Following are the Community Calendar listings for today in New Hartford, CT:

Thursday, May 6, 2010:

• New Hartford Senior Center activities: at Senior Center, Town Hall, 530 Main St., New Hartford. Activities: Line dancing at 9:30 a.m.; Fitness at 10:45 a.m. ($2.50 per person, per class, includes a fitness card which is stamped for every class attended; Bingo at 1:00 p.m.; Yoga at 4:00 p.m. Travelers Chorale bus pickup at Town Hall, 6:00 p.m. Our apologies, the date for the Travelers Chorale should have read “Thursday, May 13th”.
• CANCELED: WPCA Meeting: The regularly scheduled meeting of the WPCA has been cancelled. A special meeting may be scheduled for next Thursday, May 13.
• Thursday Night Gather With Friends at Passiflora: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Passiflora, 526 Main Street, New Hartford. Beginning & Deepening Meditation Practice and a Psychology of Enlightenment with Howard Abhay Banow. For more information, please visit Passiflora’s website : Or call Passiflora’s at 860-379-TEAS
• Friends of Brodie Park: Meeting in the “Jail Door” Conference Room (Ground floor) of the Town Hall 530 Main Street New Hartford 7:30 p.m.

Our Community Calendar section provides additional information about the events listed above and information on past, current and future events – a permanent record of events in New Hartford.

Tag Sale season begins! Check out our Classifieds Section for upcoming Tag Sales in New Hartford.

…NHGrapevine…

“Dave Krimmel put together a map showing the original 6 roads across New Hartford. That took an incredible amount of work!”

Dan Eddy told our reporter yesterday as he showed her the remnants of Road #2 on a map of Brodie Park South. Dave Krimmel’s map is with Donna LaPlante, Town Clerk for those who’d like to see it.

Contribute to the …NHGrapevine… Let us know what you’ve heard – or seen – in town and we’ll add it to this listing, and also add it to the …NHGrapevine… section. So let’s hear what you’re hearing around town…

By: Maria Moore

Below is a downloadable PDF copy the Northwestern Regional #7 Proposed Budget which we received this morning from Roger Newbury, Business Manager at Northwestern Regional #7. This is the Regional #7 budget that was approved for today’s May 4 referendum at last night’s District Meeting. Paper copies of this budget are available at the Town Clerk’s Office.

To review the proposed 2010-2011 Northwestern Regional #7 Budget, click on the following links:

• Proposed Regional #7 budget, pages 1-5, by line items: Regional #7 Proposed Budget, pages 1-5 (227)
• Proposed Regional #7 budget, pages 6-10, by line items: Regional #7 Proposed Budget, pages 6-10 (219)
• Proposed Regional #7 budget, pages 11-13: Revenues, Assessments to member towns, and Notice of District Meeting: Regional #7 Proposed Budget, pages 11-13 (201)

To review the Town Administration Budget and the New Hartford Schools Budget, pease see our May 3 report Budget Referendum: What You’ll Be Voting For ~ Or Against ~ In May 4 Referendum.

Please Note: We have broken down the 13-page proposed Regional #7 budget into three sections and we have optimized them (reduced the size of each of the three files) since the original 1.51 MB file was too large for us to process.  If you would like a copy of the 13-page proposed budget in one file, please email us at newhartfordplus@gmail.com and we will forward you a copy of the original file.  Thank you for your understanding!

Regional #7 Board of Ed meeting this past February. Photo from NewHartfordPlus archives

[Winchester (which includes Winsted) and Burlington have been added to the round-up of how our neighboring towns handle their budget process in the commentary below; 12:30 noon, Tuesday, May 4]

Commentary by Maria Moore

As we in New Hartford make a stop at our polling places on May 4 to cast a vote for the town’s budget ~ just a “yes” or a “no” required ~  it’s worth noting what our neigbors in surrounding towns will be doing:

• Barkhamsted: An Annual Town Meeting and Budget Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m.  The Barkhamsted town website has the following announcement: ”This is your opportunity to vote on important town issues, including the 2010/2011…  Mark your calendar and come to these annual meetings so that your voice can be heard. You will also receive a postcard with this same information. budgets for the town and the school.”
• Harwinton: An Annual Budget Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m.  The Harwinton town website has the following announcement: “The electors and those persons eligible to vote in town meetings of the Town of Harwinton are hereby warned and notified to meet in the Assembly Hall of the Town Hall… for the Annual Budget Meeting for the following purposes: 1. To consider and act upon the municipal budget…
• Canton: A legal notice posted on the Canton town website states: “The annual town budget meeting of all electors and those qualified to vote in Town Meetings in the Town of Canton will be held on Monday, May 10, 2010 at 7:30 p.m… for the purpose of discussing and voting upon the Board of Finance recommended budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. The Charter Revision requires 150 Voters be present for a quorum and if not it will automatically go to a referendum which will cost the town approximately $3,500.” (Bold lettering in the original notice).
• Winsted (Winchester): Voters at the Winchester Annual Budget Meeting held last night, May 3 approved some adjustments to the town budget, and did not approve others.  The adjusted budget was sent to a referendum vote on May 25.  About 180 residents out of the total 10,600 (2000 Census data) voted on the adjustments to the budget that was sent to referendum;  for more information about Winchester’s Annual Budget Meeting please see Dan Ivers’ report in today’s Register Citizen Adjusted budget proposal forwarded to May 25 referendum.
• Burlington: A call to Burlington’s Town Clerk’s Office found that Burlington holds an Annual Budget Meeting, this year in June, at which the town budget may be adjusted by residents and then voted on at that same meeting.  Asked about the turnout for those meetings, our reporter was told the turnout varies ~ from 10 to 200 or so ~ depending on the issues during a particular budget cycle.

This quick survey shows that our neighboring towns all hold Annual Budget Meetings where their town’s voters can discuss the proposed budget, make changes to it if  they so choose and then vote on that budget.   The traditional New England small town form of government is alive and well in our neighboring towns.

Not so in New Hartford.

Somewhere along the way, the voters in New Hartford have been stripped of the ability to have a direct say, line item by line item, on the content of the budget they will then be asked to vote on.  Would this open discussion mean that each line item of the budget would be exactly as they would want it?  Of course not.  Whenever there are two or more interested parties, there is always some level of disagreement.

But is the fact that there will inevitably be disagreements enough to take away that direct control of the budget?  We don’t believe so.

For as things stand, residents show up at budget presentations, hearings and Saturday workshops, and usally they are allowed to have their say.  But when all has been said, and the voters go back home,  it is the members of the Board of Finance who will, or will not, make changes to the budget following residents’ input.

Take, for example, this past budget season which has led up to Tuesday’s Budget Referendum.  Residents expressed their concerns, or outright opposition to the following line items in the Town Administration budget, either at the various meetings or to the selectmen in person:

• Raises from 2% to 3.5% are slated for Town Hall employees  without a contractual obligation to give those raises.  This includes the First Selectman and all other non-union employees.  In a poor economy with high unemployment, residents were critical of the raises, especially in view of the fact that Regional #7 administrators and their non-union staff did not give themselves raises for the second year running;
• There is great concern about the dismantling of the Land Use Office, with the Administrative Assistant’s position being eliminated, and the Land Use Officer suspended;
• There has been an ongoing debate about the 40% reduction in the paving line item, with the 322.8% increase in the Crack and Chip Seal account ($206,000 more).  Several who work in the field, as well as the foreman of a neighboring town all say that the there have been changes in the composition of the chip seal in recent years that render it a poor choice; yet the change in the way roads will be repaired is based on a former First Selectman’s experience over a decade ago, with no supporting study or investigation to base the change on.

And yet, when it came time for the Board of Finance (BOF) members to adjust, or not, the proposed budget, BOF Chairman Ben Witte’s question: “Having heard residents’ input, do we want to make any changes to the budget?” was met with silence.  Not one change was made to the proposed budget based on residents’ input.

And so, this year too, a few more town residents will go to the polls to vote on a town budget for next year than would otherwise show up at an Annual Town Meeting.  With the cost of a referendum at about $2,500, are the few extra votes worth giving up our right to have a direct say on the line items in the budget?  In our opinion, this is too high a price to pay.

We hope that in the next budget cycle, our town’s voters will regain control of the town budget so that we can again have a real say in how our tax dollars will be spent.

By: Maria Moore

Before This Evening’s Town Annual Budget Meeting

The New Hartford Annual Budget Meeting, scheduled for this evening at 7:00 p.m. would have,  in times past, brought together voters to debate next year’s budget line by line, make changes where they saw fit, and then approve the budget ~ or not, as was known to happen.

Tonight’s town Annual Budget Meeting, a shadow of its former self, having been stripped of its purpose by the Selectmen at a Special Meeting on Tuesday, April 20, is set to draw only a handful of participants, most of them required to attend by their official roles: the three Selectmen (maybe), the Town Clerk, a Moderator; and one or two reporters.  Why would any voters interrupt their dinner?  No discussion of the proposed budget will be allowed at the meeting and the referendum date of May 4 has already been set.  Even the Board of Selectmen meeting, which should have preceded the Annual Budget Meeting, has been cancelled, and with it, residents’ last opportunity to address the content of the proposed budget before the referendum date.

Our reporter attended the town Annual Budget Meeting that is no longer an Annual Budget Meeting and was back home within a half-hour.

Meeting Summary

At 7:07 p.m., the town Annual Budget Meeting was over.   Reggie Smith, Jr. was elected Moderator, a role Reggie graciously takes on.  He read through the Notice of Annual Budget Meeting, and the Budget, untouched by the Board of Finance at their last meeting, was sent to referendum on the predetermined date of Tuesday, May 4.

Our reporter underestimated the number of people at the meeting. At its beginning, the following were present:

• First Selectman Dan Jerram;
• Selectmen Tom Klebart and Bruce Gresczyk;
• Town Clerk Donna LaPlante;
• Moderator and Board of Finance member Reggie Smith, Jr.;
• Board of Finance Chairman Ben Witte;
• Board of Finance members Roy Litchfield and Laura Sundquist;
• and our reporter.

As the brief meeting concluded, Board of Finance Member Alesia Kennerson joined her fellow Board of Finance members, and the Register Citizen reporter arrived with his video camera.

Conversation With Town Clerk Donna LaPlante

Our reporter checked in with Donna LaPlante and asked if she remembered when the townspeople actually attended Town Budget Meetings to discuss the budget. Donna replied that yes, she remembered it well. “The meetings used to be held at Pine Meadow Elementary to accommodate the people.” Donna said. Our reporter asked if there were really that many people who showed up at the meetings and Donna said that it wasn’t unusual for 100 voters to show up at the Town Budget Meeting. “That’s when they could discuss the budget and cut or eliminate line items from the budget before voting on it.” Donna said.

Elevator Conversation With Ben Witte

Riding down in the elevator one flight with Ben Witte and Bruce Gresczyk, our reporter told Ben that with all the Board of Finance members who showed up at the meeting, she was way off on the estimate she had given in her short report before the meeting. Ben answered that he wasn’t going to go to the meeting, but that on reading the statute he thought he’d better be there in case the budget didn’t go to referendum and he’d be needed to present a budget. As the elevator doors opened, our reporter asked Ben: “You mean you had a budget with you?” At which Ben smiled, holding his portfolio in hand, and the elevator doors closed.

Our Reporter’s/Editor’s Take

There is something slightly uncomfortable in attending a public meeting whose main reason for being has been removed, and at which no public input may be given ~ despite Reggie’s adding that anyone with a question could speak to the First Selectman personally after the meeting.   All present followed an unwritten script, from which there seemed no room for deviation.

Looking back on this 7-minute town Annual Budget Meeting, one has to wonder whether the time has come to bury this construct of a public meeting, and proceed with whatever other form of government should take its place.  This would save the half-dozen or so from the necessity of having to go through a meeting of no substance, just at dinner time.

At the beginning of the Annual Budget Meeting on Tuesday, April 27. Photo: Maria Moore

The Town Budget Meeting on Tuesday, April 27. Photo: Maria Moore

By: Maria Moore

$3,000 Prize In Fishing Derby

If you’ve driven by UpCountry SportFishing today you might have noticed a small white sign announcing “$3,000 Prize.” And that’s no fisherman’s yarn!

The $3,000 prize is for a special, tagged fish if it’s caught in the New Hartford Fishing Derby on Saturday, May 29. The Derby, which is sponsored by the town’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) has in the past been a rather small, local event which has attracted primarily children and their families. But this year, with the prize set at $3,000 the EDC is looking to attract many more fishermen and women to our stretch of the Farmington River. So pass the word along ~ there really will be a $3,000 fish for the catching on May 29 ~ and that’s no yarn!

To register: For the New Hartford Fishing Derby, or for more information about the Derby, please call Grady Allen at UpCountry SportFishing: 860-379-1952. Or just stop by the store at 352 Main Street (Route 44) in the Pine Meadow section of New Hartford.

Fishing License Sales Help Keep Revenue Flowing To Hartford

We had heard that New Hartford sells a lot of fishing and hunting licenses and so with fishing season here, our reporter headed over to the Town Clerk’s Office to see just how many licenses are sold each year. There our reporter was told that most of the licenses in town are sold at UpCountry SportFishing. Donna LaPlante said that about 30% of sales go through her office, the rest are sold by Carol Allen at UpCountry. In the old days, Donna said, the Allens would sell the licenses and then Carol would bring a box of the three-part forms to Donna’s office for the town to process. “Now it’s much easier.” Donna said, thinking back to the three-part forms that were sometimes so hard to read. The Allens have bought a computerized licensing system from the state, the same as Donna has, and they’re able to process licenses directly with the state. The only licenses that have to be processed through Donna’s office are those for individuals with handicaps, who need to provide documentation to get their free licenses.

On her next visit to UpCountry, our reporter checked in with Carol about the number of licenses she has sold. “How has the start of the fishing season been?” Our reporter asked. “It’s been going pretty well.” Carol said. “With the fees going down, the sales have gone back up again.” She printed out a summary tape from her machine and said so far for the month of April through the 21st,  she has sold 537 licenses, grossing $20,173 for the state, of which her store gets to keep $1 per license sold.

Of the 537 licenses, the most popular types of licenses have been:

• 249 were for Inland Fishing licenses;
• 141 for All Waters Sports Fishing licenses;
• and 65 for All Waters Sports Fishing and Firearms Hunting licenses.

Last year in April, Carol said, she sold exactly 1,000 licenses. And for the whole of last year? “3,400 and 13 or 14,” Carol said; that’s roughly $140,000 in fishing and hunting licenses sold by Upcountry SportFishing ~ not a bad revenue stream to flow to the state in Hartford every year.

2010 Angler’s Guide Now Available

Donna gave our reporter copies of two magazines she has just received from the state: The 2010 Connecticut Angler’s Guide ~ Inland Marine Fishing, and the 2010 Connecticut Guide to Hunting. Both magazines are free and copies are available from the Town Clerk’s Office and from Upcountry SportsFishing.

Donna said the Angler’s Guide is a great resource for anyone interested in fishing. The guide has pictures of the different types of fish to help identify them, and it has a listing of the state’s lakes and ponds with a breakdown of the types of fish available and the regulations for that particular fishing place. On page 33, our reporter found West Hill Pond listed, where you can fish for trout and kokanee and where there is a 15 m.p.h. speed limit during the day (6 m.p.h. during the night) and motors are limited to 8 h.p.

“It even tells you a way to calculate the weight of fish.” Donna said; see page 35 of the guide. And on page 16, there are pictures of Aquatic Nuisance Species which include alewife (a type of landlocked fish), and didymo, a freshwater alga (also known as rock snot ~ the picture shows you why).

This Angler’s Guide is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the bodies of water in our community, whether to fish in them or just enjoy their beauty. And in New Hartford, we’re blessed with two of the best bodies of water in the state: the Farmington River and West Hill Pond.

You may pick up a copy of The Angler’s Guide at either the Town Clerk’s Office at Town Hall or at UpCountry Sports
Fishing. The guide is also available online and you may download a PDF copy of it from the DEP website.

The Farmington River flowing through the center of New Hartford on a recent afternoon. Photo: Maria Moore

[Updated on April 15 to correct Alesia Kennerson's place of work to Waterbury; my apologies for the error, Maria]

By: Maria Moore

In a lightly-attended Board of Selectmen meeting last night, Tuesday, April 13 the two Selectmen present, First Selectman Dan Jerram and Selectman Tom Klebart disposed of the agenda items in less than an hour before going into executive session with Board of Finance Chairman Ben Witte. The executive session item was listed as “re. Land Use Administrator” and no information was given before the executive session and no outcome was announced after the session ended.

The two selectmen were the only ones sitting at the conference table since Selectman Bruce Gresczyk was absent and Christine Hayward was on vacation, and the meeting was more a briefing by Dan on the agenda items than one requiring action. The complete agenda for the Selectmen’s meeting is added below; this report includes the following items:

Items #6,Central Ave. ~ Traffic Complaints/Concerns, and #8, Appointment of Legal Traffic Authority

Dan informed Tom that he had received a letter from Jim Steadman, Chairman of the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission expressing concern over the parking on Central Avenue and Bridge Street. P&Z said it feels the parking situation is causing Public Health, Safety and Welfare issues and needs to be addressed immediately. P&Z asked the selectmen to look into the parking situation and to take whatever action necessary to remedy it; a downloadable copy of the P&Z letter to the Selectmen is included at the end of this report.

Everyone present agreed that the traffic situation has gotten a lot worse since the old library building at 2 Central Avenue reopened and businesses had moved into it. Dan said that the concern was mostly for the on-the street parking on Central Avenue, a narrow road that connects Route 44 with Steele Road across Route 219. He said he’d watched the traffic from Frank Misiorski’s Corner House and he attributed part of the problem to the traffic turning from Route 44 into Central Avenue. “If there’s cars coming down Central Ave. they (the cars that had just made the turn from Route 44) have to stop and wait (for the other cars to complete coming down the road).” Those present at the meeting were all aware of the problem with that stretch of Central Avenue. Donna LaPlante, Town Clerk who was at the meeting, said that once when she had been driving down Central Avenue and there was a funeral at the Catholic Church (on the opposite side of the road from the old library building), people had parked on both sides of the narrow road.

Roy Litchfield, Board of Finance member also at the meeting, asked what the original plan was when the proposal for the rehabbing of the old library building had been presented. Dan said that currently there were no parking requirements for businesses in the central village area, something that is being looked at by P&Z in their ongoing revision of the zoning regulations. Donna said that part of the original plan of improvement for Central Avenue was to consider making the road one-way. In 1995, she said, the recommendation had been to close Central Avenue to traffic. “Common sense has not prevailed,” Donna said, adding that there is currently plenty of parking in town, but people take the closest base during the bad weather and then don’t park elsewhere later. “We’re fortunate not to have had any accidents there.” Donna concluded. Dan agreed, saying there were no accidents, but that ticketing had occurred.

Alesia Kennerson, Board of Finance member who was at the meeting, said that she has a 10-minute walk from where she parks for free in Waterbury to her office. She added there could be assigned parking to balance the need to keep the center viable.

Our reporter, speaking as a resident asked whether short-term, the town might approach the Beekley Library to allow parking in the empty lot (where the old Foothills Trader building had been located) between the old library and the new. Dan said: “That land belongs to the library.” And our reporter agreed but added that the town made a large contribution to the library and might be able to ask them to help out.

Our reporter also asked about the status of the $250,000 STEAP grant that the town has for the realignment of the Central Avenue intersection. That grant has most recently been looked at by the town to help pay for sewer line repairs in that portion of Main Street. Dan said that it was still open how to best use that grant, that it was something the BOC (Building Oversight Committee of the Wastewater Treatment Plant) would be taking up again soon.

Dan said he’d appointed himself the Legal Traffic Authority, adding that he, the selectmen and the police could all be appointed to handle the traffic situation.

Tom asked: “In the short term, are you looking at making it one way?” To which Dan answered: “I’m looking exactly at what P&Z asked us to do: to assess the situation.”

The matter was kept on the agenda for a future board meeting.

A view looking down Central Avenue towards the center of New Hartford this past March. Photo: Maria Moore

Item #5: Industrial Park Washout

The washout area in the Industrial Park seen from Route 219

Dan updated Tom on the Industrial Park washout.  He said this (second) washout was located in front of the Inertia property where Hitchcock Chairs had once been located.  He said there’s a Cease and Correct order in place and that the town has to develop a plan of action.  The large tree in the Carter Street property had been removed and he has an engineering bid from Lenard Engineering for $15,000 and a bid from a soil scientist.  He said the Wetlands alone will be about $8,700.  He emphasized that the order to correct was under the condition of “if feasible” and he will be going back to Inland Wetlands (Commission) for what’s feasible to the Commission.

Tom asked about the first washout and Dan said the prices included both washouts.  He said the soil was starting to erode at the first washout location and the fix for that washout was not if feasible, it was something that had to be fixed.

For a downloadable copy of the Cease and Correct order: for the washout, please see our report on the March 23 BOS Meeting Summary.

Operations ~ Brown’s Corner Concerns

As part of the Operations Update which Dan provided on the various town projects going on right now (Item # 4: Sand and Salt Shed: “we’re getting it off the mark”; West Hill overlay: “bids will be opened on the 14th”) and various grants updates, Dan LaPlante, Planning and Zoning Commission member who was at the meeting, asked whether the dirt piles at Brown’s Corner needed to be fenced in and, hearing that it wasn’t part of the work being done right now, Dan LaPlante asked: “If something happened would the town be liable?”   Going on to add that kids have been riding their ATVs all around the sand piles.

Roy filled in the history for those who might not have known it: that the former First Selectman had called the insurance company and had reported the situation to them.  Dan Jerram said he would look into the insurance situation.

Our reporter asked whether there was a Cease and Correct order issued by Planning and Zoning for Brown’s Corner and Dan Jerram said there wasn’t, that he’d had only received a note from Rista (Malanca in the Land Use Office) about the silt fence and soil that had washed onto Pine Hill Road during the recent heavy rain.

Item #7: Appointment of Deputy Fire Marshall

Dan announced that at the request of Bill Baldwin, the town’s Fire Marshall, he has appointed Bill Baldwin, a firefighter, as Deputy Fire Marshall.

____________________

Board of Selectmen
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
5:30 PM
Town Hall

AGENDA

1.)Opportunity for Public Comment
2.)Operations Updates
Sewer plant financing
Budget Update
3.)Grant updates
4.)STEAP – sand/salt, ARRA- West Hill project
5.)Industrial Park Washout
6.)Central Ave – traffic complaints/concerns
7.)Appointment of Deputy Fire Marshal
8.)Appointment of Legal Traffic Authority
9.)Any Other Business to Come Before The Board
10.)Executive Session – re: Land Use Administrator

A view of the washout area from the Industrial Park road looking towards the two houses on Carter Street with Route 219 and Cottage Street in the background. Photo: Maria Moore

Following are the Daily Community Calendar listings for today in New Hartford, CT:

Friday, April 9, 2010:

• Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials Meeting: at 10:00 a.m. in Winchester Town Hall, Main Street, Winsted. For the agenda for this meeting please see our Calendar listing.
• Children’s Story Time at the Beekley Library: for 3- to 5-year-olds at 10:15 a.m. at the Beekley Library, 10 Central Avenue, New Hartford. For more information please call Andrea Gaedeke at the library at 379-7235.
• New Hartford Senior Center Activities: Yoga Class: at 11:00 in the Senior Center. To see this month’s scheduled activities at the Senior Center please see our Community Bulletin Board. For more information about the Senior Center please call Jean Barnicoat at 860-379-3980 between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.
• Are you hiring?: Please send us the details and we’ll list the job for free: We have many visitors to our Classifieds looking for work! Check out our Classifieds section. We add free ads to this section as they are submitted to us.
• Should your event be listed here and you don’t see it? Please email us the info. and we’ll add it! Email: newhartfordplus@gmail.com and write Calendar in the subject line.

Our Community Calendar section provides additional information about the events listed above and information on past, current and future events – a permanent record of events in New Hartford. Also check out our UPDATED Community Bulletin Board where you can see flyers on upcoming events, monthly calendars and information on local non-profit groups.

…NHGrapevine…

“Our son adopted Ike, one of the dogs you featured on your website.”

Donna LaPlante, Town Clerk told our editor yesterday, adding how well Ike had settled into his new home. Ike was featured in our January 23 article by Les Archer Adopting A Pet From Our Municipal Pounds. What a great piece of news to be able to report!

Contribute to the …NHGrapevine… Let us know what you’ve heard – or seen – in town and we’ll add it to this listing, and also add it to the …NHGrapevine.. section. So let’s hear what you’re hearing around town…

The Memorial Garden at St. John's Episcopal Church in Pine Meadow seemed to glow in the afternoon sunshine yesterday, Thursday, April 8. Photo: Maria Moore

[Published at 8:30 p.m., Monday, March 29]

By: Maria Moore

Karl Nilsen, the town’s Zoning Enforcement Officer was suspended without pay this afternoon while the First Selectman’s Office investigates allegations of theft of time.  Karl, who has been the town’s Zoning Officer for the past 25+/- years was informed that he was being suspended without pay at the close of business today at Town Hall.

Town Clerk Donna LaPlante informed members of the Economic Development Commission of Karl’s suspension at the end of that commission’s meeting this evening.  Donna said that the investigation centered around Karl’s use of time during the work day to perform work for other towns for which he is also the Zoning Officer.  At this time, we are aware of Karl being the Zoning Officer in Burlington in addition to his full-time duties in New Hartford’s Zoning Office.

We will provide a news update to this report once more information becomes available.

The entrance to Town Hall from the parking lot. Photo: Maria Moore

Following are the Daily Community Calendar listings for today in New Hartford, CT:

Friday, March 19, 2010:

• New Hartford Municipal Offices Are Open Friday Mornings from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. noon. Please note the change in the hours of operation of Town Hall offices: They are now open at 8:00 a.m. (Tax Collector at 9:00 a.m.) and are closing at 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and closing at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. They are open on Fridays from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. noon.
• New Hartford Senior Center Activities: Yoga Class: at 11:00 in the Senior Center. To see this month’s scheduled activities at the Senior Center please see our Community Bulletin Board. For more information about the Senior Center please call Jean Barnicoat at 860-379-3980 between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.
• Children’s Story Time at the Beekley Library: for 3- to 5-year-olds at 10:15 a.m. at the Beekley Library, 10 Central Avenue, New Hartford. For more information please call Andrea Gaedeke at the library at 379-7235.
• Are you hiring?: Please send us the details and we’ll list the job for free: We have many visitors to our Classifieds looking for work! Check out our Classifieds section. We add free ads to this section as they are submitted to us.
• Should your event be listed here and you don’t see it? Please email us the info. and we’ll add it! Email: newhartfordplus@gmail.com and write Calendar in the subject line.

Our Community Calendar section provides additional information about the events listed above and information on past, current and future events – a permanent record of events in New Hartford. Also check out our UPDATED Community Bulletin Board where you can see flyers on upcoming events, monthly calendars and information on local non-profit groups.

…NHGrapevine…

“And this is a map of the Ellsworth property on West Hill that I had preserved.”

Town Clerk Donna LaPlante told Justin Olson yesterday during a tour of the vault that she conducted for the young college student, as our reporter tagged along. A New Hartford resident, Justin was shadowing Annie Witte, the Bookkeeper at Town Hall for the day and everyone took a few minutes to explain the functions of their office to the young man.

Contribute to the …NHGrapevine… Let us know what you’ve heard – or seen – in town and we’ll add it to this listing, and also add it to the …NHGrapevine.. section. So let’s hear what you’re hearing around town…

An end of winter ritual: Johnny, a member of the road crew, taking apart the ice rink on the green on yesterday, Thursday, March 18. Photo: Maria Moore

By: Maria Moore

The New Hartford Land Trust announced at its annual meeting yesterday, Sunday, February 21 that it has now received full ownership of the former dairy farm owned by Alfred Sabolcik on Sabolcik Road. Alfred’s parents, George and Elizabeth, had bought the farm in 1917 and Alfred was born there in 1928. He lived on the property his whole life, continuing the dairy farm into the 1960s. After that he continued to keep farm animals for his own use. Alfred never married and his three brothers predeceased him.

This stretch of Sabolcik Road is closed between November and April

In 2007 Alfred willed the approximately 89-acre property, known as 110 Sabolcik Road and 125 Sabolcik Road, to the New Hartford Land Trust. Alfred died in May, 2009, at which time the Land Trust learned of the contents of his will, and this past Thursday, February 18 the property was devised (i.e., the real property was transferred by will) to the Land Trust. In return for the property the Land Trust will pay off an outstanding mortgage note. By gifting the property to the Land Trust, Alfred accomplished his goal of preserving the land his family had once farmed, rather than allowing that land to be developed.

The property is made up of two parcels divided by Sabolcik Road; one parcel includes the farmhouse which is in such poor condition that it will likely need to be demolished, and the other parcel includes a barn which has collapsed. The Land Trust describes the land as containing “open areas formerly used for grazing cows, an old sand and gravel operation, lovely woodlands, and two streams that come together on the property and feed the Nepaug River.”

In the coming months the Land Trust will launch a fundraising campaign to meet the expenses associated with the property, including surveying, cleaning up, insuring and managing the property as well as paying off the outstanding mortgage. We will provide information on the Land Trust’s fundraising campaign for the Sabolcik property as soon as the details are finalized.

To contact the New Hartford Land Trust: email the Land Trust at newhartfordlandtrust@yahoo.com or call 860-626-0301.

The New Hartford Land Trust thanked: Pat Sabolcik, Alfred’s sister-in-law and executrix of Alfred’s will, Alfred’s attorney, Skip Rodgers and Bob LaGoy, all of whom were very close to Alfred and helped him accomplish his goal of preserving his land.

A view of the Sabolcik farmhouse sitting beside Sabolcik Road, and unpaved road which looks much as it must have done a century ago. Photo: Maria Moore

The other parcel of land included in Alfred's gift is on the other side of the road from the Sabolcik farmhouse. Â Photo: Maria Moore

A view of Sabolcik Road on a quiet winter's afternoon, a view which will continue into the future thanks to Alfred Sabolcik's gift. Photo: Maria Moore

Many Thanks: To the New Hartford Land Trust for their help in ensuring the accuracy of this article.

By: Maria Moore

The Board of Finance members got a look at where the town has been financially for the last  year, where it is now and how the upcoming budget may shape up at their meeting on Tuesday, January 13.  Part I of this report is a summary of the auditors’ presentation of the town’s financial statements to the Board of Finance for the Fiscal Year ended 2009.  Part II will summarize the Board’s discussion of where the town stands at the halfway point of the 2009/2010 Fiscal Year and other items on the agenda; see the end of this report for the agenda for that meeting.

Where The Town Has Been Financially ~ 2008-2009 Town Audit Review

Chris King of Robert King & Company, the accounting company hired by the town, went through the report containing the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2009; a copy of this 70-page report is available in the Town Clerk’s office for residents to look through.

Chris King said it was a “standard, clean report ~ all the numbers are reasonable.”  One of the items discussed was the report on the WPCA, which showed cash receipts from customers of $537,704 and payments to suppliers of $535,007, leaving a net cash flow of $2,697.    The money the WPCA generates is enough to pay its operating expenses but not to maintain its infrastructure, the auditor commented.

The town’s General Fund report, on page 16 shows the Revenues and Expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009; see the copy of page 16 below.  It shows the town received $21,268,779 in total revenues, and spent $20,913,046 in total expenditures, leaving it with excess revenues of $355,733.  $272,017 of those excess revenues are from tax revenue.  Roy Litchfield wondered whether that was due to a 96/97% projected collection rate, but then having the collection rate come in higher than that.  Ben Witte commented that the town’s reserve fund stands at 12 to 13% of the budget.

The figures in the town’s Pension Fund were discussed.    For the period July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009, the fiscal year being reported on, the pension fund had a drop in its assets of $201,802.  This was due to the negative investment return of the fund during that time period, when the fund lost $309,371.  Even though the town had been overfunding the pension fund in the last three years to make up for previous years when it was underfunded, Chris King said the town should expect its required contributions to rise in the future.  Dan Jerram added that the fund had since recouped its losses, but benefits were still being paid out.

Roy Litchfield asked a question on the items under Capital Expeditures on page 45.  ”There’s a dump truck ($132,000) listed.  How can we find out whether or not it was actually purchased?”  He was told those items were included in Annie Witte’s capital reports that she gives to the board members.   Reggie Smith followed up by asking the auditor how he felt about the town using an electronic purchase order system.  Chris King responded that those who had implemented them had greater control over line items, that the system “improves control and increases efficiency.”

The auditor said that for the next fiscal year the town will also have to prepare a Federal tax return due to the USDA funding of the wastewater treatment plant.  A letter with recommendations from the auditing company included that the Treasurer should review and initial bank statements monthly and that he should also review and initial the statements for the Cemetery Fund (Town Hill Cemetery). It was also recommended that minutes from all Board and Committee meetings should be kept in the Town Clerk’s vault, and that also posting those minutes electronically would ensure that they would be available if they couldn’t be located in the Town Clerk’s office.   Later in the meeting, Town Treasurer Gordon Ross said that he was continuing to monitor the town’s accounts online, as Blake Hall had done before him.  He said he would follow up on this to figure out what would be acceptable to the auditors.

A snapshot of the General Fund for the fiscal year ended June 30,2009; page 16 of the auditors' report

For the complete, official minutes of this Board of Finance meeting, please visit the Minutes and Agendas section of the New Hartford municipal website.

_____________________________

Board of Finance Meeting
Tuesday, January 12, 2009 @ 7:00PM

AGENDA

I.Seating of Alternates

II.Adoption/Revision of Agenda

III.Approval of Minutes
a.12/8/09 – Regular Meeting

IV.Opportunity for Public to Speak

V.Reports:
a.BOE/Superintendents Report – Phillip O’Reilly
b.Bookkeeper’s Report – Annie Witte
c.Treasurer’s Report – Gordon Ross
d.First Selectman’s Report – Dan Jerram

VI.2008-09 Town audit report review – R.E. King & Company

VII.WPCA update – Bill Michaud

VIII.WWTP Building Oversight Committee report – Denton Butler

IX.Other Items to Come Before the Board

X.Adjournment

By: Maria Moore

Flex Time Is In The Air At Town Hall

Our reporter met with Dan Jerram this morning to check in on the status of the town hall operating hours now that he has received the employees’ input. Dan had mentioned in a previous meeting that he had asked for the input of employees and, for unionized employees, that of their union, by the 15th of January so that the new hours of operation could be in place by the beginning of February.

Dan said that he had received the union’s input late in the day yesterday, Thursday, January 14 and had not had a chance yet to review it and to come to a decision. He told our reporter that his goal is that of improving service without incurring additional cost. He said that he’d asked union employees to consider something new: using flex time to expand the number of hours they are available to provide service to residents. Union employees work 35 hours per week with two hours’ unpaid lunch and their contract provides an option for flexible scheduling of work hours (flex time). Dan said he was very pleased that employees had been willing to step up and try something new. He said it was as a positive message for employees to be sending, especially in such a tight budget environment.

The hours of operation that were mentioned were for Town Hall to be open 4 1/2 days per week, with perhaps 3 days when offices would be open later (than 4:00 p.m., as had been the case when Town Hall had previously been open on Friday mornings).  One of those three days Town Hall would be open until 6:00 p.m. Dan said that he’d like to try the expanded hours for a period of time and then evaluate whether they are being utilized by residents.

There are two offices whose heads are elected officials and can therefore set their own hours: that of the Town Clerk and that of the Tax Collector, Dan emphasized. The Town Clerk has a full-time assistant who is unionized; the Tax Collector has a 12-hour per week part-time assistant who is not unionized. The Town Clerk’s Office has traditionally kept the same hours as the rest of Town Hall, while the Tax Collector’s Office has set its own hours. Our reporter suggested supplementing the Tax Collector’s Assistant’s hours, so that office would be able to be open the same hours as the rest of Town Hall, something that a number of residents have told our reporter they would like to see happen. However, again because of the current budgetary constraints, this increase in hours does not appear to be an option.

We will post an update to the Town Hall hours of operation when further information becomes available.

Road Crew: “Doing Very Well”

Steve Joseph

Our reporter mentioned that she had seen the road crew cutting trees down on Stub Hollow Road.  She had stopped to snap several photos of trees being cut, and the road crew member happened to have been Steve Joseph.  Dan said there was no problem with her using the photos, and when asked how things were going with the road crew, he answered: “The road crew ~ all of them ~ are doing very well!”  Dan said the road crew had been out cutting trees for several days now, especially along Stub Hollow.  He also mentioned that Bruce (Gresczyk, Selectman an Interim Highway Superintendent) was taking care of repairs to town vehicles and other items that had been described as “deferred maintenance” at this past Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.  Asked about the ongoing investigation, Dan said there was nothing that he could add at this point to what had been said in the official statement of Thursday, January 7.

On that note, our reporter left the First Selectman’s Office and Dan joined Bruce to go on a survey of town roads.

Town Meeting Set To Approve Funds For West Hill Road Overlay

A Town Meeting has been set for Tuesday, January 26 at 6:30 p.m., immediately preceding the Board of Selectmen meeting at 7:00 p.m.  The purpose of the Town Meeting is to approve the appropriation of up to $164,986 for pavement repairs and the application of a microsurface overlay on part of West Hill Road beginning at the intersection with Stub Hollow Road and for a distance of approximately 6,000 ft.  This amount will be reimbursed by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“stimulus”) grant that the town has been awarded.  See a copy of this Notice of a Special Town Meeting in our new Notices section; the legal notice will be published in the Hartford Courant on Tuesday, January 19.

A dead tree being cut down by road crew member Steve Joseph on Stub Hollow Road today. Photo: Maria Moore