A Year End Message:

As we are in the end of year holiday season I want to wish you all the best. Whatever faith we follow, whatever our observances at this time of year, we share a common bond and with it comes common cause for the enrichment of the community we share and call home. Best wishes for a safe, happy and healthy new year.

Changes to my newsletter:

Though I have been at this for a couple of years now I am always looking for ways to learn and improve. Recently, while talking to a friend and advisor, I realized to make this a more valuable communication for you I would not only recount what has happened at past Board meetings, but try to give you a heads up of our future agenda items. This way, I hope, if interested you can be more involved in our process by either coming to our meetings or giving me your ideas to help inform my deliberations. As always your feedback is welcome.

Coming Events:

The Board of Selectmen will conduct two public hearings on January 3 at the High School media center.  

The first, at 6:55 p.m., will be to consider expanding membership of the Retirement Benefits Advisory Committee. This group has been meeting for about 18 months. They have overseen the selection of and transition to a new investment management group for our pension funds, as well as organizing many administrative issues that are more detailed and arcane that I won’t bore you with listing them all. The Committee is currently constituted with representatives from the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, the Town Treasurer, two electors of the Town along with the Town Controller and Schools Finance Director as non-voting members. The proposal is to add a third elector of the town. 

The second public hearing will be at 7 p.m. This is to consider dissolving the Gurski Homestead Commission. It is suggested that the responsibility for oversight and management of the Gurski property be placed under the Conservation Commission, which currently has management responsibility for all other open spaces the Town owns.  

Both of these items will be on the Board of Selectmen’s agenda for action later that night.

Board of Selectmen — December meeting highlights

Finances: Although there have been extensive costs associated with storm clean up (over $600,000), a large part of that is reimbursable by FEMA. So we do not expect that to have a significant impact on the overall budget for the current fiscal year.

Open Space: There were two issues discussed with regard to open space, the Gurski property is noted above. The other issue is on the possible purchase of approximately 22 acres of the Ferry Farm located on South Obtuse Road. The major concerns raised were about the location and price. The Selectmen will discuss in executive session to discuss what price, if any, we would be willing to pay for the property.

Other Items:

The Brookfield High School project can finally be closed out! This project has taken over a decade to reach a conclusion. Though, for all intents and purposes, construction ended in early 2009, it has taken two years of consultations and negotiations to come to conclusions over several disputed issues. These being primarily about the meaning, management and content of the original contract signed back in 2001. While the path to this resolution was circuitous and convoluted, after three administrations we can finally put a period at the end of this project. 

I can also report our intent to appoint a committee to review the project and report back to the Board of Selectmen on suggested improvements for managing any future projects. 

Thanks for reading,

Howard