TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGs

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

If you have the time and the stomach, download a copy (from the Town's website) of the official "Counncil Packet/Package" which provides most of details only alluded to in the barebones agenda here:
Council Packet for 5/7/2007 Meeting
A must read for citizens who want to know
(This appears in a separate window; be sure to close and return here.)

TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA
Monday, May 7, 2007
REGULAR MEETING
7:30 PM
Pitkin Community Center - Banquet Room

Pledge of Allegiance
Salute to Seniors
Proclamation - High School Hockey Team - State Championship
Proclamation - Marty Courneen
St. Patrick's Day Presentation

Economic Development Report - Peter Gillespie

Recording of Attendance by Town Clerk

1. PUBLIC COMMENTS

The Chairman may indicate those matters of unfinished business to be considered.
1. Hearings:
1. Ordinance Prohibiting Illicit Discharge and Connection to Storm water Drainage Systems
2. General Comments
1. Public
2. Council
2. COUNCIL ACTION
1. Ordinances, Resolutions and Appointments for Action
1. Acceptance of Resignations from Boards and Commissions
2. Appointments to Boards and Commissions
3. Ordinance Prohibiting Illicit Discharge and Connection to Storm water Drainage Systems
2. Unfinished Business:
1. Nothing this week.
3. Other Business
1. Volunteer Firefighter's Pension Plan
2. Phase 2 Construction - Movement of Town Hall Staff
3. Agent of Record Appointment - Health Insurance
4. Agent of Record Appointment - Property/Casualty
5. Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield Renewal - Health Care
6. Small Cities Grant - Standish House - ADA Updates and Elevator - Budget Transfer
7. Cottone Field Fees
8. Showmobile Fees
9. Budget Transfer - Cottone Field Maintenance Staff
10. Budget Transfer - Athletic Field Benches and Bleachers
11. Appointment of Labor Attorney
12. Budget Transfer - Police Vehicles
13. Budget Transfer - $5,000 - Spam Filter
4. Bids
1. Progress Drive
2. Fuel and Diesel Oil
5. Ordinances, Resolutions and Appointments for Introduction
1. Resolution - Historic Documents Preservation Grant
2. Resolution - Youth Services Bureau Grant
6. Minutes:
1. Regular Meeting - April 2, 2007
2. Special Meeting - April 10, 2007
3. Budget Meetings - April 9th, 12th , 19th
4. Budget Public Hearing - April 16, 2007
3. ADJOURNMENT

[oldetowne]

Thanks, Dr. Ken.

I think the one item that will be of tremendous interest (and will come as a HUGE surprise) to most people is item B3(b) - movement of town hall staff. This seemingly innocuous heading belies the fact that it will move town hall employees over to the Library space and it will keep the Library closed until January 2009 (conservatively estimated by Chairman Coombs at a March Council meeting).

Read Bonnie's email if you want to see the most recent installment in a detailed list of issues that the town staff and building committee overlooked, miscalculated, didn't account for, didn't reserve funds for, and totally screwed up. The only thing the Council can do at this point is demand the resignation of the entire building committee - BEFORE Phase II starts!!!!

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

OT,

Thanks for you astute observations!

Those of us who have pored through the Council Packet/Package for the meeting tonight have read the Library Director's list of the items (from Phase I !!!), relating to the library space, get this, WHICH ARE STILL NOT DONE and which will delay the start of Phase II regarding moving of the (all but the SDH-level) entire T/H staff to the Library. In the meantime Newington and Rocky Hill are being swamped by Wethersfielders in search of FULL-FEATURED library services - and not finding them here.

Now those two towns are seeking help and aid from Wethersfield in the bodies (complete and partial) of our excess Wethersfield library staffers. Tonight the Council will direct the Town to reassign some of our languishing, full-time, fully-paid library employees to those towns for the next 18-24 months.

Considering the politics of Wethersfield and the make-up of Council, do you really expect them to ask for anybody's resignation. I am sure the experience they have hopefully learned from the WPD/TownHall/Library projects will stand the Town in good stead when they are re-assigned to the mammoth projects coming down the pike:
a $30 million remake of, yes, again, Wethersfield High School and
the $10 million gut-rehab of Hamner School, starting in 2-3 years
(if they pass referenda!!!!!)

[ThinkingMama]

Do any of you know if some towns use paid, independent, construction professionals as a "building committee?" Wethersfield is lucky to have so many volunteers, but maybe projects of this magnitude would be more efficient, effective and cheaper in the long run if experts/consultants were used to oversee the town's interests?

What do you think?

[oldetowne]

Of course, my comment regarding the resignation of the committee was entirely rhetorical. As long as the chairman of the building committee is the vice-chairman of the Democratic town committee, nothing will change.

[oldetowne]

thinkingmama said:

Do any of you know if some towns use paid, independent, construction professionals as a "building committee?" Wethersfield is lucky to have so many volunteers, but maybe projects of this magnitude would be more efficient, effective and cheaper in the long run if experts/consultants were used to oversee the town's interests?

What do you think?

Many towns have volunteer building committees but also use either a "clerk of the works" or a construction management arrangement for the projects. That's how the recent school projects - which came in on time and under budget - were done.

I think the parallels and differences between the police station-town hall-library and the SDMS-Webb-Stillman-Town Garage projects are truly informative, were anyone to try to learn a lesson from them. The current town hall/library project, Phase I of which is slowly winding up, is part of the 1999 referendum that included the Police Station (which has problems with plumbing, drinking water, broken pipes, etc). The four school-related projects were all done within the same time period as Phase I alone of the town hall-library fiasco has limped along with one "oops" after another.

[cruzrt]

Who knows what happened at last night's Council meeting? Did the Library get any relief from their terrible situation?

[SyZyGy]

Why weren't you there?
Just a political spectator?
Plug in, man!

[oldetowne]

Maybe he went to the Town Council chambers at 7 by mistake. Remember that they were supposed to be moving the meetings back there in December 2005 after the work was completed?

Or did he go to the Silas Deane Middle School, where the meetings were moved to? Oh wait, the town can't get the sound and TV to work there, so it was moved again to some location in the Community Center.

But nobody was there at 7 other than some of our seniors. What? The meetings are now at 7:30? No wonder people have given up on participating in this town's affairs.

I predict that the turnout in November will for the third consecutive time set an all time low, as more and more of our fellow residents and taxpayers recognize that the Council majority frankly doesn't care what we think.

[stvman]

I would also want to know what transpired at the Council meeting. I stupidly turned on Public Access TV at 7:30 to see the meeting live, Forgot that the powers that be have killed the telecasts.

[oldetowne]

Believe it or not, the Wethersfield Post online has the following article:

Council approves temporary re-location

By: G. C. Gould, Staff Writer
05/10/2007


Monday night, the town council approved a motion, which will move the main and top floor employees in the town hall to the library during the renovations of town hall during phase II construction.

The council discussed various aspects of such a move, and acknowledged that if housed in the library, the employees would all be in the same location for Wethersfield residents to access. Another option discussed was to move the employees to various town owned buildings.

Town Manager Bonnie Therrien said "for the safety of the employees, the contractor highly not recommends town hall employees remain in the building."

The library has been closed longer than had been planned, and a temporary library has been operating in the bottom floor of the building.The plan to move employees would also include the possibility of opening up the library on the main floor as a partially functioning library.

Joe Coombs, chairman for the building committee on renovations for phase II, said with phase I, the police were able to move out of the area for construction work to take place.

He also said the work to complete the library would be completed after the town hall employees move back to their regular offices. Before the move takes place, he said, the roof will have to be completed.

Councilor David Drake suggested using a gym in the Silas Deane Middle School as a location for the temporary town hall offices. Although council did not approve the measure, Therrien said she would look into the middle school gym as an option.

Also Monday night, the council voted to award Friar Associates a $20,000 contract to place an elevator in the Standish House, as well as to bring the building up to ADA specifications. Director of the Wethersfield Historical Society Doug Shipman said the improvements would benefit the preservation of the structure. Also, putting a restaurant in the building would provide an anchor to tourism and provide rental income for the historical society. He added "no one is looking at alternatives [to putting in a restaurant.]"

©Wethersfield Post 2007

[SyZyGy]

Pit Bulls Pass Behavior Test

May 13 2007

Compared to other breeds, pit bulls are not unusually bad tempered or aggressive, as shown in test results from the American Temperament Test Society Inc.

The nonprofit organization provides breed-specific testing to humane societies, obedience trainers and dog clubs around the country. The test, according to the organization's website, "simulates a casual walk through a park or neighborhood where everyday life situations are encountered. ... Neutral, friendly and threatening situations are encountered, calling into play the dog's ability to distinguish between non-threatening situations and those calling for watchful and protective reactions."

Dogs must be at least 18 months old to participate. Each dog is on a 6-foot leash, and the handler is not allowed to speak to the dog. A dog fails any part of the test when it shows unprovoked aggression, panic without recovery and strong avoidance of certain stimuli.

Following is the pass rate for some well-known breeds from tests in 2006, with the three breeds typically labeled pit bulls in bold type:

• Black and tan coonhound -100 percent
  
  
• Labrador retriever - 91.5 percent
  
  
• Irish setter - 90.4 percent
  
  
• Boston terrier - 86.7 percent
  
  
• Standard poodle - 85.7 percent
  
  
• Mixed breed - 85.6 percent
  
  
• Staffordshire bull terrier - 85.2 percent
  
  
• American pit bull terrier - 84.1 percent
  
  
• American Staffordshire terrier - 83.9 percent
  
  
• Golden retriever - 83.8 percent
  
  
• German shepherd - 83.3 percent
  
  
• Rottweiler - 82.7 percent
  
  
• Dalmatian - 81.9 percent
  
  
• thingyer spaniel - 81.7 percent
  
  
• Jack Russell terrier - 81.5 percent
  
  
• Greyhound - 81 percent
  
  
• Beagle - 79.7 percent
  
  
• Collie - 79.2 percent
  
  
• Doberman pinscher - 76.8 percent
  
  
• Standard schnauzer - 66.1 percent
  
  
• Bearded collie - 53.3 percent

Pass rate for a total of 27,162 dogs from these breeds and others was 81.5 percent.

- Jesse Leavenworth
Source: The American Temperament Test Society ( www.atts.org )

[/color]
Copyright 2007, Hartford Courant
courant.com
www.courant.com/hc-pitside.artmay13,0,1800296.story
[/blockquote]


What if there were a similar test for people, say potential leaders, want-to-be elected officials, etc, who could be tested before they are allowed to run for political office? Remember: "A dog fails any part of the test when it shows unprovoked aggression, panic without recovery and strong avoidance of certain stimuli." Let's say too that at the time of testing none of them was under the influence of any mind-altering chemical or medication, legal or otherwise, just to make it fair.

Let's say that again, that 100% is the best possible score, but that 50% is predictably unpredictable and that 0% is so predictably unfriendly/nasty that euthanasia should be considered (or at least life in a steel cage, just to keep the PETA peope from snapping or growling).

I am curious where on this scale would we put each of our town councilors?

[cruzrt]

The Council is poised to give Pelton's Drug Store a $27K tax benefit to move part of their store down the street on the Silas Deane about a half-mile. This is bizarre. There's a vacant house a few lots down my street. Can I have $27K please?

[oldetowne]

cruzrt said:

The Council is poised to give Pelton's Drug Store a $27K tax benefit to move part of their store down the street on the Silas Deane about a half-mile. This is bizarre. There's a vacant house a few lots down my street. Can I have $27K please?

My friend, that's not the half of it - literally. In addition to the $28K tax lien gift, there is a 50% three year abatement on the increased personal and real property tax assessment, which will work out to at least another $25K, PLUS a $50K interest-free, forgivable facade loan. It's not 27K, it's 100K that is flying out the window.

In addition, we're looking at collecting 25K in state grant money - not likely to see any more of that coming our way - to do horse and carriage rides in Old Wethersfield. I hadn't heard there was tremendous demand for those, but I must be missing something. No discussion at all about who will own the horse, maintain the horse, insure the horse, etc. (there's probably some well-connected politico with a stable or maybe our newest Councilor can give the horse a job).

By the same token, we appear to be in month six of discussions about signs on little league fields that will generate income of between 10-15K every two years to permit the volunteers of the town to perform the rudimentary field maintenance that the town itself fails to do. The priorities here are absurd, but the current Council majority will be tripping over itself once again to demonstrate some tangible "economic development" as it limps toward the November election and the actual value of any such project is irrelevant. (So wait and see what the Redevelopment Commission pulls out of its hat.)

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

oldetowne wrote on June 4, 2007:

In addition, we're looking at collecting 25K in state grant money - not likely to see any more of that coming our way - to do horse and carriage rides in Old Wethersfield. I hadn't heard there was tremendous demand for those, but I must be missing something. No discussion at all about who will own the horse, maintain the horse, insure the horse, etc. (there's probably some well-connected politico with a stable or maybe our newest Councilor can give the horse a job).

Now the New Britain Herald has reported (and later this week probably the Wethersfield POST will too report):

(c)The Herald; www.newbritainherald.com
07/30/2007

==============================
Group looks to outlaw horse carriages
==============================

Jessee Buchanan,
Special to the Herald

Wethersfield -

To most, a carriage ride is romantic, quaint and relaxing.

To others, it's cruel and exploitative.

The town's plan to provide horse-drawn carriage rides in Old Wethersfield is being opposed by the animal-rights group Friends of Animals, based in Darien.

"This practice attracts tourists but at the expense of living beings," said Joan Lownds, Friends of Animals staff writer. "It's just not necessary."

A carriage ride may not be necessary, but in a town that prides itself on its historical and aesthetic value, it makes perfect sense.

The purpose is "to enhance the visitor experience, and the residents' experience as well," said Peter Gillespie, director of planning and economic development. The rides will be guided, directing architecture and history buffs to sites of interest.

Edita Birnkrant is Friends of Animals' campaign coordinator for the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages in New York City, and is working with the Wethersfield campaign.

While she has concerns about the safety of the horse, drivers and passengers, her underlying disagreement is more philosophical - and extreme. Birnkrant says her primary concern is the "disrespect" to horses carriage rides communicate.

"It's the idea that we have the right to force any animal to do what we want. They're not here to pull carriages for us," she said.

Respect for Birnkrant is to "not intervene" in the lives of animals. "They exist for their own reasons, we don't have to know why," Birnkrant said.

She sees animal rights as the logical continuation of the civil rights and women's rights movements.

"We've evolved past human slavery," Birnkrant said.

The Friends of Animals group holds that all use of animals by people is wrong. They advocate veganism and offer a vegan cookbook called "Dining With Friends."

Town manager Bonnie Therrien signed a $25,000 grant from the state July 19 for funding the rides, and advertisements for bids on the contract will go out Aug. 20. The winning bidder will be announced at the Town Council meeting in September.

Therrien has received nearly a dozen letters in opposition to the proposed carriage rides on the grounds of animal rights, and Lownds called councilman Martin Walsh to ask how the horses will be handled. Walsh doesn't know, as a contractor has not been named yet, but said residents are free to voice their concerns at council meetings where the issue could arise.

"It seems to me horses have pulled carriages for a long time, but I'll certainly listen to their concerns," Walsh said.

Gillespie is trying to accommodate those concerns, requiring applicants for the contract to provide information about the care of the horses.

"One of the criteria is the welfare of the animals," he said.

The town intends to go through with the project, providing they find an operator for the rides.

"These operations occur all over the country," Gillespie said.

In another forum (TOPIX.NET), a reader called "Little Fish Old Fish Bowl" wrote:

The financially strapped town of Wethersfield, with its spend and tax Democrats, will do just about anything to stimulate the growth of the grand list - and so far have failed miserably - though they are trying. To them, there will never be enough money to spend and never enough taxes to raise as they scratch the back of heir supporters in the guise of helping the citizenry at large. They chase their foolish dream that there some day will be enough revenues to fund all of their political projects, right down to the time last person who can will leave the state.

They continue their assault on Old Wethersfield in the form of a horse drawn carriage ride, a senseless, but calculated political gift from Senator John Fonfara as a stimulus to tourism funded with taxpayers' own money (via the State). Will such a ride really promote tourism? Of course not, but that is the script which Gillespie is reading from.

Old Wethersfield has been graced with the sight of periodic bridal carriage rides, where the carriage is elegant, the bride and groom are resplendent and the horse(s) apparently healthy, sleek and doing what they should be doing (other than eating, pooping and procreating)- serving humans. These rides have nothing to do with tourism; they are a celebration of life, yes, even the celebration of the life of the horse.

I have no use for the Friends of Animals when they take the easy way out - advocating for animals when there is so, so, so much to advocate for among abused humanity. They are welcome to beat their heads against the walls at Town Hall all they want. Yes, they will get a nod from the pols there and they will get a minor concession - the assurance that the horse(s) will be treated as best as possible.

But you can be sure, the money will be accepted, the money will be spent and the horse rides will take place, whether or not the FOA like it and certainly whether or not the people of Old Wethersfield want it or "need" it, for what are we but just fish in a political fish bowl.

I wonder if the Friends of Animal will show up at the Tourism Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 31?