Board of Selectmen April Meeting

By Ruth Melville

In the main item of business at the Board of Selectmen (BoS) meeting on April 3, First Selectman Matt Riiska raised the question of the Town of Norfolk’s 25-year $4 million loan from Dime Bank to pay for the reconstruction of Maple Ave and the new roof on Botelle School. Riiska would like to refinance this loan, with the goal of saving the town $50,000 a year over the life of the loan. He has had preliminary discussions with the town’s bond counsel, Matthew Ritter of Shipman and Goodwin, and was asking the BoS to approve a resolution to get started with this process. The resolution was unanimously approved. 

In his Selectman’s Report, Riiska said he’s been meeting weekly with WMC Engineers and the contractors, New England Infrastructure, about getting the River Place Bridge project back on track. He is also talking the with state about picking up at least part of the additional cost to the town. Currently the town is to pay 20 percent.

Work on the Botelle School roof has begun and is expected to take two months. The solar panels on the roof will be reinstalled. Riiska said that the contractors are keeping the school principal and Town Hall informed about the work’s progress to ensure the children’s safety.

After a brief discussion, the BoS decided that Transfer Station fees will remain the same for the next fiscal year.

Riiska referred the board to his column in the April issue of Norfolk Now, where he discussed ways that the town could reduce that amount of solid waste it produces, both to save money (in FY2024/25, Norfolk’s cost will go up to $132/ton) and to reduce landfills. In addition to recycling food waste and reducing packaging, Riiska mentioned the Pay-As-You-Throw program, already adopted by some towns in Connecticut, in which residents pay by the trash bag. 

On the topic of Maple Avenue, Riiska said that he is meeting every other week with Guerrera Construction and Cardinal Engineering, and the work is almost done to the end of the road. Questions have been raised about the height of the culverts, but Guerrera and Cardinal have said that the height is okay.

The Town of Colebrook is going to start taxing the Town of Norfolk for the 30.5 acres that Norfolk owns in Colebrook between the Transfer Station and Rock Hall Road. Riiska said that Norfolk has owned this land since 1866 and has never been taxed before, but the Colebrook Board of Assessment has decided that since this piece of land is not used for a public purpose, it cannot be tax exempt. The taxes are estimated to be $2,600, but before Oct. 1, Riiska will put the parcel into forest land, which will reduce the tax rate. 

In closing, Riiska reported that he has received quotes from a milling company to repair Wheeler and Doolittle Roads and will be meeting with Troy LaMere of the Public Works Department to discuss the options.