Unfinished Business 2006

To the Editor:

Our town faces some thorny problems that have simply not been addressed. Recognition of these problems and addressing their possible solutions with timeframes, costs, and action has been too long delayed. In random order:

1. Newtown Hook and Ladder, now located in back of Edmond Town Hall, needs a larger facility and immediate access to a major street. 1a. Paid fire department, shortage of daytime volunteers dictates the inevitable; fire districts may need to be realigned.

2. Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Facility is over crowded.

3. Police Department, building poorly constructed, insufficient parking, more land required.

4. Senior Center: Too small, insufficient land for expansion and necessary parking; needs building designed for complete senior program and future growth.

5. Edmond Town Hall: Movie house? Office building? Cultural Art Center?

6. Dickinson Park Pool: Permanently closed by the Health Department. Replace? Abandon? Is the Treadwell pool sufficient for a population over 26,000? Is the beach at Eichner’s Grove large enough to replace the Dickinson pool?

7. Playing Fields and Playgrounds: How many? Where? What ages? 7a. Townwide Greenway Trails. Hiking, biking, horseback riding, skating?

8. Teen Center.

9. Youth Services in Newtown

10. Kevin’s Community Clinic — needs improved or permanent facilities.

11. Blue and Gold Stadium and Dog Pound, advocates seek private funds to improve or relocate. Should public funds help? Should the dog pound move?

12. Schools: High school too small. Build a larger school at Fairfield Hills, using the house or cluster system for each grade or operate two high schools by adding a smaller high school at FFH? Middle school needs extensive renovations estimated at over $21 million or move classes to present high school? Who will decide?             

13. Open Space with capital letters.

14. Traffic congestion.

15. Affordable Housing: Town subsidized at FFH or elsewhere? Multifamily housing? When? Where?

16. Economic Development in Commerce Park? Who will lead this project? Should the town spend $2.9 million on this or place in private hands?

17. Fairfield Hills: Preserve for municipal uses or destroy with housing, economic development, and necessary parking? Can the trees be saved? Can black-topped parking and roads be minimized to protect the aquifer?

18. Charter Revision: Redefine the Purchasing Authority, strengthen the Public Building Committee, redirect budget surpluses, place the Fairfield Hills Authority under Legislative Council control. In short, restore a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

19. Communications: Which party will devise a website to report the voting records of all elected and appointed town officials, report and clarify motions passed, examine and explain the budget and Capital Improvement Plan, etc?

20. Others?

Wow! What a list! You can make a difference. No announcements from the Democrats, but the Republican Town Committee will meet at the Senior Center on Riverside Road, Tuesday, January 10, at 7 pm to elect new members. Get involved!

Ruby K. Johnson

16 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                       January 6, 2006