Minutes of Regular Board of Finance Meeting on October 15th, 2009

Present Y- N

Regular Members;

Y

Anne Ingvertsen

N

Earl Brecher

Y

Celia Senzer

Y

Sally Hart

Y

Ralph Gold - CHM

N

Tom Bechtle

Alternates;

Others;

Y

John LaPorta

Y

Barbara Herbst, Board Clerk

N

Jack Preston

Y

Gordon M. Ridgway, First Selectman arrived @ 7:45

Call to Order:

7:30 p.m.

Chairman Ralph Gold asked John LaPorta to sit for Earl Brecher.

Additions to the

None

Agenda

Minutes:

September 17th, 2009 minutes of regular meeting were mailed to all members with October packet.

All reported reading the minutes.

Motion:

John LaPorta

Made a motion to approve the minutes as presented

Anne Ingvertsen

Seconded

Chairman

Asked for any discussion

Motion passed unanimously.

Reports of Boards

and Commissions:

Board of Selectmen - First Selectman Ridgway

Annual Town Meeting is set for October 23rd @ 7:30.

There are two financial items on the Call. 1) Increase the Building Permit fees from $20 to $25 for the first $1,000 on construction, to increase from $6 to $7 the additional fee for each $1,000 of construction and to implement a $200 fee for residents who start building without a permit, effective 1/1/10. 2) Land Use fees will be increased commensurate with the increase in fees implemented by the State of Connecticut.

The BOS is watching all activity concerning the "Sweet Peet" operation. A permit has been issued and it is possible that an appeal will be filed. Legal fees have already exceeded four thousand dollars and only two thousand was budgeted for the Land Use legal line.

Rumsey Hall: The Building inspector has issued a notice to the owner to either stabilize or demolish the building. The owner wants to demolish the building however procedures dictate possible restrictions based on composition of the building such as lead and asbestos. The Building inspector can instruct the town to remove the building but we are reticent to get involved unless forced to. JL asked about a legal time frame, FS Ridgway replied that the Building Inspector may hire a structural engineer to analyze the building and a determination will be forthcoming before winter.

Grants: Cornwall has been awarded a grant in the amount of Four Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty dollars by the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area. This is a matching funds grant and will be used to print and publish maps and brochures of Cornwall and the surrounding area, highlighting historic and other points of interest. Display racks for visitor information will be purchased with this grant also.

Grants continued: The Cornwall Energy Task Force is interested in applying for a Federal Stimulus grant for renewal energy up to Twenty-Eight Thousand dollars. If awarded, the BOS would like to see the funds used for solar electric panels to benefit the Town Hall Office buildings.

While on the subject of solar panels, the CCS solar panel installation should be completed by next month, these panels should provide five to ten percent of the electricity for the building.

Calendar of

2010 Board of

A draft schedule was sent to all members with their packet.

Finance Meetings

Motion:

Celia Senzer

Made a motion to approve the schedule as presented

Sally Hart

Seconded

The Chairman pointed out that the April meeting is one week in arrears to accommodate

the CCS vacation schedule.

Motion passed unanimously.

Five Year Capital

A Five Year Capital Plan for fiscal years 2011-2015 was mailed to all members with their packet.

Plan

This plan was approved by the Board of Selectmen on October 5th, 2009

Motion:

Celia Senzer

Made a motion to approve the Five Year Capital Plan as presented

Sally Hart

Seconded

Chairman

Asked for any discussion

FS Ridgway noted the following information: The town wide Revaluation scheduled for FY 2012-2013 will be performed "in-house" as it was last time. A separate line for Bridges / Culverts has been added to address ongoing issues on Town Roads. The BOS would like to hire an analyst to look at all bridges and culverts to assess their viability and proceed according to those results. The Highway Foreman has requested funding for a Gravel Screen, this machine would be used to screen sand available from the gravel pit. Ultimately, road maintenance costs will be reduced by mixing this screened sand with recycled sand from road oiling and winter maintenance. The BOS has increased the line for Road Improvements over the five year period in hopes of keeping up with escalating costs.

Motion passed unanimously.

Reallocation of

The Call for the Town Meeting includes a vote upon the recommendation of the BOF to reallocate up to $110,000 in the Town's Capital Projects Account for repairs to Great Hollow and Great Hill Roads. The repair costs are expected to be completely reimbursed by the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grant Program. FS Ridgway reported that he has been informed by NE COG that some area towns have dropped out of the program and therefore the share available to Cornwall has been increased by Thirty-Six Thousand dollars. It is the intent of the BOS to use the grant funds to resurface a stretch of road from Essex Hill to Great Hill with chip seal. FS Ridgway suggested that the recommendation made at the Town Meeting be increased.

Capital Project

Funds

Motion:

John LaPorta

Made a motion to recommend a reallocation in the amount of up to

$150,000 (one hundred and fifty thousand dollars) within the Capital Projects Account to accommodate the payment of these repairs to Great Hollow and Great Hill Roads to be completely reimbursed by the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grant Program.

Sally Hart

Seconded

Motion passed unanimously.

Adjournment:

8:20

p.m.

Motion:

Sally Hart

Made a motion to adjourn

Respectfully Submitted:

John LaPorta

Seconded

Barbara Herbst

Motion passed unanimously.

Board Clerk