perhaps the Town could offer a subsidy to people within a certain income so that they can buy the leaf bags.
Councilman Kaupin stated his belief people will have to spend more money to get the same end result. He stated his belief it was a bad decision on the Council's part that if a process is broken that it should just be dropped. He noted it should be the Council's responsibility with Town staff to fix the process. He questioned how much work has been put into fixing the process.
Mr. Shanley stated they have worked on this program. He noted they increased the cost of the program to try and reduce the number of weeks that it takes to pick up leaves. He pointed out trees shed their leaves at different times. He noted one of the biggest problems they have is the necessity of going back to an area a second time. He added he's not sure there's a lot they can do in terms of equipment or utilization of equipment. He noted the figures supplied are only for out-of-pocket expenses and the true cost they're looking at is a $500,000 program. He suggested they could benefit from a separate work session when they could go into detail about this program. He advised if the Council decides to go forward, they should decide within the next two weeks.
Councilman Strom stated this is a very unwieldy service that never worked. She agreed with Councilman Mangini in that they should look into subsidizing bags or just giving them way. She added she's not in favor of instituting this program this year.
Councilman Edgar stated he initially voted against removing this service, and he still feels it's wrong that it was taken away. He noted he's opposed to taking any money away from the condo truck account in order to fund this service.
Councilman Tallarita stated his belief this service has a lot of problems, and he does not believe there's a solution that Public Works has not already tried. He stated a lot of communities do not provide this service because of the problems associated with it. He added he would not be opposed to looking into what it would cost to either subsidize or supply leaf bags.
Councilman Fiore stated this is a very expensive service for a program that is not working well.
Councilman Tallarita stated the senior center has volunteers who do lawn service for seniors who have difficulty with leaf pick-up.
Chairman Vayda stated he does not see a good way to resolve this problem even in the future. He added he does believe they should seriously consider subsidizing or giving away the bags.
Mr. McAlmond stated if the Town were to supply about ten bags per household this would amount to about 140,000 bags costing about $50,000. He noted those would have to be ordered.
Councilman Jones suggested selling the bags for a small fee to limit people hoarding bags.
Chairman Vayda requested staff put together a few recommendations - one that would subsidize bags, a giveaway of bags, and how this might be handled.
MOTION #6135 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Egan to suspend the rules to address Item e. under Miscellaneous this evening.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6135 adopted 11-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: CRRA UPDATE
Councilman Fiore stated there's a question as to whether towns want to join CCM's action suit.
Mr. Shanley stated the legislation that was passed which restructured CRRA gave the Attorney General of the State of Connecticut the authority to represent CRRA, and they're representing CRRA as an organization. He noted they are not representing individual municipalities. He stated there is significant municipal representation and lawsuits are moving forward on behalf of CRRA. He stated whether or not the municipalities climb on separately is yet to be determined and there will be legal advice on this through CCM's hired attorney at the next meeting. He pointed out there's a long way to go, but they are moving forward.
DISCUSSION RE: NORTHGATE UPDATE
It was agreed to discuss this item under New Business on the next agenda.
MISCELLANEOUS
MOTION #6136 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Egan to waive the reading of the resolution.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6136 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #6137 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Jones.
A Resolution re: Bid Waiver/Water Pollution Control Denitrification Equipment
(Copy appended)
Present for this discussion was William Hardy, representative from SEA Consultants, Director of Public Works, John Kazmarski; Deputy Director of Public Works, Geoffrey McAlmond.
Mr. Kazmarski stated they have to move on this quickly in order not to lose the $346,000 CL&P grant.
Mr. Hardy stated they are asking for a bid waiver for the two pieces of equipment - the fine bubble diffuser that is within the aeration tanks and the control system. He noted part of this project is being funded through Northeast Utilities. He stated the Town was able to obtain an extension from the end of December to March 23rd to have that equipment installed and running so that it could be observed by Northeast Utilities to determine that it's operating as proposed. He noted since there's such a long lead time to manufacture the equipment and have it delivered to the site, they would like to give authorization to proceed immediately so that the equipment is on site mid to late December. He pointed out that only leaves a few months for the contractors to install the equipment.
Mr. McAlmond stated by going this route they would pick up a minimum of four weeks which is very much needed to be sure that this project comes in on time.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #6137 adopted 11-0-0.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS
Mrs. Collins, 25 Gordon Lane
Stated she has been paying taxes for a long time in Enfield. She noted she has lots of leaves to take care of.
Mrs. Collins questioned whether Enfield is paid to take prison waste into the Enfield sewer system, and Mr. Shanley responded yes.
Daniel Post, 10 Cartier Road
Noted he is involved with the volleyball league. He stated they are not looking for anything special or changing the whole policy. He expressed his appreciation for this policy.
Robert Tkacz, 1300 Enfield Street
Noted it seems the Council can fund skateboard parks, but they can't find money to vacuum the leaves. He stated residents on Enfield Street maintain the state right-of-way in front of their homes, and they've come to rely on the leaf vacuuming program.
Mr. Tkacz pointed out he should be getting responses to questions he has raised.
Mary Ann Turner, 7 Meadow Road
Stated her belief when developers come before Planning & Zoning, it's possible there might be an agreement about part of the property going back as open space. She stated her impression the developer doesn't usually give something good away.
As concerns the residency requirement and the volleyball league, Ms. Turner stated the league doesn't have to pay for the custodians and are able to use Enfield facilities even when they're having out-of-town people come in. She suggested if people want to play volleyball, they should pick up 100% of the tab.
Ms. Turner stated her belief skateboarding is a fad and will be gone in a few years. She added her belief the current skateboard parks aren't used to capacity.
She voiced her support of eliminating the leaf vacuuming program and she has no problem purchasing her leaf bags from the Town.
Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Stated she doesn't understand why the Council wants skateboard parks. She noted Suffield and Windsor are getting rid of their parks due to the liability.
Ms. Jedziniak stated her belief the idea of neighboring towns sharing recreational programs wouldn't work.
COUNCILMEN COMMUNICATIONS
No one wished to speak.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION #6138 by Councilman Tait, seconded by Councilman Mangini to adjourn.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #6138 adopted 11-0-0 and the meeting adjourned at 11:20 p.m.
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