South Windsor Council Sends 5 Capital Improvements Questions to Voters

The South Windsor Town Council Tuesday evening approved presenting to voters in November five separate capital improvements referendum questions, which, if passed, would total $13.68 million.

The projects are phase two (a bridge) of a three-phase system devised by the Council's Capital Improvements Subcommittee to reintroduce a long-term capital improvements plan to the town.

The five referendum questions are broken down as follows:

• $1.27 million for renovations and improvements to town buildings,, including $235,000 for community center boilers and heat pumps; $400,000 for police department oil/gas storage tank, generator, HVAC pumps and cooling tower; $75,000 for a community center generator; $220,000 for a generator at the high school shelter; $255,000 for town replacement of boilers, including gas mains, ADA improvements.
• $5.79 million for school renovations, improvements and educational technology, including roof replacements at the high school, Orchard Hill and Pleasant Valley elementary school (approx. $3.2 million); $195,000 to replace lockers in the high school gym; $78,720 to resurface the high school track; $1.35 million for computer equipment; $650,000 to repave the high school parking lot phase 2 of 5; replace the floor at Pleasant Valley kitchen ($52,500) and the serving line at Timothy Edwards School ($74,420).
• $1.62 million for improvements to the town’s information technology systems, including the following: $555,000 for computers and equipment; $575,000 for network upgrades; $475,000 for GIS/database conversion and upgrade.
• $4 million for paving and drainage improvements on six connector or arterial roads and neighborhood roads as well. $3 million would be set aside for the six connector roads and another $980,000 would go to neighborhood roads.
• $1.02 million for improvements to the park system, including the possible construction of a playground at Veterans Memorial Pool, as well as expansion of the bike path network and improvements to the irrigation systems and restrooms.

The Council is presenting at least five separate questions (more on that later) in apparent response to a survey that was sent to 1,500 members of the community. Some 70 percent of the respondents said they were “unlikely” or “very unlikely” to support a measure that lumped all of the projects together.

Not all of the projects enjoyed unanimous support from the Town Council. Indeed, the roads project was passed by a vote of 7-2 after Councilor Cary Prague amended the request to add $2 million for “neighborhood roads” to be repaved to the initial $3.02 million proposed outlay.

Councilors Keith Yagaloff and Edward Havens both voted against the amended measure.

“I think we’re getting carried away here,” Havens said. “I certainly agree that streets need attention. But if you go too much further, and add a couple of million dollars here and there, [you’ve] got too much on your plate.”

Prague reduced his amendment from $2 million to $980,000, and it passed 7-2.

The proposed upgrade to the town’s technology infrastructure also was met with some opposition, as Mayor Tom Delnicki voted against sending the item to a referendum stating that the network would have to be updated again in 10 to 12 years.

“This is not a necessity,” he said.

Yagaloff, for his part, said he believed the $1.62 million price tag was a bit high, but that he would support sending the item to voters this November.

It eventually passed 8-1.

The other three items passed unanimously 9-0, though not without plenty of discussion by council members.

Among the most significant issues was Councilor Saud Anwar’s motion to amend the town buildings renovations item to  include a $1.5 million expenditure for the expansion of the Charles Enes Community Center.

“I feel our community center is part of the town’s infrastructure,” Anwar said. “I think its expansion is a critical need for the community.”

Yagaloff agreed.

“We’re basically telling the public tonight that we don’t think the community center is important [without including it in the referendum],” he said.

A majority of councilors, however, appeared cool to the idea of amending the measure without first consulting the town attorney. Anwar was eventually persuaded to have his request moved as a separate agenda item for an emergency Council meeting this Thursday.

If Anwar’s proposal is approved by the Council on Thursday, voters will be presented with a sixth capital improvements question this November.

During public comment, South Windsor resident Don Gonsalves objected to the wording of the school improvements referendum question on the ground that it did not include the technology piece.

“The way it is written up is incorrect,” Gonsalves said. “I am 100 percent for the roofs. I am not going to vote for computers. That referendum [question] is wrong. These people are going to be deceived.”

Gonsalves said he would take up a crusade to fight against that referendum question.

Councilors responded by amending the question to include computer technology and equipment. The measure was passed on to voters by a 9-0 tally.

The next council meeting will be the emergency meeting this Thursday, Sept. 7, tentatively scheduled for 6:30 p.m.