NewHartfordPlus.com

Commentary: Grading NewHartfordPlus by “Mrs. Moore”

As I’ve been covering more Board of Ed meetings recently, I’ve found myself slipping back into my “teacher mode,” something which all teachers, whether currently teaching or ex-teachers, as I am, will recognize: I find myself grading everything I report on, or don’t report on, or wish I had the time to report on. These grades are recorded in my mental gradebook, a fun game I play while I drive to work, or to my next news assignment for NewHartfordPlus, or as I listen to a carefully-prepared speech delivered by a resident on a topic that he or she feels passionate about. As any good teacher, I have a rubric in mind and carefully assess each important aspect of an assigned topic before totalling up the parts to reach a final grade. This morning, as I rest from an 18-hour work day on Thursday and catch my breath before another 18-hour work day on Saturday, I thought it would be fun to share one of my grading games in writing ~ “a busman’s holiday” for sure, but hey, as long as I’m having fun, it’s not illegal and I don’t get rapped on the knuckles too many times!  So here goes:

Topic: News Reporting on NewHartfordPlus:

Rubric:

• Is NewHartfordPlus providing coverage of the “news and events of New Hartford”?

Evaluation: A look at the range of news coverage included in the Latest Articles  section on the front page shows the following articles: Daily Calendar (a calendar of meetings, social events, a snippet of news reported in the grapevine; a report on the New Hartford Schools budget presentation to the Board of Finance; a press release from a local nonprofit, Community Connections about the new 2010 Telephone Directory recently mailed out to residents; a report on how the different department heads and team leaders at Town Hall saw their budgetary needs for the coming fiscal year; a News Updates on tax sale warrants issued by the town to delinquent taxpayers, plus a news update on a free dental clinic in Middletown (NOT local, but of interest to residents who might need the free dental care).

• Range of news covered: Excellent range for a three-day period: Grade: 95 (“A”)
• Accuracy of news covered: Readers are always ready to correct and clarify our news coverage, and we always step up and make those corrections. Egg on my face?  Great!  It means someone who knew better was inspired to share their knowledge with our readership!  Grade:  95% (“A”).

Wow! With a 100% average and only one more empty box left to fill in the rubric, I’m feeling pretty confident at acing this subject.  But wait: Imagine your sternest teacher looking up as she lays her red grading pen and frowning sternly your way as she asks: “What happened to the last criterion, Timeliness?”

• Timeliness: The facts don’t look good: The last report, which is yet unfinished, is of a Board of Finance meeting that was held this past Tuesday. And where’s the Regional #7 Board of Ed meeting report held on Wednesday night? And the Board of Selectmen meeting report held last night? Grade: 25% (“F!”) for the video clips of the Board of Finance meeting, which is still unfinished!

The grade: 95 + 95 + 25 = 215 divided by 3 = 72 (“C-“).

And that’s the grade that Maria and Bob Moore of NewHartfordPlus would receive from “Mrs. Moore.” : “-C” NOT written in red ink ~ I never liked red for grading ~ with a note “Please see me at the end of class!”

When I was teaching, this is where my teaching really started, with that all-important note:  ”Please see me at the end of class!” Because once the standardized test score has been calculated, the good teachers sit down with their students and try to figure out what happened with that last criterion and strategize together on how to correct it.

In this case what happened is simple: Bob and I both work at our paying jobs so that we can afford to keep on living in our old, rambling farmhouse in New Hartford. Our work commitments are 1.5 FTEs (Full Time Equivalents, not Employees!), leaving only 0.5 FTE (20 hours per week) for NewHartfordPlus. For a 7-day per week operation, that’s 3 hours per day which doesn’t go very far, as anyone who’s employed a part-timer ~ or as those of us who work part-time ~ know.

As a teacher, I’d discuss how over-extended my student is and offer some possible solutions:  Cut down on the news coverage, or increase the time you can put into covering the wide range of news you now try to cover. “Let me see what I can do!” Is the sheepish answer I give myself as I close my mental gradebook, grab my reporter’s notebook and head down to Town Hall which will be closing soon at 12.

A Note To You, Our Reader: With an average of over 1,000 visits per day so far this month, and from the positive comments we receive from you about our news coverage on NewHartfordPlus ~ despite our “C-” grade from “Mrs. Moore,” we’d like to ask you to consider contributing financially to NewHartfordPlus so that we may continue to provide you with the same range and accuracy of reporting that you enjoy, while  striving to improve our timeliness.  So far today, we’ve already worked 3 hours on NewHartfordPlus, not counting the above commentary, and our workday is just beginning!

Please check out: Our Stakeholders section to see the many ways you can become a Stakeholder in NewHartfordPlus.  We welcome the support of individuals, non-profit organizations and businesses as we strive to maintain our news coverage on NewHartfordPlus free and accessible to all!

Ex-teacher Maria Moore during a 3-day whirlwind family reunion in Tuscany last spring during which she got to wander around Pisa for an afternoon with her brother Nick, who teaches in Germany. Photo: Nick La Faci

By: Maria Moore

“We have budget with a 1.91% increase over last year, with direction from the Board of Finance for a 0% increase.” Sue Lundin, the New Hartford Schools Board of Ed (BOE) Chair, said at the beginning of the Board’s meeting last night, Tuesday, March 2.

By the end of the meeting, Board of Ed members approved Katie Natale’s motion to “accept a 2.71% increase with the addition of unemployment and legal fees not to exceed 3%.” With only two of its members voting against the motion, Steve Tuxbury and Bryan Keilty, that is the increase built into the budget that the Superintendent of Schools Philip O’Reilly will present at the Board of Finance meeting next Tuesday, March 9.

The meeting was held at the New Hartford Elementary School and the auditorium was filled with parents, teachers and members of various town board members, just as had been the case at the last Board of Ed meeting at Ann Antolini School. An in a replay of the Board’s last meeting, the first part of yesterday’s meeting was again given over to members of the public to express their concerns and to comment on the budget that the Board was considering.

The first parent who spoke asked the Board to consider a 3% budget to bring back some of the teachers cut.  The next parent asked about the letter from the teachers’ union in which the teachers had suggested budget savings by offering an early retirement incentive be offered to teachers.  ”Where is it?”  The parent asked about that option.    The Board members answered that they had made the retirement offer contingent on teachers accepting the wage freeze.  ”It would allow us to save the people but not the positions” Superintendent Philip O’Reilly added.  The same parent was concerned about class size increasing; excluding the preschool program, the current class sizes of 14.8-22.25 are projected to rise to 18.75-24 in the 2010-2011 school year.  That parent asked what the teachers’ contract says about class sizes and Philip answered that “The Board will make every effort to keep class size at 25.”

Another parent said she wished she had known what the teachers contract would mean, that she hadn’t understood that it would lead to a tax increase.  ”It leads to buyers’ remorse, it leaves a very bitter taste for those who voted for it.”  The parent said.

A home builder read a prepared statement in which he said: “The town must find a way to pay our obligations.”  And that: “The town is asking them to shoulder the responsibility for the town’s financial problems.”  He added that he had heard it rumored that the teachers would support a pay freeze in return for not cutting postions and he urged the Board to revisit that.

Another parent said education is a barometer of the quality of the town.  He said that education shouldn’t have to suffer for other areas of town that had been mismanaged.  A teacher in another school system said that he had seen his classes increase from 18 to 22 which had an effect on the quality of the teaching.  ”It’s a different world out there socially ~ it’s not the same profession as in 1991 when I started teaching.”  He said and he concluded by saying that the town had made a promise to the teachers and that it needed to keep it.

There were no more comments from the audience at the start of the meeting. There was another opportunity for public comments after the Board had approved the 2.71% increase budget at the end of their deliberation. A summary of those comments will be included after the summary of the Board’s discussions.

Sue Lundin asked Board members for their input on the 1.91% increase budget before them, keeping in mind that they had been directed by the Board of Finance for a 0% increase.

The majority of the Board had wanted a budget closer to 3% and they decided to look at putting something back. Board member Katie Natale asked about the feasibility of bringing back even one teacher but fellow Board member Bryan Keilty responded that they’d have to make more cuts to do that.

Bryan said that with the original budget coming in at 9.3%, he’d asked Philip to come up with numbers for an early retirements/wage freeze/health incentives scenario which, he said, would bring them closer to a 3%-3.63% budget. “We should consider it. We’re not preserving positions but we’re keeping all the personnel. It should be looked at a lot harder.” Bryan added that it would mean a wage freeze at every bargaining unit and it would incorporate some, not all of the teachers’ proposals; see our copy of the letter from the teacher’s union outlining their proposals which is included as a downloadable PDF to our February 25 report Between a Rock and a Hard Place… (Part II).

Katie said that as an educator she has been very supportive of the schools but she said she represents the interest of the community and that during the recent elections she had heard a lot of frustration and anger expressed  by people who are hurting from the economic downturn.  She said she wasn’t relinquishing her commitment to education but: “We’re facing the tip of the iceberg… we have no control over what’s coming down the pike.  We have to think long-term: this budget is easier than next year’s.  I support coming in at 3%.”

Bryan said that when the teacher’s contract was negotiated noone could have foreseen the huge increase in health benefits.  ”We need to go back and ask for help with health care.  How about looking at benefits?”  Jennifer Zenuh, Board of Ed member, agreed saying: “Get all the bargaining units together and revisit the benefits package.”  Philip responded that he had sat down with three of the non-teacher bargaining units and had asked them to consider the Regional #7 (health care) package and all three had rejected it that morning (Tuesday, March 2).

Board member Elaine Carmelich asked whether the 1.91% budget in front of them reflected the cut in the custodian.  Sue responded that it was not included, that they had voted at their last meeting not to cut the custodian.   This brought a puzzled reaction from some of the Board members, as well as our reporter, who recollected the Board agreeing not to replace the custodian who was retiring at the end of this school year.   Later in the meeting Bryan came back to the status of the 5th custodian position, asking: “Did we actually vote on that?”  He too was told: “We did.”  That was not his recollection and Bryan, who put a $63,000 price tag on the custodian position, later brought it up for a vote.  Noting that it involved hiring someone to fill the vacated position, Bryan proposed a motion to cut the one custodian position, and not to hire a new custodian, leaving the 3 schools with 4 full-time custodians.  The motion was defeated, and the 5th position was left in the budget.  As the budget now  stands, the schools will be hiring a new custodian to replace the one retiring.

In answer to a question from a Board member asking what it would take to get to a 0 (zero) budget, Philip said it would mean cutting down the whole of Central Office by one day.  Katie said this was unrealistic since Central Office was already thinly staffed, and the matter was dropped.

Steve proposed cutting one day from each of the two school psychologists.  The schools currently have 2 full-time psychologists, one at Antolini and one between New Hartford and Bakerville schools.  The motion passed, cutting the 2 FTE positions down to 1.8 FTEs.

Cuts were discussed for the Director of Student Services position, included in the 1.91% budget at .8 FTE, but that position was left intact at 4 days per week, with Philip saying that although they had been allowed to contract it out for the current year he wasn’t sure whether they’d be allowed to do that for a second year.

Steve proposed a motion to cut the Library Media Specialist, saying: “It comes down to what you want: Do you want classroom teachers or keep the library media specialist?”   The motion was defeated, and no cuts were made.

Katie asked about the effects of cutting the Instructional Assistants (IAs).  Philip said there was currently 1 FTE IA at Antolini, and two other IAs for New Hartford Elementary School and Bakerville School, one at .5 FTE and one at .4 FTE.  Philip said that it would mean the teachers would do all the copying and that they would lose recess and lunch room coverage; their duties are basically clerical and supervising children, he clarified.  Katie asked whether that would still leave the paraprofessionals and Philip confirmed that it would.  Katie then asked about the contract language related to assigning those duties to teachers, and Philip confirmed that there was no language in the contract not to assign duties, adding that teachers now have minimal duties.  Katie proposed a motion to eliminate the IA positions identified by Philip and the motion passed.  All three IAs will be cut under the Board’s proposed budget.

At this point Philip calculated that the budget stood at 0.69% increase.  The Board went into a brief executive session to discuss the transportation contract renegotiation.  At the end of the executive session, the public was allowed back into the meeting and the budget discussion was picked up again.

Board members noted that a 0.69% budget was a $50,000 increase (approximate figure), and that a 3% budget was a $227,000 increase (approximate figure).  Board members discussed bringing back two of the teachers cut for a total of $147,500 (approximate figure) which would bring the budget up to a 2.71% increase.  They also discussed adding unemployement costs and legal fees, which brought the budget close to a 3% increase.

Katie proposed a motion to: “Direct to restore 2 teaching positions up to a level of 3% over the current year.”  The motion was passed, with only Steve and Bryan voting against it.

There was a short discussion about the Board’s legal requirements to let teachers know about cuts if the Board’s proposed budget was not passed.  Philip said that they would still have time to make the cuts.  He concluded by saying that it was imperative for the Board members and for the community to attend the Board of Finance meeting on March 9 when he would be presenting the schools’ budget to that Board.

The public was again given an opportunity to comment on the budget.   Our reporter asked whether any potential savings from the renegotiation of the transportation contract would be used to reduce the Board’s budget.  With the Board’s agreement, Philip said that they were looking to continue with the present contract, adding that with only one year left on their 5-year contract they had decided to keep it the way it was.

A resident who said she had been laid off last summer but was fortunate not to have to go back to work suggested that the schools look at using volunteers to help out with the duties that the IAs were presently doing.

Another resident asked whether the New Hartford Schools teachers were still being underpaid relative to other teachers in the state.  She said that the figures available were for before the present teachers’ contract went into effect in 2008 and that with the effects of the economy on teachers’ pay in other towns, she wanted to know how the local teachers’ salaries now compared.  There was no response to her question.

Reggie Smith, Board of Finance member, asked whether the Board of Ed would also have a budget at 0% to present to the Board of Finance.  ”That’s what you’re going to hear from the Board of Finance ~ keep that in mind.”  Reggie said.

First Selectman Dan Jerram, who is also Vice Chairman of the Regional #7 Board of Ed, said that as a father with three children in the schools, he was happy with the service he was receiving, and that he applauded the work being done.  Turning to the budget, he referred to the “brinksmanship of a pay freeze,” and suggested that the Board look at making a different proposal.   He reminded the Board that a lot of the lower paid bargaining units would be willing to give back.  ”The town will be hit with extreme costs from all parts of the budget.” He said, adding:  ”Maintain a little bit of hope, go back and try something new and maybe you’ll get some giveback.”

Stan Brobston, a member of the Conservation Commission who identified himself as the son of two teachers, asked the Board to look at other things to cut costs, to look at other efficiencies such as a decentralization of a power supplier which would save 3-4%, and perhaps look at turning the heat down 2-3 degrees.  Turning his attention to the budget, he said that the rationale for the negotiations that he had heard “doesn’t sound like good negotiation.  It sounds like bullying to me.”  And he asked whether the Board would negotiate the early retirement option with the teachers.  Stan also referred to the school security survey which was worded in a way to elicit responses by those who didn’t want a security system.  Philip said that there was overwhelming support for a security system and that the survey had been to give an opportunity for those against such a system to voice their opinions.  Regarding Stan’s suggestion of looking at other ways to save money, Philip said his office was constantly looking for ways to cut costs and that they looked for grants as much as possible.

Stan didn’t receive a response to his question on whether the Board would negotiate with the teachers on the early retirement option and with the opportunity for comments about to end, our reporter asked the Board for their response on whether they would negotiate with the teachers on the early retirement option that the teachers had proposed as a way to save money without making it contingent on their accepting a pay freeze.  Philip responded that since September the Board had made continued efforts to negotiate with the teachers and that the Board now needed to give a budget to the Board of Finance.  Our reporter later confirmed with one of the Co-Presidents of the teachers’ union that the early retirement proposal had only been broached with them as part of a pay freeze package which their union members had rejected.

Two final comments from the public were made.  The first resident suggested that the schools hire several part-time employees as opposed to hiring full-time employees to save money; and the second resident, who identified himself as an engineer, suggested that, as great as it is to have a technology plan, in hard times the Board should consider postponing their technology plan rather than cutting employees: “Machines can’t do what people do!”  He said.

Conclusion: The Board approved Katie’s motion to: “Accept a 2.71% increase, with unemployment and legal fees not to exceed 3%.”  Steve and Bryan both opposed the motion.

The New Hartford Schools budget will be presented: By Superintendent Philip O’Reilly to the Board of Finance at that Board’s regularly-scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m.  The meeting will be held in the Sessions Conference Room at the Town Hall.  If there are more attendees than the conference room can accommodate, meetings are usually moved to the Senior Center.  Look for  a note on the door if the meeting has been moved.

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To review the schools’ budget process thus far: Please see our previous reports:

• Budget Takes Center Stage at Board of Finance Meeting, February 17;
• Between A Rock And A Hard Place: BOE Carves Out Budget (Part I), February 24;
• Ben’s Take On the Budget: A Conversation With The Board of Finance, February 23;
• Between A Rock And A Hard Place: BOE Carves Out Budget (Part II), February 25;
• Letter To The Editor: Information Regarding The Current Teachers’ Contract, March 3.

By: Mary Femniak and Dina Waker

Theresa Freund talks to Garden Club members. Â Photo: Mary Femniak

Theresa Freund of Freund’s Farm was the guest speaker at the New Hartford Garden Club’s first 2010 meeting on February 3. Garden club members eager to talk “dirt” and plan a new growing season turned out to hear about the Connecticut farm’s invention taking national gardens by storm. Members were not disappointed: Theresa’s presentation was not only interesting and educational but an entertaining history of the evolution of the “Cow Pot”.

Theresa and her husband Matthew are second generation dairy farmers and own Freund’s Farm in East Canaan, now a major business with a new world market; due to their environmentally friendly creation they affectionately call “Cow Pots”. Giving credit where credit is due, Theresa told the audience “A total of 250 milking Holsteins (and one Jersey) provide the manure to make the Cow Pots”. The Freund’s herd is the largest herd of cows in the state of Connecticut on pasture. Each day they change the pasture with a 20 day rotation program assuring that the animals do not damage the approximately 200 acres during the five months they graze.

The Freunds have nearly perfected the complete use of all the ingredients the cows so efficiently supply for cow pot products. The manure is fed through a methane digester that supplies the farm with hot water that heats the home, barn and offices. The residual liquid is used for fertilizer and the bulk waste becomes cow pots. The molding process for the pots heats the ingredients and adds air making each pot weed, pathogen and odor free. “Making the Cow Pots includes heating the manure to 110 degrees, producing methane as a byproduct and then the manure goes through a digester to squeeze out the liquid” informed Theresa.

From the first cow pot prototype six years ago, to recently having their product featured on “Martha Stewart”, “The New York Times” and “Johnny Seed”… Theresa is quick to mention with pride the positive environmental impact of their cow pots. Land and waste management is a life style for the Freunds, who proudly point out that cow pots are not only good for plants but their use helps to reduce garden plastic containers that are the bane of landfills. Cow Pots act like a slow release fertilizer, are 100% biodegradable and can be planted directly in the garden without shocking the plant with transplanting.

Theresa ended her presentation by answering questions from the New Hartford Garden Club members eager to gather details on Cow Pot fine points, and she delighted the crowd by giving away “Cow Pot six packs” for club members to use in their spring gardens. A table of homemade baked goods made by NHGC members and spirited conversation topped off the successful meeting.

Interested garden enthusiasts are encouraged to consider membership and are invited to educational seminars and meetings. Contact Sibyl Pellum at 860-379-3722 or Mary Lou Ringklib at 860-379-4612 for more information.

Theresa Freund talks about the environmentally-friendly Cow Pots created by her family on their farm in East Canaan. Â Photo: Mary Femniak

By: Maria Moore

This report is Part II of the New Hartford Schools Board of Ed meeting held this past Saturday, February 20 at Antolini School. Yesterday’s report, Between A Rock And A Hard Place… Part I dealt with the concerns voiced by residents on the schools’ budget for the upcoming fiscal year for which the Board of Finance has set an expectation of a 0% (zero percent) increase. Also see our report on the January 5 Board of Ed meeting Schools Board of Ed Gets Preview Of Tough Budget To Come which laid out cuts in certified staff leading to increased class sizes.
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After hearing out all the members of the public who had come to their Saturday morning meeting, members of the New Hartford Schools Board of Ed turned their attention to the five budget proposals prepared for them by Schools Superintendent Dr. Philip O’Reilly. These proposals were:

• one proposal included closing Bakerville School;
• two proposals were for a 0% (zero percent) increase;
• and two proposals were for a 3% increase.

The first proposal Board of Ed members considered was that for closing Bakerville School.  This was one of several proposals suggested by the New Hartford Schools’ teachers’ union as a way to reduce costs in their February 11 letter to the Schools Superintendent in response to the Board of Ed’s request for a wage freeze; see a copy of the union’s letter at the end of this report.

Bryan Keilty said that closing Bakerville School was a “non-starter.”  He said that the student population will be increasing and closing down the school won’t cut costs because the building will still have to be maintained; it will just shift the costs to the town.  Board of Ed Chairperson Sue Lundin proposed engaging members of other town committees and agencies to pull together a town-wide committee to consider the closure of Bakerville School.  Steve Tuxbury said he was totally against closing Bakerville, at least for next year.  ”We need to look at it in the future,” Steve said.  Elaine Carmelich said: “The responsible thing is to research it further… want to look at closing the school, the regionalization of the elementary schools with one superintendent (for the region).”

Board of Ed members agreed to take the proposal with the closure of Bakerville School off the table, leaving them with two proposals for 0% (zero percent) increase and two proposals for 3% increase from which to carve out their budget.

Chipping Away From 3% Budget to 1.9%

With four different proposed budgets in front of them, Steve Tuxbury said: “We need to decide upfront where we want to be.  What are we shooting for?”  He said they’d wanted to present the most responsible budget without cuts, which is why they’d asked for a wage freeze, but with the information from the Board of Finance, they were looking for a 0 (zero) budget.

Katie Natale said that 0% (zero percent) would dig too deeply into the quality of education.  She suggested looking at 3%, keeping in mind that they might have to go to zero ultimately, but leaving that up to the taxpayers.  Mary Misiorski agreed with Katie.  Sue Lundin agreed, saying: “We need a starting point: 3%… may end up between 0 (zero) and 3%.”   Bryan Keilty also agreed, saying they weren’t debating the merits, that it was evident that the town has supported education, that it’s always had a good history of supporting the schools.

Using 3% as their starting point, the Board of Ed members agreed on the following cuts:

• Cut 1 FTE (Full Time Equivalent) Curriculum Specialist: Leaving one Curriculum Specialist for the three schools.
• 1 Teacher position cut: Teacher on leave not being replaced.
• Cut (.6 FTE) Spanish Teacher: eliminating Spanish from the schools.
• Cut 1 day from the Director of Pupil Services: Jennifer Zenuh said there were clear laws for PPTs (Planning and Placement Team meetings) and was concerned at the cut of an additional day.  Philip said that the current Director of Student Services was now back to 3 days (from a medical leave) and that “she’s managing.”  He said Central Office had taken on some of the Special Ed responsibilities, and he confirmed that the position could be cut from 4 days to 3 days per week.
• Cut 1 day from the Technical Support position: keeping it at 4 days per week, and not increasing it to 5 days per week as had been projected.
• 1 custodian position cut: The retiring custodian at Antolini will not be replaced, leaving 4 full time custodians, 2 at Antolini, 1 at New Hartford Elementary and 1 at Bakerville.
• Cut .4 FTE from 2 Library Media Specialists: each would be cut 1 day per week.
• Talcott Mountain Science Center program cut.

Board members rejected making any cuts in PE, although Steve Tuxbury said that it was a program they needed to look at because it wasn’t working the way it is now.

The Board of Ed members took a short break to allow Philip the time to calculate how much in savings they had realized with the above cuts.  After the break Philip informed them were down to a 1.9% increase budget, and at that point the Board of Ed members announced that they would go into executive session and the meeting was closed to the public.

Possible Additional Savings Not Included In Budget

Philip identified two areas where there were ongoing negotiations that may result in additional savings and which were not included in his or the Board’s budget calculations. One area is a possible 1-3% savings on the cost of health insurance which may result from extending the period over which the school system is being experience rated.  Philip also said that the insurance consortium that the New Hartford Schools belongs to has begun the process of trying to streamline the number of health insurance packages now being offered to their different collective bargaining groups, which could result in cost savings in the future.   The second area is a renegotiation of the schools’  transportation contract which could realize savings if New Hartford Schools extends its contract with Dattco.

Future Meetings:

To following meetings will have an impact, directly or indirectly, on the New Hartfod Schools budget for next year:

• The next meeting of the New Hartford Schools Board of Ed will be held on Tuesday, March 2 at 7:00 p.m. at New Hartford Elementary School on Wickett Street;
• The next Board of Selectmen meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, 530 Main Street;
• The next Board of Finance meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Town Hall, 530 Main Street.

Please Note: The cuts listed above are taken from our reporter’s notes.  We will be comparing them with those included in a spreadsheet from the schools’ Central Office and we will make any changes/additions necessary to our list.  We will update this note to show when that comparison has taken place, hopefully later today.

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Copy of 3-page letter dated February 11 from the New Hartford Education Association (the teachers’ union) to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Philip O’Reilly in response to Board of Ed’s request to the teachers’ union for a wage freeze:

NHEA letter page 1 (169), NHEA letter page 2 (169), NHEA letter page 3 (159)

By: Maria Moore

Not many people schedule meetings on Friday evenings at 5:30 but when Ben Witte, the Board of Finance Chairman suggested that as a possible time to meet, our reporter quickly agreed. Ben was responding to our reporter’s request to meet and talk about the 2011 budget that’s currently being put together and the two agreed to meet this past Friday, February 19 at Dunkin’ Donuts in New Hartford. Following is a report of their conversation.

Ben Witte

Our reporter started the conversation by referring back to Ben’s meeting with Regional #7 administrators on which he’d updated his fellow Board of Finance members at their February 9 meeting; see our February 17 report Budget Takes Center Stage… for Ben’s account of that meeting.

“I heard you’d met with the New Hartford Schools Board of Ed as well…?” Our reporter asked. Ben confirmed he had attended that Board of Ed’s meeting on February 2. He said he had gotten the message that the New Hartford BOE was looking for direction from the Board of Finance and so he had gone there and laid out the revenue side of the budget to them. “If revenues are flat, then expenses need to be flat.”  This had been his message to the Board of Ed.  For the official minutes of that meeting please visit the Meeting Minutes page of the Board of Ed’s website.

The message from the Board of Finance to both Boards of Ed and to the Town’s administration is the same: Bring in budgets with 0% (zero percent) increases.

Revenues will be flat, Ben confirmed. The grand list is projected to grow by only 0.13% which is less than $20,000 of new revenues, and the grand list accounts for 75% of the town’s revenue. “I’ve been involved (with the Board of Finance) for 10 years and I’ve never seen it that low!” Ben said.

The rest of the town’s money comes from the state and that’s projected to be down slightly, if the governor’s budget is accepted, as Ben thinks is likely to happen. “There’s still revenue from 2010 (the current fiscal year) that still hasn’t come in (from the state).” Ben reminded our reporter. and as far as money from the state for the town’s 2011 budget? “We won’t know until next year.” Ben said.

The basis for next year’s budget according to Ben is: “This is how much we have, and this is what we have to spend.”

As far as new expenditures, Ben pointed out that the BOF members had made an exception for the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The Board needs to see projections for the WWTP funding for next year and Town Treasurer Gordon Ross will be meeting with the WPCA to get an official number from them.

“The BAN (Bond Anticipation Note) for $122,000 comes due in September and the intention is to pay it off.” Ben said. There will also be a $16,000 per month payment to the USDA to be made (for the WWTP), he added.

There are two choices to come up with the additional money for the WWTP according to Ben:

1. Use the budget surplus from last year to fund it; or
2. Increase taxes.

“Hopefully we’ll get what we asked for.” Ben said, returning to the 0% (zero percent) expectation set by the BOF.   ”If not, we can tell them to make it a 0 (zero) increase.” He continued, referring to the New Hartford Schools and the Town budgets over which the BOF has the authority to set the amount of the proposed budget.  ”For Region #7 we don’t have the authority,” he clarified.  The BOF budget is then brought to the public and it’s up to the voters to approve it or not.

Ben went over the timeline for the 2011 budget with our reporter:

• On April 6 at 7:00 p.m. the BOF will bring the proposed budget to a Public Hearing to get residents’ input;
• On April 13 at their regular BOF meeting, the BOF members will discuss the input from the Public Hearing and make any adjustments necessary to the budget;
• On April 27 the annual Budget Meeting will be held and the meeting will then be adjourned to Referendum;
• On May 4 the Referendum will be held.

A 0 (Zero) Budget And How To Get There

“The Board of Finance needed to send a strong message to the schools and to the town in order to get them to take it seriously.” Ben said about the 0 (zero) budget. “The question the schools and the town need to ask themselves is: “What do you have to do to get to 0 (zero)?” ” Ben’s answer to the question is: “You need to look at how to get to 0 (zero).  It seems to me you have to change the structure of how you do things to get to 0 (zero).”  A very different process from what they have been doing over the past several years, which is to cut their initial budget request.

Ben gave some examples of the kinds of structural changes he’s talking about:

• Have a Regional K-12 school;
• Have Shared Services for Special Ed.

“I don’t think you want to take anything off the table.” Ben said, because: “You either increase taxes 5% or so, or you need to look at ways to run the schools and the town  differently.”

The conversation then turned to the New Hartford Schools teachers’ contract which has a 6% increase per year for teachers’ salaries.  Ben pointed out that we’re in the second year of the contract, with 2 more years to go.  ”That’s about a $180,000 increase in one year!”  Altogether, Ben calculated that about $330,000 of the budget increase for local schools ~ outside of health insurance ~ is due to pay incrases.

“I feel strongly that, if the teachers agree, the town would realize another $100,000 from other unions ~ if teachers do it!” Ben said.  ”I don’t see how we can have a budget that’s acceptable without addressing the teachers’ increase.  Everyone else is getting 0 (zero) ~ and furlough days on top if that!  Everyone has to play in the game.”  Ben said they’d approached the teachers out of fairness to give back the 6%.  ”There’s been no response and it doesn’t seem like there’s any intention to do that.”  Ben called it “extremely unfortunate” and that “people are looking at every way to avoid tax increases.”

“What doesn’t work in good times may be palatable in bad times.”  Ben added, pointing out that you hear things like closing a school.  ”I don’t know what you can do to the teachers but appeal to their sense of fair play. I would hope the general public would do the same.”  With education at 70% of the overall budget “it costs a lot of money.”

Ben said he didn’t have a reference point for the town budget yet.  ”We’re struggling to meet the budget for last year at 0%.  I don’t know what numbers we’re looking at.”  His strong sense, though, is that we need to put more money into the road budget.

Asked for his final thoughts, Ben said: “Tough decisions are necessary to get the budgets where we’ve asked.  I hope teachers who are a big part will play in the game and others could follow suit.  It could easily be a $280,000 find in the budget.  Compared to $20,000 in new revenue, it’s a big dent in the problem.”

And with that, the two shook hands and with a final “Call me if you need anything,” Ben and our reporter each headed off home after a long week of work.

By: Maria Moore

Business Council Sponsors Booth at Frozen Farmers’ Market

Hot chocolate and marshmallows were the business of the day at the New Hartford Business Council (NHBC) Steering Committee meeting this past Wednesday.  No, members were not deciding on which beverage to enjoy during the meeting, but rather they were finalizing the details of what they would be providing at their booth this coming Sunday at the Farmers’ Market.  The Business Council had sponsored a weekly booth at the Farmers’ Market this past summer and the Steering Committee approved sponsoring a booth at this Sunday’s event, the Frozen Farmers’ Skating Party and Farmers’ Market. Mindful of the weather at this point of winter the Business Council members decided to serve hot chocolate at their booth.  Deb Kuszaj of Blue Sky Foods had already purchased supplies, but on being told by Anita Barden, one of the organizers of the Farmers’ Market, that last year ~ the first Frozen Farmers event ~ there had been about 200 people who had attended, Deb thought it best to pick up more chocolate.  Steering Committee members also discussed whether or not to charge for the hot chocolate as a means to build up funds for future community projects, but guided by Gardner Graves of Realty Works who volunteered to cover the cost of the chocolate, those present decided to ask for a donation for the hot drinks.

The Business Council booth will have information available from its member businesses.  If you are a member of the Business Council and you would like to add your materials to the booth, please stop by and drop them off at the booth on Sunday from 11:30 on.  The Business Council booth will be manned by Dawn Whalen of COMPUTER EXPLORERS, Gardner Graves and Kim Trumbull, both of Realty Works, and other Business Council members.   The booth is being sponsored by Realty Works, Blue Sky Foods, GeminEye Images, Peggy’s Personalized Promos, and the Economic Development Commission.

First Selectman To Speak At March 3 Business Council Meeting

First Selectman Dan Jerram will be attending the next meeting of the Business Council Steering Committee on March 3.  Steering Committee members decided to ask Dan to address the topic of ‘The Current Business Climate in New Hartford’.  They also agreed to devote the whole meeting to Dan’s presentation and to give members the opportunity to ask questions on this topic of the First Selectman.

If you are a member of the Business Council and you would like to attend the March 3 Steering Committee meeting with the First Selectman please let Dawn Whalen, NHBC co-president know for planning purposes; email Dawn at ctce200@ctce.us.  The meeting will be held at Chapin Park Bed and Breakfast on the Green at Pine Meadow.

Business Council Website Update

Steering Committee members decided not to pursue setting up a Business Council website at this time, but rather to revisit the subject at a future meeting.  The Business Council Members’ Directory will continue to be hosted on NewHartfordPlus as members agreed that it added value to their membership.

Membership Update

Mary Ann Gunning, Membership Chair for the Business Council, reported that the Business Council now has 77 members, 24 of whom are new members.  Phil Worley, Executive Director of the Canton Chamber of Commerce, added that there are 29 joint members of the two organizations.

Many Thanks: To Mary Ann Gunning of Chapin Park Bed and Breakfast for hosting the Business Council Steering Committee meetings at her bed and breakfast.

George Tolhurst Named PECOE Employee Of The Month

George Tolhurst

George Tolhurst of New Hartford was one of three employees who were named Employee of the Month for January by their employer QuEST ~ Project Engineering Center of Excellence (PECOE) in East Hartford.  George is a graduate of Regional #7 and the University of Hartford.  Following is the announcement by Christopher Wisse, PECOE Director, of George’s recognition:

George joined PECOE in June 2009, and is currently supporting the Compression Systems Module Center.

During a recent Tollgate 3, George received glowing feedback from his customer, who mentioned they were able to start him off gradually with his work, but he has “gone from walking to running.” He has “exceeded expectations” and “shows leadership qualities.” Additionally, the customer gives George and “A” for the work he has performed. They think he has a “good attitude”, “has progressed well” and they are “glad he is back” in 2010. He has certainly left a good impression on his customer. Because of the confidence they have in him, he has also been given the opportunity to learn some design programming. He has shown a lot of growth over the past few months and has impressed his customer thoroughly.

As Employees of the Month Janina, George and Ana receive not only our gratitude but a monetary award, just a token of QuEST’s appreciation for their efforts.

A Note About the QuEST Employee of the Month Program: QuEST Project Engineering Center of Excellence (PECOE) based out of the East Hartford office and Windsor Locks campus has implemented an Employee of the Month recognition program. The program is intended to increase communication and provide a vehicle for recognition of good performance. Lack of communication can lead to a disconnected feeling, especially for those working outside of our offices. Additionally, management too often fails to take the time to say “Thank you”, whether directly or indirectly, for the exceptional efforts of its employees.

Congratulations: To George Tolhurst on his achievement after only 6 months with his company.  We look forward to hearing much more about this bright young man.

Skates And Shopping Bags Ready For Sunday?…

Just in case you haven’t heard: The Second  Annual Frozen Farmers Skating Party and Farmers’ Market will be held tomorrow, Sunday, February 21 from 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m. on the (white) Green at Chapin Park in Pine Meadow.  Be sure to come along to do some skating, or watch others skate, catch up with neighbors and of course, shop with our local farmers.

NewHartfordPlus will also have a small booth, where we will have our sweatshirts and our NEW bumper stickers available.  Hope to see you all there!

The Frozen Farmers’ Skating Party and Farmers’ Market is being sponsored this year by the New Hartford Farmers’ Market and the New Hartford Rec Department.

Joanne Dahill of Marwin Farm shows Bob Moore a list of her farm's offerings at the First Frozen Farmers' Market in February of 2009 on Chapin Park.

By: Maria Moore

Business Council Sponsors Booth at Frozen Farmers’ Market

Hot chocolate and marshmallows were the business of the day at the New Hartford Business Council (NHBC) Steering Committee meeting this past Wednesday.  No, members were not deciding on which beverage to enjoy during the meeting, but rather they were finalizing the details of what they would be providing at their booth this coming Sunday at the Farmers’ Market.  The Business Council had sponsored a weekly booth at the Farmers’ Market this past summer and the Steering Committee approved sponsoring a booth at this Sunday’s event, the Frozen Farmers’ Skating Party and Farmers’ Market. Mindful of the weather at this point of winter the Business Council members decided to serve hot chocolate at their booth.  Deb Kuszaj of Blue Sky Foods had already purchased supplies, but on being told by Anita Barden, one of the organizers of the Farmers’ Market, that last year ~ the first Frozen Farmers event ~ there had been about 200 people who had attended, Deb thought it best to pick up more chocolate.  Steering Committee members also discussed whether or not to charge for the hot chocolate as a means to build up funds for future community projects, but guided by Gardner Graves of Realty Works who volunteered to cover the cost of the chocolate, those present decided to ask for a donation for the hot drinks.

The Business Council booth will have information available from its member businesses.  If you are a member of the Business Council and you would like to add your materials to the booth, please stop by and drop them off at the booth on Sunday from 11:30 on.  The Business Council booth will be manned by Dawn Whalen of COMPUTER EXPLORERS, Gardner Graves and Kim Trumbull, both of Realty Works, and other Business Council members.   The booth is being sponsored by Realty Works, Blue Sky Foods, GeminEye Images, Peggy’s Personalized Promos, and the Economic Development Commission.

First Selectman To Speak At March 3 Business Council Meeting

First Selectman Dan Jerram will be attending the next meeting of the Business Council Steering Committee on March 3.  Steering Committee members decided to ask Dan to address the topic of ‘The Current Business Climate in New Hartford’.  They also agreed to devote the whole meeting to Dan’s presentation and to give members the opportunity to ask questions on this topic of the First Selectman.

If you are a member of the Business Council and you would like to attend the March 3 Steering Committee meeting with the First Selectman please let Dawn Whalen, NHBC co-president know for planning purposes; email Dawn at ctce200@ctce.us.  The meeting will be held at Chapin Park Bed and Breakfast on the Green at Pine Meadow.

Business Council Website Update

Steering Committee members decided not to pursue setting up a Business Council website at this time, but rather to revisit the subject at a future meeting.  The Business Council Members’ Directory will continue to be hosted on NewHartfordPlus as members agreed that it added value to their membership.

Membership Update

Mary Ann Gunning, Membership Chair for the Business Council, reported that the Business Council now has 77 members, 24 of whom are new members.  Phil Worley, Executive Director of the Canton Chamber of Commerce, added that there are 29 joint members of the two organizations.

Many Thanks: To Mary Ann Gunning of Chapin Park Bed and Breakfast for hosting the Business Council Steering Committee meetings at her bed and breakfast.

George Tolhurst Named PECOE Employee Of The Month

George Tolhurst

George Tolhurst of New Hartford was one of three employees who were named Employee of the Month for January by their employer QuEST ~ Project Engineering Center of Excellence (PECOE) in East Hartford.  George is a graduate of Regional #7 and the University of Hartford.  Following is the announcement by Christopher Wisse, PECOE Director, of George’s recognition:

George joined PECOE in June 2009, and is currently supporting the Compression Systems Module Center.

During a recent Tollgate 3, George received glowing feedback from his customer, who mentioned they were able to start him off gradually with his work, but he has “gone from walking to running.” He has “exceeded expectations” and “shows leadership qualities.” Additionally, the customer gives George and “A” for the work he has performed. They think he has a “good attitude”, “has progressed well” and they are “glad he is back” in 2010. He has certainly left a good impression on his customer. Because of the confidence they have in him, he has also been given the opportunity to learn some design programming. He has shown a lot of growth over the past few months and has impressed his customer thoroughly.

As Employees of the Month Janina, George and Ana receive not only our gratitude but a monetary award, just a token of QuEST’s appreciation for their efforts.

A Note About the QuEST Employee of the Month Program: QuEST Project Engineering Center of Excellence (PECOE) based out of the East Hartford office and Windsor Locks campus has implemented an Employee of the Month recognition program. The program is intended to increase communication and provide a vehicle for recognition of good performance. Lack of communication can lead to a disconnected feeling, especially for those working outside of our offices. Additionally, management too often fails to take the time to say “Thank you”, whether directly or indirectly, for the exceptional efforts of its employees.

Congratulations: To George Tolhurst on his achievement after only 6 months with his company.  We look forward to hearing much more about this bright young man.

Skates And Shopping Bags Ready For Sunday?…

Just in case you haven’t heard: The Second  Annual Frozen Farmers Skating Party and Farmers’ Market will be held tomorrow, Sunday, February 21 from 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m. on the (white) Green at Chapin Park in Pine Meadow.  Be sure to come along to do some skating, or watch others skate, catch up with neighbors and of course, shop with our local farmers.

NewHartfordPlus will also have a small booth, where we will have our sweatshirts and our NEW bumper stickers available.  Hope to see you all there!

The Frozen Farmers’ Skating Party and Farmers’ Market is being sponsored this year by the New Hartford Farmers’ Market and the New Hartford Rec Department.

Joanne Dahill of Marwin Farm shows Bob Moore a list of her farm's offerings at the First Frozen Farmers' Market in February of 2009 on Chapin Park.

By: Maria Moore

The Board of Selectmen met this past Tuesday, February 9 at 5:30 p.m. for a shorter meeting than usual so it wouldn’t conflict with the Board of Finance meeting scheduled in the same conference room for 7:00 p.m. that same evening.  Following is a report of several of the items discussed at that meeting.  A copy of the meeting agenda is included at the end of this report.

Item #3: Dr. Philip O’Reilly re: School Building Committee Request

Superintendent of New Hartford Schools Dr. Philip O’Reilly came to the Board of Selectmen meeting this past Tuesday, February 11, to answer the selectmen’s questions on the schools’ request for a Building Committee to be appointed for the work to be done at the Ann Antolini School; this request had been tabled at the last BOS meeting on January 26 pending Philip’s input, see our Janary 28 report Seniors, Schools Come To Selectmen…

After questioning Philip on different aspects of the work to be done and the need to establish a Building Committee at this time, a time of economic stress in the community at large, the selectmen unanimously decided not to put together a Building Committee to oversee the work at Ann Antolini school. Rather, the selectmen told Philip: “Come back in 2012″ to request a Building Committee.

Philip briefly outlined the projects that need to be undertaken at Ann Antolini School:

• the roof replacement;
• the replacement of windows and doors;
• asbestos abatement;
• boiler replacement.

These  projects are described in detail in our September 30 report of the engineers’ presentation to the New Hartford Schools Board of Ed.   Philip also mentioned another project, that of the grounds including the parking issues, which also needs to be addressed.

Philip emphasized that the boilers need to be addressed right away since they have cracks in them and the school has been cited by the state.  Later in the meeting, Philip was asked about the cost to replace the boilers to which he responded: “If I had to say, a quarter million dollars, it could be more.”  Asked what his plan was to address the boilers, he said: “If there is no Building Committee, we have to more forward on the boilers under our Capital account. We need to remove at least one oil tank, too.”

Among the selectmen’s questions was  Tom Klebart’s: “Are there cost savings if do the projects at the same time?” Tom wanted to know.  ”No, none.” Philip answered.  Later he clarified that by saying that a Building Committee would be able to research that as well as the potential for tax credits for the projects.  Tom also asked about the state of the roof, and Philip answered: “It had a leak last year, we addressed it. Right now it’s doing OK. We haven’t seen any leaks since.”

First Selectman Dan Jerram said that, with the town still having bonds on the other two schools and the wastewater treatment plant payments starting this year, he didn’t want to go to bond on Antolini.  ”Pay cash, that’s the new economy!” Dan said.  Selectman Bruce Gresczyk  said he concurred with Dan to do the projects piecemeal.

Tom answered: “I’m not saying I want a bond right now. I just don’t like tabling things without adressing how the issues will be adressed.” And Philip agreed: “That’s the Board of Ed’s concern, too.”  Tom continued: ”I would prefer to do the boilers under Capital expenditures. I want to lay things out and get a timetable in place ~ from the minute you start a job to when the payments start.”

In answer to Philip’s question: “When do you want me to approach you again?”  The selectmen calculated back from when the Bakerville bond is paid off ~ in 2014 ~ and told Philip: “Come back in 2012.”  Philip asked the selectmen to communicate their decision to the Board of Ed as its members had communicated directly to the BOS.

Going back to the boiler project, Bruce asked Philip if the schools’ board had the ability to handle the project.  Philip answered that the board had “taken some heat” for handling the sidewalk project directly and, in retrospect, they should have hired a project manager.  Roy Litchfield, Board of Finance member who was at the meeting and who has a construction management background, told Philip: “First of all you have to put out a bid spec or they’d (the building contractors) rake you right over the coals.”   Philip agreed, saying: “I’m not comfortable moving forward without technical support.”  Dan said he’d refer Philip to the Board of Finance, but Philip responded that it wouldn’t cost the Board of Ed anything to put out for proposals for bid specs.

Asked if he was comfortable with the outcome of his request, Philip answered: ”I’m comfortable we have a plan. Would I like to see the building project move right now? Absolutely! But I appreciate where the board is coming from.”

Item #4: Operations Updates

Among his operations updates, Dan informed the selectmen of the following:

RRDD#1 cuts 4th Quarter Assessment: Dan met with Jim Hart,  who informed him that RRDD#1 was cutting its assessment for the 4th quarter to its member towns by almost 50%, a $30,000 savings for New Hartford.

Tax collection issues: Dan had met with Linda Sheffield, the town Tax Collector, and he said that Linda had informed him that there were tax collection issues, with some properties being delinquent. ” There are significant issues on collection right now.” Dan said, adding that that Tax Collector will come to the Board of Selectmen’s next meeting to provide them with more information.

Brown’s Corner: Dan said he was continuing the team work with the Rec Commission and that Rec had renamed Brown’s Corner as their top priority and they were reallocating their capital to that project, rather than to the several different projects to which they had originally allocated their resources.  He added that John Maschi and Dan Eddy would be going to Planning and Zoning with some simplification of the plan that would decrease the cost of the project.

Meetings with town businesses: Dan said he and David Childs had visited several companies in the industrial park, including Perry Technology, Music Theater International and Jamco.  ”All are holding their own well.” Dan said, adding that Jamco had reported an icing problem on the road and Bruce added that temporary repairs had been made.  Dan also mentioned that he’d attended a Business Roundtable sponsored by Northwest Community Bank on the economy and its effects on local businesses.

Items #5 and #6:  Appointments

Dan announced the following appointments:  Steve Nolan to the Pension Board; Dave Buyak to the Conservation Commission; Joe Nerney to the WPCA; and Dave Krimmel who was appointed to the Economic Development Commission to replace Tria Case who has resigned from the commission.  The final appointment announced was that of Dotty Craig from Ski Sundown to the Northwest Connecticut Visitors Bureau ~ which is now merging with the Southwest bureau, Dan added.

Item #7: Task Order for LEI (Lenard Engineering) for Sand/Salt Storage Facility

Dan said he was uncomfortable with the amount of the estimate, that it seemed a lot of money to him and he wanted to call them on the cost.  The item was tabled.

Item #8: Correspondence from West Hill Association

Dan said he’d met with Nelson (“Skip”) Sly of the West Hill Association, of which the town is a member, and that the association was the recipient of a $4,000 grant to preserve West Hill Pond from runoff.  The Association was asking the town for a contribution ~ of about $500 Dan said.  The town pays about $400 for its annual membership and Dan clarified that they weren’t asking for an increase in the annual contribution.  Roy asked if it could come out of the Rec budget and Dan answered: “I have eyes on their budget: it’s going to Brown’s Corner. Rec has been very generous to reallocate capital to Brown’s Corner: 60% of their budget is going to be moved in that direction.” “They’ve already given!” Roy responded.   The selectmen approved giving $500 to the Association to get them started on their fundraising to do their stormwater survey.

Reappointment of Bruce Gresczyk as Interim Highway Superintendent, Tree Cutting Proceeds, Roads Survey

With the selectmen’s meeting coming to a close, Bruce brought up his reappointment.  and the selectmen reappointed him until their next meeting.

Bruce and Dan reported that they were taking down a lot of trees around town, with the two biggest at Chapin Park; the one on the Route 44 side was dead, and the one near the Simplicity hairdressing business, Dan said, had a big hole in the center of it. The sad thing, Bruce said, was that just as they were finishing cutting down the one on the Route 44 side, the state showed up to take it down!  Dan said it would be left to Brenda Schauffler, one of the two Tree Wardens he has appointed in addition to himself, to come up with suitable replacements for the two trees that had been cut down.

Regarding the roads, Bruce said he’d finished his survey of them and that he should be able to come up with a reasonable plan to repair them.  Tom asked whether there was money in the town budget to do the work and Dan responded: “It depends on (Alesia) Kennerson and (Laura) Sundquist (Board of Finance Capital Expenditures Sub-committee members), if we budget smart!”

Item #10: Any Other Business to Come Before the Board

Les Archer, Animal Control Officer, who was at the meeting, told the selectmen that the Winsted Animal Control Officer was working on establishing a regional animal shelter which would be located at the Winsted sewer plant.  He said Barkhamsted had indicated their interest in looking into the project and Les wanted to know if New Hartford was interested.  New Hartford now boards animals at K-9 Kennel in Pine Meadow.  Bruce said that, having in the past regulated regional animal shelters, the town probably has the most cost-effective situation now.  The selectmen indicated their interest in the project, saying it didn’t cost anything to look into it.

The meeting ended at 6:45 p.m., one of its shorter meetings.

Addendum: After the meeting had ended, our reporter asked both Bruce and Dan what happened to the trees that they were cutting down.  Bruce answered that what scavengers didn’t take ended up being taken to the dump.  The trees are on the town’s right of way and technically are town property.   Our reporter brought up the possibility of the wood being processed and sold as firewood, as FAVARH was doing in Canton, and using the proceeds to fund a social services program.  However, that didn’t receive a positive response from the two selectmen.

To read the official minutes: of this Board of Selectmen meeting when they become available, please see the Minutes and Agendas section of the town’s municipal website.

One of the two large trees on Chapin Park that were cut down this past Monday, February 8. Photo: Maria Moore

___________________

Board of Selectmen Regular Meeting
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
AGENDA

1.)Minutes – January 26, 2010
2.)Opportunity for Public Comment
3.)Dr. Philip O’Reilly re: School Building Committee Request
4.)Operations Updates
Grant Updates, Others
5.)Appointments to Boards and Commissions
Conservation, EDC, Retirement Board/Pension Committee, Others
6.)Appointment to Northwest Connecticut Convention and Visitors Bureau
7.)Task Order – LEI re: sand/salt storage facility
8.)Correspondence
9.)Request for Tax Refunds
10.)Any Other Business to Come Before this Board

Business Council report has been corrected to reflect the fact that Realty Works is expanding by opening an additional office in the Chatterley’s Building in New Hartford; Saturday, February 6.

By: Maria Moore

Steering Committee members of the New Hartford Business Council (NHBC) have had so much Council business to handle recently that they have been meeting not only once, but twice a month and will likely continue to do so for a while.

Meeting in the beautiful dining room of Chapin Park Bed and Breakfast and led by co-presidents Bart Baxter and Dawn Whalen, Steering Committee members have focused on a number of agenda items which are priorities for the Council.  Following is a report on a few of those items:

1.  Redefining the mission of the NHBC: With the help of Ron Miller of Ace Marketing, the Business Council adopted a new mission statement that members felt better reflects the role of the Business Council in the community.   The new mission statement reads:

“To create and promote a professional and productive partnership among area businesses, through community functions and social networking, in ways that will foster a positive business environment, thereby creating opportunities for area commerce.”

2.  Highlighting the value of NHBC membership: As Ron Miller put it: “Businesses want to know: “What’s in it for me?” ”  The Business Council recently partnered up with the Canton Chamber of Commerce and both organizations are offering a reduced membership fee to join each other’s organization.  This has given New Hartford businesses access to the events and educational opportunities offered by the larger Canton organization.

Another way of promoting the value in an NHBC membership is for members to display their membership in their business locations. Gardner Graves of Realty Works, whose company is in the process of expanding by opening an additional office in Chatterley’s building in New Hartford, is providing the Business Council with decals  of the Council’s logo to be distributed to members.

An M2M program has also been instituted.  Ron Miller is collecting a list of Business Council members who are making a special offer available to other NHBC members.  In the case of NewHartfordPlus, the M2M offer is 10% OFF all advertising on NewHartfordPlus to NHBC members.  This M2M list will be made available to NHBC members when completed.  If you are a Business Council member and would like to be added to the M2M list, please contact Ron Miller at ronm331@yahoo.com.

New Hartford Business Council members also have their business information included in the NHBC Members’ Directory section on NewHartfordPlus: a free “yellow page” ad on NewHartfordPlus as part of their NHBC membership fee.

3.  Support for Community Events sponsored by Business Council members: This is an area that Steering Committee members feel is an essential part of the Business Council’s role in the community.   During the last several months, Business Council members have supported the Holiday Marketplace at the Beekley Library and Light New Hartford.  This month, on February 21, the Farmers’ Market ~ a member of the Business Council ~ will be holding its 2nd Frozen Farmers Market and Skating Party on the Green at Chapin Park in Pine Meadow.  Steering Committee members are planning to have a stand at the Frozen Farmers’ Market.  We will provide more details on this event as soon as more information becomes available, or you may contact Anita Barden at Barden Farm: bardenfarm@aol.com; or Joanne Dahill at MarWin Farm: joanne@marwinfarm.com.

4. Steering Committee future plans: Other agenda items Steering Committee members are pursuing include setting up an NHBC website for its members.  NewHartfordPlus has discontinued maintaining a separate NHBC Business Notes section which we had made available free of charge to the Business Council for the past six months; we will add a link to the Business Council website as soon as it is available.  As always, we will continue to provide news coverage of the business community and the Business Council in our Business News Updates.

New Hartford Business Council members will also be attending Economic Development Commission (EDC) meetings to work together with that Commission on their common goals of promoting business in New Hartford.  NHBC Co-president Dawn Whalen and Gardner Graves will be attending future EDC meetings; EDC Chairman David Childs, who is also a member of the NHBC, has been attending all of the Steering Committee meetings.

The next meeting of the NHBC Steering Committee: is scheduled for Wednesday, February 3 at 8:30 a.m. at Chapin Park Bed and Breakfast, Church Street, in the Pine Meadow section of New Hartford.

For more information on the NHBC Steering Committee: please contact Co-Presidents Bart Baxter: 860-921-7149; or Dawn Whalen: ctce200@ctce.us.

Many Thanks: to Mary Ann Gunning for graciously hosting the NHBC Steering Committee meetings at her Chapin Park Bed and Breakfast.

Business Council Steering Committee members at their January 20 meeting (from right to left) Dawn Whalen, Bart Baxter, David Childs, Mary Ann Gunning, Dotty Craig and Carol Monroe. Photo: Maria Moore

Business Council Steering Committee members (from left to right) Ron Miller, Deb Kuszaj, Gardner Graves, Carol Monroe and Kim Trumbull. Photo: Maria Moore

$weetheart Deal$ Available on NewHartfordPlus

Looking forward to Valentine’s Day, we’ll be making available $weetheart Deal$ to all our readers ~ but we need the help of area business owners to make it happen!  Here’s how it works:

1. Business owners: Place a coupon with your business special offer or discount for Valentine’s Day and we’ll include it as one of the downloadable coupons in our $weetheart Deal$ promotion which will run between February 4 and February 14 on NewHartfordPlus.  What’s our  Sweetheart Deal for you, you’re wondering?  At $5 per day for a 10-day run, we think that’s a real sweetheart of a deal!  Click here to learn more, let us know what you want to offer on your business Sweetheart Deal coupon, and we’ll do the rest for you!  Call Maria at 860-309-7526 or email her at  newhartfordplus@gmail.com to place your order.  New Deadline: for placing your ad is 12:00 noon on Wednesday, snow or shine!
2. Readers: Beginning Thursday, February 4 click on our large $weetheart Deal$ ad on our front page and download your $weetheart Deal$ coupons.  Enjoy using your coupons with our area businesses: A $weetheart Deal for us all!