Board of Selectmen Minutes

Present: First Selectman Woody Bliss; Selectman W. Glenn Major; Selectman Richard Miller; Town Administrator Tom Landry; Administrative Assistant Judy DeVito, Residents and member of the press.

Accept the resignation of Clem Malin from the Select Committee on Global Warming. Mr. Miller made a motion to accept the resignation of Clem Malin from the Select Committee on Global Warming. Mr. Bliss seconded and the motion passed Miller, Bliss yes, Major absent.

Discussion/decision regarding the appointment of Lynn Pokorny as WVFD Safety Officer to replace (Ted Wilkes). Mr. Miller made a motion to appoint Lynn Pokorny as WVFD Safety Officer to replace Ted Wilkes for a term to expire June 30, 2011. Mr. Bliss seconded and the motion passed Miller, Bliss yes, Major absent.

Discussion/decision regarding the appointment of Rev. Bernard Wilson as Weston’s Police Chaplain. Mr. Miller made a motion to appoint Rev. Bernard Wilson as Weston’s Police Chaplin for a term beginning July 1, 2007 to end June 30, 2009. Mr. Bliss seconded and the motion passed Miller, Bliss yes, Major absent.

Acting Chief John Troxell said in the past the chief would just basically make his own appointment. He wanted to make it more of an open conversation within the Town and hopefully get more people interested in the position.

Rev. Wilson had approached Chief Troxell and asked to be the Chaplin and if others come forward, he would be just as enthusiastic about it. Mr. Bliss said there is nothing that precludes us from having more than one Chaplin.

Discussion/decision regarding the reappointment of Robert Atkinson and Donald Saltzman as Weston’s representative on the Area Nine Cable Council for a term to expire June 30, 2009. Mr. Miller made a motion to reappoint Robert Atkinson and Donald Saltzman as Weston’s representative on the Area Nine Cable Council for a term to expire June 30, 2009. Mr. Bliss seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Discussion/decision regarding changes to the ordinance regulating land use fees to be effective July 1, 2007. Mr. Major said that one of the supporting arguments that Don Saltzman, Chair of P&Z, gave to the Selectmen last year when this was implemented all votes would be required a super majority. He said now that it was approved, P&Z is trying to get rid of it. He did not understand why the rational had changed.

Mr. Saltzman said everyone has requested they have four votes to pass an item. They have a time limit on decisions, and have had absentee problems. Mr. Saltzman said right now he has two out of four with recusals and so he cannot change the zoning regulations for Emmanuel Church.

Mr. Bliss said he felt the appropriate thing would be to renew it for one year. He went back through the attendance records for P&Z. Since January 1, 2006 P&Z has had 30 meetings and there was a super majority present at all of them. Mr. Saltzman said they cannot guarantee a vote when they need it. Conservation Commission had 15 meeting and in 13 of the 15 meetings they had a super majority.

Mr. Bliss said he favors five members for P&Z and for Conservation unless there is a circumstance in which a decision needs to be made and there are only four members present. Then he would accept four members. Mr. Major said he would modify it to say we need a super majority of those members eligible to participate.

After some discussion Mr. Major said that section 4 paragraph 2 should read “the decision to require the Support Service Fee shall be by affirmative vote of not less than five members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, or not less than five members of the Conservation Commission, unless there are only four members qualified to vote then a unanimous vote is required. The decision to require the Support Service Fee shall be by affirmative vote of no less than four members of the Zoning Board of Appeals. The fees for any outside consultant(s) shall be borne entirely by the applicant and shall be deposited with the Town prior to review of such application.”

The effective date of this section of the ordinance shall be July 1, 2007. This section of the ordinance shall expire on June 30, 2008, unless sooner extended by specific vote of the Board of Selectmen.

Discussion/decision regarding giving authorization to the First Selectman to sign the Declaration of Intent with neighboring towns for solid waste disposal. Mr. Bliss said the current contract with CRRA expires December 31, 2008, and we have been working actively to look at all the alternatives to get the best deal. He has reviewed the proposed agreement with town attorney. Mr. Major asked if we had not entered into some kind of a pack with the City of Norwalk. We did and that is costing us money. There are six towns involved in that and they have hired a firm to do a feasibility study. This one will include towns as far away as Shelton. The aim is to get leverage.

Mr. Major made a motion that they authorize the First Selectman to sign the Declaration of Intent with neighboring towns for solid waste disposal provided the same does not obligate the Town to incur any expenses. Mr. Miller seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Discussion/decision regarding setting the interest rate on tax deferment. Mr. Bliss recommends that we keep the interest rate the same which is 4%. Mr. Major said based on the meeting they had last week, that if we were looking to change this, that we should do it as a global change in light of all of the programs. We should not do individual pieces at individual times.

Mr. Miller made a motion to set the interest rate on tax deferment at 4% for fiscal year July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. Mr. Major seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Major made a motion to add discussion/decision regarding formally asking the Commission on Aging and the Select Committee on Veterans Affairs for their recommendations with regard to tax relief for the 2008-2009 budget year and that they have it to the Board of Selectmen by October 15, 2007. Mr. Bliss seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Bliss made a motion that he send a letter to the chair of the Commission on Aging indicating that October 15, 2007 is the deadline and the Board is expecting them to provide to them proposals with regard to changes with the tax relief program and a similar letter to the Select Committee on Veterans Affairs to have their recommendations back to us. Mr. Miller seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Discussion/decision regarding authorization to make FEMA grant application to pay 75% of: replacement cost of Cartbridge Road Bridge, repairs of Godfrey Road West at Pent Road, and various Town expenses in response to the flooding of April 15 & 16. Mr. Major made a motion to authorize the First Selectman to make a FEMA grant application for purposes of paying 75% of the replacement cost of Cartbridge Road Bridge, repairs of Godfrey Road West at Pent Road, and various Town expenses in response to the flooding of April 15^th and 16^th. Mr. Miller seconded and the motion passed unanimously. A time line will be attached to the minutes.

Mr. Miller made a motion to refund property tax refunds to Weston Assoc. Devel. LLC for $3,677.95, Chase Auto Finance $176.50, VW Credit $43.95 for a total of $3,898.40. Mr. Major seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Discussion/decision regarding appointment of Assessor for a term July 9, 2007 –July 8, 2011. Kenneth Whitman said that he has been in the assessment profession since 1983 and in the real estate business since 1980. He has been with the City of Norwalk in their assessor’s office since 1990 and the assessor since 1993. He has done 51 re-valuation in his career of which three have been in Norwalk and have been done in house.

Mr. Major made a motion to appoint Kenneth Whitman as assessor for a term July 9, 2007 through July 8, 2011, based on the letter of employment dated June 8, 2007. Mr. Miller seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Discussion/approval of the Board of Selectmen’s minutes for the January 29, January 31, February 1, March 1, March 1 public hearing, and March 15, 2007 meetings. Mr. Major made a motion to approve the March 1, 2007 public hearing for the driveway variance minutes as submitted. Mr. Miller seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Major made a motion to approve the Board of Selectmen’s meeting of March 15, 2007 as submitted. Mr. Miller seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

ATTENDANCE: The meeting was convened at 8:24 pm in the First Selectman’s Office by Chairman Bliss to hear a report on the status of labor negotiations with the Dispatch, Highway, and Town Hall units from Town Administrator Tom Landry. In attendance were Selectmen Mr. Major and Mr. Miller.

ADJOURN: At 8:57 pm a motion (Mr. Major, Mr. Miller second) to adjourn executive session and reenter open session passed by unanimous vote.

DISPATCH CONTRACT: At 8:58 pm, a motion ( Mr. Major, Mr. Miller second) to add discussion/decision regarding the proposed agreement between the Town of Weston and Local 1303-212 of Connecticut Council 4 AFSCME, AF L_CIO ( Weston Dispatchers, Custodial and Maintenance Employees) effective July 1, 2007- June 30, 2009 to the agenda, passed by unanimous vote.