Submitted by Edward Munster
This regular meeting of Haddam’s Board of Selectmen on May 9, 2022, at the Haddam Town Hall was called to order by First Selectman Bob McGarry at 6:30 p.m. Also in attendance were Selectmen Sean Moriarty and Kate Anderson and Administrative Assistant JoAnn Ricciardelli. First Selectman McGarry opened the meeting with a moment of silence in memory of Ann Riebold, who had passed away this very morning of May 9. He pointed out that Ann had been a longtime employee of the Town and had only recently retired.
The minutes of the regular BOS meeting of April 11th and April 14th were both unanimously approved. During Public Comment, Scott Larson, President of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Department, requested that an administrative assistant be hired because of the amount of paperwork that is needed to run the Fire Department. He pointed out that the officers of the department volunteer to be firefighters, not paper handlers.
In his Selectman’s Report to the town, McGarry stated that there has been no change in the status of the Rossi property and that the environmental study is in the process of being completed.
McGarry remarked that there was a good turnout for the open house at Scovil Hoe on May 11 and that the Sec. 8-24 Review by PZC stated this project is in full compliance with the Town’s Plan of Conservation and Development. McGarry pointed out that the Scovil Hoe Project will go before a Town Hearing on May 11 which will be followed by a town meeting on May 18 along with the town budget for approval.
McGarry also stated that the sidewalks on Bridge Road have been marked out and that the work will proceed soon. Work on the Haddam Center sidewalks is expected to start by late May. The work on the Route 154 bridge just south of Coyote Blue, a state project, is expected to start soon and be completed by November 30th. It will involve alternating one-way traffic at times during this project. The Beaver Meadow Road culvert project has been delayed because of the need for Frontier to move the power lines across the street so that the work can commence.
McGarry stated that he would be on vacation May 19-27.
The Covid daily-case rate has been increasing recently; of particular note, was that some people in the Town Office Building and some election officials who were at the RSD17 referendum had come down with positive tests. The number of reported cases has gone from 58 in February to 14 in March, but back up to 62 in April.
The DOA seized 10 dogs from a single residence in Haddam.
The Town has applied for a Federal Lands Access Program Grant for $315,000 to repair Pinebrook Road in Haddam Neck. FLAP Grants are used to improve transportation facilities that provide access to, are adjacent to, or are located within Federal lands. In this case it involves the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, which is partly in Haddam Neck.
Selectman Kate Anderson reported that the Farmers Market is scheduled to begin at HES on June 3. It will run every Friday into August.
Brenda Buzzi gave a report from Board of Education this month.
Tax refunds for $14,728.48 were approved.
As a matter of new business, McGarry asked the Board for a motion to issue a proclamation to honor Maurice Adams, who passed away about two weeks ago. He praised Adams for his interest in positive improvements in town, the ideas he provided at BOS meetings and his being a big proponent for transparency in government.
These are notes taken unofficially. The unapproved minutes can be found HERE on the Haddam.org town website.
