In an hour-long meeting this week, the selectmen voted on a couple of issues, including one brought up during public comment.

Patrick and Anne Olszewski came before the board to talk about drainage problems on their street - Valley Heights Drive. For years, they have brought the issue before the town and requested that a storm drain be installed. According to the Olszewskis, several former selectmen have been to see the problem first hand, along with town engineer Brian Curtis. They said the area has already been engineered for the installation of a storm drain, but it has never been done.

"Every summer we hear we're going to get it, but we don't," Anne Olszewski said.

Selectman David Lowry, who also lives in the area, acknowledged the drainage issues and also noted the many areas of poor road quality in the neighborhood.

The selectmen voted unanimously in favor of a motion directing the highway department to make the necessary repairs, as engineered by Curtis, to alleviate the longstanding drainage and paving issues on both Valley Heights Drive and Sunset Lane. The highway department must report back to the selectmen at their next meeting on Sept. 16.

Lowry is expected to talk to Finance Director Joe Geruch and the Board of Finance to see how much the repairs will cost and where the money will come from.

Community Center A/C

First Selectman Jon Brayshaw reported that four bids came in for work on air conditioning at the Community Center. The selectmen voted in favor of accepting the lowest bid - $148,650 - by Sav More Heating and Cooling of Southington, pending a satisfactory review of their credentials and references.

The town still has $192,000 left from a recently awarded STEAP grant in order to pay for the work. Brayshaw said he is also hoping that the money will cover new windows in the building, as well as insulation of the attic.

Record keeping

Lowry noted at the meeting that several concerns have been raised about records and documents that were recently purged from town offices. He said that the town should have a policy regarding any record that gets thrown away, and asked that from now on, nothing be purged without coming before the selectmen first.

"From a historical perspective, volumes of our land records should never be put on a dump truck and brought to our transfer station," said Selectwoman Mary Johnson.

Johnson said that even though some of these items are backed up and saved in other forms, like on tapes or CDs, "you still have to preserve the original records."

She noted that though Middlefield's Historical Society has limited space for documents, places like the Godfrey Library, or the state library in Hartford, are usually very willing to store items like this.

Public hearing/town meeting

The proposed tax freeze for seniors 70 or older in Middlefield will be discussed and voted on during a public hearing and town meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Community Center auditorium.

The tax freeze does exactly as its name implies - it freezes the taxes of eligible seniors at the level at the time they apply for the program. The tax increases that are accrued over the years are applied to the senior's estate as a lien.

"This is just another piece in the buffet of trying to help people," said Brayshaw.

The selectmen urge everyone to attend the public hearing and town meeting to learn more and have their questions answered.

Resignation

The resignation letter of Don Ginter was read at the meeting, noting his last day of employment as Sept. 8, 2008. Ginter has long served as the town's janitor.

Brayshaw recalled the days when a large contingent of people wanted to get rid of the historical building which was once Center School.

"People fought for years to tear this building down," he said. "Don Ginter always stood fast and was always here to try to save this building."

Library "books"

Johnson reported that Geruch has not yet received the library's financial books for review, and that the library's audit is just being completed. Lowry said that once it is done he would like the town to get a copy of the audit, and have it also be available to residents.

Emergency Management

The town will participate in an ice storm table exercise with all the towns comprising the emergency management district two, Brayshaw reported. The exercise will have town officials rehearse what to do in an extreme weather situation like an ice storm. The exercise will occur during the week of Nov. 17.

FOI training

The Board of Selectmen is urging members of all boards and commissions to attend a two-day Freedom of Information liaison training at the Department of Transportation building on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington. The training is on Sept. 15 and 22, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending around 3 or 4 p.m.

Call Tom Hennick at (860) 566-5682 or e-mail thomas.hennick@ct.gov with any questions.