Joan Coe
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Platinum Board Member
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Board of Selectmen - July 24, 2006 - 2006/08/22 19:54
Board of Selectmen - July 24,2006
Anyone listening to the Board of Selectmen meetings must question the format of the meeting. There is public audience where the public poses questions to the board and there appears to be a complete disconnect between the public and the board. Not one of the elected officials answers any of the questions. Some members appear to just make faces while people are speaking to them. Are they elected to serve the people or serve themselves? Is this an ego trip for our elected officials? Then First Selectman Tom Vincent appears to be reading from a prewritten script prepared by Branson Robertson, Assistant to the First Selectman, so Vincent doesn't make any mistakes. The script has been edited so First Selectman Tom Vincent does not have to talk about the fiscal year of the budget because he has continually called it the physical year. Brandon Robertson occasionally comes before the board to give an update on the town's activity. Doesn't First Selectman Tom Vincent know what's going on? The other day I was at Stop and Shop and a man before me in line asked me how an idiot like Vincent could get a $12,000 raise and isn't it going to be rescinded.. I responded by saying this raise was not rescinded because the board members are idiots too. None of the members of this board who voted for this raise and Tom Vincent who accepted the raise should be reelected to serve the people of Simsbury, Vincent, Wortheimer, Mandell, and Ryan. Will First Selectman Tom Vincent give back his raise? Is this trickle down economics or take the money and run? When will the people rise up and demand professional management for Simsbury?
Recently there was a meeting of a newly appointed committee to give abatements to businesses when they expand or improve their business. The abatement was given to Holloways and Fiddler's Green. Holloways has already received an infrastructure grant of over $10,000 last year and now was given an abatement of $23,409.00 and Fiddler's Green received $73,647.00. This appears to be a Friends of Tom's giveaway. The committee consists of Tom Vincent, his cousin, Jim Gallagher, and Peter Askham, whose wife is Vincent's campaign manager, and others. Businesses make decisions based on long term planning. Why did First Selectman Tom Vincent give a $50,000 abatement to the International Skating Center when they stated that they were losing $300,000. Is $50,000 of taxpayers money going to make any immeasurable difference in the businesses loss? Why should the taxpayers subsidize business? Is this economic development of Voodoo economics? Where is the benefit to the taxpayers? Someone has to make up the difference in revenue. First Selectman Tom Vincent has not collected payment of rents in town owned homes for over a year totaling over $8,000. Has First Selectman Tom Vincent collected the rent on his personnel property, Vincent's Sport Shop, or are they allowed to withhold their rents for a year? Does First Selectman Tom Vincent treat his personal finances different from public money? Wake up Simsbury. I urge this board to reject the abatements and return the money to the taxpayers.
Recently there have been many articles written about State money available for farmland preservation. It is my opinion that Meadowood meets the criteria. It has been farmland for years and the present development will greatly impact the tax base since the services will have to increase and the schools would have to be enlarged. Since the land is over an aquifer protection area and has vernal pools which would be impacted with the nmoffanc the eco system would be impacted, this property should be protected by the town. If there are homes built over the aquifer, which has already contaminated many water wells in the area, we cannot be sure that there would be more wells serving the town that could be contaminated. What goes into the ground goes into the aquifer. This area should be protected by the town. I would urge the Board of Selectmen to review the pros and cons of having a large development versus farmland preservation. I have seen a spotted salamander. Deer, Rabbits Bears, Chayote, Canadian Geese, Turkeys.Owls and other animals and birds that are protected in the McLean Wildlife Sanctuary in close proximity to the proposed development. This board should protect all the farmland in Simsbury and not impact the taxpayers with additional schools and services. If the town can spend $11 million dollars for Ethel Walker property, money for Tulmeadow Farm, money for the Christensen petting farm, money for Rosedale Farm, why not Culbro land? I urge the board to review the impact of purchasing development rights to this land versus building schools and providing services to a large scale development over an aqufer protected area. According to a memo from the Finance Director, it states," if the Town does approve the purchase of development rights for the Ethel Walker property the Debt Policy of no more than 7% will not be adhered to at a minimum for four fiscal years from 2008 through 2011. In order to get back to debt service of no more than 7% the Board of Finance will have to have a moratorium of no capital projects for the fiscal year 2007/08 (which the current CIP has no projects being proposed at the time) along with fiscal years 2008/09 and 2009/10." Since nobody is adhering to the debt policy we might as well buy the development rights to the Culbro land. This will preserve forever the Farmland in Simsbury and protect our Aquifers. As the lyrics to the song says, "this land was made for you and me," It should be noted that the Connecticut Department of Public Health Regulatory Report in 2005 stated that "the public water system at the Ethel Walker School is in violation of monitoring and/or reporting violation for annual nitrate and nitrate testing", dated 7/6/05. Does the town have any documentation about the nitrate levels at the Ethel Walker School public water system?
It appears that the Simsbury Fire Department on Firetown Road is close to an agreement with Cingular Wireless to place a tower on their property. This should give that area wireless coverage. When is the town going to actively pursue an agreement for cell towers on town property? This would give the town much needed revenue. It would also increase the coverage in Simsbury which at the present time is greatly lacking.
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