Eye on Town Government

by Susan MacEachron

Presenting to the Board of Finance on Nov. 9, First Selectman Matt Riisksa reported that he has formed a committee to advise on how the town could utilize the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds it received. 

The committee consists of Susan Anderson, representing the Board of Finance, four members of the Economic Development Council, and two Selectmen, Sandy Evans and Riiska. The committee held its first meeting several weeks ago and Riiska said no decisions have been made, but he noted there was “one very big push” to use some of the funds to repair the big slide at Botelle as a “tourist attraction” with an estimated cost of just over $40,000. 

Board of Finance Chair Michael Sconyers said Riiska should be careful to ensure that any project chosen for funding would qualify under the ARPA guidelines. Anderson said there might be a position that the funds for slide repair could qualify under the category of mental health, although she also emphasized that no decision had been made yet.

The town has received $7,400 from FEMA for damage from Hurricane Isaias in August 2020 and Riiska said he understood that Norfolk might receive an additional $140,000. He noted that he needs to determine what stipulations govern the use of those funds.

Riiska is asking the various town departments to begin thinking about their budgets for fiscal year 2022 and noted that Regional 7 is holding a budget hearing on Dec. 16. He reported that repairs to the town’s trucks were his biggest concern and that next year the town will need to consider purchasing a new plow truck.

Riiska described the continuing work on plans to install solar panels at the town farm, adjacent to the town transfer station. The town has engaged a law firm and a consultant, Kirt Mayland, to assist with the project. He noted that there are financial incentives for building on a landfill site and an Eversource program that offers low-income households a potential 25 percent reduction in their electric bills.

Discussion of funding for repair of the Botelle slide resumed and Riiska said he needed to update the $43,000 quote, but in response to a question on timing, said if the funding were secured by December he thought the slide repair could be underway by spring.

Sconyers described the agreement with the fire department to liquidate the Bigelow trust fund for the benefit of the NVFD and use the approximately $30,000 for a down payment on the new tanker truck. In response to a question of how the funds have been invested, Sconyers replied that they are being held in a National Iron Bank savings account. All agreed the tanker truck was an excellent and appropriate use for these funds.

Sconyers noted that the town was on budget and that he was pleased with the current state of the financials, with the caveat that the amount of winter snow is always the Norfolk budget wild card.