No Long-Range Planning

For Newtown

To the Editor:

“The United States has been experiencing about four million births a year and immigration of about one million, including estimates for illegal immigrants…The 4.12 million births in the country last year were about as many as occurred during the height of the baby boom, in 1957–58.” (New York Times 10/24/06) In about 15 years they will reach high school age. The US population has reached 300 million in 50 years and is expected to reach 400 million about 2040. Will Newtown be ready?

A combined meeting of the Boards of Education, Finance, and Selectmen on November 9 agreed to sharply reduce the high school expansion program because the enrollment is expected to decline in the short-term. No long-term plans have been made for providing space when the enrollment rises again. A new high school built today would be far less expensive than one built in 2020. Finding land in 2020 might be impossible or cost prohibitive.

Money is tight, but the WECAN group has requested that the Board of Finance “perform a cost-benefit analysis…to compare the proposed high school expansion to other options: (such as) a new high school with recreation components at FFH [Fairfield Hills]….” The state would reimburse the town one-third of the costs for the gym, playing fields, swimming pool and the town would fund space for senior activities. Then, the middle school grades would move to the present high school, and the middle school converted into town offices instead of spending about $12 million for a town hall at FFH.

No, No, FFH must be used for economic development to reduce our taxes.

You may be startled to know that little or no tax relief will emanate from FFH. On June 18, 2003, that Legislative Council created the FFH Authority. Paragraph 4 states: “…lease payments and other miscellaneous income received by the authority shall be used by it only in furtherance of the goals of the Master Plan. In the event….the Authority accumulates funds in excess of those it needs to operate…it may seek permission of the (Selectmen, Finance and LC) to use said excess funds for other purposes…In the event said permission is not granted, the excess funds shall be paid to the town for general purposes.” (6/18/03 LC minutes p. 339)

Do you hear me! Don’t count on tax relief from FFH.

The town is drifting with no real long-range plan to accommodate growth that is sure to come. With so much power in the hands of the appointed FFH Authority, a new school or anything else is unlikely to be constructed at FFH.

Ruby Johnson

16 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                   November 15, 2006