Board of Selectmen December 10, 2012 Public Audience

Board of Selectmen December 10, 2012

The taxpayers of our town have paid for the creation of new
website for the Town that links to an advertisement for a virtual website and
the requested page for the BOS agenda not found.  Is it appropriate for a town to allow
advertising on its link to the town website? 
After clicking several links a website for the agenda was shown. Another
link gives you the Rules of Procedure for BOS meetings, dated 2007 with an end
date of December 2009. Therefore, the rules for public audience have expired
and the enforcement is with the Federal Lawsuit resolution not with the Town.
Where is Simsbury’s professional management?

It is time that this board takes some responsibility on management
of the Golf Course Restaurant and the Golf Course. It is time to send an RFP
for an outside management of the Simsbury Golf Course. Has anyone asked why
only one person responded to the RFP? It is time to review the true costs of
managing the golf course and the burden on the taxpayers of our town. How can a
restaurant at the golf course make money on booze when anyone can bring booze
to the facility and imbibe while playing? Welcome to Boozebury!  The town should have a no alcohol policy on
all town-owned property. Can discussion of this topic be placed on the next
agenda for discussion and implementation?

It is always a good idea to have an RFP for legal services
to review the landscape. The town should ask for the scope and fees of various
services. Our present attorneys could also apply. Towns change legal counsel on
a regular basis. Simsbury should review all options.

How can this board approve the Tom Vincent’s manager’s
contract for the Performing Arts when the consultant stated that the operation
was a failure? The final financial report shows a profit of $1, 386. This
excludes the Webb Management report for $24,000 and all the in kind services
from the town. The taxpayers picked up the tab for these expenses.

It appears from the barrage of emails from Ann Marie Potter,
Bicycle Friendly Community, to Public Works Director, Tom Roy and others that
she is demanding the town include $90,000 for Trail maintenance and purchase of
concrete for the bicycle sculpture platform, placement of a banner across
Hopmeadow Street along with a continual barrage of demands for town time and
money.  There are consistent demands on
town staff that are taking time and money away from town related
expenditures.  When is enough enough?

I recently alerted this board that the lamppost at the entry
to Eno Farms Affordable Housing complex was lying on the ground. I would like
to report that nothing was done.

Another renter was recently sued for non-payment of rent on
Woodbridge Court for very  low  income housing. It appears that the rents are
above the ability of these people to pay and in conflict with the Eno Trust for
the poor of Simsbury.

I would also like to report that the Simsbury Police
assisted the State Police on December 2, 2012 on an alleged drug activity at 1
Hitchcock Circle, in the Eno Farms Complex. On December 4, 2012 it is alleged
that there was an inquiry at the Simsbury Police Department from DCF. I would
like to know if an arrest has been made and since this apartment is in the low
income development and under HUD guidelines whether CHFA has taken any action?
Also, it has been alleged that there has been drug activity at the playground
in the complex on a regular basis. Since the town owns the ground lease, what
action has the town taken in these developments?

I recently became aware that the Simsbury High School sent a
security guard to an East Hartford football game. This person was paid $16.11
for time spent for travel and time at the game. Why does the Principal of
Simsbury high School send security guards to out of town athletic events at
taxpayer expense?

Upon further review I was told that Simsbury High School hires Murphy Security
for Security details at $18/hr and has three private security guards at
$16.11/hr. The Police Department has a police officer at the High School for
security. The High School has two Vice Principals who are responsible for
discipline of students. How can Neil Sullivan maintain any form of continuity
with three separate organizations are monitoring the students? I was told that
the tab for the security guards is over $100,000 a year. It is also alleged
that one of the Security guards is given a golf cart to monitor the parking
lot. Since Simsbury is bicycle friendly, couldn’t the security guard ride a
bicycle? This is the picture of the security guard that attends out of town
athletic games and rides in the golf cart. I would like to have Neil Sullivan,
Principal of the High School justify the need for all this security and the
need for town security to attend out of town games?

I would ask this board to rescind the need for Simsbury
taxpayers to pay walk-on fees at the Paddle Courts. Upon further review, I
found out that there are many hours of unreserved time during the day where
there is no need for interaction with staff since the paddle courts are away
from the office. During the weekend there is time available for walk-ons when
the office is closed and unable to collect the money.  The winter hours for the farms are: Monday-
Friday 9-5, Saturday 1:30-4:30 and 6:30-9:30 PM and Sunday from 1:30-
4:30.  Where do the walk-ons send their
money? Will there be stamped envelopes in a box for payment?   Also, there are no fees collected before
November 1 and after March. How can this policy be implemented on the honor
system? If the Recreation Department is interested in collecting walk-on fees,
I would suggest that they hire a full time staff person to collect the walk-on
money erecting a heated hut at the courts. Does Mr. Toner, Director of
Recreation expect his secretary to run out and collect the money, will the
police be called to collect the money or will Toner place a lien on a person’s
home for non-payment of fees? What policy has been established for
non-compliance? I am asking that Mr. Toner rescind this arbitrary policy.

Recently we heard from Ronald Janeczko, Landworks
Development who purchased land from Ensign Bickford Realty in Powder Forest.
Ensign Bickford would not have been allowed to develop the property for housing
without promising the Zoning Commission that they would set aside homes for
affordable housing and they would develop the community for 55 and over. Now
the Zoning Commission has eliminated the restriction on the property purchased
by Landworks and it is presently without restrictions on the age of the owners,
giving Landworks an open market and a larger profit margin. Overturning the age
restrictions will have younger people with school age children buying these
homes costing taxpayers for their education. Now we hear that Janeczko wants to
eliminate the affordable part of the original application. Janeczko purchased
this property from Ensign Bickford Realty 
with this caveat in place. The people who purchased the affordable homes
were aware of the restrictions and purchased these homes anyway. The Board of
Selectman should not eliminate the restriction on the property for
affordability. This is a business decision between Enisgn Bickford and
Landworks. If Janesczko  made a poor
business decision he should go back to the seller, Ensigh Bickford. It is not
the Board of Selectman to allow Janeczko to maximize his profits at the expense
of the Simsbury residents. Simsbury needs affordable housing. It is not the
responsibility of this board to bail out people who make poor business
decisions.  I would urge this board to
reject the Janeczco proposal.

I was surprised to see a banner over Hopmeadow Street that
the Hartford Magazine voted Simsbury #1. Did they use the same criteria when
they voted to include John Hampton as the most eligible bachelor in Hartford.
At the time Hampton was living a room above a garage that did not have a
certificate of Occupancy, was delinquent in paying his car tax of under $100.00
and maintained his office in the Simsbury Library.