By Meghan Peterson, Ph.D.
A Town Meeting was held on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019 at the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company Station #1 in Higganum for the purpose(s) of approving certain budget transfers to the Capital Improvement Budget. Per the legal notice, as provided in part below:
“To consider, discuss and vote to approve the Budget Transfers in the amount of 1,122,000.00 to the Capital Improvement Budget.
To consider, discuss and vote to approve the transfer request to fund (2) off road utility vehicles for Haddam Neck Volunteer Fire Department and Haddam Volunteer Fire Department from HVFD replacement truck. Budget transfer request form 2020-3
To consider, discuss and vote to approve transfer request to fund HES operating costs in the amount of $127,853 form 2020-4.”
This was First Selectwoman Lizz Milardo’s last Town Meeting. Bob McGarry will be Haddam’s next First Selectman; joined by incoming Selectmen Kate Anderson and Sean Moriarty.
The Pledge was recited. Tony Giamei was nominated from the floor to be moderator, and Town Clerk Scott Brookes read the legal call of the meeting. The call was accepted. Milardo provided a brief explanation for each item. In terms of moving the $1,122,000 into the Capital Improvement Budget, there were extra assets that the Board of Finance (BOF) received. The vehicles purchased for the Public Works department will be funded by these monies, as Milardo explained that the Town now has the “funds to do that,” instead of bonding for the vehicles as previously anticipated. Such a move was already approved by the BOF and BOS. Residents at the meeting voted to approve the transfer.
Next, Milardo explained that there were “so many moving pieces” with respect to Fire Department vehicles – both in terms of maintenance and repairs. Originally, it was thought that replacing Truck 713 was necessary; that is no longer the case. There was an excess of $49,506 in the Capital plan already. The idea is to re-allocate monies to fund the two lines within the Capital plan. Residents voted to approve the transfer.
The final item centered on HES. Milardo explained that Haddam voted to purchase HES in June. Simultaneously, the Town budget was being approved, and work was being done with RSD #17 to understand operating costs for the building. The amount of $127,853 is the estimated operating cost to the townspeople for HES from October 2019 (when the purchase became finalized) to June 30, 2020. A resident inquired about insurance for the building. Milardo noted that it cost an additional $2,500 to add the building onto the Town’s insurance. The estimated operating cost includes the insurance, software which runs the heating/cooling system, and security upgrades. Milardo said that the idea is to do “minimal maintenance” as needed at this time, and that the Town is to keep the building “safe and secure.” In response to a question from the floor about current usage of the building, Milardo said that there is a pop-up market happening there Wednesdays-Sundays; charrettes for communal input on future usage of the building were held at the end of October/beginning of November; and that the Recreation Department (HK Rec. Dept.) is interested in using the building. The Haddam Junior Women’s group has also indicated interest in utilizing the parking lot for their town-wide tag sale in April. Milardo emphasized that P&Z (Planning & Zoning) is going to be “driving that,” with respect to “what happens next” with the building. To this end, she noted that Town Planner Bill Warner is “also working on that.” Moreover, she expressed enthusiasm for the pop-up market, saying that she “was thrilled when Terri [Everett] and Janet [Verney]” wanted to use the space for the market. Milardo says that it is a “great thing,” and that there are a “lot of people in and out of there” – that “life is in that building.” Milardo did express caution, however, that the school district was not completely forthcoming in terms of telling the Town the full costs of the maintenance entailed in the building.
Editor’s Note: The video of this meeting can be found on VSCTV HERE.
