Post by oldetowne on Sept 3, 2004 14:32:52 GMT -5
From the Post - yeah, I was surprised too to see actual news in it:
Voters to decide on $8.1 million in bonding
By:Ted Glanzer , Staff Writer 09/03/2004
The Town Council unanimously agreed, 6-0, to send two questions to voters whether to approve $8.1 million in bonding for renovations to the Town Hall/Library and for road repair and sidewalk construction at a referendum on Nov. 2.
The Town Hall/Library bond proposal seeks $5.9 million to modernize the building and bring it up to code, including replacing roof and two boilers, removing cracked, discolored and/or worn floor tiles that contain asbestos, re-pointing and cleaning the exterior bricks and upgrading antiquated wiring.
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Constructed in 1958, the building has never had a major renovation.
In 1999, voters approved a $2.2 million retrofit, which enabled several town departments to move into the space vacated by the police department when it relocated to its present location on the Silas Deane Highway.
The library's children's section was added in 1977.
Councilors at the special meeting were united in their support for the project.
"There were no games being played here," Mayor Russell Morin said. "There was no intent to do anything than what [the Town Council] felt was right. We know that this is an area in town needs to be fixed. It needs to be addressed."
Councilor Kitch Breen Czernicki said that, in addition to the bonding, the town needed to formulate "a well-defined maintenance plan so that five or 10 years down the line we don't have a major expenditure."
In an effort to educate residents about the Town Hall/Library bond request, town officials produced a 36-minute video showcasing the areas in need of replacement or repair.
The video, narrated primarily by Town Engineer Mike Turner, is being shown daily on WGTV Channel 16 at 7 and 8 a.m. and at 1, 2, 3, and 4 p.m.
Among the highlights (or lowlights) of the video are the following:
* Turner, a husky man, is shown struggling to open an unlocked door that leads to the Town Council chambers.
* Several areas are not handicapped accessible, such as the podium on which the members of the Town Council sit and the town clerk's vault.
* The town clerk's vault has a window (a potential compromise to security) and has no ventilation system.
* Several areas of the building do not meet code requirements, such as the pitch of the roof (it's flat).
* The library's ceiling is rife with water stains. Additionally, there is no way to control the flow of air from the library's heating and air conditioning system.
The video is one tool the town is utilizing to disseminate information regarding the bonding to members of the public.
Town Manager Bonnie Therrien said that tours of the Town Hall/Library would also be conducted for residents some time after Labor Day.
Several residents who spoke during the public comment portion of the special meeting expressed their dismay at how the Town Hall/Library had fallen into such disrepair.
Betty Rosania, chairwoman of the Economic Development Improvement Commission and former mayor, called the Town Hall/library a "screamingly horrible building" and a "deteriorating eyesore."
"I am disgusted and ashamed," Rosania added. "I apologize to the [town's] employees. I think they work under horrendous conditions... I am begging the people of Wethersfield to approve the referendum."
"I come here every week, but, boy, I didn't see the things I saw in that video," resident Harry Lichtenbaum said. "There is no doubt that the [bonding] is not only necessary, but long overdue ... These are not cosmetic changes they are asking to take place. These are serious structural needs. Our town workers deserve something better to improve our quality of life."
Those who spoke against the bonding for the Town Hall/Library were concerned about the amount of debt the town had acquired in recent years due to major construction projects such as the Silas Deane Middle School and the new police station.
Rocco Orsini, president of the Wethersfield Taxpayers Association, said that he was not "against beautifying Wethersfield."
"A lot of our residents are . . . debt weary," Orsini said, noting the numerous calls he fielded after people received their tax bills. "What we'd like to see is debt management."
There were others who were not persuaded by the town-produced video.
Resident George A. Ruhe said that town officials "picked the worst [parts of Town Hall] and emphasized it" and that the video did not represent "what exists here."
The second bond proposal seeks to allocate $2.9 million toward repairing eight miles of town roads and the installation of sidewalks on the west side of Mapleside Drive from Wells Road to Dale Road, the east side parking lot of Emerson Williams School, the west side of Willow Street, and both sides of Two Rod Highway from Old Reservoir Road to Highland Street.
Morin said that the bonding, if approved, would not relieve the town's obligation to improve its infrastructure.
"This does not preclude us from properly funding maintenance for roads," Morin said, adding that the town should include $850,000 in its annual budget for road repair. "We cannot just say, 'This buys us a few years.'"
Councilors John S. Karangekis and Donna Hemmann were not present at the meeting.
Voters to decide on $8.1 million in bonding
By:Ted Glanzer , Staff Writer 09/03/2004
The Town Council unanimously agreed, 6-0, to send two questions to voters whether to approve $8.1 million in bonding for renovations to the Town Hall/Library and for road repair and sidewalk construction at a referendum on Nov. 2.
The Town Hall/Library bond proposal seeks $5.9 million to modernize the building and bring it up to code, including replacing roof and two boilers, removing cracked, discolored and/or worn floor tiles that contain asbestos, re-pointing and cleaning the exterior bricks and upgrading antiquated wiring.
Advertisement
Constructed in 1958, the building has never had a major renovation.
In 1999, voters approved a $2.2 million retrofit, which enabled several town departments to move into the space vacated by the police department when it relocated to its present location on the Silas Deane Highway.
The library's children's section was added in 1977.
Councilors at the special meeting were united in their support for the project.
"There were no games being played here," Mayor Russell Morin said. "There was no intent to do anything than what [the Town Council] felt was right. We know that this is an area in town needs to be fixed. It needs to be addressed."
Councilor Kitch Breen Czernicki said that, in addition to the bonding, the town needed to formulate "a well-defined maintenance plan so that five or 10 years down the line we don't have a major expenditure."
In an effort to educate residents about the Town Hall/Library bond request, town officials produced a 36-minute video showcasing the areas in need of replacement or repair.
The video, narrated primarily by Town Engineer Mike Turner, is being shown daily on WGTV Channel 16 at 7 and 8 a.m. and at 1, 2, 3, and 4 p.m.
Among the highlights (or lowlights) of the video are the following:
* Turner, a husky man, is shown struggling to open an unlocked door that leads to the Town Council chambers.
* Several areas are not handicapped accessible, such as the podium on which the members of the Town Council sit and the town clerk's vault.
* The town clerk's vault has a window (a potential compromise to security) and has no ventilation system.
* Several areas of the building do not meet code requirements, such as the pitch of the roof (it's flat).
* The library's ceiling is rife with water stains. Additionally, there is no way to control the flow of air from the library's heating and air conditioning system.
The video is one tool the town is utilizing to disseminate information regarding the bonding to members of the public.
Town Manager Bonnie Therrien said that tours of the Town Hall/Library would also be conducted for residents some time after Labor Day.
Several residents who spoke during the public comment portion of the special meeting expressed their dismay at how the Town Hall/Library had fallen into such disrepair.
Betty Rosania, chairwoman of the Economic Development Improvement Commission and former mayor, called the Town Hall/library a "screamingly horrible building" and a "deteriorating eyesore."
"I am disgusted and ashamed," Rosania added. "I apologize to the [town's] employees. I think they work under horrendous conditions... I am begging the people of Wethersfield to approve the referendum."
"I come here every week, but, boy, I didn't see the things I saw in that video," resident Harry Lichtenbaum said. "There is no doubt that the [bonding] is not only necessary, but long overdue ... These are not cosmetic changes they are asking to take place. These are serious structural needs. Our town workers deserve something better to improve our quality of life."
Those who spoke against the bonding for the Town Hall/Library were concerned about the amount of debt the town had acquired in recent years due to major construction projects such as the Silas Deane Middle School and the new police station.
Rocco Orsini, president of the Wethersfield Taxpayers Association, said that he was not "against beautifying Wethersfield."
"A lot of our residents are . . . debt weary," Orsini said, noting the numerous calls he fielded after people received their tax bills. "What we'd like to see is debt management."
There were others who were not persuaded by the town-produced video.
Resident George A. Ruhe said that town officials "picked the worst [parts of Town Hall] and emphasized it" and that the video did not represent "what exists here."
The second bond proposal seeks to allocate $2.9 million toward repairing eight miles of town roads and the installation of sidewalks on the west side of Mapleside Drive from Wells Road to Dale Road, the east side parking lot of Emerson Williams School, the west side of Willow Street, and both sides of Two Rod Highway from Old Reservoir Road to Highland Street.
Morin said that the bonding, if approved, would not relieve the town's obligation to improve its infrastructure.
"This does not preclude us from properly funding maintenance for roads," Morin said, adding that the town should include $850,000 in its annual budget for road repair. "We cannot just say, 'This buys us a few years.'"
Councilors John S. Karangekis and Donna Hemmann were not present at the meeting.