Board of Selectmen Meeting April 16, 2014 My Comments

Board of Selectmen April 16, 2014

I am very concerned that the budgets as presented are manipulated not to increase the taxes. However, when you take $900,000 out of the General Fund to offset the reduction in revenues and the Grand List, we will no longer be able to rob from Peter to pay Paul forever. Since we have fewer employees paying into a pension fund, the legacy costs will increase and more money will be needed to make the fund whole. Spending money on Charrettes and Economic Development without a comprehensive plan is a waste of taxpayer money.  Using taxpayer money to enhance a non-profit, Main Street Partnership, is fiscally irresponsible.  The Main Street Partnership should be financed through the Simsbury Chamber of Commerce, not the Simsbury taxpayers. The golf course has continually lost money and once again this board gave them a pass to lose money for another year. This board has to decide whether the taxpayers should pay for the golf course’s financial short-falls as part of their taxes or the golf course should be contracted to an outside business.  This year there is $1million of expenditures that will not go to Referendum vote but approved by the Board of Finance on majority vote. Many of these expenditures are maintenance items that should be included in the operating budgets of the Board of Selectmen and Board of Education. Many of the Capital projects that are bonded are also maintenance items and should be placed in the operating budgets. I cannot support these budgets.This is voodoo economics.

I recently read in the Hartford Courant’s   Home Finder section, Property of the Week highlighting Simsbury’s Mill Pond Crossing townhouses overlooking a historic Grist Mill, waterfall and brook. It did not mention that these houses are surrounding the Dyno-Nobel plant building that manufactures explosives and the Marijuana Factory that will be in operation this summer with armed security guards securing the area. Are the people interested in this property aware of their surroundings?  According to an article in the Hartford Courant, the law offices of Pullman and Comely, where First Mary Glassman’s husband Andy Glassman is a member and has provided contracts for the marijuana business in West Haven. Since the Federal Government classifies Marijuana as a Schedule 1 narcotic, and is illegal, and Attorneys are required to uphold not only the laws of the State but also the Federal Government, why is this law office and others writing contracts for an illegal business under Federal law?  Are the law offices that are participating in providing contracts for the Marijuana industry breaking the law?

I recently reviewed the 2011 Tax Return for the Simsbury Community Farm which is located on the Eno Trust land for the poor of Simsbury. How can the Simsbury Community Farm declare a building that they don’t own at a price of $247,554 then depreciate the building at $22,480? In other line items the Simsbury Community Farm listed: Salaries at $110,036, other employee benefits- $3,790, payroll taxes - $10,936, Accounting- $7,906, Other- $7,861, Advertising and Promotions-$6,718,Office Expenses-$14403, Occupancy $14,208, Travel-$9,122, Conferences and Meetings-$2,609, Depreciation-$21,064, Insurance- $3,710, Farming Costs- $35,053, Other Program- $20,574, Miscellaneous- $5,637 These expenses total $263,627. It appears from these listings that many people are benefiting financially from the Eno Trust, for the poor people of Simsbury on the Simsbury Community Farm. Recently I received a letter from Gifts of Love, who are presently involved with the Community Farm that are asking for financial donations. $25 can fill five backpacks for the Weekend Food Backpack which provides meals for the weekend for at-need students and their families, $50 can significantly contribute to the purchase of food for Community Farm of Simsbury’s educational animals, including the cows, sheep and rabbits, $100 can purchase 561 pounds of food from Foodshare to alleviate food insecurity for our neighbors and community members throughout Greater Hartford area.  What about Simsbury?  It appears that more money is going to feed the animals than filling the backpacks with food. Why are they purchasing food with $100 donations when the Community Farm should be supplying the food? Why are they supplying the Greater Hartford Area when the Community Farm is the poor of Simsbury? Has anyone on this Board provided any oversight on the allocation of resources from the Farm? I would like to have this board review the 2011 990 Income tax return from the Community Farm and audit their expenditures.

The taxpayers should be aware that the State has allocated over $3 billion for Both Magnet and Charter Schools and is paying $11,000 per pupil for students to enroll in the Charter schools. The State only provides Simsbury $6,000 per pupil for Open Choice students enrolling in Simsbury from out of town. The cost to provide an education in the Simsbury schools per pupil is $14,082.

The standard for education in the United States is presently the  Common Core Curriculum and Smarter Balance. All the governors have bought into this misguided effort to implement a one size fits all curriculum for all students.  Since education has many dynamics and children are not robots a strict adherence to a policy with unrealistic goals is not working for the teachers or the students. Recently in a forum on PBS TV they discussed the pros and cons of this experiment in teaching. They stated that, “Once the source of a bipartisan support, the standards now face criticism from the left and right.” Many states have been disenchanted in this approach to education and have repealed the Common Core Curriculum National Education standards.  Should the Connecticut schools do the same?

At the last meeting I discussed adding a fee for groups  receiving permits for Banners , gathering permits, signs,  placement of road barriers and in kind services from town employees for time spent on the events. Has anyone implemented a fee or discussed my observations that time is money and time spent for groups using our facilities and employees time should be charged accordingly.

At the last budget hearing a teacher from the Ethel Walker School spoke in favor of the budgets. It is easy for her to approve the budget since Ethel Walker is exempt from paying taxes on all their properties and the homes for the teachers. Since we are asked to approve millions of dollars for their land, the least they could do is give us money in lieu of taxes as does Westminster School.

It appears that the Big Y organization has submitted their plans to the building Department.  Big Y has not finalized the deal with Wagner. It appears that we are in a catch 22.  The skating center attorney wants Big y to purchase the property and Big Y will not sign the deal until the Skating center signs the contract for the easement on the road. Why the delay?