Board of Finance Sends Road Renewal Plan Back to Board of Selectmen

On Tuesday night, the Bethel Board of Finance voted 4-3 to remand the $8.5 million dollar back to the Board of Selectman for further consideration.

After hearing from several members of the community during public comment and further debating of the topic, Board Chairman Phillip J. Gallagher made the following motion: "In lieu of the current poor economic conditions both locally and statewide, and the anticipation of a further loss in state educational cost sharing and other revenue, the Bethel Board of Finance remands to the Bethel Board of Selectmen for further consideration and study of their $8.5 million bond proposal."

Many board members agreed that Bethel roads need to be improved, but were mostly concerned about the current economy or the amount of money being bonded.

Board member James Roden said, "I'd love to pay for all the roads to be fixed, but that's not my job; my job is maintaining fiscal responsibility for the town."

Timothy Draper, another board member, said, "I'm a little leery of spending that amount of money at this time...putting it off a few weeks won't change anything."

Board member William Slifkin said "we're in dire economic times" and was concerned on how the plan would effect the funding other town projects, like fixing the schools and the police station.

First Selectman Matthew Knickerbocker responded to the motion and said there was "no advantage to waiting on [the plan]." He explained that the Road Renewal Plan would be taking advantage of current low interest rates and couldn't wait for the next fiscal year or else the rates would increase. He also said he'd prefer to have the plan voted on by the holiday season.

Kinckerbocker's response was followed by applause from several residents in attendance who supported the plan being put to referendum. 

Knickerbocker said, "I understand being concerned about the economy, but I also understand that the roads are only going to get worse and it's going to become more expensive to fix."

Gallagher and many member of the Board of Finance said they would support a number more around $2 million and to renew that budget every year to fix the roads.

"I just want to make sure all the 'Is' are dotted and the 'Ts' are crossed, " Gallagher said. "I want to see a formal adaptation of that number ($2 million) come back to the Board of Finance."

The Board then supported an advisory motion for that amount, 5-2.

Knickerbocker said he wished the Board of Finance had passed the vote for the plan onto the voters and will plan a special Board of Selectmen meeting this week to reevaluate the Road Renewal Plan and send it back as soon as possible.