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

Mr. Bliss called the meeting to order at 7:37pm

Mr. Major made a motion to appoint Helen deKeijzer to fill the vacancy on the Commission on Aging for a term to expire December 31, 2008. Ms. Weinstein seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

In 2004, Governor Rell said the land was going to known as Centennial Watershed State Forest. The management of that land is CLC. There are representatives from the Nature Conservancy, DEP and Aquarian Water Company on the committee.

Mr. DeJong said there is a state law that goes back to 1949 that prohibits the construction of cemeteries within ½ mile of a public water supply. The existing cemetery that is there

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predates the law. Mr. Major wanted to clarify that it is not prohibited, but that if you want to locate it there you have to go to the superior court and get a ruling.

Mr. DeJong said in the Conservation and Public Recreation Easement and Agreement, one of the "Whereas" clauses says that Class 1 land, which is where the proposed cemetery site is, is for open space and recreational use as part of the particular exhibit.

If there continues to be interest in this site, the Department of Public Health has jurisdiction as to what is approved and what is not approved on a Class 1 land.

Mr. DeJong said these are the conditions and concerns that they might consider in terms of this property. Mr. Stamos said that he did mention this to Conservation Land Committee and a cemetery would be inconsistent with the natural resource land use.

Mr. Major said if the superior court were to sign off, if the State of CT through the DEP were to sign off, the Nature Conservancy were to sign off and the Health Department did not have an issue, would Aquarian consent? Mr. DeJong said that they were not ready to answer that question yet, and the initial reaction from the CLC was that that proposal for the cemetery on the site is not consistent with what the CLC was envisioning. Mr. Major said there was no reason for pursuing the steps, if the owners are not willing to go along with it. Mr. Stamos said that it is not just an Aquarian decision it would have to be a unanimous decision of the CLC.

Mr. DeJong said they will take it to the CLC and get an answer to the question. Mr. Stamos said that the subject had been brought up to the CLC and the answer will be no. Mr. Bliss asked if the could get an official answer. They will present it to the CLC on Thursday.

Mr. Harper asked if Aquarian Water Company had been acquired by another company. Mr. DeJong said they have been acquired by the Macquarie group which is an Australian bank. They purchase Aquarian from the Kelda group.

Mr. Harper asked why the proposed new cemetery would not be an expansion of the already existing cemetery to be placed at that location.

They are asking that we pass a resolution endorsing this mission. Right now 116 municipalities including over 200 Boards and Commissions in the State of Connecticut have passed such a resolution.

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CCM, COST and CABE were not on the same page as far as language was concerned, and therefore nothing was getting done at the State Legislator. The consortium has found that the best way to get things done at the legislator is to have everyone on the same page, with the same language, asking for the same thing. They have formed a coalition of elected officials to be the foot soldiers for the common goal of the three organizations to do what they can to stop unfunded mandates.

Mr. McLaughlin said they have been rallying the troops and getting them up to Hartford. At a hearing last year, they had 25 municipal officials. They would also like to talk to the Board of Finance and the Board of Education.

Mr. Major said that this was new to him and the resolution is very specific. Mr. McLaughlin said that we could use any resolution that we want. There resolution is really a template. Ms. Weinstein said that she would like to change words. Ms. Weinstein agreed to reword the resolution and bring it back to the next Board of Selectmen’s meeting.

Mr. Major said the Town is not in the business of making interest free loans and making loans to people who do not need them. Mike O’Brien, Chairman on the Board of Finance said they supported the freeze. He said they really did not know the population so they do not know what is going to be involved in signing on to this. His sense is there is a very needy group in the bottom third of the population that could utilize this program.

Mr. Bliss said after we have a revalue, we will usually lose some people off of the abatement list. He wants to think of ways to handle the situation so that this program works. Ms. Weinstein asked about using net worth. Mr. Bliss said the problem with net worth is that it puts a big administrative burden on the Tax Collector. Mr. Bliss said the best indicator is income. Mr. O’Brien said a cap on the assessed value on the house could also be used.

Mr. Major said if we do this in the first year, it should be more restrictive, and as we become comfortable with what is happening, who is applying, what it is costing the Town then you can lift the restrictions. He said we should be comfortable with where we are going here. He did not like the idea of tying this into the $600,000 cap unless it is tied in with very specifically, so that all abatements and deferments are honored first before the freeze comes into play and then prorate the remainder.

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Mr. Major said under section 10-24 C, you would be eligible for the freeze on the increase of the first $800,000 of assessed value. Mr. O’Brien had said if your assessed value was over $800,000 you did not qualify. Mr. Major said with the revaluation you would knock too many people out. Mr. Major said he would also like to tie the freeze interest rate into the deferment interest rate. Mr. Bliss said he disagreed. Mr. O’Brien said the Board of Finance did not have a problem with no interest rate. Mr. Major said he did not think that it was appropriate for the Town to be making interest free loans.

Mr. Bliss will reword the proposed ordinance and bring it back to the next Selectmen’s meeting.

Mr. Major agreed with Ms. Weinstein and felt the $22,000 could be much better spent in creating a much safer environment in a different location. Chief Troxell agreed with Mr. Major and said the accidents he has seen had not been there. Mr. Major said he would rather see the $22,000 go to line 43, for town hall building repairs. Ms. Weinstein said she was very comfortable with that.

Mr. Major made a motion that the Board of Selectmen approves a Capital budget of $1,396,000 as submitted with the amendment that line 51 be removed and line 43 be increased by $22,000. Ms. Weinstein seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. O’Brien, Chairman of the Board of Finance, presented a trust agreement that was drafted by Shipman and Goodwin. Mr. Major said that this was a very technical document and was a little confused as to why we need to go this route with the trust agreement.

Mr. O’Brien said they asking the Board to address the ordinance. The first stage in establishing the trust would be for the legislative body of the Town to provide an ordinance so that it allows for the trust fund to be established. Mr. Major asked if the trust was mandated by the legislature. Mr. Landry said that that was an option that was given to us by statute.

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There are advantages to us if we do it, which the Board of Finance wants to have those advantages and wants to do it. The Board of Finance was desirous of doing it for two reasons. 1. By establishing this as a trust fund with these rules, since the money can only be spent for that purpose, the actuaries know it is there for that purpose. If it is not dedicated for that you get different rules. You get full accountability to lay off on that. 2. Because it is in that trust the money can be invested in a manner different from our general investment. You could not invest in those vehicles except if you establish the trust. Additionally, the Board thinks that in the future state legislature will allow them to do Bond Issues.

Mr. Major asked that the various options that we have are made clear at the public hearing. Also to let them know that given the options that we have available to us that this is the prudent option.

A pubic hearing will be scheduled for March 20^{th at 7:00pm in the Town Hall Meeting Room. Mr. Major made a motion to establish a public hearing on the proposed ordinance for Post Employment Benefits Trust for March 20, 2008 at 7:00pm in the Meeting Room. Mr. Bliss seconded and the motion passed unanimously.}

At 9:12pm Mr. Major made a motion to enter into executive session. Ms. Weinstein seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

The only item of discussion in the executive session was to receive an update on the status of the Palmiero heart and hypertension claim. Attorney Scott Williams of the firm Maher & Williams provided updated information on the status of the claim.

Mr. Rand McNeil was not present so that executive session was not held.

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After discussion, the Board voted unanimously (Mr. Major, motion; Ms. Weinstein second) to end executive session at 10:04 pm and reconvene in open session.

ADJOURN: At 10:05 pm, a motion (Mr. Major, Ms. Weinstein second) to adjourn the meeting passed by unanimous vote.

Respectfully submitted

Judy M. DeVito

Administrative Assistant

Approved 5/08/08