ANNUAL TOWN MEETING & ANNUAL BUDGET MEETING
MAY 21, 2012
First Selectwoman Derrylyn Gorski called the Annual Town Meeting & Annual Budget Meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. There were approximately 90 in attendance.
First Selectwoman Gorski called on Bruce Loomis, Chairman of the Conservation Commission to issue this year’s award. In addition, the recipient will receive $50 to go to either the Bethany Land Trust or Historical Society. The award is given to a small business owner and/or their business that when faced with the need to expand in Bethany reviewed the options available and chose to take the conservation route rather than the easiest route. It was done tastefully making minimal changes while recycling inside and out. They took energy efficient steps using geothermal heat and led and cfl lights where possible. They also preserved old stone walls, trees and boulders on the property and kept gravel driveways where possible, as well as practicing paperless record keeping and using recycled office supplies. Kim Brinton was asked to come forward (along with Annie) to accept the Conservationist of the Year Award for 2012.
The meeting was then opened with the First Selectwoman asking everyone to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
The First Selectwoman called for nominations from the floor for a Moderator. There was a motion by J. Stirling, seconded by S. Hauser to nominate Bill Blake. There were no further nominations. Unanimous approval.
Item (1) on call – RESOLVED: That the recommendations of the Board of Finance upon the Budget for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012 amounting to $20,838,716 be, and hereby are accepted and approved.
Moderator Blake introduced Board of Finance Chairwoman Janet Brunwin to give the budget presentation. Latest projected surplus for the current budget is $287,295. Major road repair budget was approved in 2010 and will be completed next fiscal year. The road crew will be able to make emergency road repairs, a huge savings to the town. Based on the feedback from those who attended the budget hearing, we will fund the Board of Education the level service for an additional $92,000 and have recommended one additional person to the road crew. According to our proposal the mil rate will increase by 1.7% - from 28.06 to 28.54. Grand list will increase by .5%. The total revenues are increasing by 2.2%.
Chairwoman Brunwin spoke of the large increase to the Bethany Library budget. The town provides most of the funding along with interest from their endowment fund. Their budget runs about $150,000 annually. The staff includes three part time staff which makes it very difficult to run an entire library. Technology advancements have been slowed because of funds. There are also necessary repairs to the building and its maintenance. The current head librarian is resigning and the board is looking for a full time degreed professional librarian as director. In order to attract the right person it is very necessary to have an increase to the librarian’s salary. If the library does not succeed in this then the building would be given over to the town to be managed. The Board of Finance felt it is better for the nonprofit group to continue to run the library and an increase to their annual budget is very necessary.
Debt Service – Total savings on refunding bonds is $421,000 over the next 5 years. Amity has sound financial management and is a positive in excellent education which also helps maintain property values. The Connecticut Gas Company will be running a line up through the center of Woodbridge to Beecher School
Bethany Bd. of Ed has had very small increases each year. Key increases and decreases - zero teacher salary increases, elimination of some grant programs and a reduction in special education costs.
Chairwoman Brunwin spoke of the new Long Term Financial Planning Committee working on a five year plan to assess the town’s future needs and what the residents feel is important - education, town services, infrastructure, etc.
Moderator Blake asked for a motion to accept the budget for 2012 – 2013. S. Thornquist made the motion, duly seconded by S. Hauser.
Aileen Magda, 28 Deerfield Lane Anthony Court
There were no further comments. The vote taken was overwhelming yeas. Approved.
Item (2) on call – RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to expend from the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-recurring Expenditures an amount up to the sum of $210,000 for the lease purchase of a dump truck, the first of three payments estimated to be $73,500 to be made in fiscal year 2013-14 by the Board of Selectmen for the Highway Department. Motion made by J. Stirling, duly seconded.
Mike Okrent, 11 Prince Dr – questioned the wording of resolution #4 Alan Green, Highway Foreman explained that Item #4 was a decision made at the last Annual Town Meeting to authorize payments on the dump truck. This year is the first payment.
Sharon Huxley, 340 Old Mill Rd – how do you authorize a payment this year for an item that will be purchased next year? First Selectwoman Gorski explained that this is to let everyone know what the item will cost and to authorize the purchase.
There were no further comments. The vote taken was unanimous approval.
(Notation – There is no Item (3)
Item (4) on call – RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to expend from the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-recurring Expenditures an amount up to the sum of $65,683 for the first of three payments of a lease purchase for a 5 yard dump by the Board of Selectmen for the Highway Department. Motion made by S. Hauser, duly seconded by I. Nesson.
George McDonnell, 5 Rowe Court – Why a 5 yard rather than a 10 yard? D Gorski stated that a 5 yard is what was requested.
There were no further comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (5) on call – RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to expend from the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-recurring Expenditures an amount up to the sum of $46,678 for the first of three payments of a lease purchase of a dump truck by the Board of Selectmen for the Highway Department. Motion made by J. Stirling, duly seconded.
Bob Thomas, 43 Bethany Farms Rd
There were no further comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (6) on call – RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to expend from the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-recurring Expenditures an amount up to the sum of $15,000 for guard rails for Hoadley Road/Wooding Hill Road by the Board of Selectmen for the Highway Department. Motion made and duly seconded.
There were no further comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (7) on call – RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to expend from the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-recurring Expenditures an amount up to the sum of $100,062 for the fifth of five payments of a five-year lease purchase of a fire pumper truck and related equipment for use by the Bethany Volunteer Firemen’s Association.
Betsey Thornquist, 25 Oak Ridge Dr
There were no further comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (8) on call – RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to expend from the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-recurring Expenditures an amount up to the sum of $35,000 for the replacement of the Town Garage roof by the Board of Selectmen. A motion was made by Stirling, duly.
Audrey Eisenstadt, 35 Rainbow Rd – Why is roof being replaced; it’s not that old? A. Green - Roof is seventeen years old. Quality of material was not the best. A. Eisenstadt - Garage was expensive to build. Highway Foreman Green stated that we got what we paid for with the garage.
There were no further comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (9) on call – RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to expend from the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-recurring Expenditures an amount up to the sum of $30,000 to replace the telephone system in Bethany Community School by the Board of Education. Motion made by Brunwin, duly seconded by Pittenger to move the resolution to a vote.
There were no comments. Unanimous approval.
Item 10) on call – RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to expend from the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-recurring Expenditures an amount up to the sum of $84,000 for the refurbishment of sections of the roof at Bethany Community School by the Board of Education. A motion was made and duly seconded to move the resolution.
There were no comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (11) on call - RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to expend from the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-recurring Expenditures an amount up to the sum of $10,000 for monument landscaping at Veteran’s Memorial Park by the Board of Selectmen for the VFW monument. A motion was made by Slicer, duly seconded by Fournier to move the resolution.
Patsy Winer, 7 Carrington Rd
There were no further comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (12) on call - RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to expend from the Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-recurring Expenditures an amount up to the sum of $40,000 for Revaluation for the Grand List of October 1, 2013. A motion was made by Brunwin, duly seconded by Hauser to move the resolution.
Robert Grosso, 39 Farmview Rd
There were no further comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (13) on call – RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized to transfer $25,000 from the General Fund to the Land Acquisition Fund. There was a motion by Loomis, duly seconded by Magda to move the resolution.
There were no comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (14) on call – RESOLVED: Be it resolved that the resolution approved at the May 7, 1957 (correction – meeting date is *May 7, 1956) Bethany Town Meeting is to be amended;
The original resolution reads as follows:
"Resolved, that the Board of Selectmen is hereby authorized from time to time to sell and convey lots in the area known as Carrington Cemetery on such terms and conditions as it may deem appropriate and to establish rules and regulations for the management for the affairs of said cemetery and is further authorized to provide, from the funds received for said cemetery lots or other funds on account of the operation said cemetery for the perpetual care of said cemetery in such manner consistent with the statute as it may seem expedient."
Whereas, since the date of the *May 7, 1957 Town Meeting, the Town of Bethany
Whereas, the Town of Bethany
Therefore, it is moved that the *May 7, 1957 resolution be amended as follows:
"Resolved, that the board of selectmen is hereby authorized from time to time to sell and convey lots in the cemeteries known as the Carrington Cemetery, Methodist Cemetery, (Sperry Road Cemetery and Meyers Road Cemetery ) on such terms and conditions as it may deem appropriate and establish rules and regulations for the management of the affairs of the cemeteries and is further authorized to provide, from the funds received for the sale of cemetery lots in the past or the future or other funds on account of the operation of the cemeteries in the past or future, for the actual care of said cemetery in such manner consistent with the Connecticut General Statutes and the Code of the Town of Bethany as Board of Selectmen may deem expedient."
A motion was made and duly seconded to move the resolution to a vote. Unanimous approval.
Item (15) on call - Ordinance for the establishment of a Cemetery Commission for the Town of Bethany
BE IT RESOLVED by the electors of the Town of Bethany at its duly warned Town Meeting held May 21, 2012, that the Town of Bethany establish a Cemetery Commission pursuant to the powers granted to the Town of Bethany
Cemetery Commission
1.) There is hereby established a Cemetery Commission for the Town of Bethany which shall have as its object the oversight of the cemeteries operated by the Town of Bethany
2.) Membership: The commission shall consist of seven regular members who are electors of the Town of Bethany and who are appointed by the Board of Selectmen.
3.) Term of Office. The members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Board of Selectmen as follows: three members for a term of three years, two members for a term of two years and two members for a term of one year. Thereafter, each member or successor shall be appointed to serve a three-year term. The Board of Selectmen may fill any vacancy or remove any member for cause.
This ordinance shall take effect fourteen days after its adoption and in accordance with the Connecticut General Statutes.
There was a motion made by Thornquist, duly seconded by Fournier to move the resolution.
Selectman Thornquist - The idea is that we have four cemeteries that the town is responsible for. Some have historic markers that go back to nearly revolutionary time. There are stones in disrepair from storm damage, weather, etc. They have been repaired on an as needed basis. The goal is to get funding in a more consistent way and with a continuing source of income. That is part one. The second part is to provide a commission publicly in charge of the cemeteries. The members will be charged with assessing state of repair, allocating funding and maintenance. It goes beyond simply mowing and goes into maintaining some of the history of the town. There are plots still available in Carrington Cemetery Methodist Cemetery
Sharon Huxley – Old Mill Rd - I question why there is a resolution for approval when the public has not had an opportunity to review it. I have no objection to it but question the legality of not publishing it beforehand.
Moderator Blake in conferring with Town Counsel McSherry agreed that it should have been published. Town Counsel feels it better to withdraw Item #15 and act on it after it has been properly published.
S Thornquist made a motion, duly seconded to withdraw resolution #15 until properly published. There was unanimous approval.
Robert Brinton, 68 Knollwood Rd – Made a motion to correct the language in Resolution #14 to include the Meyers Road and Sperry Road Cemeteries.
Moderator Blake recommended a motion to amend Item #14 which had already been passed to include the Sperry Road and Meyers Road Cemeteries. The motion was made by S. Thornquist and duly seconded by A. Esoposito. Unanimous approval.
Will Brinton, Chrmn of the cemetery ad hoc committee, 168 Sperry Rd – Members of the committee were introduced - MaryEhrler, Steve Thornquist, Don Shea, Anthony Esposito, Pat Stewart and Will Brinton. To clarify the purpose of the resolution - basically there is a small fund for Carrington Cemetery – only to be used for that one cemetery. The intention of the resolution is to have the funds used where needed most.
A. Eisenstadt – made a comment that she doesn’t feel it is legal to vote on something not legally published.
There were no further comments. A motion was made and duly seconded to reconsider the amendment to resolution #14 to include Sperry and Meyers Road cemeteries as well. Unanimous approval.
Item (16) on call – BE IT RESOLVED: that Chapter 12 of the Code of the Town of Bethany is amended to add the following:
F.) Advertising for all products and services shall include, in addition to any other appropriate media sources or publications determined by the Board, public ads in any publication of substantial circulation in Bethany, within available appropriations, or on the Internet or Town Website and the State of Connecticut Department of Administrative Services. A motion was made and duly seconded to move the resolution to a vote.
A. Magda - this will supplement what is currently being done? D Gorski this allows us to do it on the web or in a publication. It is in addition to. K McSherry - currently there is no paper that has circulation to every house. This will expand our ability to provide advertising. This will add more flexibility for receiving bids which is a difficulty that we have now. We receive very limited bids. It is a free service. The Selectmen will still have the flexibility to do what they need to do.
J Stirling, 20 Miller Rd – Seems like a fair approach to get as many bids as possible.
There were no further comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (17) on call – BE IT RESOLVED: that Chapter 20 Conservation Commission be amended as follows:
$ 20-1 there is hereby established a Bethany Conservation Commission, which shall have as its object the development and conservation of natural resources, including water resources and farmland resources, within the territorial limits of the Town of Bethany. A motion was made and duly seconded to move the resolution to a vote.
A. Magda Does this have to do with development? D. Goski - No. In order to apply for other state and agricultural grants we need an agricultural committee and by adding farmland resources to the code it would serve that purpose.
There were no further questions. Unanimous approval.
Item (18) on call - RESOLVED: that the Selectmen be, and hereby are authorized and empowered to enter into agreements on behalf and in the name of the Town of Bethany with the Department of Transportation of the State of Connecticut for the expenditure of funds available to the Town of Bethany during the 2009-10 (corrected to 2012 – 2012) fiscal year for the maintenance, repair and the building of roads.
Claude Errera, 56 Deerfield La - A correction needs to be made to the date.
A motion to amend the date to 2012 – 2013 was made by Errera and duly seconded by Thornquist. Unanimous.
The motion as amended was called. Unanimous approval.
Item (19) on call - RESOLVED: that the reports of the Town Officers, Boards and Commissions for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011 as contained in the printed 2010-2011 Annual Town Report to be accepted and ordered filed. A motion was made and duly second to call the resolution.
There were no comments. Unanimous approval.
Item (20) on call – Other matter proper to come before the meeting.
D. Gorski
stated that the Long Term Financial Planning Committee will be having a survey done by the Center for National Research Firm located in Meriden. It will be conducted during the first week of June. It is designed to take about 5 minutes. It will give the long range planning committee some information on what the residents would like the town to look like in five years. She urged everyone to take the time to do the survey.
Pat Martin thanked the Board of Finance for their leadership and hard work.
A motion was made and duly seconded to adjourn the town meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 8:39 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy A. McCarthy, CMC
Town Clerk
