Council Meeting 2/6/2006

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

Executive Session – Real Estate Negotiations

TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA

Monday, February 6, 2006 – 7:00 PM

Silas Deane Middle School – Auditorium

Pledge of Allegiance

Proclamation – 50th Anniversary – Men’s Garden Club

Report from Peter Gillespie, Economic Development Update

Report from the Auditor – Christopher Wolf

Recording of Attendance by Town Clerk

A.  PUBLIC COMMENTS

The Chairman may indicate those matters of unfinished business to be considered.

1.  Hearings:         Nothing this week.

2. General Comments
 	a.   Public 
	b.   Council

B.  COUNCIL ACTION

1.  Ordinances, Resolutions and Appointments for Action
	a.  Acceptance of Resignations from Boards and Commissions

	b.  Appointments to Boards and Commissions

	c.  Appointment of Town Attorney

2. Unfinished Business:  Nothing this week.
	* Recommend taking these items off of the table.

3. Other Business

	a.  Bocce Courts – Mill Woods Park

	b.  Transfer of $8,500 – Nature Center – Railing Work

	c.  Waiver of Rental Fee – Showmobile –Town of Newington

	d.  Salary Range Adjustments – Non-Union Personnel

	e.  Sale of the Olson House to James Clynch

	f.  Budget Transfer – Town Attorney Account - $40,000

	g.  Budget Transfer – Human Resources Dept. -  Recruitment - $3,000

	h.  Budget Transfer – Human Resources Dept. - Labor Relations - $5,000

	i.  Removal of Blighted Property from List – 1210 Silas Deane Highway

	j.  Budget Transfer – Human Resources Dept – Support Services - $1,500

4. Bids 
	a.  Town Hall Furniture – Basement of Town Hall

	b.  Tanglewood Open Space Drainage Improvements

	c.  Quarry and Bituminous Materials

5. Ordinances, Resolutions and Appointments for Introduction

	a.  Noise Ordinance

6. Minutes

	a.  January 11, 2006

	b.  January 17, 2006

	c.  January 21. 2006

C.	Adjournment

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

Though others may find some other salient, dis/concerting, amusing or important issue lurking among the items of the agenda for the Town Council 2/6/2006, only that of our own Jimmie Clynch's proposed purchase of the Olson House has caught my eye.

The addendum to the agenda, obtained from the Town Manager's Office devotes 18 pages of information for the Council and the Public to consider in this matter. The Motion which Ms. Therrien suggests to the Council is: "to

• approve the sale of the ["]Olson House["] [property][no address included!] to Mr. James [middle name or initial] Clynch [no address included!] and to
• authorize the Town Manager to sign the sales agreement and to
• place all proceeds in the Land Acquisition Fund for future [Land] purchases."

According to the information provided:

• the sale price shall be $81,000,
• the estimated cost to Clynch to bring the building up to code is an additional $180,000
• Clynch's stated intention for the building is for commercial office space,
• the actual signing shall be deferred until "April" by which time WCTV-14 will have vacated it
• Clynch must obtain a C.O. within 2 years or the Town may opt to reacquire the property (at original price plus allowance for "improvements" and property value changes to it,
• the property is zoned "agriculture" and Clynch may need PZC and HDC approvals for intended use
• Clynch has 30 days after "effective Date" to apply for "all approvals" and "diligently" pursue them
• Clynch may escape from the agreement, if he has not received all necessary "Approvals" by the Permit Contingency Date
• and if Clynch opts to escape, he will be required to "provide Seller [Town] with copies of any and all engineering studies, reports, maps, plans, et. prepared for Purchaser [Clynch], titled to Seller, at no cost to Seller"
• Clynch is apparently represented by our (State Represented) Attorney Paul Doyle, in these matters
• Clynch is allowed to "assign" the sales agreement to "a single purpose LLC to be formed by and controlled by Purchaser [Clynch himself]

Updated

[standish]

Four questions regarding Olsen House:

1) Was this property advertised?

2) Was there a competitive bid process?

3) Where can you buy an historic house, in any condition, in Old Wethersfield, for $81,000?

4) How many buyers can buy a property on the contingency that it get variances, use changes and code approvals, or the buyer gets his money back, plus improvements and appreciation?

[oldetowne]

1) It supposedly was advertised, perhaps through certain realtors and maybe legal notices, although I saw nothing about it anywhere. Apparently, you didn't either.

2) This was the only bid received.

3) Only from owners, such as the town, who allow them to deteriorate so badly that they are essentially worthless.

4) All it takes is one well-connected buyer and the town has lost the opportunity to use that property forever.

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

There is too much land owned by non-taxpaying entities in Wethersfield already, both by the Town and also by the State of CT.

The Town should be thankful that Mr. Clynch has taken the opportunity and challenge to make the Olson House property a viable, tax-paying business enterprise.

Good luck, Jimmie!

[cruzrt]

The property's fair market value is $292,000. That is derived from the current Assessed Value on the town books which by law is 70% of F-M-V. How can the town effectively give it away?

[stvman]

The 18 page document that's in the Council Packet includes the actual deed that Clynch and the Town would sign for the purchase. One paragraph is very puzzling; it expressly states that the document is to NOT be recorded in the Town Land Records. Why? That looks like a direct violation of Public Records. I'm not a lawyer but I can't conceive of a situation where this would be done legally.

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

I wasn't able to attend, or watch the meeting last night. No, I wasn't Haydn. How did the Surprise Symphony play last night?

[standish]

There are times to divest of public properties and times to keep them. If Mitchell School had been warehoused, much of the recent problem with elementary school overcrowding would not have occurred. In turn, the Olsen House is of little public value or use, except in its property value. However, to give it away through lack of effective marketing is equally foolish. The lot, itself, is probably worth the sales price. Nor are they building any more early 1800's houses...