Board of Selectmen Meeting April 12, 2017

Board of Selectmen Meeting April 12, 2017

I am very concerned that First Selectmen Lisa heavner along with this board is willing to increase expenditures for projects that are not in the public interest.

First Selectman Lisa Heavner is promoting an addition to Eno Hall for an expanded Senior Center without a consensus from the public and the Senior Citizens. Spending $5,800,000 for the renovation to Eno Hall is shameful. Many of the needs for Eno Hall could be eliminated if SCTV’s 1600 sq. ft. was moved to the basement of the library where there is 2900 sq.ft. of space for a permanent solution and the Seniors would use free space for their needs. The expenditure of $906,048 for library lower level improvements could be greatly reduced with SCTV in the basement.

The Friends of the Library has continually subverted SCTV’s move to the basement of the library for a long-term solution by holding our elected officials hostage to their demands. Why should a handful of Friends of Library encumber all the taxpayers for unneeded expenditures? Is this a result of the power of the purse and political clout? This is shameful!

In order not to offend the Friends of the Library, First Selectman Lisa Heavner, along with the Board of Selectman have tried to place SCTV in a private building that will take the business off the tax rolls through abatements, purchase, rent or lease. All these nonsensical actions not to offend the Friends of the Library is comical at best and would reduce revenues to the town.

Presently there is a possibility that the State would reduce Simsbury’s revenue by $4.3 million which would increase the taxes between 6-8%. With these uncertainties in the future, why is First Selectman Lisa Heavner and the Board of Selectmen appropriating $7 million of expenditures for a Senior Center and improvement to the basement of the library? This is a politically motivated expenditure and should be eliminated.

The Board of Finance has told this board that many of the expenditures in the Capital Projects should be placed in the operating budget and not taken out of the General Fund. However, this board has ignored their demands and placed million of dollars for plans, studies, upgrades and improvements in the Capital Expenditures. At the end of 2016, the unassigned General Fund balance was $11,247,572. More reductions in the General Fund could affect our bond rating.

The Grand List for the town has been reduced by $20 million with the loss of the Hartford Insurance Company.

Bob’s is going out of business, leaving a reduction of the approximately $5,000 of revenue to the town.

There has been a continual reduction in enrollment to our schools with a projection of 1,145 students in 2021 according to the Prowda report for declining enrollment adopted in 2011. With declining enrollment and an uncertain financial climate, the renovation of $22,825,000 for the Henry James Middle School should be eliminated.

The only project going forward should be for safety improvements. All other expenditures should be eliminated from the Capital Projects.

I would like to know why the Board of Selectmen has appropriated $80,000 for an ambulance for the Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association when according to their tax filing they have assets of $1,660,948.

Why has the Board of Selectmen reduced the lease agreement for the Simsbury Performing Arts from $10,000 to $2,500 and paid $15,000 for an upscale golf cart when their reported assets in their 2015 filing have assets of $73,028? Why are the taxpayers subsidizing the Performing Arts?

Since more than half of the revenues from the Simsbury Golf Course come from non-residents, millions of dollars in Capital expenditures are not included in the Simsbury Farms Special Revenue Fund and 90,000 tax dollars are used for the short-fall, the town should be reviewing the need for contracting out the golf course to a management company as other towns and private clubs have done. The Arnold Palmer and Billy Casper management team has managed many golf courses successfully and gives an added bonus of allowing players to use many golf courses in the United States and else ware.

The Town planning report of Residential Trends by FY 2023 concludes that the grand list will increase by $131,129,630 with a increase in housing units by 1,423 and population will increase by 12% or 2,794.

It appears that there will be more supply than demand that will leave many of the developers rethinking their projections. Residential Trends can change and should not be used as a tool for future planning.

It appears that the Ensign House on Drake Hill Road is for sale. Will this change in plans have a cascading effect for other developments?

The recent $50,000 renovation of the tennis courts at HJMS has completely deteriorated. Are they still under warrantee?

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