Town mulls DEEP reply

As published in the Record Journal Sunday July 7, 2013

By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz

WALLINGFORD — The town has drafted a response to nine environmental violations issued by the state for a municipal recycling center on John Street and a Public Works dumping and storage facility on North Turnpike Road, according to Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr.

Dickinson said the town plans to respond to the June 13 notice of violation from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection by the end of the week to comply with the department’s orders. The town violated state environmental laws and regulations by improperly disposing of residential waste oil at the 157 John St. facility, while Public Works was cited for illegal dumping on the 91 N. Turnpike Road property.

According to the DEEP, a letter of compliance must be submitted no later than 30 days from when the notice of violation was issued. On Friday, Dickinson said he did not believe the compliance letter had been sent to DEEP yet.

“The communication from DEEP is still being reviewed,” Dickinson said.

Civil penalties of up to $25,000 may be assessed for each day the town was knowingly in violation of DEEP standards, although the town’s response “may affect DEEP’s decision whether or not to pursue a formal enforcement action,” according to the notice of violation.

The notice advises the town that the local violations “can reasonably be expected to create a source of pollution to the waters of the state, by a release of used oil and other solid waste to the ground.”

Asked if the town will contest any of the violations, Dickinson said “at this point, it’s being reviewed.”

“A determination will be made,” he said Friday. “Nothing has been totally decided as of yet.

“We’re looking to comply with most of it as far as I know.”

Eight of the violations stem from the town’s recycling center and how used oil was recycled at the facility. The town contracts with Fabio Enterprises of Old Colony Road to run the recycling center. Violations vary, from the lack of a “used oil” sign, to the failure to provide a spill containment area, or failing to ensure no person other than an employee of the facility, or a person under direct supervision of an employee, pours used oil into the collection tank.

On May 15, Laurene Buckowski, a sanitary engineer at DEEP, visited the town to investigate any possible violations. She was escorted by Public Works Foreman Stephen Palermo. According to an interoffice memo between Buckowski and DEEP Supervising Environmental Analyst Frank Gagliardo, Buckowski said there was about 10 gallons of an oily black liquid in the oil recycling containment area. Buckowski states in the memo that Palermo said the area would be closed, cleaned out and renovated due to violations.

Dickinson reported during the June 11 Town Council meeting that, due to improper disposal practices, oil recycling would no longer be available to residents. At the time, Dickinson said residents were disposing of liquids other than oil, such as antifreeze, and that the service would be discontinued because an employee of the facility could not constantly oversee it. He did not mention the environmental violations.

“It makes me wonder why the mayor would say the reason we shut it down is because of the wrong liquids,” said Democratic Town Councilor Jason Zandri, who is opposing Dickinson, a Republican, in the upcoming mayoral election.

If Dickinson wasn’t being forthcoming during the June Town Council, “I would not be very happy, as a councilor or a resident,” said Democratic Town Councilor John Sullivan.“That is extremely serious to me. I’d be disappointed in Mayor Dickinson if he did that.”

Republican Town Councilor John LeTourneau said the issues at 91 N. Turnpike Road, known as the “dog pit,” need to be kept separate from the issues at the recycling center. LeTourneau said he was surprised the department only handed out nine violations in total because of past experiences with the department and how “they have to go by the books.”

DEEP officials familiar with the violations in Wallingford were not available for comment, a spokesperson said.

Concerns about practices at 91 N. Turnpike Road date back 20 years. In 1993, Town Environmental Planner Brent Smith issued a cease and desist order to Public Works Director Henry McCully, asking him to stop all expansion activities at the site. According to a letter from Smith to McCully on May 12, 1993, the order was issued because in March of that year McCully came before the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission and said expansion at the site would stop. Between March and May of that year, Smith wrote that commissioners observed further activity at the site.

“If private citizens are obligated to abide by state and municipal environmental legislation, should the town itself be any different?” Smith wrote.

In 2008, the Department of Environmental Protection investigated the site after receiving a complaint that catch basin clean out waste was being dumped there, according to a March 3, 2009 department memo. The memo states that McCully was made aware of the issues, and that he would address the problem with the local wetlands commission. The DEP found McCully’s response adequate and closed the investigation.

The current violations at 91 North Turnpike Road stem from a complaint by local resident William Comerford, who noticed large pools of oily liquid at the site on April 8 and reported it to Environmental Planner Erin O’Hare. Comerford took video of what he found. On April 10, Comerford contacted the DEEP. Donnell Thigpen, of the department’s emergency response unit, visited the site that day and filed an “emergency incident field report.” He said an investigation of the area revealed “soil in the storage area that had a petroleum odor, it appeared that the pile was not covered immediately, causing the liquids to migrate around the area.”

O’Hare and McCully then arrived on scene, Thigpen said, adding that McCully had hay bales put around the release to prevent any spread. McCully could not be reached for comment.

On Friday, O’Hare said her jurisdiction, as well the jurisdiction of the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, is 50 feet outside of wetlands. The release, as O’Hare characterized the dumped material, came within 47 feet of her jurisdiction. “It’s very serious,” she said. O’Hare said she is investigating the incident on her own, and will share a report during the July 24 wetlands commission meeting. At this point, “I don’t see any contamination to the wetlands,” she said.

According to the DEEP’s notice, a violation was handed out in regard to dumping at the “dog pit” because more than 10 cubic yards of oily waste or catch basin material were stored at the site without proper permits.

O’Hare said she would approach her investigation with due diligence.

“I would get to the bottom of it no matter what department is involved,” she said.

Democratic Town Councilor Nick Economopoulos said Friday that a fair investigation isn’t possible within the town.

People in town positions shouldn’t be investigating people in town positions, he said. “The town should not self-investigate.”

LeTourneau said he expects O’Hare to be honest, and hopes her investigation doesn’t just scratch the surface, “because you have people’s reputations at stake.”

The Planning and Zoning Department was also briefly involved with the situation at 91 N. Turnpike Road because the area is in a protected aquifer zone, and the department oversees aquifers. The town was ordered by DEEP to cease dumping at the site, so the department is no longer involved, according to Town Planner Kacie Costello. Materials must now be shipped to the proper facility by an outside contractor.

From now on, “you really shouldn’t be dumping anything there,” Zandri said. “There has to be a better location to temporally maintain those materials until carted off.”

Republican Town Councilor Tom Laffin said the facility does not need to be totally abandoned “if you watch it and you’re careful.”

Councilors agreed that if necessary the party responsible for the violation should be punished. But punishment, they said, should depend on whether the violations were malicious or not as determined by the Personnel Department.

Republican Town Councilor Craig Fishbein questioned whether the investigation by O’Hare was necessary.

“Certainly it makes things tricky,” he said of a town employee investigating another town department.

Going forward, O’Hare said she will establish town regulations for what can and cannot be placed at 91 N. Turnpike Road.

Economopoulos said that within the next few months he plans to put the topic of illegal dumping on the Town Council agenda to address the “attitude of disrespect to the taxpayer, to the environment and to authority.”

“If you don’t answer to those things,” he said, “who do you answer to?”

State: Town dumped material without permits

As published in the Record Journal Thursday June 20, 2013

By Eric Heredia
Record-Journal staff
eheredia@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2243
Twitter: @EHerediaRJ

WALLINGFORD - The state filed a notice of violations with the town last week over the dumping of waste in April at the Department of Public Works storage area on North Turnpike Road. The area is in an aquifer protection zone, and the waste, which included some oily substances, raised concerns about potential effects on ground water and nearby wetlands.

The notice says that the Emergency Incident Field Report confirms that a town truck transported solid waste that was dumped at 91 North Turnpike Road, a town storage area also known as “the dog pit.” The DEEP said in late April that the material, including the oily substances, tested as nonhazardous, according to state standards.

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesman Dennis Schain said Wallingford Public Works crews were moving materials collected during various cleanup and maintenance activities and stockpiling them at 91 North Turnpike Road, which is a solid waste permitting violation.

“They don’t have proper permits and authority to bring those materials to that address,” Schain said. Dumping activities have since been shut down.

He said DEEP has already discussed the issue with town officials. The town is now required to put the material into containers and send it to a commercial landfill.

Though the material was ruled nonhazardous, Wallingford’s aquifer regulations identify hazardous materials as “any oil or petroleum” as identified by state statute. The level of Extractable Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the material was 1,682 milligrams per kilograms, higher than the reporting level of 50.

State statute requires anyone who unloads oil, petroleum or chemical liquids to report the spill or unloading. Any person who fails to make a report may be fined up to $1,000, and the employer maybe fined up to $5,000. The town has 30 days to respond to DEEP in writing about compliance, Schain said. A civil penalty up to $25,000 is applicable to the violation, however, Schain said that if municipalities work with DEEP, fines normally aren’t imposed.

Wallingford resident William Comerford noticed the material at 91 North Turnpike Road on April 8 and reported it to Environmental Planner Erin O’Hare. Comerford said he took a video of what he found that day.

Comerford brought the video to the attention of the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission during its meeting June 5. Commissioner Jim Heilman wanted to see the video, but Chairman Jim Vitale thought the video should go to DEEP and chose not to show it.

“The gentleman had information I felt was important ... he was describing a situation of potentially significant impact to wetlands and the public water supply, possibly an intentional release,” Heilman said.

Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. said the only issue that’s important about the spill is that the material was nonhazardous.

Comerford filed another complaint over 91 North Turnpike Road with O’Hare on May 30, saying that he saw a sheen at the base of the wetlands. O’Hare went to the site that day and again June 4. She saw what DEEP determined to be a naturally-occurring bacteria common in wetlands and landfills.

She saw no obvious evidence of release and saw no dead vegetation, which would have been a clear sign of contamination.

Joseph Mrowzowski of the Water Division also went to the site, and O’Hare said he determined that there was no contamination in the wetlands and no need to test the water levels. Water Division General Manager Roger Dann confirmed that.

Wallingford residents with polluted wells may get town water soon

As published in the Record Journal Tuesday June 18, 2013

By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz

WALLINGFORD - The State Bond Commission is expected to approve a $225,000 grant for the town on Friday, said state Rep. Mary Fritz. The money will pay for extending public water to five houses in a South Broad Street neighborhood.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection tested residents’ wells between 1171 and 1179 S. Broad St. in December 2011 and found dangerous levels of trichloroethylene in five of them. Commonly used as an industrial solvent, the chemical can damage the central nervous system when inhaled. The agency installed filters on the wells to clean the water of contaminants, and residents have been working to get access to the town water supply.

“I knew how serious it was,” Fritz, D-Wallingford, said of the contamination issue.

For the past few months, Fritz said, she has stayed in contact with residents in the area, assuring them that she would try her best to secure funding. Harold Lincoln, of 1175 S. Broad St., and Nicholas Sherwood, of 1179 S. Broad St.,have been the most outspoken of the residents with contaminated wells. Both have said they would like the source of the contamination to be investigated. But DEEP officials have said there are too many potential sources to warrant further investigation.

“This whole area was once all silver businesses, and that’s what you have,” Fritz said of water and soil contamination in the neighborhood.

Lincoln and Sherwood, who could not be reached for comment on Monday, have said they’d like a connection to the public water supply. But “getting town water will only solve part of the issues at hand,” Sherwood said via email in early May. “I still won’t know if our soil is polluted. And our home values are still going to suffer from all of these issues, whether they are fixed or not.”

It was Sherwood’s explanation of his family’s situation, expressed through emails, that Fritz said kept her committed to helping residents in the neighborhood.

Fritz said she invited several town officials to the Bond Commission meeting, to be held Friday at 10:30 a.m. in Room 1E of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Fritz said that once an item is put on the commission’s agenda, there is little doubt it will be approved. Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. could not be reached for comment on Monday.

But Roger Dann, general manager of the town’s Water Division, said Monday, “This is not a done deal by any stretch.”

Of the $225,000, Dann said,“We would need to see what strings, if any, come attached to that” before proceeding with construction plans.

The closest water main is in the condominium complex behind the houses, Dann said.

Fritz said the grant amount comes from an estimate put together by the town and is intended to cover the total cost of construction. The entire project can be performed by the DEEP, Fritz said, adding that she is working to make sure a crew will come to Wallingford once the funding is approved on Friday.

“I think they should be happy,” Town Councilor Craig Fishbein said of the residents who may now be hooked into town water if the grant money is approved.

“I guess it’s not surprising what priorities government chooses to use our tax dollars for,” Fishbein said.

“I am so thrilled,” Town Councilor Nick Economopoulos said when informed of the potential funding on Monday. Economopoulos and Town Councilor Jason Zandri have both advocated for families in the South Broad Street neighborhood.

“Obviously I’m thrilled that (Fritz) has been able to get those funds for the families,” Zandri said. “I think it’s the right thing to do.”

“I think (Fritz) did an outstanding job,” said Town Councilor John Sullivan. “She stuck with it even though sometimes residents displayed concern.”

“It’s always hard getting money, especially in these times,” said Fritz.

MISSING BOY FROM 2002 FOUND

I received this very good news today as a part of the follow up from my original post "Special Request regarding child exploitation / missing child investigation" and I wanted to share it with everyone

Good Afternoon,

We wanted to update everyone that assisted us during the course of our search for a missing boy from 2002. We are very happy to say that we found the boy yesterday! We very much appreciate all the help that you provided, although we cannot offer any details of the boys identity we can tell you that the boy is fine.

This does highlight the importance of the work that was done and for your contributions we are most thankful.

Thank you again, your assistance was very helpful and we value our relationship with you.

 

Special Agent in Charge
Department of Homeland Security
Homeland Security Investigations
10 Causeway St, Suite 722
Boston, MA

COMPTROLLER LEMBO REPORTS $164.8-MILLION SURPLUS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013

Comptroller Kevin Lembo today announced that the state’s financial outlook has improved and the Fiscal Year 2013 will likely end with a surplus of approximately $164.8 million, based on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

The surplus would reach approximately $212.3 million on a modified cash basis accounting.

 

In a letter to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Lembo said this projection shows a slower overall rate of General-Fund spending growth of about 2 percent over last fiscal year. General Fund revenues for Fiscal Year 2013 are estimated to increase at a 3.6 percent rate over last year.

 

Lembo cautioned that the surplus is good news for the current fiscal year, but is largely attributed to unreliable revenue sources that the state may be unable to count on in the following years.

 

The surplus results from an improved revenue outlook and spending restraint,” Lembo said. “Deficit mitigation efforts, constraints on payroll growth, and fringe benefit budget reductions have contributed to the slower overall rate of spending growth.

 

“Double-digit growth in the estimated and final payment components of the income tax associated with strong capital markets and tax changes, as well as windfalls in the inheritance and estate tax, are driving the gains in receipts.”

 

As Lembo cautioned last month, “These revenue gains are welcome, but have the potential to be one-time windfalls. The slow rate of the economic recovery continues to present budget challenges.”

 

Economic data from federal and state Departments of Labor and other sources show:

• The state added 6,300 payroll jobs in April. Over the 12-month period ending in April, the state has had six months of job gains and six months of job losses. The net result over that period has been a gain of 10,800 jobs.

• According to the Department of Labor, Connecticut has recovered 57,500 positions or 47.4 percent of the 121,200 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs that were lost in the state in the March 2008-February 2010 recession. The jobs recovery is now 38 months underway. A recession in the 1990s resulted in a state job loss of almost 160,000 payroll positions. It took 84 months to recover the jobs lost to that recession.
• The strongest job sectors on a year-to-year basis have been leisure and hospitality (+5,900), education and health services (+5,700) and construction (+4,000). The sectors experiencing the largest job losses are manufacturing (-2,500), government (-1,400), and financial activities (-2,200).
• Connecticut’s unemployment rate in April remained fixed at 8.0 percent; the national rate was 7.5 percent that month. Average weekly claims for unemployment rose in April, but remain well below the 2009 peak level.

• In 2012, Connecticut personal income advanced 2 percent, ranking the state 49^th nationally in income growth.
• The strongest growth in the New England region was in Vermont with growth of 3.4 percent. Nationally, income grew at a 3.5-percent rate in 2012. Quarterly personal income in Connecticut performed better in the first half of 2012 than the second half (the income figures for the 1^st quarter of 2013 will be available in June).
• According to the Department of Labor, average hourly earnings at $28.15, not seasonally adjusted, were down thirty-five cents, or -1.2 percent from the April 2012 hourly pay estimate. The resulting average private sector weekly pay was estimated at $943.03, down $34.52, or -3.5 percent over the year.
• The slow rate of job and income growth has had a significant impact on the payroll withholding component of the income tax.
• The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all urban consumers was advancing at a 1.1-percent rate in April.
• Housing permits in Connecticut have continued to post strong gains coming into 2013. For the 12-month period ending in April, housing permits were close to 60 percent from the same period last year. This is almost double the national growth for the period.
• According to the Census Bureau, U.S. new home sales increased 29 percent from last March. Sales in the Northeast were up 3.4 percent from April of last year. Nationally sales in April were above March levels; in the Northeast sales declined in April.
• Results for the larger existing home sales market, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), were: Nationally, April sales were up 0.6 percent from the previous month, and sales were up 9.7 percent from April of last year. Home prices were up a solid 11 percent from one year ago. Prices have increased for 14 consecutive months for the first time since the 2005-2006 market acceleration. The median time a home was on the market was 46 days based on April data, down from 83 days a year ago. Existing home sales in the Northeast were up 1.6 percent on a month-over-month basis in April. Sales were up 4.9 percent from April of last year. Home prices in the Northeast were up 5.1 percent for the year to a median price of $245,100.
• At this writing, major equity markets are up over 100 percent since January 2009. Stocks are still trading close to historical medians of price to earnings at around 18 times earnings.

S&P:

Dow Industrial Average

Consumers

• April advance retail sales were up 3.7 percent from the same month one year ago. The strongest gains were in automobiles, and non-store retailers.
• The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index hit a five-year high in May. Consumers were considerably more optimistic about the short-term outlook. Those expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased to 19.2 percent from 17.2 percent, while those expecting business conditions to worsen decreased to 12.1 percent from 14.8 percent.
• According to the Federal Reserve, consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5-3/4 percent during the first quarter. Revolving credit was little changed, while non-revolving credit increased at an annual rate of 8 percent. In March, consumer credit increased at an annual rate of 3-1/2 percent.

 

Business and Economic Growth

• Based on advance estimates, real Gross Domestic Product grew at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the 1^st quarter of 2013. This follows 4^th quarter growth of just 0.4 percent.
• First quarter corporate profit data will be released on June 26. Corporate profits advanced 6.8 percent in 2012 after growth of 7.3 percent in 2011. Net dividend distributions in the 4^th quarter of 2012 were up 23.2 percent from the same quarter a year ago.
• With respect to corporate financial reporting and related transparency issues, many investors are concerned with recent SEC rules that relax the reporting standards for subsidiary activity. At a time that investors and policy makers are seeking a more complete understanding of complex corporate structures and offshore activity, the new disclosure rules are moving in the opposite direction. This makes the work of institutional investors like state pension plans and federal and state tax policy analysts more difficult.

 

The SEC rules were discussed in a May 22 Wall Street Journal article. The Journal reported that some of the biggest U.S. companies have quietly removed hundreds of offshore subsidiaries from their public financial disclosures over the past several years. Software maker Oracle Corp., for instance, disclosed more than 400 subsidiaries in its 2010 annual report. By 2012 the list had been whittled to eight—five of which were located in Ireland. Oracle declined comment. Google went from over 100 subsidiaries reported in 2009 to zero. Microsoft, FedEx and Raytheon also shed hundreds of subsidiaries from their reporting.

The reporting change stems from SEC rules that demand disclosure only when the subsidiary activity is deemed “significant”. One result of the change is that companies limit information about offshore operations, in particular units operating in countries regarded as tax havens. For many investors, even small disclosures matter. Information about a company's subsidiaries can indicate whether its operations have diversified, how complex the company’s financial transactions may be, and how global income is moving. The lists of subsidiaries have been a reliable source for such information.

***END***

Tara Downes
Director of Communications
Office of the State Comptroller
860-702-3308

 

VIDEO – Segment of the June 12, 2012 Town Council Meeting regarding the new Wallingford railroad station

With all the discussion recently regarding the location choice for the new Wallingford railroad station as part of the state Department of Transportation’s $650 million New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail project I wanted to post that segment of the June 12, 2012 meeting.

That agenda item (number 11 for that night) Discussion and Possible Action to Adopt the endorsement of the Town’s recommendation for a new rail station location – Engineering was discussed for about an hour and ten minutes or so and the entire segment is below.

I was not in attendance for that meeting (I was away for a technical conference for work that week and it was the first of two absences I have had on the Council in total since my term began in 2012; the other was for a vacation with my kids).

It’s a long segment to watch but given the desire to get all of the information on the subject from that meeting it is a “must see” as it ties into the most recent Council meeting (as written up and reported by the Record Journal).

Location ‘set in stone,’ but much uncertain about new railroad station in Wallingford

As published in the Record Journal Sunday June 2, 2013

By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz

WALLINGFORD - The youths of the country believe in having everything at their fingertips, said John Bernick, who is managing the state Department of Transportation’s $650 million New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail project.

“The generation coming in now doesn’t necessarily want to be tied to a car,” said Bernick, a Wallingford resident. “They want to come out from their front door and have everything at their fingertips.”

That’s the point of the commuter rail project, and the reason why a new railroad station is being built in Wallingford, he said. “That’s transit oriented development.”

With the construction of a new station and the addition of a commuter rail line, there is potential for development and growth in the lower portion of downtown Wallingford, Bernick said.

“Depending on what the usage is with the rail, anything’s possible,” Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. said of the development potential around the new station, to be located at the intersection of North Cherry and Parker streets. “This is what has created a lot of the discussion and planning concerning incentive housing zone.”

The proposed housing zone will create favorable zoning regulations for developers in the downtown area, including along portions of North Colony and North Cherry streets. It has yet to be adopted by the town.

“We probably wouldn’t be having those discussions regarding the housing zone except for the rail potential,” Dickinson said.

Construction of the new station will begin at this time next year, Bernick said. The station will be the equivalent of three stories tall with 500-foot platforms on each side of the double tracks, he said. The main station will be located along North Cherry Street, and a smaller kiosk-like enclosure will be located on the opposite platform, according to designs. A glass-paned pedestrian bridge will span the tracks, connecting the platforms.

Bernick said two parking lots will provide about 220 spaces. Parking will be plentiful for the 17 round trips planned when the station is finished in 2016, Bernick said, because the lots were designed to handle the eventuality of 25 round trips when the rail is complete years later. The smaller of the two parking lots will be at the corner of North Cherry and Parker streets, while the larger parking lot will be built at what is now Cerrito’s Auto Sales, at 180 N. Colony St.

Bernick said last week that the location of Wallingford’s new station is “set in stone.”

The location

That the station site is “set in stone” didn’t stop its neighbors and town councilors from voicing their displeasure about its location and design plans during a public input session last Tuesday.

About 10 state DOT employees, including Bernick, attended the session and presented updated design plans. Most of the outcry came from residents of North Cherry Street. Concerns were mostly about traffic and security, though complaints about lighting and the type of shrubbery that will be used as a natural fence were also voiced.

“It’s just the nature,” Bernick said of residential complaints. “It’s important we understand clearly what their concerns and priorities are.”

On Tuesday, Bernick told concerned residents that he was open to personal meetings on site so that he could better explain designs. “I’m sensitive that this thing is landing in their front yard,” he said.

Town Councilor Jason Zandri said Friday that he’s worried about the new station being located in a residential area.

“I think they’ve underestimated the amount of road space they need,” he said, referring to traffic issues brought up during the Tuesday meeting.

The state DOT will look to acquire land to create easements and potentially widen roads, Bernick said. The only property that will be purchased as a whole is Cerrito’s Auto Sales. If those with property necessary to the project aren’t willing sellers, residents were notified Tuesday that eminent domain will be used. Bernick said the owner of Cerrito’s Auto Sales “isn’t a willing seller.”

The crux of traffic concerns came in regard to a commuter bus. According to current designs, a commuter bus will run down North Cherry Street and into the parking lot next to the station. Town Engineer John Thompson said North Cherry Street is narrow, and heading north, there is a bad sight line when turning left on Parker Street. A house on the corner blocks the sight line, Thompson said.

“It’s a tight intersection from a geometric standpoint,” Thompson said. “I’ve been very sensitive to these things.”

A traffic study performed by the state will help address some of these issues, Thompson said. He said he speaks regularly with Police Chief Douglas Dortenzio about traffic issues to make sure “what is proposed meets with our needs.”

Thompson also said that it’s not certain a bus will travel down North Cherry Street. The bus, he said, is a part of the design he supports to create a transportation hub.

Bernick said the original plan was for a bus pull-up on Old Colony Street to loop in and out of the station, but he was then asked by the town to add the stop on North Cherry Street.

“We can just do away with that,” Bernick said.

Town Councilor John Sullivan said “the first concerns I have are towards the residents in the area. The second concern is certainly safety. It seems to me they’re not committed to having someone on patrol down there. They’re going to use cameras rather than a person.”

Town Councilor Craig Fishbein said that the project’s design to dim lights at night and provide shrubbery to block the view into parking lots creates “a darkened roadway that is just calling for crime.”

Bernick said only the town of Westport has any form of security provided by the state or Amtrak, patrolling day and night. “Anywhere else, there’s no cop,” he said.

The station is designed for routine patrol, so police cruisers can easily drive through and see if the station is safe, Bernick said. That’s why, he said, the station is designed with plenty of glass paneling.

“You want to be able to see what you’re walking into before you get into it,” he said.

Cameras will be installed to watch for trouble, such as vandalism. Bernick said video will help give police a chance to catch perpetrators. Town councilors Tuesday night complained that they do not want to have to rely on the already short-staffed Wallingford Police Department to provide constant security in the area. Bernick said that in Meriden and Waterbury, police cruisers will be equipped with video feeds from cameras in their train stations. Bernick said emergency phones will be installed in the parking lots and station in Wallingford.

“There’s so much that I disagree with this,” Town Councilor John LeTourneau said of the new station. “This is going to be an absolute nightmare. Anyone who lives in that area will tell you, they’re so off-base on this, it’s really unbelievable.”

“The location is not the end of the world,” Town Councilor Tom Laffin said Friday. “The way they’re doing it is wrong.”

Fishbein said that he’s been against the rail project from its very beginning. Bernick told Fishbein Tuesday that between 250 and 300 people will board the train from Wallingford per day. With 17 round trips, Fishbein said that’s only about 10 people from Wallingford on every train.

“I see it to be an ultimate waste of our tax dollars,” Fishbein said.

The decision

While a majority of town councilors voiced their concern over the location of the new station Tuesday night, on June 12, 2012, the same council voted 5-2 to approve the location.

Zandri and Town Councilor Rosemary Rascati were absent from the meeting. LeTourneau and Sullivan cast the dissenting votes.

Several councilors were upset Tuesday night when Bernick said that it was the Town Council’s choice to build the station where it’s currently slated. “For them to say they really didn’t vote on this, I was troubled by that,” Thompson said of the council. That night in June, Thompson said, he made a three-hour presentation on two options: either the North Cherry Street location, or an alternate originally proposed by LeTourneau at Judd Square.

Thompson said he went through the issues for both locations. A working group formed by the mayor — including the fire and police chiefs and employees from the planning and zoning and engineering departments — felt that the Judd Square location presented safety issues, Thompson said. The main issue, he said, was that because the location was in an area of congestion, there could be problems with emergency vehicles. Due to design standards, gates at crossings would remain lowered for a longer period of time if the train station were built at Judd Square. This brought about concerns for fire and police personnel trying to respond to emergencies, Thompson said. Also, the Cerrito’s site offers more parking, so a parking garage isn’t required, and half the land to be developed for the station on North Cherry Street is already owned by Amtrak.

“We did present both options,” Bernick said.

Thompson said that if Judd Square were the council’s preference, the state DOT “would have gone with that.”

“No, I don’t believe that,” Zandri said. Sullivan also didn’t agree; nor did Fishbein, Le-Tourneau and Laffin.

Laffin said that all seven councilors attending last June’s meeting have the same memory of what happened: that no matter the vote, it was only a suggestion the state DOT would take into consideration.

“No matter what we voted, it wouldn’t have made that much of a difference,” LeTourneau said. “At the end, they would have gotten what they wanted.”

“The state asked for our suggestion,” Dickinson said. “Technically, the town did suggest the site. Ultimately, the state had to decide where it has to go.

“I suppose the council could have gone another direction ... I understand there’s desires for different locations for different reasons,” he said.

While Thompson said no location is perfect, the properties around the new station will eventually be some of the most valuable in Wallingford.

Bernick said last week that he could envision street-front properties being built near the station on Old Colony Street, possibly creating “another Main Street.”

“It’s a monster,” Bernick said of the project. “It’s going to feel good when it goes into service.”

 

Courtesy of Connecticut Department of Transportation

Site plan shows new railroad station, parking lots, and existing structures in Wallingford.

Courtesy of Connecticut Department of Transportation

Artist’s rendering shows the North Cherry Street side of the proposed railroad station in Wallingford.

Photos by Christopher Zajac courtesy of the Record-Journal

Democrat gets jump on Town Council race

As published in the Record Journal Thursday May 30, 2013

By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff aragali@record-journal.com (203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz

WALLINGFORD — More than a year ago, a town councilor asked local resident Dana Camp to attend a meeting so he could publicly state his views on a certain topic. When Camp attended the meeting, his first, in January 2012, he was disappointed by how quickly an issue he felt strongly about was dismissed.

Since then, Camp has become a regular at Town Council meetings, keeping an eye on issues.

 

“I like to stay informed,” Camp said. “I want to know what’s happening in the community.”

 

But Camp said he hopes to be more than an informed citizen in the near future. Camp, a Democrat running for Town Council, hopes to become an informed decision-maker.

 

“I decided to dive into it,” Camp said about his run for Town Council. “I see there’s room for more improvement.”

 

At 28, Camp is younger than any current Town Council member. A lifelong Wallingford resident, he graduated from Southern Connecticut State University eight years ago with the goal of becoming a math teacher. A unique opportunity, hesaid, led him, instead, to start his own business. For the past seven years, Camp has owned and operated Business Integrated Technology Solutions. The business, at 350 Center St., specializes in consulting for the information technology industry.

 

“I’m definitely an advocate for technology,” Camp said. “But I understand that’s not the only thing that will make a difference in this town.”

 

To improve Wallingford, Camp said he believes in creating a culture of accountability,“from the mayor and department heads on down.”

 

“People want to call it micromanaging,” Camp said. “I think it’s managing properly.”

 

Town Clerk Barbara Thompson said Camp filed paperwork with her office on April 10, officially launching his candidacy. Thus far, he is the only candidate to file with the town. Candidates must have all paperwork into the Town Clerk’s office by July 10, in time for Republican and Democratic electoral caucuses to be held on the evening of July 17.

 

By filing early, Thompson said,Camp is not waiting for Democrats to endorse him at their caucus.

 

“He’s looking to fundraise ahead of time,” she said.

 

“I decided it was important to get an early start,” Camp said. “If we wait till the caucus, we only have a few months left to get mobilized.”

 

Camp said he also understands he’s “the new kid on the block,” and needs to start his campaigning early if he wants to be successful. To begin garnering name recognition, Camp said he plans to knock on a lot of doors. He also has started handing out small water bottles at public events. He said he handed out about 100 water bottles with a label that contains his website, www.danacamp.com, during the Memorial Day parade last weekend.

 

Thompson said Camp filed his candidacy with an exemption, meaning he can raise a maximum of $1,000. Thompson said a candidate who files with an exemption can re-file after reaching the fundraising limit in order to collect more money. According to Camp’s last filing in April, he hasn’t yet raised any money for his campaign. He doesn’t have to file his fundraising efforts again until July 10.

 

Camp said he hasn’t yet held any fundraising events, but hopes to.

 

“What that takes is getting outthere and introducing myself to people,” he said.

 

If Camp is not endorsed by the Democratic Party on July 17, he can petition onto its ballot or run as an unaffiliated candidate, Thompson said.

 

“He’s the kind of people that we really need to be involved in the political system and government,” said Democratic Town Chairman Vincent Avallone, citing Camp’s youth, intelligence and passion.

 

“And at this age, to want to be involved to make your town better; I really like Dana a lot.”

 

Avallone said Camp has a lot of potential as a future politician in Wallingford, but said currently he is not well known around town.

 

Republican Town Chairman Bob Prentice said he will learn more about Camp when campaigning begins.

 

"I don’t know anything about him at this point,” Prentice said.

 

Camp shows commitment to the town by showing up at almost every Town Council meeting, Avallone said. He also stays up to date on Board of Education activity.

 

“It really is encouraging,” Avallone said.

DOT’s train station plans bring out detractors

As published in the Record Journal Wednesday May 29, 2013

By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz

WALLINGFORD — During a public information session Tuesday night, residents and town councilors showed displeasure with plans for a new train station proposed by the state Department of Transportation.

As part of Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, John Bernick, project manager for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail, presented designs for the new station, which will be near the corner of Parker and North Colony streets, about a half mile away from its current location between Hall Avenue and Quinnipiac Street.

“I’m not really agreeable to the location,” Town Councilor John Sullivan said. “I like the design of the station.”

Six residents of North Cherry Street, adjacent to the proposed station, and some residents of the surrounding area told the eight state officials present Tuesday that oppose the location.

Those who spoke said they were concerned about traffic issues on North Cherry Street. Commuter buses will shuttle rail users to and from parking lots. Residents said they felt the buses would struggle to navigate the narrow street.

They also expressed concern over lighting from the station. Plans call for the widening of a portion of North Cherry Street, as well as the planting of mature trees to help mitigate lighting issues for residents. Plans also call for the purchase of several properties in the area, including one that currently houses a business. Residents were told that properties can be taken by eminent domain.

Bernick told concerned residents that he was willing to schedule personal meetings.

“I know they probably won’t sleep soundly tonight with all this new information, but at least it’s information they have,” Sullivan said.

Construction of the three-story station will begin early next year, Bernick said. The design calls for two parking lots with about 220 parking spots. Also, a 500-foot platform will be built, as well as a pedestrian walkway to cross the tracks.

Service will launch in late 2016, with 45 minute peak-hour and hourly midday service between New Haven and Springfield, Mass. The railway will provide 17 round trips daily, with the potential for 25 round trips in the near future, Bernick said. Estimates show, Bernick said, that 250 to 300 Wallingford residents will ride the commuter trains daily.

“This is the worst place for this,” Town Councilor John LeTourneau said. “This is a mistake for Wallingford that will affect us for the next 50 to 100 years. It’s a mistake.”

“I think the train concept is a boon to the town,” Town Councilor Jason Zandri said, adding that he, too, has concerns with the stations location. “I probably would have liked to see this farther down in Judd Square.”

A station at Judd Square was one of the alternate proposals brought before the town, Bernick said, adding that it had been a decision of the Town Council to build a station at the new location.

Councilor Craig Fishbein took offense to the statement by Bernick, arguing that “we were not presented with Judd Square” the last time town councilors met with DOT officials about the project.

Bernick disagreed, and said both site plans were presented. Fishbein said he would give Bernick the benefit of the doubt, but would look back at the video from the meeting.

Security issues at the new station were also discussed. Phones that dial 911 directly are to be installed in parking lots and at the station, according to the plans. Cameras will also be installed, but Bernick said it’s impossible to stop all crime.

“Crime could happen, yes, correct,” Bernick said in response to questions from Town Council Chairman Bob Parisi. “I want to portray this as realistically as possible.”

“There should be more money put into safety,” Parisi said.

“It’s a done deal no matter what? It’s a done deal?” LeTourneau asked Bernick on the location of the station.

“Yes,” Bernick responded.

Meriden City officials happy with ‘cloud’ email

As published in the Record Journal Wednesday May 22, 2013

By Dan Brechlin
Record-Journal staff
dbrechlin@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2266
Twitter: @DanBrechlinRJ

MERIDEN — The city made a move last year that an increasing number of municipalities and even state governments are making when it changed the way its email system is run.

The city switched its email platform to Google Apps, said Management Information Systems Director Steve Montemurro. The switch has been beneficial in time and fiscal management, Montemurro said, noting that the previous system was used primarily for email.

“We are always evaluating (information technology) infrastructure in order to increase efficiencies and to make everything more effective and reduce costs,” Montemurro said. “If I look at all of the features and weigh them, we made a smart decision using Google.”

In addition to allowing city employees to send emails, as the old Lotus Notes platform did, Google allows employees to share documents and files as needed. Specific employees can view and edit documents in the “cloud,” a system of shared computer resources accessed remotely over the Internet or through a computer network.

City Manager Lawrence J. Kendzior said retaining documents is important because of the city’s role as a government entity. He added that Google Apps makes it easier to keep records and documents in one shared location.

The email system was put out to bid more than a year ago, with the city hearing back from three systems: Lotus SmartCloud, Google Apps and Microsoft Exchange, Montemurro said. While there was not much of a difference in price, Montemurro said significant savings accrue when members of his department do not have to spend time dealing with technical issues.

“It definitely helps people become more efficient workers, as well as smarter workers,” he said.

Montemurro used the example of Personnel Director Caroline Beitman, who often has several meetings a week. Workers in her office can schedule meetings through one calendar and Beitman can access the calendar from her computer or smart phone.

The Personnel Department could soon use another feature on Google Apps: video conferencing for the interviewing of job applicants from out of state.

Forty-five state governments are now using Google Apps, according to Google. Numerous municipalities have also made the transition, including Boston, which announced its decision two weeks ago.

Wallingford Town Planner hopes for part-time help soon

As published in the Record Journal Friday May 17, 2013

By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz

WALLINGFORD — Town Planner Kacie Costello said Thursday that she hopes a part-time assistant town planner/ zoning enforcement officer can be hired as soon as possible, as she is looking for someone to help her with her responsibilities in the Planning and Zoning Department.

Costello, previously the assistant town planner, was promoted to acting town planner when Linda Bush retired in March 2012. Costello was hired as town planner in December 2012. Costello explained that the assistant town planner “has always done the majority of the town’s zoning enforcement,” while the town planner concentrates on larger projects, such as the proposal to create the Incentive Housing Zone downtown and the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development, due to the state in 2015.

In the department’s budget request this year, Costello asked that the position of assistant town planner be fully funded, at $63,309. Due to budget cuts and the lack of development, Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. decided not to fund the position and instead created a part-time position for $25,000 a year. Dickinson said the primary task would be zoning enforcement.

“There’s just not the kind of action in town for development,” Dickinson said. Most town departments, including police, fire and public works, are understaffed, he said. “The list is considerable,” he said, so reducing staff in the Planning and Zoning Department isn’t unusual.

“It’s more and more difficult to get money to pay for full staffing,” he said.

Costello said she is “doing all the assistant and town planner responsibilities, including zoning enforcement.”

Costello said she is looking forward to preparing a job description with the Personnel Department and mayor’s office as soon as possible. While she said building applications are down, “the office is still pretty busy.”

Without an assistant town planner, Costello is serving as the zoning enforcement officer, pursuing signage, building and property violations. For Costello, this leaves “less time for larger planning activities.”

“Because of the decrease in the amount of staff, I do have to spend more time answering questions at the counter,” Costello said. “We’ve had to make some big decisions in what our priorities are and how time is spent.”

Town Councilor Craig Fishbein, a Republican, said the Planning and Zoning Department’s lack of staff has been an issue.

“It’s nothing against Kacie; I love Kacie,” Fishbein said. “There’s just only so much one-person can do.”

During budget deliberations Tuesday night, Fishbein proposed an amendment that would have eliminated the part-time position and restored the full-time assistant position, but it was voted down. Councilors opposed to the amendment reasoned that the position would add about $40,000 to an already tight budget.

Fishbein said he was concerned that “there’s not a lot of people who have a planning and zoning background able to be a zoning enforcement officer,” making it difficult to fill the part-time position.

Town Councilor Jason Zandri, a Democrat who has announced plans to run for mayor in November, said staffing in the department needs to be increased if downtown improvement plans are to be successful. Zandri said people expect downtown to explode with development and popularity, but “it will not explode if we don’t do all the right things,” he said.

Zandri said the town needs staff to put time into future projects, such as the high-speed commuter rail proposed to stop in Wallingford, or the Incentive Housing Zone.

But Dickinson said he doesn’t feel the department is overloaded with long-term projects.

Regarding the high-speed rail plan, Dickinson said “there’s not a lot for the town to do on that, frankly.”

Since the town has been working on the Incentive Housing Zone for more than five years, further work is “more of a fine-tuning,” Dickinson said. “The basics are already there.”

To the point that the Planning and Zoning Department is understaffed, “nothing is ideal,” Dickinson said. “But let’s face it, nothing is ideal.”

“It’s obviously a tough decision,” Town Councilor Tom Laffin, a Republican, said of Dickinson’s not funding a fulltime position this year. “I’ve been in a position where I’ve been overwhelmed and just wanted some more help.”

Laffin said the “prudent way to really get a handle” on how much staffing is needed is to try a part-time position. If the position can’t be filled or doesn’t work out, Laffin said, he would understand the need for a full-time position, but “until then, things need to be prioritized.”

Costello said in future budgets, “I would hope we’d budget for a full-time position instead,” but stressed that she understood the budgetary decisions Dickinson had to make this year due to the lack of state aid.

Dickinson said the position could possibly become fulltime again if there is an increase in workload. “Anything can be potentially adjusted,” he said.

Downtown rezoning recommended for Meriden

As published in the Record Journal Wednesday May 22, 2013

By Dan Brechlin
Record-Journal staff
dbrechlin@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2266
Twitter: @DanBrechlinRJ

MERIDEN — A plan that city leaders hope attracts residents, businesses and development downtown was recommended by the City Council’s Economic Development, Housing and Zoning Committee Tuesday night.

The committee voted 4-1 during a 3½-hour meeting in favor of changing zoning regulations in the city’s center. The modifications will create five zoning sub districts to streamline the approvals process for development and create a more pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented area.

“What we’re trying to do is put this ordinance in place to encourage development going forward for just before or just after the rail service opens,” City Manager Lawrence J. Kendzior said, alluding to an improved rail line scheduled to open in 2016. “A lot of things are actually happening.”

City Councilor Dan Brunet was also the only dissenter to the overall plan.

The state Department of Transportation has made a significant investment in the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail line. With Meriden a stop along the way, officials have coordinated a downtown improvement plan that includes a new park at the Hub site, upgrades to traffic flow and improved housing.

In order for development to occur, city officials targeted zoning as an issue because it inhibits construction and delays the process of opening some businesses. It has also created a parking issue, with too many spaces required per unit being constructed.

In many cases, the new zoning regulations decrease parking requirements and hasten the approval process through the city planner. It also conforms the five districts to ensure that buildings appear to fit in the area, and that only certain types of businesses and operations are in the same areas.

A key discussion involved the razing of Mills Memorial Apartments, a 140-unit, five-building, low-income housing development. The Meriden Housing Authority has been looking at redeveloping the property for several years and is seeking the financing to do so. The MHA would be responsible for coming up with a plan that explains how it would relocate all 140 units within the city.

In order to ensure financing could be secured, MHA Executive Director Robert Cappelletti encouraged the committee to amend a specific requirement in the Historic- Commercial sub-district along West Main and Colony streets. As written, developments that include replacement units would require 80 percent of the units to be affordable housing and 20 percent to be rented at market rate. Cappelletti requested it be shifted to a 90-10 percent split.

“This is critical for the success of our ability to develop these construction projects and critical to the redevelopment of the Mills,” Cappelletti said.

Brunet was the lone dissenter in the committee’s 4-1 vote to recommend a change to 90-10 percent. Brunet said he doesn’t want any more affordable housing units downtown, because it could affect public perception of the area. Kendzior also disagreed with changing the percentages, stating he thought financing could be secured without it.

Councilor Brian Daniels noted that the MHA is proposing an 80unit development at the corner of Colony and Church streets as part of the redevelopment plan. Shifting the percentage by 10 points would mean only eight more affordable housing units. He added that the plan could also lead to the DOT funding a 200-plus-vehicle parking garage.

“If we miss this opportunity because we are worried about eight units ... when this opportunity is lost, the people of Meriden are going to look at downtown and see the same downtown people have been looking at since 1999,” Daniels said.

Some minor changes were made to the zoning regulations, which included an amendment that would allow mortuaries in any of the zoning sub-districts. Another amendment approved Tuesday exempts Rockfall Business Park, at 29 Cooper St. and 80 Cherry St., from the zoning regulations. The Rockfall owners said they did not believe their industrial business fit in the guidelines and the committee agreed.

Wallingford budget passes with additional cuts

As published in the Record Journal Thursday May 16, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz

WALLINGFORD — In adopting Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr.’s $147.4 million budget Tuesday night, the Town Council approved additional cuts to an already tight Board of Education budget.

 

Dickinson revised his initial spending proposal last week, cutting expenditures by $531,411 from his initial $147.94 million request in early April. Spending cuts were made by Dickinson to counteract a reduction in state aid by the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee. Of the cuts made to the budget, the largest was $279,411 in funding to the Board of Education.

 

“Is this something I’d hope we’d be doing right now? Absolutely not,” School Superintendent Salvatore Menzo said on Wednesday. “It’s not going to be easy.”

 

Menzo prefaced comments about his concerns by saying he has the “utmost respect for the mayor and the tough position he’s in.” Menzo said that while his job and that of theBoard of Education is to secure as much funding as possible for the school system, “we have to balance that with the realization we are a member of a community.”

 

If Dickinson needs to reduce funding to the Board of Education to create a balanced budget, “we’re going to make that happen,” Menzo said. “I have to trust his decision is the right decision.”

 

The Town Council passed the 2013-14 budget just before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday after a six-hour meeting. It reflects an increase of $2.27 million over the current fiscal year and will raise the tax rate to 26.22 mills, up 0.24 mills. Dickinson said that the owner of the average residential property, assessed at $191,000, will pay $5,008 in property taxes, compared to $4,962 under the current rate, an increase of $46. A mill equals $1 for every $1,000 in taxable property value.

 

Besides the Board of Education budget, Dickinson, a Republican, also cut seven projects in the Public Works and Engineering Department budgets in order to adjust forreduced state aid. The second largest cut was $110,000 necessary for the comptroller’s office to perform revaluation.

 

“Very little of anything here is not something that is needed,” Dickinson said of the revised cuts made to the budget. “None of these things are easily thrown away. It’s under the pressure of finding $500,000 to balance a budget.”

 

Due to the budget cut and increased expenditures, Menzo said the Board of Education needs to make up about $550,000 in its budget.

 

“My goal is not to stir up alarm,” Menzo told councilors Tuesday night. “There will be most likely some initiativesthat won’t be able to move forward and we will have to reduce the things we’re doing at present.”

 

Menzo said Wednesday that the board may consider reducing the purchase of technology by $400,000 and development of curriculum by $150,000 to balance its budget.

 

Town Councilor John Sullivan, a Democrat, was opposed to cutting the Board of Education budget any further and proposed an amendment to reappropriate money to the board.

 

“What’s important to us in this town? Education,” Sullivan said. “Next to public safety, it’s education.”

 

Sullivan said he would rather see the tax rate increased to offset reductions in state aid than cut money for education. But Sullivan’s amendment failed because a majority of councilors couldn’t support an additional tax increase.

 

“I think the tax increase here is too much as it is,” said Fishbein, a Republican. “I can’t support expenditure without an offset in the revenue.”

 

Fishbein proposed five budget amendments to offset reductions in state aid through different avenues than the mayor, the largest of which would have reduced the library’s budget by $200,000.Fishbein reasoned that the library has accumulated a $500,000 surplus and could afford the cut. None of Fishbein’s amendments passed.

 

“I’m just not comfortable supporting any additions to the budget” due to the fluid situation with state funding, said Town Council Vice Chairman Vincent Cervoni, a Republican.

 

Town Councilor Jason Zandri, who supported Sullivan’s amendment, said increasing the tax rate to balance the budget instead of cutting education money would only mean an additional $5 a month for the average household.

 

“The lesser of the two evils here is to charge a little more in taxes,” said Zandri, a Democrat.

 

Town Councilor John Le-Tourneau, a Republican, suggested the town use reserve funds in order to restore the Board of Education budget, but Bowes said using reserves would not be prudent since the town already used $4.3 million in reserves to balance the mayor’s original budget proposal.

 

“We’ve got to get ourselves off that reliance,” Bowes said.

 

“Now is the time to use it,” LeTourneau responded, referring to the reserve, or “rainy day” fund. “It can’t pour any more than it is right now.”

 

Responding to LeTourneau’s point, Dickinson said “inevitably I’m going to disagree,” reasoning that the state’s tendency to spend is what caused cuts in aid to the town in the first place, and “we shouldn’t repeat it here.”

 

The council took two separate votes to approve the budget. On the revenue side, the budget passed 7-2, with Economopoulos and Zandri voting no. On the expenditure side, the budget passed 5-4, with Economopoulos, Fishbein, Sullivan and Zandri voting no.

 

Dickinson said that he was told by the town’s legislative delegation an additional $1.2 million in state aid to the town “is still under discussion.”