UPDATED: Town Meeting on Bonding set for Thursday at SHS

A town meeting will be held on Thursday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at Suffield High School to discuss and vote on the four bonding projects currently up for consideration.

The four projects and their respective costs are:

• $1.4 million for new fire trucks and equipment. Some of the trucks in the Suffield Fire Department's fleet are approaching the end of their service life and their replacement has been suggested.
• $1.9 million for renovations to Town Hall. Renovations will include fixing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance issues, installing more efficient heating and cooling systems, asbestos removal and generally improving the layout of and access to the building.
• $3.1 million for road and drainage improvements to a number of roads and associated drainage systems throughout Suffield.
• $8.4 million for a new library. The library is projected to have approximately 24,000 square feet of space. The cost includes the demolition of the Bridge Street School building, which sits on the location of the new library. The actual cost to the town is limited to $6.9 million in the bonding documents. The difference of $1.5 million will be provided through outside fundraising. If the fundraising efforts fall short, the size and scope of the library will be reduced accordingly.

There are two ways to qualify as an eligible voter at the town meeting:

• Be a citizen of Suffield that is registered to vote in town with the Registrar of Voters.
• Personally own property (not through an entity like a trust, LLC or corporation) in Suffield valued at at least $1,000 on the Grand List issued in October 2010 AND be 18 years of age or older AND be a U.S. citizen.

Each project will be voted on separately. The projects that are approved will be voted on at a town-wide referendum which will occur about a month after the town meeting.

See the attached document for the complete language of each item to be voted on.

UPDATE: The Suffield Registrar of Voters has provided complete voting guidelines as well as information on how to become eligible to vote before the town meeting. See the second attached document.