Minutes of Regular Meeting on November 20th, 2008
	Present Y- N		Regular Members;
		Y	Anne Ingvertsen		Y	Earl Brecher
		N	Celia Senzer		Y	Sally Hart
		Y	Ralph Gold
		Y	Tom Bechtle
			Alternates;			Others;
		Y	John LaPorta		Y	Barbara Herbst, Board Clerk
		Y	Jack Preston		Y	Gordon Rigeway, First Selectman
	Call to Order:		7:30 p.m.
	Chairman		Asked John LaPorta to sit in for Celia Senzer
	Additions to the		None
	Agenda
	Minutes:		Minutes of the October 16th, 2008 meeting were mailed to all members with their agenda
			packet, all reported reading the minutes.
	Chairman		asked for a motion
	Motion #1:		Tom Bechtle made a motion to approve the minutes as presented
			Earl Brecher seconded
	Chairman		Asked for any discussion
	Correction:		John LaPorta requested that the minutes be corrected to reflect that Jack Preston seconded
			motions one, two and four not John LaPorta
	Motion#2:		Tom Bechtle made a motion to approve the minutes as amended
			Earl Brecher seconded
			Motion passed unanimously.
	Reports of Boards		Board of Selectmen - First Selectman Gordon M. Ridgway
	and Commissions:
			The BOS have begun the budgeting process and have sent requests to all departments
			to start formulating their budgets for FY 2010. The BOS have set a goal for a "Zero" tax increase.
			A large variable to our budgeting process will be the State Budget and any modification of
			grant awards.
			The BOS will be going to Cromwell to attend a Council of Small Towns forum, being held
			on 1/21/09 titled "Connecticut Town Meeting 2009" This meeting provides town officials
			a unique opportunity to discuss and vote on a Legislative Platform for the upcoming session of
			the Connecticut General Assembly, network with other local and state government leaders
			to discuss major public policy concerns and hear notable speakers on matters of
			statewide, national and international significance.
	Question:		Jack Preston reported that he has been reading about "single stream recycling" and some area
			towns are looking into it or are already utilizing this practice.
			Can Cornwall benefit from "single stream recycling" and is this a measure that Cornwall
			is considering?
	First Selectman		The BOS have looked into this briefly and the preliminary research does not indicate any benefit
			to Cornwall. The towns that offer curbside pick up seem to realize the most effective return from this
			practice and Cornwall is not in a position to offer curbside service.
			Additionally, many towns offer this service as an incentive to increase recycling and with the
			current economic climate the market for recyclables has slowed down immensely.
	Transfers:		One		Number		#2
	$3,000 To Capital Projects, HWY Equipment# 02-90091015 from Capital Projects Transfer
			Station Skid Steer # 02-490919 to facilitate the purchase of a new “clam shell bucket” for the backhoe.
			Current bucket is non functional and worn out. Cost of new piece of equipment will be $6,000+/-
			Balance in HWY Equipment line before the transfer is 3,456.74, FY’09 appropriation was $10,000,
			no prior transfers have been made to this line.
	Chairman		Asked for a motion to approve budget transfer as presented
	Motion #3:		John LaPorta made a motion to approve the budget transfer #2
			Anne Ingvertsen seconded
			Motion passed unanimously.
	Discussion of		Discussion of a meeting to be held on 11/25/08 @ 7:00p.m. in room 133 @ HVRHS. Purpose of this
	BOE meeting		meeting is “to seek input from the towns’ governing bodies regarding economic conditions, enrollment
			and fixed costs associated with the front end of building the school budget."
			Ralph Gold will be attending this meeting as well as First Selectman Ridgway.
			Ralph reported receiving a request from the Kent BOF to submit a written document
			that would reinforce the Kent BOF letter sent to Patricia Chamberlain. Paraphrased it would reflect a
			basic premise to use restraint when preparing the budget and to please keep prevailing weak
			economic conditions in the forefront of any decision making.
			Ralph asked for any suggestions or ideas that board members would like him to convey
			at this meeting. Earl Brecher offered the suggestion that the BOE consider a postponement of any
			nonessential programs or Capital Projects that can be reinstated at a later date.
			Another idea discussed was sharing resources with other school districts. Sharing resources would
			facilitate a reduction in program duplication within the NW corner and still provide these programs to
			our children and the children of the other school districts.
			Modifying school bus transportation was discussed. The "late bus" used by many students as an
			alternative mode of transportation when they have to stay after school was sited a model for
			this measure.
	Adjournment:		8:06 p.m.
	Motion:		Sally Hart made a motion to adjourn
			Earl Brecher seconded
			Motion passed unanimously.
		Respectfully Submitted:
		Barbara Herbst
		Board Clerk
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