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

Mr. Bliss called the meeting to order at 7:34pm

Hal Shupack said they are just asking the Town to make the proposal to the State. He explained drawings of the proposal to the Selectmen. Mr. Bliss said he was a long time member of the Historical Society and his late wife was the trustee for many years. He did not feel that would prejudice his view. Mr. Major said he did serve as treasurer of the Historical Society for six years.

Mr. Major made a motion to authorize the First Selectman to execute the STEAP Grant application for the Weston Historical Society. Ms. Weinstein seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Pjura said that he was raised in Fairfield County his whole life. He has a degree in Natural Resource Science at Washington State University. He graduated in 1998 and worked with the DEP in the State of Connecticut. He most recently worked for the Town of Shelton as the Conservation Agent.

2

Mr. Landry said that we need to have a Police background check and there were things that the Planning and Zoning Commission wanted. They wanted him to achieve a certification within a certain period and a probationary period.

Ms. Weinstein made a motion to give authorization to supply the letter based on the terms and condition set forth in Mr. Landry’s memo. Mr. Major seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Major asked why did it cost us a $150,000 more than what was budgeted for non-certified staff. Ms. Keating said they were heading into negotiations. They had forecasted an increase and folded that into the certified account.

Mr. Major said he was very concerned with the per pupil cost going up $1,167 per child and he said he truly believed that we are on the verge of costing ourselves right out of existence. Dr. Reed said it is realistic. He agreed per pupil cost was up, we have a small school system, we do not have some of the economies of scale that some of the other school systems have. We do offer certain activities and programs that are defined as normal here.

Mr. Bliss said the largest increase before this was about $850 when we opened the new school. Ellen Uzenoff said we live in Weston and that is a part of living inWeston, there are values placed that we intend to honor and protect. Mr. Major said when you look at a $17,000 per pupil cost, in the near future there needs to be a sit down and a real awakening on everybody’s part. He believes we are on the precipice of taking our education system beyond what a good proportion of the people in town are prepared to pay.

Mr. Major said that the Board of Education this year has addressed their concerns and had not ignored them. He proposed that they reduce their budget by the $200,000 number that was put in for the three students that we do not know whether we are spending for them or not. He said that he realizes that their may be a cost. He is trying to be conscious of not over taxing the town’s people. He would rather see us under tax the people in town and perhaps have to make up a short fall in that line item if things do not prove out the way we think they are going to prove out.

Ms. Weinstein said she disagreed. Cutting money out of the Special Ed budget was a mistake. She said she has been to Board of Education meetings where all of a sudden the "Special Ed" kids are there and you have to pay for them. Mr. Major said where ever they

3

decided to adjust their budget is up to them. He said from his prospective if they had a short fall they could come and ask for it.

Mrs. Uzenoff said they have put a great deal of effort into trying to be accurate and predictable. Mr. Bliss said we want to do the right thing in Special Ed and getting the right help for kids. In the Board of Education budget you can move from one category to another freely. He will support a $200,000 reduction however, if they need more money he would be very open to a supplemental appropriation. We have a reserve account with which we can afford to do that.

Ms. Weinstein said we know the students are coming and she did feel that we could say cut the $200,000 out and wait and see what happens. She said there were items in the budget that were already taken out and they had made some tough decisions to keep that number to what it is.

Ms. Weinstein felt that one area that we could cut would be transportation. Mr. Major said if they plug those numbers in and are able to eliminate two buses that would cover this cost. If the money stays in the budget and they do not need it where they asked for it they can spend it anywhere else they want it. He would rather error on the side of taxing less and making up a shortfall out of a deficit than overtaxing and putting more money into the surplus. Ms. Weinstein disagreed.

Ms. Weinstein made a motion to approve the Board of Education Budget as presented. Mr. Major seconded. The vote was Ms. Weinstein yes, Mr. Bliss, Mr. Major no.

Mr. Major made a motion to forward to the Board of Finance their recommendation for a Board of Education budget of $43,775,601. Mr. Bliss seconded and the motion passed Mr. Major, Mr. Bliss yes, Ms. Weinstein no.

Mr. Bliss made a motion to add discussion/decision regarding 2008 Citizen of the Year to the agenda item. Mr. Major seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Bliss made a motion to recognize the School Building Committee as the Board of Selectmen’s candidate for 2008 Citizen of the Year. Mr. Major seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

4

appoint Susan Moch as the moderator and Robert Uzenoff as the alternate moderator for the Annual Town Budget Meeting scheduled for April 21, 2008. Ms. Weinstein seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Major made a motion to approve the property tax refunds as set forth on the agenda totaling $16,883.54. Ms. Weinstein seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Ms. Weinstein asked Ms. Peyreigne, Co-Chair on the Veterans Committee about their request for $12,300. They are asking for an increase for the Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day from last year from $6,500 to $7,000 because each time they have more veterans. They asked for $4,500 to fix the monument. Ms. Weinstein said she felt that they were spending too much on the gift bags. Ms. Peyreigne said they get lots of thanks for the gift bags. After some discussion the budget was set for $11,000. Mr. Major said he wanted the $4,500 marked separately for the Veteran’s memorial.

Mr. Landry said that the confusion with the police budget was the projected numbers. Mr. Major said that he did not believe that the budget proposal as submitted to them reflects what the Police Commission intends to do with the Police Department over the course of the next year. He said we know there will be a salary increase for a new position and rather than addressing it so we understand what is being proposed they are giving us phony numbers.

Chief Troxell said the reason they cannot say for sure is because it is a union issue. The union has to agree to release the sergeant position and let that person out of the union. He felt it was wrong for them to assume that this was going to happen. Mr. Bliss said they

5

need to accurately reflect the dollars whether or not they reflect the positions and they really are not. Mr. Bliss said he cannot carry this incorrectly to the Board of Finance.

Chief Troxell said he had to go back to the Police Commission because his salary and the new position salary were out of his hands. He does not have a contract yet. Mr. Major said that there should have been a commissioner here to help answer some of the questions. He does not know how they can sign off on this budget. Mr. Bliss asked that someone from the police commission be present to answer their questions. Page 11 needs to be updated as best as possible and where you cannot update it needs to be footnoted as to explain what is going on.

Mr. Bliss said he met with Kids-in-Crisis and he would like to pull that out of the budget and then have them come in April to give a progress report. That will give us the first week in May to make a decision which will be in time to meet with the Board of Finance the second Thursday in May. This will get it done before June.

There will be a meeting scheduled for next week to finalize the budget and transmit it to the Board of Finance.

Ms. Weinstein made a motion to approve the minutes of the January 28th, 2008, Board of Selectmen’s meeting. Mr. Major seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Ms. Weinstein made a motion to approve the minutes of the January 31st, 2008 minutes as presented. Mr. Bliss seconded and the motion passed, Ms. Weinstein, Mr. Bliss yes. Mr. Major abstained.

Ms. Weinstein made a motion to approve the Special Board of Selectmen’s meeting of February 4th 2008. Mr. Bliss seconded and the motion passed Ms. Weinstein, Mr. Bliss yes Mr. Major abstained.

Respectfully Submitted

Judy M. DeVito, Administrative Assistant

Approved 5/08/08

6