July 8, 2019 Haddam Board of Selectmen Meeting Notes

By Editorial Staff.

The Board of Selectmen held a regular meeting on July 8, 2019 at the Town Hall. This meeting was video-recorded by John Nork and is available for viewing on Channel 19 Valley Shore Community Television as well as at their website: www.vsctv.com.

Following recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, there was Public Comment. Maurice Adams commented that the Board of Finance (BOF) minutes from three weeks ago had not been posted to the town website (www.haddam.org). Editor’s Note: Unofficial minutes from the BOF meeting are now available. Selectman Melissa Schlag pointed out that there is a state law which requires minutes to be posted within 7 days of a meeting and that this is violation of the Freedom of Information laws. She urged Adams to file a complaint with the Freedom of Information Commission. Adams raised a question about whether funds in the bonding proposal for sidewalks could be transferred to another project. Milardo responded that because of the contract involving the State whereby the State pays 80% and the Town pays 20%, such a transfer would be unlikely. However, Milardo pointed out that with the road projects, when there is money left over after the designated road work has been completed, the Town can re-allocate the surplus to do additional roads. Adams asked whether a new project not included in the bonding package could receive re-allocated funds to which Milardo responded that this is not allowed.

Milardo pointed out that later in the agenda the BOS would be setting a Public Hearing and Meeting on August 6 to discuss and vote on approval of the bonding proposal and that questions of the sort that Adams had asked will be discussed.

Regarding the approval of minutes from the June 10 and June 19 BOS meetings, Schlag objected to voting on the minutes of the June 10 meeting which consisted of four pages because she said she had only recently received them and had not had the time to read them in detail and thus abstained from the vote. Schlag had not attended the meeting of June 19 and abstained from that vote as well.

Tax refunds totaling $2,266.30 were approved unanimously. Mark Lundgren’s letter of resignation dated June 26, 2019 from his position on the Board of Finance was accepted. Milardo thanked Lundgren for his service on the BOF.

Milardo’s term as Haddam representative on the CRAHD (Connecticut River Area Health District) Board of Directors was up and she requested re-appointment until November 19, 2019 which is the date that her term as First selectman will be over. She also asked that Bill Warner be appointed as Alternate to the CRAHD Board until that same date. Milardo noted that this would give the new First Selectman an opportunity to appoint an alternate of his/her choice. Schlag asked that these appointments be considered separately. On the appointment of Milardo as Haddam’s representative to the CRAHD Board, Schlag voted no without comment. The vote to appoint Warner as Alternate was approved unanimously.

Under new business, the Vista Tour de Shore request to use town roads was approved. The resident trooper contract with the State was approved after a discussion of whether the town would be required to pay for any additional electronic equipment. Milardo pointed out that this state contract is vague but from the discussions she had had at the CCM meeting this was not the case.

Milardo asked for a motion to approve spending $60,000 from road bond funds for use on drainage work for Cove Road in Haddam Neck. Money needed for paving of Cove Road is from Eversource. Motion was passed unanimously. The BOS approved a request from Anna Arnett to convey 12.7 acres which is land locked to the Town. This is a first step and will require a Town Meeting to approve.

Because of a conflict with dates, the motion to have a Public Hearing and Public Meeting on a bond ordinance in the amount of $7,007,250 for certain capital improvements had to be re-voted upon by the BOS. Schlag voted against the motion which subsequently passed. Schlag then made a motion to add the issue of the Arnett property to the agenda of the hearing and meeting which was approved. The hearing at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting 7:00 on both the ordinance and the Arnett property will be on August 6 at the Firehouse.

Milardo read a letter from Andrew Becker, Secretary of the Rolumco Corporation, offering to sell to the Town their property adjacent to the HES property. The price would need to be negotiated based on an arm’s length appraisal and is estimated to be in the range of $2.5 to $3 million. The meeting then adjourned.