Gaston’s First BOS Meeting Finds Him In Familiar Territory

By John Voket

This week’s first meeting of the newly elected Board of Selectman saw incoming Selectman James Gaston, Sr, digging into a new role in familiar surroundings. Perhaps he appeared so comfortable on Monday night because he was occupying the exact same chair as during his former term as vice chair of the Board of Finance.

After leading the board in the Pledge of Allegiance, Mr Gaston, First Selectman Pat Llodra and Selectman Will Rodgers ran through a brief agenda on December 5 that included status updates on several Public Works projects, the review of a letter from the Planning & Zoning Commission Chair, a briefing on the board’s pending review of the Plan of Conservation and Development, and the appointment of a town agent and the selectmen’s clerk.

Mrs Llodra presented Mr Gaston with the voluminous final report from the Tick-Borne Disease Action Committee, requesting he review the panel’s findings in preparation to initiate discussion beginning December 19. The first selectman told her colleagues to be prepared to spend time over a series of three or four meetings reviewing, digesting, and potentially acting on committee recommendations.

After distributing a schedule of meetings, Mrs Llodra noted that the document also outlined four possible evenings during which selectmen will review the 2011-12 town-side budget proposal. Those budget review dates are January 17, 23, 25, and, if needed, January 30.

The first selectman then read a brief response from P&Z Chair Lilla Dean who responded to the board after receiving and reviewing the Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review. Mrs Llodra said the commission will go through the document to determine if any actions need to be taken by zoning officials.

Reading from Ms Dean’s letter, Mrs Llodra stated that the P&Z chairman was “impressed with the exhaustive nature of the report,” but also noted that the thrust of the review does not seem to present a “revenue neutral” future for the town-owned campus.

From the time the town purchased the former state hospital and grounds, many officials and supporters envisioned a balance of commercial and recreational uses, where the commercial development would generate enough revenue to augment or cover the cost of campus operations.

Mrs Llodra then turned to the status of various public works projects, stating that storm cleanup would have little or no significant town budget implications because of an expected 75 percent reimbursement from FEMA. The town is also expecting additional reimbursement for town equipment used during the period following Winter Storm Alfred, a freak October nor’easter that toppled thousands of trees, closed many town roads, and cut power to some residents for more than a week.

The only downside to the poststorm cleanup is increased repairs and possibly the need to replace some town equipment that was used heavily during the cleanup.

Mrs Llodra then reported that the Boggs Hill Road bridge has reopened, and that the project came in slightly under budget. On the other hand, the first selectman said, a road project that would have lowered a damaged road surface on Hanover Road will have to be delayed until the spring.

She explained that since town crews were still heavily engaged in poststorm work, and since asphalt plants in the region were closing this week for the season, there would be no material for local crews to complete the project.

Mrs Llodra also discussed the remainder of the Sandy Hook water main extension that will have crews resurfacing the roadways in Sandy Hook Center for the remainder of this week. Some additional work involved in realigning the intersection of Church Hill, Glen, Riverside Roads and Washington Avenue will be ongoing for several more days, and will be completed in the spring.

Mrs Llodra said the new animal control facility is on schedule and will likely be completed in time for a late winter opening.

The first selectman reported that the middle school roof project was “99 percent complete,” and there are still a number of punch list items still to finish that are leftover from the high school expansion project.

Mrs Llodra then related a request from Fairfield Hills Authority Chairman John Reed, who is asking for permanent fencing to be installed around all remaining unoccupied buildings on the campus, a safety measure to protect visitors against the possibility of debris falling from the deteriorating structures. The first selectman said there is a supply of permanent fencing available to begin that work, and the selectmen will take up any additional needs related to this request in the future.

Mr Rodgers then briefed Mr Gaston on the board’s anticipated role in reviewing and possibly updating the Town Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD).

The board then entertained a vote that saw Mr Rodgers being appointed town agent, which means he is empowered to act in the place of the first selectman if she was to become incapacitated or was rendered incapable of performing necessary official duties.

The final business of the evening was the reappointment of Susan Marcinek as clerk of the board.