Board of Selectmen Meeting February 27, 2017

Board of Selectmen Meeting February 27, 2017

The first personnel sub-committee meeting was convened on Thursday, February 23 at 7:30 AM. to begin the search for a Town Manager However, since the meetings are at 7:30 AM, the public does not have an opportunity to attend. Therefore, I would ask Chris Kelly, the Chairman of the Sub-Committee, give an update at each Board of Selectmen meeting following their meetings to inform the public of the progress of the search for a professional Town Manager.

I am concerned that the agenda states, “Possible Relocation of Simsbury Community Television (SCTV). The study determines that there is 1,800 sq. ft, to an expanded 1,984 sq. ft. for SCTV use. The study did not address the apparent mold issues in the basement where SCTV will be located. Mold is an extremely toxic health issue that causes extreme breathing issues, such as an asthma attack. The mold issue was a problem several years ago in the basement of the Police Department affecting the health of the employees. These health issues have been documented with the Police employees and there was a lawsuit against the town alleging the air quality was a health issue with a monetary settlement. Several employees had to wear breathing masks in order to perform their duties. Mold is detrimental to the health of individuals in that environment. These health issues should eliminate Andy’s an appropriate site for SCTV. Also, the reason associated with not placing the Senior Center in Andy’s should also apply to the placement of SCTV.

The only remaining area for SCTV is the basement of the Library with 2,900 sq. ft. of space. The appropriate space is being ignored due to the political influence of the Friends of Library. The Friends of the Library, during the renovation to the library used the basement of Bank of America without any issues. Moving the materials from the Library to Boy Scout Hall would give them enough space to maintain their projects. The Library would be the least expensive move since the town could move the materials from the basement to Boy Scout Hall and the renovations would be started immediately to the basement of the Library at a much lower cost. The infrastructure is in place for Wi-Fi and would increase the availability to the public and expansion of services to the library with a collaborative effort. The Library is the only credible space to move SCTV. This Board is wasting too much time in determining the appropriate place for SCTV.

I recently questioned the need for placing an electric charging station at the Town Hall parking lot. This was a grant received by the town for free charging for “town employees and the public.” It appears that First Selectman Lisa Heavner’s Administrative Assistant, Tom Cooke has used this station for his electric car on a regular basis, one of only a few people to use it. Since Tom Cooke is an employee of the town, should the cost of the free charging be considered as imputed income with a 1099 form produced by the town? Imputed cost is also known as "implied cost" or "opportunity cost".

Upon review of Tom Cooke’s file I noticed that he filed a reimbursement form on November 2016 for 237 miles of travel @.54 with a payment of $127.98. Since Tom Cooke is not paying for his electric charging, should the town pay this amount for mileage reimbursement?

I recently heard on my scanner a call for an unresponsive person at the Owen Murphy Apartments. It appears from the call that when the police entered the home, the body had badly decomposed since the person was dead for several days before the police was contacted. Since the Owen Murphy Apartments are overseen by the Simsbury Housing Authority, is there a policy in place to check on their residents?

I recently checked with the building department for an update on building permits taken out for any of the approved developments. Garden Homes had taken out 13 building permits for buildings at the South end. This leaves me to believe that the conclusion the town has made on the growth of the town is flawed. What happened to Big Y?

Recently there was an article in the Hartford Courant, “White House hints at pot crackdown. According to the Federal Government, Marijuana is considered a Schedule1 substance and will remain illegal. It is alleged that many Simsbury High School students, including AP students are using Marijuana under the wrong assumption that it is harmless. There have been studies showing THC is stored in fatty tissue in the body and the brain of Marijuana users, leaving one to believe that more evidence will come forward that this addictive substance is a Mental and Public Health issue. All mind altering drugs have consequences.