Middlefield selectmen end year with a full plate
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Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 12:37pm
The evening started with a town meeting that lasted all of four minutes – just long enough to inform the very sparse audience that the annual report was not finished. This happens every year. The town charter calls for a town meeting to receive the town report the first Monday in December, and the report is not done because it depends on audits and compilation and other efforts that typically are not completed by that date.
During the four-minute meeting, one item was decided, however. Those half dozen in attendance voted without opposition to accept $1,700 from the state for a sliver of town-owned land along Route 147 by the bridge over the Coginchaug River. The state is seeking this sliver of land in order to reconstruct the very narrow bridge in the near future.
The regular selectmen’s meeting following more than made up for the brevity of the town meeting. The Board of Selectmen’s (BOS) meeting lasted over two hours and topics covered ranged far and wide. The first item of business was introduction of new BOS member Ed Bailey, who was elected in November. He replaces Dave Lowry, who chose not to run again.
Land issues
According to First Selectman Jon Brayshaw, town officials were proceeding with a memorandum of understanding regarding the lease/sale of Powder Ridge. Needless to say, it doesn’t appear that much will be happening on the mountain this season, however.
There was some public interest in the disposition of the 25 acres of land belonging to Robert Merriam for which the town had voted to buy the development rights. When officials went to complete the process, it was discovered that Merriam had apparently had conversations with developer Thomas Kokomo and that Kokomo was threatening to sue Merriam over the alleged “breach of contract.” According to Brayshaw’s information, a settlement was developed in which Kokomo won the right to develop four lots in return for allowing Merriam to place a conservation easement on the rest. Resident Tom Rogers asked that since any development would come before the Planning and Zoning Commission in Middlefield, could P&Z be encouraged to suggest clustering the four houses to allow the most open space? Meanwhile, Merriam could not be reached for comment.
Wind farm and energy plans
Robert Yamartino, chair of the joint Middlefield-Middletown Metacomet Wind Farm Task Force, was there to ask the selectmen to authorize the task force to apply for a grant that would allow them to hire a consultant to study the feasibility of placing wind turbines on the Metacomet ridge through Middlefield. The study would involve erecting three towers – two north of Route 66 and one south of Route 66 – and gathering a year’s worth of wind data. Consultants would then be able to advise the task force on whether the idea was practical and what specific parameters for siting and building would make it successful.
Also, Jen Huddleston, chair of the town’s energy task force, presented a 42-page energy plan to officials. According to Yamartino, this plan will be an important part of the grant application.
The deadline for the application is Jan. 8, and because the selectmen cancelled their Dec. 22 meeting, the final vote on support for the grant application will be taken at their next meeting on Monday, Jan. 4.
Resignations and appointments
The end of the year is typically a time of appointments and re-appointments since many terms of office end on Dec. 31. This year is no exception, and Brayshaw put in a plug for volunteers to serve on any of a number of boards and commissions in town. He would be delighted to answer questions about what’s available at 860-349-7114.
First, the selectmen appointed Cheryl Pizzo to fill the unexpired term of Sharon Grodzicki, who recently resigned from the Economic Development Commission. Mike Waller was reappointed as the town’s representative on the Greater New Haven Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Commission chair Ken Hamilton was reappointed to his third (and last, by town charter) term on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Also reappointed to P&Z were Michael Turner and William Waff.
Reappointed to the Inland Wetlands Agency (IWA) were Marianne Corona and Irene Angelitta, while Melissa Cowel was appointed as a replacement to the IWA. Brian Clark and Steven Porteus were appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
On somewhat the same subject, Brayshaw had sought the opinion of town attorney Ken Antin on whether Ed Bailey could remain on the Water Pollution Control Authority while also serving as a selectman. Antin ruled that Bailey could serve on both.
Other business
In other business, the board set their meetings for 2010 on the same schedule as 2009 – the first Monday and third Tuesday of each month at the Community Center at 7 p.m.
The selectmen approved, contingent on P&Z approval, hook-up of a planned building at 1 Lorraine Terrace to the Middletown public water system.
Brayshaw announced that the Housing Authority is working on a survey which will guide them as they make decisions about whether to recommend more units at Sugarloaf Terrace, and that the town website should be up and running by March.
