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The Board of Selectmen (BOS) held their monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 7, largely revolving around outstanding water issues.
The Silvermine water line, which went online at the end of July, is still not flowing to those it was intended to serve, as tests have yet to confirm that the water is safe to drink.
"It's not for want of trying, I can assure you of that," First Selectman Bill Davidson said. "There have been a lot of problems over the last couple of weeks to make sure the line is clear of bacteria."
The last round of tests came back clear, however the company wants to run one more to be sure. Each test takes three days from start to finish and they expect to have water flowing to the condominiums within two weeks. "We'll keep the promise of water by winter," Davidson said ironically, "It's just which winter."
Once water is flowing, there will still be two outstanding issues: the pressure and flow of water to the sprinkler system at the senior center and testing and validating the new fire hydrants along the line. "It doesn't mean they aren't functional," Davidson said, "but we can't prove that they meet the required volume of water."
The contract with Rural Water, the company that will be managing the Silvermine Line, will stipulate that the hydrants will not be transferred into their care until they are tested and approved by the Fire Marshal.
The BOS also voted to allow the First Selectman to sign a 60-year agreement with Rural Water to manage the line.
Other Water Issues
Greenridge: The next meeting in the continued Department of Public Health (DPH) and Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) public hearing on bringing potable water to the Greenridge development will be on October 6. Davidson, along with town consultants, presented a plan to the agencies at their last hearing in August to extend the Silvermine Line down route 25 to Greenridge, rather than extending pipe from Newtown. All stakeholders will have the opportunity to question the proposal on the 6th.
Barnbeck: Dan Bertram, of BRT Development, presented the town with a $300,000 check as a reimbursement grant for a portion of the Barnbeck water line project. "No one's happier than we to get water at that site," Bertram said, as BRT is developing the former Barnbeck property at the intersection of Federal Road and route 133 into Barnbeck Place, a 110-unit luxury condominium complex for adults over 55. "We wanted to simply thank the selectman at the time, Jerry Murphy, and the selectmen today for finishing off the project."
Northern Line: The town approved the purchase of the two remaining sections of the Northern Line (BV Phases II and IV) in June, however "somewhere between the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance the wording kind of got a little awry," Town Controller Jay Wahlberg said. The wording in the final approved resolution stated that the town would finance the appropriation through revenue anticipation bonds, rather than general obligation bonds.
"A general obligation bond has favorable rates," Wahlberg explained, "versus a revenue bond, which has other restrictions and interest." With either borrowing method, the total appropriation will be paid down by users along the line through benefit assessments, however the general obligation bonds carry much lower rates.
In order to amend the resolution, it has to be submitted to another town meeting to be reapproved. The meeting date has yet to be set.
Other Business
Partners in Caring: Davidson will be bagging at Shop Rite on Federal Road from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. on September 22 as part of Shop Rite's Partners in Caring Day. Stop by to have the First Selectman bag your groceries and leave a donation for the cause.
Patch Give5: The BOS thanked Patch for our clean up of Old Bridge Sanctuary during our August 17 Give5 Day. Area Patch editors and reporters, along with members of the community, picked up trash along the trail of the bird sanctuary, hauling out nine large garbage bags worth of debris.
Greenway: The BOS gave the First Selectman the authority to sign the contract for Phase I of the Still River Greenway, which includes the area around Town Hall and the Police Department.
"Part of our project is shovel-ready," Davidson said, "That is to create a parking lot just west of the police station and some trails leading down to the river itself." The first phase is contingent upon the receipt of $200,000 in stimulus funding, which will cover the entire cost of Phase I. "If we don't the funding, the contract has no effect."
The remainder of the Greenway project will be on a planned January referendum that will also include the parks projects that failed in April. Through additional grants and funding, the town's contribution will be about $600,000 ($200,000 of which has already been appropriated in 2003 after receiving the first federal grant for the project).
Alternate Revenue Committee: The BOS appointed seven members to the newly established Alternate Revenue Sources Committee (ARSC): Marianne Gaffey (D), Ann Gilligan (R), Monica Pondicco (D), Tara Reilly (D), Sue Slater (D), Liz Smith (R) and Kerry Swift (D).
Windmills: The town received a $10,000 grant to restore the two windmills at Happy Landings. Work has begun and Davidson expects to have two operation windmills by the winter.
