MINUTES - Watertown · Web viewI realize that the culvert is still going in supposedly and it’s still going to affect all of my property cause they have to get into my property

MINUTES

WATERTOWN TOWN COUNCILREGULAR MEETING

POLK SCHOOL LIBRARYMONDAY, MAY 5, 2003, 8:00 P.M.

PRESENT: Elaine AdamsLee Archer, ChairmanRaymond Hebert, Jr., Vice ChairmanRobert KaneJean KingRaymond PriminiPaul RinaldiPaul ValentiRichard Wick

ABSENT: None

OTHERS PRESENT: Frank Nardelli, Assistant Town Manager/Finance DirectorMeredith Robson, Town Manager

1. Call Meeting To Order

Mr. Archer, Chairman, Called the Meeting to Order at 8:00 p.m.

2. Roll Call

Ms. LaForme, Board Clerk, executed the Roll Call.

3. Pledge of Allegiance

Mr. Archer, Chairman, led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Ms. King: Watertown lost two remarkable women in the past week and I want to take a moment and remember both of them.

Eileen Mills, Mrs. John Mills, who was a teacher in our community and a leader for as long as she was here, I guess, did a number of wonderful things for kids in our Town.

Watertown Town CouncilRegular MeetingMay 5, 2003Page 2

The other one was Alma Roberts Giordan, who also was a teacher in her own way as a remarkable writer. I remember her particularly because about 5 years ago at a meeting of the Board of Education she came forward when they were talking about what to name Trumbull School and a lot of people were saying it should be Middle School because it’s in the middle of Town, and it should be this or that, and she got up and very succinctly helped us all remember all of the history of John Trumbull, which is much more than that little sign that says Poet of the American Revolution, and said among other things that if we name the school after him our kids will learn about him too, and I remember that particularly.

So those are two people who have had wonderful long lives in our Town and they will be missed.

4. Public Participation

Leo Buonocore, Capewell Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Mr. Buonocore: I asked some questions a few weeks back, I’m still waiting for an answer. Meredith, did you get any information on lawyers for me? If I come to see you could I have that information, how many lawsuits are pending in Town?

Ms. Robson: Well the Attorney is still working on the updated list but he he’ll have that to me shortly and I can go over that with you when you come in, but I have a web site even that you can check with the courts. Whenever there is a judgment regarding a suit in Town it’s on this web site apparently. Randy gave me the web site so I can give that to you.

Mr. Buonocore: Was there a lawsuit that was dropped, that was settled that happened a couple of weeks ago?

Ms. Robson: Yes.

Mr. Buonocore: Could I get a figure on what it was settled for?

Ms. Robson: It wasn’t settled, it was dropped. If it’s the one I’m thinking of it was dropped.

Mr. Buonocore: I’ll talk to you about that one. On the empty school buildings, again, glad to see you recommended one of them for a post office.

Mr. Archer: I did?

Mr. Buonocore: I read it in the paper.


Mr. Archer: I don’t think I did. Nancy Johnson was in Town on Friday and she came to look at our post office facility that we were talking about at the last meeting and just how we outgrew it 20 years ago and it’s sort of a traffic congestion problem on Woodruff Avenue and she had said that post office building projects are pretty much frozen right now and she said you may have more luck if you wanted to rehab an old building, and I suggested that there were a couple of industrial buildings in Town that were empty.

Mr. Buonocore: I thought I saw school building. I could be wrong too you know. It was a good idea. I mean we’ve got a post office in Oakville that’s in very bad shape; even if we put our post office in Griffin School which would be an improvement.

Mr. Archer: The only thing she said about rehabbing an old building for use as a post office is that the local municipality would have to do the rehab and then lease it back to the postal service.

Mr. Buonocore: Well in these days it’s going to be tough to do anything, State-wise or Government-wise. Amity is voting again tomorrow by the way. I just wanted to remind you. I get up here just to remind you about these two empty school buildings and every week that goes by is a week that something else is happening in these buildings, and when I go by Griffin School and I see another broken window we’ve got to do something fast on these buildings.

Mr. Archer: We’re this close. Stay tuned.

Mr. Buonocore: I will. I want to remind the Council that we have a thing for the former Miss Watertown Thursday night at Cavallo's, it’s a fundraiser. She has Cancer and she has a little child, and we’re giving her a fundraiser at Cavallo's, and if any of you people on the Council would like to be there, it would be from 4:00 to 7:00 Thursday night at Cavallo’s. She was Miss Watertown, 1993, and she has a rough road ahead of her so we’re trying to get her a few bucks. The insurance is not that great and she’s going to a research center in Maryland and it’s costing big dollars down there. I just want to remind you if you can make it, appreciate it. Thank you.

Mr. Archer: Just to repeat again, 4:00 to 7:00 on Thursday at Cavallo’s for anyone who wants to attend.

Al Mickel, 173 DiNunzio Road, Oakville, CT 06779

Mr. Mickel: The mention of the web site was brought up tonight and I was going to bring it up earlier. I looked for the Minutes of old Town meetings and they have not been updated lately and I would find it handy if they could be updated. Thank you.


Rachel Saucier, 333 Falls Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Ms. Saucier: I have a question on the Sunnyside Avenue project, are they building a development on the top there? I hear that we’re building 18 homes up there, up above Sunnyside Avenue.

Mr. Archer: Someone mentioned that at the last meeting, but I . . . . .

Ms. Saucier: This is what I’m getting even from the . . . . .

Mr. Archer: Me, personally, I’m not familiar with that.

Ms. Saucier: Because if they’re going to put in homes up there, widen the street, put in a bigger culvert. I talked to Roy Cavanaugh and according to what he’s saying, there is a chance that they are. So if they’re going to do all this and he thinks that there’s going to be 3 inches of rain, or 3 inches of water that’s going to go down towards Skipper Avenue and it’s not going to make any difference in what they have down there, I think he’s wrong. I’ve worked with engineers. I work in a factory and I’m also salary, but I have engineers that come in my place and build things and then come to find out they build them and find out it doesn’t work they way they expected them to work. I just want to make sure that nobody gets flooded out.

I know I got together with the Town Manager and there is a meeting coming out about Sunnyside Avenue, okay, now my question is what happened to Turkey Brook? Are you people still looking into that, and with the money that’s left over? Nothing was said about the $400,000 yet, nothing was said about the $3,275,000 bonding money that went to Referendum, so what are we doing with that?

Mr. Archer: We are looking into what we can do with that bonding money that went to Referendum. At the last meeting we raised some questions about whether or not we could (inaudible) or go to Referendum again on that. I believe the early read on that is that we’d have to go to Referendum again.

Ms. Saucier: You people are working pretty fast to get to the Sunnyside Avenue project, which hits me, strikes me very funny. I’d like to know who changed the plans, first of all, because when this issue first came up, okay, the plan wasn’t to raze the building, the plan was to cut the back of that parking lot out and open up the street. That’s what the plans were originally, and I’ve been through the plans and Paul Rinaldi also knows that I’ve kept up with Phil Deleppo. It was nothing to raze the building. Nobody ever knew the building was going to be razed. These people that live in that, or work in that building, now these businesses never knew the building was going to be razed. They were told the parking lot would go in the back, in the rear, the parking lot would be gone, that’s what they were told. All of a sudden now people are changing the plans and they’re saying that they are eliminating the building.


Now I know it costs a lot of money to put a traffic light up, $25,000, but you people take out of your General Funds and give $80,000 here, or $70,000 there when you see fit that you need it some place. Well $25,000 to put a traffic light at an intersection because a building might be blocking the view to me is not a lot of money. (Inaudible) cutting through people’s properties and then they’re not going to have the land that they need also. We’re having more water come down our way because they want to put an 18 house development up above us, which will come down Sunnyside Avenue again. So I don’t see where that’s justice or fair. You people lost $500,000, and I’m mot saying all of you cause you weren’t on the Committee at the time, I’m just saying there was a $500,000 grant and it was lost. Now because the Federal government is funding 80% of this project for Sunnyside Avenue and the State is funding 20% of this project, so you people don’t have to pay nothing, it seems like this project is going through like there’s no problem.

Ms. Robson: One of the purposes of the meeting that we’re having next week is to go through all of those issues on Sunnyside, and also I’d like to extend it to Turkey Brook as well and get all of the issues out on the table. We will have our engineer there, we will have the engineer for the project itself, so all of the things that you’re raising tonight and that you’ve raised last week and that others have raised, I want to go through all of that when we meet.

Ms. Saucier: Who’s we? Are you saying me and people that live on Falls Avenue and Sunnyside Avenue?

Ms. Robson: Anybody in that area who wants to come, in fact one of the things that I was going to do tonight was mention that it’s May 12 th at 4:30 so for anybody that is interested in that project, either project, Sunnyside or Turkey Brook, I’d like to see attend the meeting, and as I said, we’ll have the Town Engineer, the Public Works Director, and we’ll have the Project Engineer as well, so hopefully we’ll have enough input so that we at least know what all the issues are. We’re not going to have answers for everything at that meeting, but at least we’ll get everything out on the table and hopefully answer at least some of the questions.

Ms. Saucier: Are you going to have the engineers that previously made the plans before this engineer?

Ms. Robson: Well I don’t know if the engineer is from Lenard . . . . .

Ms. Saucier: Right now for the design you have Lenard Engineering.

Ms. Robson: I don’t know if that has changed. Do you have . . . . I don’t know who was there originally, but I know they’re the engineer for the project now.


Ms. Saucier: What I’m asking is how can you find out who was the original engineer that started it to find out about the original plans and not the plans that are being done now?

Ms. Robson: Well I was assuming that the engineer for that group would be able to answer that, but we could certainly find that out if he’s not, or she’s not.

Ms. Saucier: Well I’d like you to find that out before the meeting, cause I’d like to know who . . . .

Ms. Robson: It may be the same engineer involved unless you’re telling me (inaudible).

Ms. Saucier: It maybe is, but I don’t know.

Ms. Archer: What’s the date and time again?

Ms. Robson: It’s May 12th at 4:30 at the Town Hall Annex for anybody who is interested. It’s next Monday.

Mr. Rinaldi: Where is this proposed development supposed to go?

Ms. Saucier: On top of Sunnyside Avenue.

Mr. Buonocore: Skippy Drewer’s property, right in back of the property.

MaryEllen Byram, 262 Falls Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Ms. Byram: I do not live there, I own the property at 262 Falls Avenue since 1979. Speaking tonight on the issue of the property that’s being razed and how long has the Town known that was going to be raised?

Mr. Archer: I couldn’t tell you, but that’s something to bring up at the meeting with Meredith.

Ms. Byram: You guys don’t read the paper?

Mr. Hebert: I’ve known about it for at least 2 years.


Ms. Byram: The paper said that Councilman Rinaldi says at least 4 years; our information from the Town is at least 6 years, and what is the Town's procedure when a building is going to be razed when it goes out to real estate, don’t they put that on the title search? Because when we looked into it they said the Town screwed up and never put it on the title search so family members of mine that I am speaking for, on behalf of tonight, Abdullah Hoza and his wife Barbara, which are both present, bought the property under the assumption that it was a free and clear building, and Councilman Rinaldi stated in the Waterbury Republican American last week that he was surprised to see new businesses going into the building. This is a family’s life here. They took over a building, 3 months ago the State told them that the building would be taken from them and it would all be handled within a 3 month period of time, that 3 months have come and gone. It’s been in their attorney’s hands. The people that are renting space from them, apartment-wise and building-wise were also told this. People are playing with their rents now because they’re under the assumption that the building is being taken. These people have rented another business on Main Street in Watertown by the Dunkin Donuts and they’re paying rent on a building where a business hasn’t gone in there because they don’t know where their life is right now. So you’re telling me that the Town didn’t know, you per say didn’t know, or nobody in this Town knew that building was going to be razed?

Mr. Archer: I’m not telling you anything. (Inaudible).

Ms. Byram: What you stated was that you didn’t know, but it’s right here in the Waterbury Republican American and it was in the Town Times this week also, that’s it’s been at least 4 years.

Mr. Archer: Yea, but I don’t know everything, I can’t know everything.

Ms. Byram: You don’t read the paper? You don’t read about the issues that are going on in the Town that you’re serving for?

Mr. Archer: I don’t have to read the paper to know what I know.

Ms. Byram: But you’re coming to these meetings, you’re representing yourself as the Chairman of these meetings and you don’t know what’s going on? Is that what you’re telling the citizens of Watertown, these are the people that are elected into, or are taking care of our Townspeople that don’t even know what’s going on in our Town?

Mr. Archer: I don’t think I suggested that at all.

Ms. Byram: Well when I just asked you the question you said you didn’t know. It’s just a lot of nobody knows anything around here, and a lot of well we forgot to put it on the title search that this building was going to be pulled.


Mr. Archer: I don’t know if that’s the proper procedure or not. I would imagine that’s probably more in the area of real estate, which of course you have to be licensed for, and I don’t have a license for a real estate agent so I don’t know the procedures on that.

Ms. Byram: No, cause when I went up to the Town to inquire about it, the Town said it was their mistake for not putting it on the Title Search. That was a property that was going to be taken for road improvements in the Town of Oakville.

Mr. Archer: Right.

Ms. Byram: So I’m asking the Town Council what are you guys on top of things here or don’t know what’s going on?

Mr. Kane: Ma’am, are you leasing the property or you bought the property?

Ms. Byram Own the property, they bought the property. The building is (inaudible).m when I introduced myself I said the subject I was talking on tonight.

Mr. Archer: We’re not going to continue this conversation if you’re going to be this combative.

Ms. Byram: I’m not being combative, I’m asking a question. I’m asking a simple question and I’m asking the Town Council, these people here who work here, do you know what’s going on in this Town?

Mr. Hebert: This project has been around, I’ve known about it for at least 3 years. (Inaudible). My opinion is if we knew the building was going to be taken for the project, so if the building was sold by somebody to someone else, without that being told to the new buyer, that’s an issue.

Ms. Byram: That’s an issue, yea, cause the State said it was supposed to be marked as a building that was in the process of being razed for Town improvements, and also when they did buy the property they were told that just the back part of the building, which was in agreement with them cause they’re not using the back part of the building which used to house the old Oakville Pizza and part of Montagno’s at one time, that was going to be taken for the culvert that was all that was needed in the process to do the Turkey Brook project, the culvert, and if you really look at it that’s basically what it is, but now there is an issue of widening Sunnyside which is still to me an issue because why is Sunnyside, did you ever go down there and sit on that corner for maybe a half hour and see how busy a street it is already at the size that it is? I still believe that a stop light there would solve a lot of issues.


Mr. Archer: It may very well.

Ms. Byram: It may but do you have to take a whole building to do that? We did call the State this past week and they said it’s the Town that wants to take it. If the Town doesn’t take it you can keep your building. You guys are saying that the State that wants to take it so there’s some discrepancy here on who wants to take this building.

Mr. Archer: Right, so were having a meeting on . . . . .

Ms. Robson: May 12th.

Ms. Byram: Yea, I’m aware of that meeting. I just want . . . . .

Mr. Archer: 4:30 at the Annex.

Ms. Byram: We’re going to have a meeting with Meredith and the engineers, you’re not all going to be there, the people that sit on this Council, and work for the Town, and work for the people that pay taxes in the Town, and a family that (inaudible) right now because 3 months have gone by, they don’t have a cent in their pocket for what they were told they were going to get, no moving fees for my cousin to move her business from that building to the place that they’re renting, that they’ve been renting for over 2-1/2 months on Main Street that is sitting vacant because they are in the middle of nowhere.

Mr. Archer: Obviously we need to, you’re absolutely right, we need to get to the bottom of it, find out what the series of events was that got us (inaudible).

Ms. Byram: Ask the State (inaudible) is this project on, off, what’s going on so this family can get on with their life. They have two young children.

Mr. Archer: Noted.

Ms. Byram: They have tenants that aren’t paying rents because they were told, the State actually went and told these people to start looking for some place else to live or house your liquor store, or house, your business because we’re taking the building. Well 3 months has come and gone and nothing has happened, except for the fact that people are playing around with them now and do you have any idea if this is going to take place? I know my cousin would like to know when do I have to move? Should I start packing? Should I not start packing? If you were in your home, wouldn’t you want to have an idea of when you had to move?


Mr. Archer: So other than having a meeting to determine and get to the bottom of this, and find out who was at fault, if anyone, what is it that you would like us to do?

Ms. Byram: My understanding from Meredith’s office was the meeting was on the Turkey Brook issue, not on the building itself.

Ms. Robson: No, it will be on everything; Sunnyside, Turkey Brook, any issue that’s related to that scenario, those projects.

Ms. Byram: Okay, cause the girl who called me last week said it was on the Turkey Brook issue.

Ms. Robson: It’s on everything.

Ms. Byram: Cause I know that I was going to address that, that’s why we were addressing the razing of the building.

Ms. Robson: It’s on everything, and precisely those things that you mentioned are the types of things that we want to go through and find out what happened.

Ms. Byram: Cause I’m a taxpayer in this Town and I don’t want another lawsuit cause that affects our taxes, but that’s about where it is with the family members right now because that’s what their lawyer informed them they had the right to do, was to sue the Town because of all the, nothing being marked or nothing being pursued the way it should have been pursued. So this is where we’re supposed to air our issues and . . . .

Mr. Archer: And you have, and that’s why we set up the meeting so that we could go through all of this (inaudible).

Ms. Byram: I wasn’t told that that part was going to be at the meeting, they said the Turkey Brook issue. They didn’t say anything about the Sunnyside Avenue razing, or fixing it, or widening it, or anything like that. You just told me that now.

Mr. Archer: Okay, at the last meeting we said we were going to set up a meeting to talk about all of these issues and we have done that. (Inaudible).

Ms. Byram: Will everybody be there, will you guys be there that day too, so you’re informed, so you know what’s going on?

Mr. Primini: I’ll be there.


Ms. Robson: Well they’ll certainly get an update, whether or not they’re able to make it. If there’s action that they need to take, certainly that will be on their plate . . . .

Ms. Byram: The only reason why I’m asking is that you guys work on this Committee and you’re sitting here and it doesn’t seem that everybody knows the issues that are going on or when they started or who was the old engineer, who is the new engineer, it kind of makes you feel, I don’t know how well we’re being represented in Town if the people we’re counting on to know don’t know. I guess I’ll just have to attend more of these meetings to find out how much everybody knows what’s going on around here.

Dave Schmaltz, 126 Sunnyside Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Mr. Schmaltz: Any way I can see any plans on what’s going to be happening before the meeting?

Mr. Archer: Are those available?

Ms. Robson: Sure.

Mr. Schmatlz: Cause I’ve heard that you’re going to be widening Sunnyside from Buckingham right to Waterbury, am I correct?

Ms Robson: I can’t give you the exact location right now, but if you call Roy Cavanaugh, our DPW Director, he can certainly provide those plans to you.

Ms. Schmaltz: I’m most interested because last time they widened it they took it from our side of the street, and next time it’s just going to be walking out our front door into the road, and that's going to devastate all of our land values.

George Valaitis, 647 Linkfield Road, Watertown, CT 06795

Mr. Valaitis: I can probably shed some light on the Sunnyside Avenue. When we walked in the Wetlands Commission, that area, the 20 homes, there are two distinct parcels together on there. Going back better than 50 years it was being farmed, the first portion of that land that lays on the north side of Sunnyside was only a hay land, they used to cut the hay. The other one, the bigger portion, where most of the homes are, that used to be corn for one reason, when it rained half of that parcel you couldn’t get in for 2 or 3 days because the water was there. When the blueprints were submitted and Conservation Scientist had marked off some areas, I questioned other areas where he had not marked off and the bottom line after they did check it out and the Town Engineer, Phil Deleppo at that time, he checked it out and he marked off quite a big area as a buffer zone because it was wetlands. That land is going to drain into a retention basin, a little bit lower near Sunnyside Avenue.


Just to tell you what problems there are going to be, we went in some back yards right in that area, those back yards are in the wetlands. The water table is even with your grass in some of those places. They have like a small frog pond and the water is running out of that one because it’s a wetland. So any water coming off that development from the street, from the roof, from the basement perimeter drains is going to come down a lot faster than before, down Sunnyside and down into Turkey Brook, and actually no detention on it so it’s going to be a sudden flooding. Widening Sunnyside will not help. My question is to the Chair and the Town Manager, in 1992 there was a proposal and a Plan, a Town Development Plan, 92 Spring I believe, and it was accepted by Council. Did anybody read the Town Planner’s report for 2000, 2001, or 2002, how the Town was developing in this area?

Mr. Archer: I’m not sure I understand the question.

Mr. Valaitis: There was a, in 92, how the Town should develop and what the Town should do. One item that really drew my attention when the budget came up because I was not at the budget meeting, I was out of Town, and in there it states that a contractor could be assessed a development fee. It doesn’t say anything about the Sidewalk Fund, don’t put the sidewalk but give us the money. He should put the sidewalk and pay a development fee. That was one item. Another item was mentioned about the computers being put in Town; that was in 1992. And I just want to know in the last 3 years, did anybody see and read the Town Planner’s report, how well the Town was progressing in these last 3 or 4 years on that plan?

Mr. Archer: Relative to computers?

Mr. Valaitis: Well relative to the general plan. There was more like acquisition of land on Route 63 north of Town for a possible water, police station and fire station, as suggestions in there, and now that parcel is being developed and I just want to know if anybody is paying attention to the Town Planner’s report?

Mr. Archer: About 4 years ago I read the Plan of Development from 91.

Mr. Valaitis: 92.

Mr. Archer: 92, sorry which of course was just funded, well we’re trying to fund in this budget the new Plan of Development.

Mr. Valaitis: And you haven’t seen the report how well the Town was conforming to that Plan? We have a Town Planner.

Mr. Archer: Right.


Mr. Valaitis: So actually the Town Planner never produced any reports in the last 10 years how well the Town was conforming to it?

Ms. Adams Could you possibly bring that report maybe to Meredith. Between us I think we might be thinking it might be different things and some of us have read some. Could you give the report to Meredith.

Mr. Valaitis: No, because I don’t have it, because nobody could have the report. Nobody says what report (inaudible) nobody produced. The only one report that was able to produce was the Town Planner, and the Town Planner I haven’t seen a report from the Town Planner in the Planning and Zoning.

Mr. Archer: I’m not familiar with this report and obviously no one has seen it so . . . . .

Mr. Valaitis: You might have thinking about another zone, but say this is where we’re progressing, and we’re not progressing in a certain way, so it does not exist. Somebody dropped the ball.

Mr. Archer: Somebody dropped the ball because they didn’t produce a plan that . . . . .

Mr. Valaitis: No, somebody did not drop the ball, not because they produced the plan, because they did not follow the plan that was suggested and saying hey we’re not following this and we’re going to get in trouble, because the Town is growing and we’re not looking into the growth areas where we’re going to be needing it and that’s spelled out.

Mr. Archer: Jean, can you help me out here?

Ms. King: Are you trying to say that no one wrote a plan, no one in the last few years has written anything down about what’s happened since 1992, or are you saying that something was written down and we haven’t seen it?

Mr. Valaitis: In 1992 it was written down how the Town should develop.

Ms. King: Right, right but nobody has (inaudible).

Mr. Valaitis: Nobody went through that, the Town is not developing according to that Plan.

Ms. King: Right, and no one has done, there isn’t anything in writing that says that.

Mr. Valaitis: No, there isn’t.


Ms. King: Thank you.

Mr. Valaitis: That’s what I’m saying, that nobody did it and say wait a minute, we are not following what was mapped out in 92, and now that’s why we have the problem.

Mr. Archer: That’s why every 10 years we fund another Plan of Development and look at where we’ve gone and change things (inaudible) necessary. That’s the purpose of having it done every 10 years.

Mr. Valaitis: I agree with you, but adjustment every 10 years, but from year 1, to year 10 there should be something in between there to say that we’re not following that.

Mr. Archer: Right, but we don’t always have control over that either.

Mr. Valaitis: No you don’t, but actually it should be flagged down that this and this is going to be changed, we don’t have the control over it, but nobody flagged down in Planning and Zoning. The same way like the last meeting, there was a special meeting, it says the Town Plan will be discussed, but before the meeting you couldn’t get what was going to be discussed in the plan. At the meeting it was passed the draft, what they called the draft and what they discussed and the draft actually was nothing in the plan, only a request for somebody to quote.

Mr. Archer: George, stop, there is no draft plan of development. We haven’t even hired a consultant yet. There is no draft plan of development. It doesn’t exist. We haven’t even funded it yet, cause the budget hasn’t passed.

Mr. Valaitis: I agree on it, but on the Agenda it says a discussion of a plan draft.

Mr. Archer: George, I’ve got to break this down into something simple, what is it you want us to do?

Mr. Valaitis: I’m just asking why there was nothing from Planning and Zoning flagged down that actually the Town has not followed, or can’t follow, or there’s some different things from 92 up until now . . . . .

Mr. Archer: So you’re saying why isn’t there like a (inaudible).

Mr. Valaitis: Why was there nothing saying that hey, we need to adjust that one because, or we’re not following what it was projected to follow, or by how much we are off from the projection.


Mr. Archer: Planning and Zoning, even from just my short experience on it, has made many attempts to try and reign in, I know you’re talking about residential development, the explosion of residential development, I’ve seen many attempts on their part to try and reign that in, unsuccessfully, so they’re well aware of it. It isn’t just all willy nilly just letting people do whatever they want. I mean they are aware of it and they have taken steps to try and slow that down. I don’t think many of them have been very successful.

Mr. Valaitis: That’s right, because there are certain things that are in that Plan that was able to help financially the situation what it is right now.

Mr. Archer: Right, but what do you want us to do?

Mr. Valaitis: I’m just questioning what the information was not admitted that it was not going through and just to caution that even with the new plan that’s going to be developed, that that should be included, that say hey, annual, biannual, whatever this Town Planner should produce to this Council and to the public where you’re drifting away from the proposed Plan so that there would be a (inaudible) at 10 years later or 15 years later you don’t get surprises.

Mr. Archer: So you mean like when we sort of buy 200 acres of land, follow the Plan of Development and it fails we can say hey guess what, you just drove us off plan? I’m not sure what . . . . .

Mr. Valaitis: No, no.

Mr. Archer: I’ll tell you what, in the discussions in doing the Plan of Development we will discuss the concept of having interim reviews of how the Plan of Development is going. I don’t think it’s a bad idea, I just (inaudible).

Mr. Valaitis: No, that should be, that should have been actually in 92 proposed that one that’s put in there.

Mr. Archer: Right, but that’s over, so we can only go forward.

Mr. Valaitis: But the only thing we can do is learn from our mistakes.

Mr. Archer: The only thing we can do is go forward, correct.

Mr. Valaitis: And that’s what I’m looking, all right? Thank you.


Don Basile, Sunnyside Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Mr. Basile: I came this evening to get some information concerning the Sunnyside project. I understand that the meeting is going to be held at May 12th at the Town Hall Annex at 4:30. That’s pretty much a working class neighborhood. Wouldn’t be in the best interests of the residents and the homeowners in that neighborhood if it were an evening meeting?

Ms. Robson: Well to be honest with you we were trying to have it as soon as possible, and I’m out literally every night for the next 2 weeks, so that was really what worked best in terms of getting a meeting scheduled within the next couple of weeks. If we want to extend it to maybe 3 or 4 weeks, we could probably do an evening meeting, but we were just trying to get it scheduled as soon as possible, and I literally don’t have an evening free.

Mr. Basile: Okay, so we’ll work around that. I have several questions. Basically this project is several years old and it all came about because of a development going on the Waterbury end of Sunnyside, is that correct?

Mr. Archer: The original genesis of this?

Mr. Basile: Who’s idea was it to widen Sunnyside and why? I still don’t understand that.

Mr. Archer: That was between the State and the Town a number of years ago. The original genesis of it I’m not entirely clear on.

Mr. Basile: Okay, so you’re not clear on it either, then? Okay. How much of Sunnyside is going to be expanded? Is it going to go all the way from the Buckingham end to the Waterbury end?

Mr. Archer: That’s what this gentleman (inaudible) I couldn’t answer that off the top of my head.

Mr. Basile: Will I be getting answers to these questions at the meeting on the 12th?

Ms. Robson: Yes.

Mr. Archer: That’s the purpose of the meeting.

Mr. Basile: And then we’ll also be able to know per homeowner how much specific yardage or frontage tentatively we’ll be losing?


Ms. Robson: You should be able to get those off the plans. I haven’t looked at the plans in any great detail myself, but that should be right on the plans.

Mr. Basile: As far as the intersection goes, I’d like to just give you my $.02 worth. My own honest opinion I don’t find the 4 way stop, the intersection of Falls Avenue and Sunnyside Avenue all that problematic. However, if some people do deem it necessary, in my opinion I think a traffic light will solve all the problems. I think a small business owner should be applauded and I think this Town should do everything to support a small business owner instead of taking their business away from them, their livelihood away from them. I don’t understand why you want to tear down a building where people are trying to earn an honest living and tenants are making it their home up above when a traffic light seems, in my opinion, to solve the problem and save money in the long run. I’m also curious to know as far as Zoning ordinances, if they take more frontage away from us, isn’t there some minimum buffer zone that we need for my own safety and security in my own home cushioning me between my front door and moving traffic? Isn’t there a minimum requirement for that?

Mr. Archer: There is a setback for new construction. I don’t believe there is a stated setback for existing, for widening of a road.

Mr. Basile: So going with that argument, going with that logic, it would be perfectly legal for the Town to put a curb right outside my front door if they deem necessary?

Mr. Archer: If you wanted to take it to that extreme, sure, I suppose, but it’s highly unlikely.

Mr. Basile: Cause a lot of us there, myself definitely, we only have a miniscule postage stamped size front yard, if you want to call it a yard in the first place. Losing even 5 feet of that would severely, I would feel my own safety and security threatened in my own home with moving traffic that much closer, and if you make the road wider, it would only promote cars to have a more excessive speed. People have a pretty heavy foot on that road as it is; give them a nicer road to drive on people will drive at least as fast if not faster. Who is the person to contact for more answers to my questions? Ray Cavanaugh?

Ms. Robson: Roy Cavanaugh. But if you come to the meeting hopefully we’ll have all of the . . . . .

Mr. Basile: If I can get out of work early enough I’ll go to the meeting. You scheduled the meeting at 4:30 in the afternoon. Roy Cavanaugh, and how can I get in contact with him?


Ms. Robson: Do you know his direct line?

Ms. Saucier: 945-5240.

Mr. Basile: Okay, I thank you for your time.

MaryEllen Byram, 262 Falls Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Ms. Byram: You mentioned Planning and Zoning, as the gentlemen before this one mentioned Planning and Zoning had no ideas that this was going on, for this widening of the road? And why would they allow people to go in and take planning and zoning permits out and building permits out to do improvements on a building that wasn’t going to be around for much longer? I know it has nothing to do with you guys sitting here, but this is the dynamics of this Town. These people knew that this building was coming down but yet they never mentioned it to the people who were taking the planning and zoning permits and telling then the building is coming down, why are you putting all of this money into this building?

Mr. Rinaldi: They were giving permits to do work on the building when they knew the building was coming down?

Ms. Byram: Yes, the building has only been owned for less than a year.

Mr. Archer: They wouldn’t have been issued by Planning and Zoning. It would have been the Building Inspector.

Mr. Rinaldi: I know that.

Ms. Byram: By both, by Planning and Zoning, Richie Fusco, Mary Greene, Moosa, yes. They had to get . . . . .

Mr. Rinaldi: I would have to get an explanation from those offices.

Mr. Archer: I absolutely believe (inaudible).

Ms. Byram: Yea, because they had to put piping in for sinks, they had to get planning and zoning permits to put in a beauty parlor, applications, Fusco had to come out cause there were walls and ceilings put up.


Mr. Archer: The building was a mess (inaudible).

Ms. Byram: Well when he brought up Planning and Zoning, like a light bulb went off, like if anybody knew this was going on, Planning and Zoning had to know, right? They should have known that this building was being taken, and how could they issue permits on a building that is being taken?

Mr. Archer: I don’t know.

Ms. Byram: What’s the recourse for that? Where would I find that out?

Mr. Archer: May 12th.

Ms. Byram: May 12th – I think we’re going to be sleeping over May 12th, cause there’s a lot of issues.

Ms. Robson: That’s okay.

Ms. Byram: There are some things in Town here, I can say from my own personal experience you know, I’ve taken out something from Planning and Zoning and it’s been almost a year and a half and they still haven’t been out. Somebody is . . . . it just makes me feel like a lot of people in our Town are not doing the jobs that they are supposed to be doing, what they’re here to do and service, and then when you ask us to pass budgets, there’s a bad taste in our mouth. I mean I don’t mind paying a couple of more dollars for something as long as I can upgrade and keep my property the way, I own 3 houses in Town. My taxes are always paid in full right up front, when the tax bill comes, but every time I want to do a little improvement, you can’t get it. The neighbor next door, his house is falling down and everything is going wrong with it, they’re going to call because I did something, because I want to do something or I want to fix something on my property and it really leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I’ve even heard it from people in this Town, you’re going to have to take out a permit to pass gas pretty soon. This came right from somebody right in that building, and I mean I want to live on my property, pay my taxes and do improvements on my property and feel that, I mean I’m getting taxed on property that I own at the end of Sylvan Lake Road, it’s 7.2 acres of land that I just got like double the taxes, but I can’t build on the land, but you guys want me to pay taxes on something I can’t build on.

Mr. Archer: I do.

Ms. Byram: I know everybody in Town wants me to, but I’m just saying when I go to look for things to do things on it . . . .


Mr. Archer: I pay taxes on land that I potentially can’t build on. I figured I’d better correct that.

Ms. Byram: I bought the land so I could make improvements on the parcel of land that I’m mainly living on. They made me go and buy that piece of land, because it was a blackmail deal, if I didn’t buy the land I couldn’t put the garage up. The guy was saying he owns the road, the Town tells me to go and have a survey done on the land, and it shows there was a paper road which I’ve since had abandoned, but I still was forced into buying all this land on the side of me just so I could complete a garage that had been existing there that was falling down that we were trying to make improvements on. So when it comes time to pass a budget or when my daughter goes to school here and when I tell her, she has a project that’s due at Polk School and it’s a mandatory project for her to do, and we’re asking for a piece of construction paper and it’s not in the budget, well then don’t give my child the project because I don’t have the extra money to put out either. They can’t give them a piece of paper, but they send home paper for everything else under the sun. You want the taxpayers to pass the budget and feel good about the budget, I get a list on the front door of the school what supplies are needed for my daughter when I just got, I just voted yes because there are little baby posters out there support our schools. I don’t think I want to vote yes on a budget for a long time after all the issues I’ve seen in the last couple of weeks that I’ve been up here, and I know a lot of other people in Town feel the same way. I just want to feel represented in my Town and I want people to know that our sitting here, I’m sure you can’t know every little issue that is going on in Town, but some of these issues are pretty big issues and you need to stay on top of them if you’re going to be representing us. Thank you.

Mr. Archer: Wait, you can’t leave yet. Before you leave you have to say one thing you like about your Town?

Ms. Byram: Let’s see. To tell you right now, I was born in this Town, I left this Town for so many years and came back because of the education system. I like my principal. I like my daughter’s teachers. All of my children have gone to school here all their lives, so I guess that’s what I like about my Town, but I would like a little bit more representation.

Michael Achlioptas, Owner of Falls Avenue Package Store

Mr. Achlioptas: Again you’ve heard it all tonight about the Sunnyside Avenue project. I’m here tonight, from what I’ve been told by the State when I was contacted about this potential project happening and me having to move, with our store project, you people are in charge, the State will do what you people say, and it’s not the other way around, so for you guys to say the State is doing this or not, not that it’s not true, but you folks, you guys have the power and are able to change any of this at any given time.


Mr. Archer: If it were a State road, (inaudible).

Mr. Achlioptas: Right, it is not a State road. That was a misunderstanding a lot of people had had because the State was involved, but anyway in talking with them again this whole project with the road, with widening it, you hear why you shouldn’t because of traffic treasons, people losing their property. There are simpler solutions which I mentioned to you at the last meeting and I know you’ve heard that already. Also with the razing of the building on the corner there, this past weekend, starting I guess Saturday, I had a bunch of people coming in who wanted to help me out, let me put my name down and help you guys out. If you want to call it a petition or what not, of many, many people that live on the Sunnyside and Falls Avenue area and/or people who work or travel on the road have relayed to me messages of #1, the razing of the building, if you’re going to raze the building for a progressive purchase, for something that’s going to be good that’s happening in the area, God Bless You, but you’re going to put a culvert in over behind the property on Falls Avenue and not fix the brook. That’s like painting a car that’s totally rusted out. It may look good for a little bit, but the underlying issue is that you’re not fixing the issues. And again putting a traffic light there would solve the problem. I’ve been there 2-1/2 years. I’m there from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, I have yet to see a car accident on that intersection. Yes, I have seen people drive through it, not stopping when they’re supposed to, but I have never seen an accident in the 2-1/2 years that I’ve been there.

And the other thing about the legality issue of whether this property was tagged as going to be razed and what not, the person that these people bought the property from is a realtor in this Town. She works with these Board members and these departments all day long and she’s licensed by this Town and she didn’t disclose that information to them or to myself, because I would not have invested my kid’s college money into a business knowing that it would be razed, I would never be involved. Again my whole issue is, I’m just speaking from a lot of people who come into my store, who are neighborhood residents who walk to my store to buy lottery tickets, soda, chit chat, whatever. I have 7 or 8 sheets of people’s names who are against #1 razing our building, cause there are a lot of other ways, cheaper methods of solving this issue, and #2, if you’re going to fix the brook and you need to raze the building, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, but to just put a culvert there that really serves no purpose other than just being there, I find that totally wrong, and for you folks who try to raise your Grand List and have taxable property and have money coming in, to get rid of a property that’s been there for 100 years and paying taxes, it was fine for the last 100 years but it isn’t fine now? You guys are in control, you have the power to change it anytime, and that’s what I’ve been told by the State, and I just hope that you guys don’t try to throw the ball at them and say well they need to do this because that’s what they need to do or else it won’t get done, it’s all in your power. You guys can change it any time and do the right thing and that’s why you guys are up here. You guys are put up here so you could stand at a higher level than us and do the right thing for the people of Watertown and Oakville, and I hope you do the right thing.


Mr. Archer: I disagree with you that we’re supposed to stand at a higher level. (Inaudible).)

Mr. Achlioptas: Well I mean we hold you to a higher standard and that’s why you’re sitting (inaudible) any one of us would be sitting there, and I just hope that you folks do the right thing.

Mr. Archer: We established last week that this whole project may not make any sense if the rest of the project downstream isn’t being done so that’s the purpose of the meeting, get all this out, and find out if this makes sense.

Mr. Achlioptas: With this project happening, I realize that 80% of it is Federal money and 20% by the State, is that how that’s working?

Mr. Archer: I believe so.

Mr. Achlioptas: So it’s not costing this Town any money per say, up front, but it’s costing taxpayers in this State money for something that really can be done a lot cheaper if need be, without wasting taxpayer money, whether it’s someone from another Town or our own tax money.

Mr. Archer: Not that the State is going to be giving it to us back.

Mr. Achlioptas: Understandably but my point is if you guys were here to run a budget and do the right thing, you’ve got to do the right thing. To waste is not a good thing either.

Ed Barkus, 110 Sunnyside Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Mr. Barkus: I’ve been an Oakville resident most of my life. I lived at Sunnyside most of that time. That neighborhood I know quite well, from being a paperboy on. Most of the properties were under the old zoning of R-75, which means a 75 foot front, 100 foot depth on the properties. That’s when Zoning came in. Prior to that many of the houses are 50 foot front, and some only 75 deep. If we’re talking about taking, as I understand the proposal to be, in the order of 5 feet on the south side of Sunnyside, most of the homes that are smaller lots are located in that area., That’s a serious amount of property percentage-wise being taken. The setbacks from the street were before Zoning, there weren’t any. 110 Sunnyside, where I was raised, had a stone wall placed by the Town when they widened the street originally in the 40’s, because the cars kept coming down the hill and crashing into the bank and bouncing up and wrecking the front porch of the house, very little setback, so they went and they put up a stone wall after putting a sidewalk on that side. The house is about 3 feet from the stone wall. That means if you take 5 feet to take the sidewalk, put a new sidewalk in, people are going to be walking inside the house, that’s how tight these houses are. This type of widening is asinine.


The other side of the street, if it had to be widened, would require a lot of excavation. It would also require that the fire hydrants and water mains on that side of the street almost the whole way up, would be an expense to add to the cost of doing the job. I’ve been a licensed professional engineer in this State. I know what the concept is when you’re laying out a plan like that to keep and minimize costs. To move those hydrants, it’s an expensive proposition, but it would be an expense to bureaucracy, but not an expense to individual homeowners. If there ever had to be widening, to do it all on that side of the street as I’ve heard the proposal is, is just unconscionable. I have trouble handling that at all, so I think that would be a very strong consideration. I just found out about this a week ago, that there was consideration of widening Sunnyside. I couldn’t imagine why. The length of Sunnyside? No. When you go to the east end of Sunnyside and you have to make the bend around that curve where 3 people have been killed in the last 15 years, yea, I think so. I myself have been in a water hazard area there and had my car spin out from under me. It’s a very dangerous area up there. It’s needs widening, absolutely. The rest of the road, I don’t know why. Not for safety sake, to allow it to handle more traffic, yes. But what’s the benefit or the reason behind handling more traffic? Is it because someone wants a development and we’re going to expend Town money to help out in the development? I’m speculating, I don’t know. I would think that would be a very unwise thing for the Council to vote for and to promote.

I’m a little concerned that this information is just coming out now. I talked to maybe 30 people that I have close acquaintanceships in the Town and none of them knew about it. It was just my daughter’s property which happened to be on Sunnyside is affected; I heard it from her, and that’s what it comes down to. I would like to know why this plan was not more publicly known? Why was it presented in the public media? I’ve heard nothing in the public media about this. How do people in Town find out about this? It hasn’t been posted that I know of, has it? Mr. Chairman, has it been posted that you know of?

Mr. Archer: This goes back a number of years, yes.

Mr. Barkus: For a number of years this has been posted, that Sunnyside would be widened?

Mr. Archer: (Inaudible) number of years ago the plan was (inaudible).

Mr. Barkus: And it was publicly posted and made public information?

Mr. Archer: (Inaudible) 4 years ago, right?

Mr. Rinaldi: Yea, there were public hearings and everything. That doesn’t mean there’s not problems with this thing; it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take a second look at it.


Mr. Archer: No, not at all.

Mr. Rinaldi: And it doesn’t mean, you know, a lot of serious issue were brought up here tonight and we’re going to have to address them. It was made public. (Inaudible) in this Town is made public. The trouble is when you go to a Public Hearing no one shows up.

Mr. Barkus: Well (inaudible) that’s going to happen again.

Mr. Rinaldi: I’m not criticizing you, I’m just telling you (inaudible).

Mr. Barkus: I understand.

Mr. Rinaldi: So here we are several years down the road and suddenly we found some problems and legitimate problems I think so we’ll have to get some answers.

Mr. Barkus: Yea, these are not problems that were suddenly crop up, they had to be from the beginning. But my problem is not having information and now I find out I’m going to be excluded from more information. I take issue with the Town Manager’s suggestion that she would be busy for the next 3, 4 weeks and wouldn’t be able to have an evening meeting. In fact, sitting next to you, a man that is your Assistant, he has a sign right on his nameplate in front of him, Assistant Town Manager, I think he should be able to represent you if you were not able. These are the types of things because if you have a working class area as this area is, and you put an afternoon meeting in, you’re excluding the people that are residents in that area, it just doesn’t work. If you want input you have to make it available to the people and you cannot have an afternoon meeting in a working area and have it available to the people. It doesn’t work.

Ms. Robson: Can I just please address that? My whole intent was to get this meeting as soon as possible. That happened to be the quickest time that we could get, to get everybody together. If it doesn’t work, if we need to try and make it a little bit later we can do that, but I literally don’t have an evening, and I want to be part of that meeting. As you’ve all said, it’s a huge project, I’d like to be part of that meeting. I literally don’t have an evening, but perhaps we can make it a little bit later, but it was not to purposely keep people from being there. It was purposely to get people there to try and get the information as soon as possible. So I apologize if people feel they’ve been excluded, it was absolutely not intended for that purpose, it was intended to get people there.

Mr. Barkus: But the logic says it will exclude. The logic itself says that.


Ms. Robson: Again, we may be able to make it a little bit later, but I will be at that meeting. This is a huge project. I want to be part of that meeting, and we’ll try and work it out to make it a little bit later. If everybody can give us a sense this evening on what time works, we’ll try and make it a little bit later.

Mr. Archer: But to come in and suggest that we’re purposely trying to exclude and to keep information from you is frankly . . . . .

Mr. Barkus: I did not say that . . . . .

Mr. Archer: You (inaudible).

Mr. Barkus: That I was being purposely excluded. I said I would be excluded. However if that’s purposeful or not, I did not declare, I did not insinuate. You misunderstood me. I’m sorry, I did not say that.

Mr. Archer: (Inaudible) you did not declare.

Mr. Barkus: Pardon?

Mr. Archer: You did insinuate it.

Mr. Barkus: Well I did not declare and I didn’t mean to insinuate.

Mr. Archer: Well you insinuated that we would work with the State to widen the road to benefit a builder. So you did insinuate that, so I don’t think it’s a far cry for me to suggest that you were insinuating that you were being purposely excluded from a meeting.

Mr. Barkus: I would take that as, that’s rather far a field, isn’t that?

Mr. Archer: Let me just, without being interrupted, let me just explain to you what I see going on here. Okay? 4 years ago there were Public Hearings on this, but nobody showed up for that, and the people up here, we are not infallible, whether it’s this Council or the one before, or the one before, or the one that comes after us, we’re not infallible. We don’t know everything, we cannot know everything, we don’t have engineering degrees, we don’t have soil conservation degrees, we don’t have, I don’t know, we don’t have formal education in those areas. All we’re trying to do is keep projects on track and if something is wrong with them then we will address that, but we need to know that there is something wrong with that. Now if nobody was paying attention 4 years ago, okay that was 4 years ago. If you’re coming to us last week and you’re coming to us this week and you’re saying there are big problems with this project, then great, so we get a meeting together as rapidly as we can, in the time available, and then what we hear is that’s not good enough. Okay? And what I hear is that although we’re trying to address the problems, that’s not good enough and there’s some sort of

conspiracy here.


See the thing is that we’re not the Town up here, you are the Town. All right? This is we, the people, this is government by the people. The only way that we can know that we are veering off in an area that is inappropriate for us to veer off into is for you to come and tell us. But the attitude of the people who are coming and telling us this is that we should know that by some sort of intuition. Public involvement in the government process is essential for it to work properly. Okay? What’s happening here is not a problem tonight, this is how it’s supposed to work. People are supposed to come and participate in their government and tell them what they need and what they want and where they’ve gone wrong. That’s essential to the proper running of a democracy, whether it’s at the Federal level, the State level, or here in little old Watertown. Okay? And to come in and insinuate that because you didn’t know the information 4 years ago that there was some sort of collusion between the State and the Town . . . .

Mr. Barkus: Excuse me, I was giving you the respect . . . .

Mr. Archer: Excuse me, I’m speaking. I ask you to not interrupt me. To suggest that there is some sort of collusion between a State agency and a Municipal agency and a private realtor, a private enterprise in this Town is at best insulting, but it goes way, way far beyond that. Okay? This is how it is supposed to work. You guys have to tell us. We’re here to do what you need and to listen to what you need, and to carry those things out. If you don’t come and tell us those things we don’t know, because we can’t know everything, we can’t be everywhere and know everything that is going on. And even though it’s the 11th hour, if there are problems with this project or any other project that we’re doing in this Town, then we need to correct that, and so we’re making an effort to do that. An I think what Meredith didn’t mention is that she’s out every night for the next 2 weeks on Town business, not her own stuff, Town business. So that was the earliest that that meeting could be scheduled. If that’s not a good time, then tell us and we’ll try and change it, but nobody has to take issue with it. You just need to tell us. That’s all.

Mr. Barkus: May I (inaudible), are you through at this moment? May I have an opportunity to respond to that?

Mr. Archer: Absolutely.

Mr. Barkus: First of all I never mentioned State, the word State or the word of the, you said State and Town management.

Mr. Archer: (Inaudible).

Mr. Barkus: I did not mention that. You made that a direct accusation; I resent that, sir.


Mr. Archer: You’re done, you’re done. The Chair no longer recognizes you; please sit. Okay? I’m not going to play semantics.

Lee Apino, 86 Sunnyside Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Ms. Apino: I feel the same way as this gentleman. I’ve lived there for 7 years and I don’t know who, how it was advertised that meeting, and it’s a dramatic impact on all of our land and I think that somebody would have been there from our road. I just can’t believe that nobody from Sunnyside Avenue showed up at that meeting.

Mr. Archer: Nobody shows up for any Public Hearings. Almost none.

Ms. Apino: I have about 15 feet of frontage, and I would have shown up.

Mr. Archer: Do you know how many public hearings I sat in and no one was there. Maybe one.

Ms. Apino: Okay, if the time changes, will that be publicized?

Mr. Robson: For those of you that are here, I mean obviously we can’t reach everybody, will 5:30 be better, will 5:30 work?

Someone in Audience: It will be better.

Ms. Robson: I can’t guarantee I can get Lenard Engineering but we’ll try and do that. I just can’t promise that he can be there at 5:30 right now, I can certainly check and try and do that, I can do that, and we can get the word out. If people want to leave, I’ll leave a list, leave their name and phone number and we’ll contact you directly tomorrow if we can make that change I’m happy to do that.

Ms. Apino: Is it going to be publicized or should I notify my neighbors?

Ms. Robson: Well the point of what I was going to try and do today because I know the papers are here is publicize it because we can’t possibly know everybody that would want to come to the meeting except for the folks that came last week, so we tried to contact some of them, but I wanted to let the paper know that we had that meeting so that people would be aware.

Ms. Apino: Okay, cause I just found out about this yesterday, so I don’t have much information.


Ms. Robson: Right, so at this point the meeting is on, whether it’s 4:30 or 5:30 we’ll have to double-check, so the paper can report that the meeting is on and for those of you that we don’t have names and numbers, if somebody is not here tonight, and is interested, and if you can’t get to them, if they call my office we’ll give them the time at that point.

Kathy Gillis, 400 Sunnyside Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779Elaine Argenta, 46 Hilltop Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Ms. Gillis: From what you’re saying is leading me to assume that everyone in this Town should go to every public meeting just in case there might be something happening in our neighborhood.

Mr. Archer: No, public hearings are always about a specific topic.

Ms. Gillis: And we would find this out where?

Mr. Archer: By State law it is posted in the paper on a regular basis.

Ms. Gillis: The Waterbury paper?

Mr. Archer: No the Town Times, and sometimes in the Waterbury paper, but they are in the Town Times which is distributed free to everyone in Town (inaudible). They are either in the special notices section, or sometimes they purchase block ads which are about twice the size of a business card that explains exactly what the topic is, has the Town logo, seal on it.

Ms. Gillis: This is not something the average person would notice. With 4 children running around the house and all the household chores and everything going on, again we have to scan the Town Times to look for these little itty bitty things in case there might be something going on in our neighborhood.

Mr. Archer: What is the alternative?

Ms. Gillis: I don’t know. You need to get it out more publicly. I don’t know. I’ve lived on Sunnyside Avenue . . . . .

Mr. Archer: They are posted at Town Hall (inaudible).

Ms. Gillis: So again we’ve got to go really out of way to find out just in case, there might be something happening in our neighborhood. The whole Town should be doing this.


Mr. Archer: As I said last week, democracy is advanced citizenship; it required your participation. I don’t know how else other than to knock on everyone’s door. I don’t know how else to do it. If you have a suggestion Id love to hear it.

Ms. Gillis Well I’ll have to put some thought in that, but while I’m up here I was living on Sunnyside Avenue the first time it was widened. It is plenty wide enough. If I had my way there would be a stop sign right near my house because the cars drive so fast, and when I complain to the Police Department and they tell me to get a license plate, that is virtually impossible because you can’t even tell what kind of car just flew by your house at 90 mph. I’ve had 3 cars crash into my stone wall which I will lose if you go through with this project. Now if that’s not there, those cars will be crashing into my house instead, because I’m right at the top where everybody really pushes it up the hill and then they just fly cross my house. I’ve lost several pets; they’re just going too fast. Yes, fix the corner, but you do not need to widen what’s already been widened and take away our property.

Mr. Archer: There are serious issues here that we’re going to get into, yes, absolutely.

Ms. Argenta: I went onto the Web site tonight to see what the Agenda was going to be and it didn’t say. It wasn’t listed, it just said Polk School from 8:00 to 10:00 but it never said.

Mr. Archer: That’s the second thing tonight about (inaudible).

Ms. Gillis: On a personal note, could you try to be a little less condescending to these other people and you might get a little more out of them, maybe participation, respect, you’ve been extremely condescending. It’s very hard for me to say that.

Mr. Archer: You weren’t here last week.

Ms. Gillis: I have things, I have a family, I can’t be here every week.

Mr. Archer: I don’t think anyone gets anywhere when they came up and the first thing they do is start accusing us and yelling at us. I don’t see (inaudible).

Ms. Gillis: Everybody is a little angry that really we didn’t know about this. And it’s already been done, it’s already been widened, like leave it alone. All the tree line was taken out, the stone walls, and so on, but anyway, the people, they just don’t know, and you can’t expect people to spend their lives scanning the Town Times just in case. We have lives, we have other things going on, and these are all working class people, and I’m sure maybe you can cancel one of your other appointments to be able to get people to come. Our whole street, one of my neighbors I told her this morning at the bus stop. She didn’t know what was going on. It’s not getting out there. I don’t know right now to tell you how to get it out there, but the information is not getting out.


Once I received a letter about someone wanting to, oh the cell tower, the first cell tower. We received a registered letter that this was a possibility that the (inaudible) Council wanted to put a cell tower up there and at least we were informed, we fought it and we won, of course there’s one there now that we were never told about but at least we were informed by mail. I think okay inform the residents by mail on that particular street. Is that so hard? I mean how many of us can there be?

Mr. Archer: Noted.

Ms. Adams: It seems to me that one of the big problems tonight is that people don’t know. We’re hearing a lot of that. If it’s at all possible, maybe Meredith could get together, this is the scope of the project, it goes from the intersection of Falls Avenue/Sunnyside all the way up to the Watertown Town line. It’s not affecting the Buckingham, or if it is affecting the Buckingham to Sunnyside. #2, as far as the widening of the actual road itself, now you’ve got quite a few sections there that are quite wide and I wouldn’t see why they would widen then anymore. If there are an people whose properties are going to be (inaudible) for all we know we could have quite a few people that’s not going to have any of their front yards are going to be taken, we don’t know at this point, buy maybe just to overview something like that and ease some concerns, and let the people know they won’t be affected, or yes it is, and they will lose maybe a couple of feet. Maybe kind of narrow it down that way.

Ms. Robson: And do what, provide a summary somehow?

Ms. Adams: Yea, some sort of summary, I don’t know, the web site would be a great place to post it if everybody as access to it.

Many people talking at once (inaudible).

Ms. Adams: Maybe for something like this we ought to start utilizing the web site so people can get information and hopefully at least we can figure out exactly what the scope of this project is and who is going to be affected. Just a suggestion.


MaryEllen Byram, 262 Falls Aveu7e, Oakville, CT 06779

Ms. Byram: Just from being at this meeting tonight, now you said that people don’t come to meetings. Now in the past for many years I have been coming to the Turkey Brook Project meetings because it greatly impacts my house and my property and I can see just from tonight’s meeting just from last week how many new faces are here that knew nothing about this and I’m not trying to point fingers, but you sometimes seem to take things out of context. This gentleman is upset because he didn’t know and they’re upset because they didn’t know. The only reason why a lot of people know now is because this is being publicized in the paper now. The Waterbury Republican is picking it up. When Turkey Brook was going on, I know as a homeowner that we would get letters telling us there was something that was going to affect that project. It was sent to our homes, so we knew, and I did attend many of those meetings up until the time, about 2-1/2 years ago I had a family member that was very ill that just recently passed away so I have been able to get back to this. I mean very recently, and that gamily member used to come to the meetings also. You’re saying this is a democracy, yes it is. When I asked you earlier how long you’ve known about the razing of the building, you weren’t quite sure either, so everybody doesn’t have enough information, not even just us as the general public, or the people who own the properties or the people who are on Falls and Sunnyside in these direct areas. Some members of the Council don’t really know, so instead of everybody getting angry with each other, let’s just work to get a solution to it.

Mr. Archer: My feelings exactly.

Ms. Byram: Pointing fingers at who didn’t know, who did know, and why didn’t we know. I mean if this is such a big project and it’s so close, I mean Meredith you were saying that you needed to get this meeting set up because it’s so close to all of this stuff happening, I noticed at the corner, at the top of Sunnyside they must be doing some surveying up there because there are some surveying posts in that corner where the house is for sale, which I would assume they’re going to take a big chunk of that land to straighten out that corner, so they’re evidently just approaching people individually and not, if this (inaudible) if this is going to affect all of Sunnyside Avenue, then each one of those homeowners should know and the people on the corner of Sunnyside and Falls. I was approached probably 6 months ago about Turkey Brook with the culvert. A gentleman from the State came out, sat there for about an hour with us and went over easement rights and different things and said we would get some type of letter in the mail about some type of money that they would be paying us for the easement that they would be taking on our property.


I realize that Turkey Brook is squashed now but the culvert is still going in. I realize that the culvert is still going in supposedly and it’s still going to affect all of my property cause they have to get into my property being right there on the corner of Falls and Sunnyside, that’s the main property right there for the culvert, which I did mention the last time I was there. Since 1979 I’ve only been flooded once, and that was during the 1994 when somebody’s cap for their truck, my next door neighbor, kind of got stuck there, got stuck in the culvert and that’s why we got flooded. Never had a any problem since except for when brush gets in there and putting a new culvert in is not going to solve the problem if the Town guys aren’t going to get out there, and I do have some workers if you want to pay them, we talked about that at the last meeting too paying some people to work, but if people don’t clean it out, my husband can only do so much and he’s getting up there and he’s got a back problem and I don’t want him climbing out of the brook anymore. I reinforced that wall every couple of years, but every time I do it I’m up against the problem with the neighbor next door, who has nothing to do with it, they’re a little further up the hill. We’re doing the best we can.

Like I said we all need to stop pointing fingers at each other and just get this particular problem solved, where it went wrong, who didn’t do what, that’s not going to solve the problem. What you need to do is right now address where we’re going from here, with Sunnyside Avenue and there corner Falls and Sunnyside and the safety issues. I noticed there are sidewalks halfway up one side of Sunnyside and halfway up the other side. And as far as the drain off, if there is going to b e a development going in there, I happen to own a house on Bushnell that is a little bit further down from Sunnyside and I can’t tell you the amount of drain off that I get already from that hill that’s buckled all my asphalt up over the last 3 years cause there’s some much drain off from that hill already. If we’re talking about right there, I can’t imagine what kind of drain off is going to be coming down that hill and I’m at the bottom of both ends of the hill, so I’m really going to get flooded just from drain off which has nothing to do with Turkey Brook. Turkey Brook isn’t my problem; the drain off is my problem. Thank you.

Mr. Archer: Just in case anyone is not aware, we do have a second Public Participation towards the end of the meeting so at this point if we could just keep comments to a minute if anyone is going to come up again who has already spoken.

Leo Buonocore, Capewell Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Mr. Buonocore: I want to say something good to the Council – you’re doing a good job, period. On Turkey Brook I’ve been involved on Turkey Brook for 10 years. I could stay here for the next 3 hours and talk about Turkey Brook but there are a lot of other important things going on in this Town and nobody is mentioning them. I want to see Turkey Brook get done. To begin with Turkey Brook the automotive factory should have never been put where it is, where they fix cars there.


Ms. Adams: McClennan Drive?

Mr. Buonocore: That’s right. That started the trouble at Turkey Brook. That building was put in a wetland and it changed the flow of Turkey Brook. It’s there and now you’ve got to do something about it. But we’ve been talking about Turkey Brook for 10 years. Meredith I hope at the meeting you have the supervisor of the streets, what position, the new man.

Ms. Robson: You mean Roy Cavanaugh?

Mr. Buonocore: Cavanaugh, I wish Cavanaugh would be there to answer some questions that these people are asking.

Ms. Robson: He’ll be there.

Mr. Buonocore: Phil Deleppo left a lot of information on this project I’m sure. Dig into some of that information and sooner or later we have to do something with the schools, Turkey Brook, the Town Hall, I got to give you people credit for sitting up there. I wouldn’t be able to do it. I’d blow my stack. But God Bless You, I wish you luck and that’s all I have to say.

Rachel Saucier, 333 Falls Avenue, Oakville CT 06779

Ms. Saucier: I think a lot of people maybe on the Sunnyside Avenue issue is probably because there was so much going on 4 years ago about Turkey Brook getting the money for Turkey Brook, so I think this is where a lot of people didn’t really hear much about Sunnyside Avenue was because of the Turkey Brook issue and going, and the things that we were trying to do with Turkey Brook that the Sunnyside Avenue 4 years ago was also supposed to coincide with Turkey Brook and I think this is why they didn't hear much of what was going on.

Mr. Archer: Listen there are a zillion reasons why people might not know what’s going on and that’s fine. It’s just that when it gets to this point, it wasn’t something underhanded that was done, just tell us we’re going in the wrong direction and we’ll do what we can to change it, that’s all. It’s not a big conspiracy.


Ms. Saucier: As far as what Elaine Adams said about notifying the public more, getting an easier way of notifying them, because it was my word of mouth that notified some of these people and then it just passed right down the line. All it takes is one person and you can let people know that’s going on and there has to be an easier way because it is very hard to find out what’s going on unless everybody goes to the Town Council meetings and they listen to what goes on at these meetings. I know myself it’s hard for me to go to all of them, but I try to make all of them if I can, and I listen to what’s gong on and if I don’t like something I come up here, but I just wanted to clarify that to let people know that a lot of these people on Sunnyside Avenue probably wouldn’t know what took place because Turkey Brook was a big issue then and it still is. It’s not going to change until it’s fixed.

Don Basile, 90 Sunnyside Avenue, Oakville, CT 06779

Mr. Basile: I agree with you Mr. Archer, I strongly believe in citizen participation in their local government, I believe in citizenry being empowered to take charge of their local government, but knowledge is power sir and none of us were ever knowledge to the fact that this project was going on until now, the 11 th hour. All of my family live in Town, none of them have ever mentioned to me and you said that it’s several years now that this project has been on the books, no one ever mentioned to me about anything going on, widening Sunnyside Avenue, so knowledge is power and in order for you to empower the citizenry, I think we need to know better what’s going on in this Town and be more better informed on that. So I came here to get information and I asked several questions and I basically I was told that all of that fact finding would happen on a meeting that was scheduled on the 12th that I might not be able to attend cause it’s at an early house, so just put yourself in my position and it seems pretty futile when something like my home is being affected.

Just to give you, and let me know when my minute is up, just to give you a more accurate understanding of how small my frontage is, early on in the Special Meeting you talked about the snow budget, when the plows come by and plow, the snow actually hits my house, that’s how little yardage I have as it is. You can’t take more away from us. I’m not the only one. There are several houses in my plight. Again just to reiterate, I strongly oppose the widening of Sunnyside Avenue, I strongly oppose of these people being stripped of their businesses, and I would like you to oppose it as well. Thank you.

Ms. Adams: What number Sunnyside are you?

Mr. Basile: 90.

Ms. Adams: You’re between the Falls Avenue and the Buckingham Street side?


Mr. Basile: Yes.

Ms. Adams: You’re in one of the Victorian houses?

Mr. Basile: (Inaudible) Cape. But it was my understanding that all of Sunnyside would be affected from Buckingham to Waterbury (inaudible).

Mr. Archer, Chairman, Closed Public participation at 9:32 p.m.

Mr. Archer, Chairman, called a 5 minute Recess at 9:32 p.m.

Mr. Archer, Chairman, Reconvened the Regular Meeting at 9:50 p.m.

5. Minutes

A. Regular Meeting Minutes - April 21, 2003

MOTION: (Mr. Kane, sec. Ms. Adams) to approve the Regular Meeting Minutes dated April 21, 2003 as presented.

Discussion: Ms. King: I would like to take note that these minutes are 75 pages long, and if there was ever an argument for the ridiculousness of us doing verbatim minutes, there it is. It’s a waste of time, energy, and a whole lot of things.

Mr. Kane: I agree with my colleague.

Ms. King: I think our discussion where we had suggested that perhaps we might not verbatim minutes of Public Participation because they are not Action Items might be good to consider at this point because I thought there was something wrong when I got this.

Mr. Archer: Not to mention the fact that we went through probably a case of paper just to distribute them.

Ms. King: And it’s all on television, so if anybody really wants to see it, there’s a tape.

Mr. Wick: I don’t have cable.


Ms. King: We’ll get you a tape.


Mr. Valenti: I think we should at least commend our Minutes Secretary for the inordinate amount of work that went into this and that we know is going to go into the next set of Minutes from this meeting.

MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY

B. Special Meeting Minutes – April 23, 2003

MOTION: (Mr. Kane, sec. Ms. Adams) to approve the Special Meeting Minutes dated April 23, 2003 as presented.

Discussion: None

In Favor: Ms. Adams, Mr. Archer, Mr. Hebert, Mr. Kane, Ms. King, Mr. Primini, Mr. Rinaldi, Mr. Valenti

Opposed: None

Abstained: Mr. Wick

MOTION CARRIED (8-0-1)

6. Sub-Committee Reports

Mr. Archer: Can you just mention to Lisa that there used to be listed out who actually met since the prior meeting, cause it hasn’t been on there.

Ms. King: The Business Development Subcommittee met.

A. Business Development Committee

Mr. Kane: We did have a meeting and we met with local businesses who came and were on record with their experiences and/or difficulties if you will in dealing with the Town and in speeding up processes and procedures and as far as Planning and Zoning as well as other departments, so it was quite a productive meeting and we have future meetings planned as well so there is a lot going on in the Business Development Subcommittee side.


7. Chairman’s Report

A. Correspondence

1. Resignation Letter from Hobart Van Deusen from the Historic District Commission, dated May 2, 2003

Mr. Archer: Dated May2, 2003, this is addressed to myself and Ginny Stewart.

“It is with great regret that I hereby resign as Chairman of the Watertown Historic District Commission. Nancy and I are moving to Lakeville in the near future. I have greatly enjoyed helping establish Watertown’s Historic District and being Chairman of the Commission during its formative months. I wish the Commission well and continued success in the future.

Sincerely,

Hobart Van DeusenChairman”

B. Facts and Fallacies

None

D. Other

None

8. Action Items

A. Consider Appointments to Boards and Commissions

The terms of various Boards and Commissions have expired or are expiring. Appointments must be made to fill these vacancies.

None


Ms. King: I note on the Water and Sewer Authority that there’s a vacancy next to Democrat. It is my understanding that I’ve been told that is not our seat. If it is our seat I will find someone, we will find someone, but I believe it is a vacancy that is the Republicans, and so now you have two seats to fill on Water & Sewer.

Ms. Adams: That’s true.

B. Consider Resolution Authorizing the Town Manager to Sign a Grant Agreement with the State of Connecticut for the Annual Summer School Grant

Annually the Watertown Board of Education seeks grant funding to supplement the cost of their summer school program. This year the State of Connecticut has awarded $9,955 to the Board of Education Special Services. The State requires Town Council approval to enter into this contract.

RESOLUTION

I Virginia M. Stewart, Town Clerk of the Town of Watertown, a Connecticut corporation (the “Contractor”), do hereby certify that the following is a true and correct copy of a resolution adopted at a meeting of the Watertown Town Council, of the Contractor duly held and convened on May 5, 2003, at which meeting a duly constituted quorum on the Town Council was present and acting throughout and that such resolution has not been modified, rescinded, or evoked and is at present in full force and effect.

RESOLVED, that the Town Manager, Meredith S. Robson, is empowered to enter into and amend contractual instruments in the name and on behalf of this Contractor with the Department of Social Services of the State of Connecticut for the Watertown Summer Developmental Program and to affix the corporate seal.

Dated at Watertown, Connecticut this 5th day of May, 2003.

Lee Archer, ChairmanWatertown Town Council

MOTION: (Mr. Hebert, sec. Mr. Kane) to authorize the Town Manager to sign a Grant Agreement with the State of Connecticut for the Annual Summer School Grant.

Discussion: None



C. Consider Resolution Authorizing the Town Manager to Sign State Project No. 153-109 – Detour Agreement Between the State of Connecticut and the Town of Watertown

RESOLUTION

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Watertown Town Council hereby authorizes the Town Manager, Meredith S. Robson to sign the agreement entitled:

STATE PROJECT NO. 153-109 – Detour Agreement between the State of Connecticut and the Town of Watertown.



MOTION: (Mr. Hebert, sec. Ms. Adams) to approve the Resolution authorizing the Town Manager, Meredith S. Robson to sign the State Project #153-109 Detour Agreement with the State of Connecticut.

Discussion: Ms. King: I’ve been told this is only like for a day or two?

Ms. Robson: A weekend, maybe two, (inaudible).

Ms. Adams: Isn’t it one weekend they’re going to do one side or whenever we can do the other side it will just be thru traffic only for the businesses?

Ms. Robson: (Inaudible) they were thinking now they may actually be able to get the time down.

Ms. King: You also might want to note that at the end of the agreement, the last past it says that you are signing for the Town of Stratford.



D. Consider Transfers

Town Council authorization is required for the transfer of departmental funding between line items.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, expenses in the 2002-03 fiscal year require the transfer of funds:

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by vote of the Watertown Town Council, that the following actions are taken relative to the transfer of funds:

GENERAL FUND

AMOUNT: $8,000 NO: 1FROM: 010-50690-046-0000 – ContingenciesTO: 010-50331-009-0000 – Town Clerk, Photographic ServicesRASON: Higher volume of document filings

SEWER

AMOUNT: $2,500 NO: 2FROM: 015-50690-074-0164 – ContingenciesRO: 015-50318-074-1276 – Generator Service ContractREASON: Emergency work to Fern Hill generator

AMOUNT: $1,217 NO: 3FROM: 015-50690-074-0164 – ContingenciesTO: 015-50720-074-1447 – Miscellaneous/RefundsREASON: Refund to Sarlom for water not discharged as sewer

WATER

AMOUNT: $8,715 NO: 4FROM: 017-50690-075-0164 – ContingenciesTO: 017-50720-075-1447 – Miscellaneous/RefundsREASON: Refund for wrong meter sizes to Courtney Dodge and Andrew

Fionta




MOTION: (Mr. Hebert, sec. Mr. Kane) to approve the Resolution authorizing answers between line items as presented.

Discussion: None


E. Consider an Appropriation for Tax Refunds

The Tax Refunds line item has been depleted due to Council approved refunds.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Taxpayers have applied for Tax Refunds pursuant to Section 12-129, Refund of Excess Payments, and

WHEREAS, the Tax Collector recommended that the refunds be made in accordance with the provisions of Section 12-129; and

WHEREAS, in order to refund taxpayers who have been approved for their refunds, monies must be appropriated into the budget line item to expend the funds.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Council appropriates $2,647 to line item 010-50341-043-0102 from the General Fund.



MOTION: (Mr. Hebert, sec. Mr. Kane) to approve the appropriation for Tax Refunds.

Discussion: None



F. Consider Tax Refunds

The Town Council is being asked to approve the refunding of the overpayment of property taxes.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Taxpayers have made application for the property Tax Refunds in accordance with Section 12-125 Refund of Excess Payment; and

WHEREAS, the Tax Collector recommends that the refunds be made in accordance with the provisions of Section 12-129;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Council approves the following Tax Refunds:

1,368 Maleto, John M. III & Carrie L. Amount of Refund: $ 26.41

133 Turner Avenue Type: ROakville, CT 06779-9183REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Assessed Value

Decreased

1,369 Ayala, Lydia, E. Amount of Refund: $ 61.48

1466 Straits Turnpike Type: MWatertown, CT 06795-1804REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Deleted

1,370 Chase Manhattan auto Finance Corp. Amount of Refund: $ 50.34

900 Stewart Avenue Type: MGarden City, NY 11530-4855REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Assessed Value

Prorated

1,371 General Electric Capital Amount of Refund:$415.35

540 West Northwest Highway Type: MBarrington, IL 60010-3051REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Prorated

1,372 General Electric Capital Amount of Refund:$391.76

540 West Northwest Highway Type: MBarrington, IL 60010-3051REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Prorated


1,373 Honda Lease Trust Amount of Refund: $ 85.37

470 Gransby Road Ste 2 Type: MSouth Hadley, MA 01075-3215REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Prorated

1,374 Honda Lease Trust Amount of Refund: $ 33.60

470 Gransby Road Ste 2 Type: MSouth Hadley, MA 01075-3215REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Prorated

1,376 UB Vehicle Leasing Inc. Agent Amount of Refund:$109.43

125 Summer Street Type: MBoston, MA 02110-1616REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Prorated

1,377 UBVL Auto LT Amount of Refund: $ 93.46

P.O. Box 6116 Type: MBoston, MA 02209-6116REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Prorated

1,378 Fusco, Angelo Amount of Refund: $ 27.45

192 Bunker Hill Road Type: SWatertown, CT 06795-5334REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Assessed Value

Decreased

1,379 Goodkin, Sybil, C. Amount of Refund: $ 13.60

34 Hillcrest Avenue Type: SWatertown, CT 06795-5252

REASON FOR REFUND:Per Board of Assessment Appeals,

Assessed Value Decreased

1,380 Maldonado, Edwin Amount of Refund: $ 44.30

20 Gardner Street Type: SWaterbury, CT 06708-8421REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Deleted

1,381 Miller, Stephen, E. Amount of Refund: $ 21.17

1238 Litchfield Road Type: SWatertown, CT 06795-5131

REASON FOR REFUND:Per Board of Assessment Appeals,

Assessed Value Decreased


1,382 Tofield, Roberta, J. Amount of Refund: $ 56.43

361 Hinman Road Type: SWatertown, CT 06795-5124REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Deleted

1,383 Bouchard, Normand, J. Amount of Refund: $ 24.41

398 Bucks Hill Road Type: MWaterbury, CT 06704-1222REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Deleted

1,384 Vait, Nadzi Amount of Refund: $ 77.23

51 Pleasant View Avenue Type: MOakville, CT 06779-9153REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Deleted

1,385 Autrey, Elizabeth Amount of Refund:$300.25

85 Country Street Type: MNorwalk, CT 06851-0000REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Deleted

1,386 Bekurti, Enkeleda Amount of Refund:$104.87

P.O. Box 375 Type: MWatertown, CT 06795-0375REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Deleted

1,387 Bouchard, Normand, J. Amount of Refund: $ 27.51

398 Bucks Hill Road Type: MWaterbury, CT 06704-1222REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Deleted

1,388 Maleto, John M. III & Carrie L. Amount of Refund: $ 26.03

133 Turner Avenue Type: ROakville, CT 06779-9183REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Assessed Value

Decreased

1,389 Regan, Joan Amount of Refund:

$233.8110 Westridge Drive Type: MWaterbury, CT 06708-0000REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Deleted


1,390 Regan, Joan Amount of Refund:$252.33

10 Westridge Drive Type: MWaterbury, CT 06708-0000REASON FOR REFUND: Per Assessor, Account Deleted





TOTAL FOR ALL REFUNDS: $2,646.45

MOTION: (Mr. Hebert, sec. Mr. Kane) to approve the Resolution for the approval of Tax Refunds.

Discussion: None


9. Discussion Items

A. Additional Public Budget Meetings

Ms. Robson: I just wanted to let the papers know, that we have additional public meetings to discuss the budget. One is at May 8th at 7:30 at the Senior Center and the other one is May 14th at 8:00 at the Watertown Library. In addition to that the Superintendent and I will be going to a number of different organizations in Town, the Lion’s Club, the Rotary, etc. to try and provide them with information so hopefully they will carry the word to their members (inaudible). I spread the word to the newspapers that we’re having this meeting.

Mr. Hebert: Can you send us a copy of those meetings also?

Ms. Robson: Sure.


Ms. King: Didn’t you send us something about that?

Ms. Robson: (Inaudible) public meetings but I’ll give you a list of the other ones.

10. Public Participation

None

Mr. Archer, Chairman, Closed Public Participation at 11:00 p.m.

11. Old Business

A. Code of Ethics (referred to Ordinance Subcommittee)B. Consider the Appointment of One or More Ordinance Enforcement Hearing Officers Pursuant to Ordinance #04-15-02-248

Mr. Archer: We just don’t want to talk about any of these tonight.

Ms. King: Are we ever going to appoint an enforcement officer to enforce the ordinances that we have in place?


Mr. Archer: This goes back about a year, 14 months I guess. There was some, for some reason we didn’t understand this ordinance.

Ms. King: When we redid the ordinances we made them clearer and made the fines appropriate, we set up a process by which there would be a hearing officer so that way we could enforce those ordinances here in Town rather than saying they had to go to court, that was the whole progress so that things would actually work and we could enforce ordinances and being would be saying, rather than saying they don’t work, but it requires that we appoint . . . .

Mr. Kane: Are you volunteering?

Ms. King: I think you have to have legal people. I don’t know.

Ms .Robson: No, not necessarily.


Mr. Wick: The Hearing Officer is needed only in the event there is an appeal to a fine. The fine is levied by members of the Police force according to the Citation Ordinance.

Ms. King: But if we don’t have a Hearing Officer does that mean we are not enforcing things?

Mr. Wick: No, that comes after enforcement. That comes only if there is an appeal to an attempt to enforce, and I would suggests that perhaps unless we have an issue that needs to be dealt with that the need for coming up with a Hearing Officer may not be that critical right now. If we get an appeal, if it ever happens, we could then maybe dust off this project and appoint one or more hearing officers and just do it basically when we need to.

Ms. King: Then we can take it off the Agenda.

Mr. Archer: Let’s take it off the Agenda.

Mr. Wick: Does that make sense, Meredith? Just so we’re (inaudible) to do something if we really only have to?

Ms. Robson: There may be some other issues raised to that so let me double-check and I’ll give you a call and (inaudible).

12. Executive Session

A. Legal MattersB. Pending LitigationC. PersonnelD. Property Acquisition/Negotiation

MOTION: (Mr. Hebert, sec. Mr. Kane) to enter into Executive Session at 10:00 p.m. to discuss legal matters, pending litigation, personnel, and property acquisition/negotiation with the 9 Town Council Members, Ms. Robson, and Mr. Nardelli.

Discussion: None



The following people were present during Executive Session:

Elaine AdamsLee ArcherRaymond HebertRobert KaneJean KingRaymond PriminiPaul RinaldiPaul ValentiRichard Wick

Frank NardelliMeredith Robson

Mr. Archer, Chairman, Reconvened the Regular Meeting at 11:05 p.m.

No Motions Were Made; No Votes Were Taken.

13. Adjournment

MOTION: (Mr. Kane, sec. Mr. Hebert) to Adjourn the Regular Meeting at 11:06 p.m.

Discussion: None


Regular Meeting Adjourned at 11:06 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,


Approved: _______________________________Lynn M. LaForme, Clerk

Documents

MINUTES - Watertown · Web viewI realize that the culvert is still going in supposedly and it’s still going to affect all of my property cause they have to get into my property