Dunn advices taking small steps in reopening economy

By Scott Benjamin

BROOKFIELD – First Selectman Steve Dunn says that now - more than 15 weeks into a pandemic - government leaders face the challenge of “balancing our desire to keep everyone safe while still reopening businesses.”

Dunn, a Democrat, commended Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Greenwich) for ensuring that, “Lives come first. People matter more than profits.”

“You are seeing just the opposite now in Georgia, Texas. North Carolina, Florida, California and Arizona,” the first selectman declared. “The number of cases has skyrocketed. The number of people going to the hospital has skyrocketed. They opened too soon. They opened too fast. We could end up with another shutdown, which would be even worse.”

Over the recent years, Brookfield has appeared to be on the verge of a major economic expansion.

The decades-awaited 198-acre Brookfield Town Center near the Four Corners intersection of Federal Road has given the town a New England-style central business district to complement the Miracle Mile on southern Federal Road that is populated with big box stores and furniture outlets.

A medical office has recently opened at the former cornfield on Junction Road and construction continues on an assisted-living facility on the southern corridor of Federal Road.

Branson Ultrasonics is building a $53 million headquarters in the Berkshire Corporate Park that should open this fall.

As recently as January, Dunn estimated to Patch.com that the commercial tax revenue could over time go from 16 percent to 20 percent of the grand list.

On June 29, he told Patch.com that, “We’re going to have economic growth that will be slower than anticipated. Unemployment is too high. It’s going to take some of the small businesses longer to get back to where they were.”

Dunn said he is pleased that more than $60,000 has been donated to the Brookfield Recovers fund to help needy residents during the pandemic.

He said that, among other things, it will allow some people to keep their apartments.

“Unemployment [compensation] alone is not going to pay for that,” Dunn explained.

Area municipal social workers noted in 2010 about two years after the Great Recession began that some residents receiving money from the municipal emergency fund and the food pantry had finally acquired full-time jobs but at about 70 percent of their former salary.

Will that happen again?

“I’m afraid it will,” exclaimed Dunn. “Businesses always do what’s best for their shareholders and that might not be best for their employees. If there are a lot of people looking for work and they’re willing to accept a lower salary, then that could well happen.”

On a separate issue, Dunn said he shares the fears expressed recently by Haddam-Killingworth High School teacher Barth Keck in his CTNewsJunkie column on the recent announcement by state officials that kindergarten through 12th grade schools will reopen in late August.

Keck stated that educators are concerned about, among other things, social distancing, what to do for students that opt out of classroom instruction and whether there will be sufficient day care for families.

Said Dunn, “The specifications are very, very general in nature.” However, he noted that the state plans to provide more details on July 6, and some formula – whether it be conventional instruction, distance learning, or some combination of both – needs to be in place soon since the academic year will start in less than eight weeks.

Dunn said he still believes that construction will begin next spring on the new $78.1 million Huckleberry Hill Elementary School (HHES) on Candlewood Lake Road. The project, the most expensive in Brookfield’s 232-year history, was approved at referendum in 2019.

The town is seeking a 22.5 percent state grant, which would lower the local tax expense to $63.3 million. Dunn said that the state Department of Administrative Services already has endorsed the town’s application.

“If we don’t get that grant, we’re going to be at square one,” Dunn remarked.

He said that he has “been pushing” state Rep. Stephen Harding (R-107) of Brookfield and state Sen. Craig Miner (R-30) of Litchfield to ensure that the General Assembly takes action on funding for school construction projects during the upcoming special session. He said once that step is taken, the proposed funding can move to the state Bond Commission, which would be the final hurdle.

Before the pandemic, Dunn said he had anticipated that the town’s application could have been approved by this spring.

The new HHES would have students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and make Center Elementary School (CES) – the last wooden school in Connecticut – available for use. Dunn has told Patch.com that it could become a site for the library, which has been seeking additional space for 21 years, and the gymnasiums could be utilized by the Parks & Recreation Department. An ad-hoc committee is studying the future utilization of CES and is expected to distribute a report early next year.

Dunn said interest rates have declined during the pandemic. He said it appears that after anticipating a “4 or 5 percent” interest rate for the new HHES, the rate may be between 2 and 2.25 percent, which would save taxpayers about $1.2 million per year over the length of the bonding.

On a separate topic, Dunn had by late June incurred about $210,000 in expenses associated with the pandemic and has received $381,000 in federal funding to address those costs. He estimated that the final cost will be at about $380,000.

A $71,523,178 municipal budget has taken effect for the fiscal year that will end next June, with a 1.76 percent increase in the tax mill rate.

Dunn said education spending vaulted by 3.25 percent and town government services spending went up by .31 percent.

Regarding town services, the first selectman said municipal employees have been working “staggered shifts” with one week being spent at the Municipal Center on Pocono Road and the next week working remotely from home.

“We’re bringing everybody back [July 6],” he said.

Residents have been able to enter the Municipal Center “by appointment,” he said, and many have “adjusted well and done things online.”

Dunn said that for the time being the popular Still River Greenway paved trail will remain in only limited use. For example, running is not allowed.

“We don’t want another spike” in COVID-19 cases, he explained.

On another subject, Dunn had endorsed 2016 national teacher of the year Jahana Hayes in the 2018 primary for the Democratic nomination in the Fifth Congressional District, and said recently that he is pleased with that decision.

Hayes, who lives in Wolcott, captured the primary and the general election and is now seeking a second term in the sprawling district, which stretches through 41 municipalities from Newtown to Salisbury. She will face retired Assistant U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan of New Fairfield, the Republican nominee, in the November 3 election.

“I’ve been very happy with her performance,” Dunn said. “She has paid a lot of attention to local issues while still paying attention to the national issues.”

He credited Hayes with being a leader on federal funding to address child care as day care centers have faced increased requirements as a result of the pandemic.

Said Dunn, “She clearly is one of the brightest people I’ve dealt with.”