Firehouse Costs, Traffic Calming on Selectmen’s Agenda

By Ruth Melville

The main topics up for discussion at the Sept. 2 special meeting of the Board of Selectmen were ongoing efforts to reduce the budget for the new firehouse and the possibility of setting up speed cameras in town.

First Selectman Matt Riiska began with two smaller items of town business. First, he said town public works employees will be offered safety training by the Training and Technical Assistance Center (T2 Center) run by the University of Connecticut. Topics will include proper signage, personal protection equipment, and chainsaw and plowing safety. The training will be conducted in the Norfolk town garage, but the Northwest Hills Council of Governments will invite other towns in the area to participate. The cost will be shared by the participating towns. Second, he noted that construction bids for the Mountain Road bridge are due Oct. 2. The full cost of the bridge, both design and construction, will be paid for by the state Department of Transportation. Old Goshen and Smith Road bridges, also covered 100 percent by the DOT, will follow.

Reducing the proposed cost of the new firehouse is an ongoing effort. Riiska said Newfield Construction told him that the current estimate (as of the meeting) was $10.4 million. Last May, the town approved total budget of $9.3 million, with $3.5 million to be borrowed. To date, the town has identified funding that includes $2.5 million from the state, $500,000 from town reserves and $500,000 in federal funds through U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Waterbury. Individual donors have promised at least $3.1 million, bringing the total to $10.1 million, close to the Newfield’s estimate of $10.4 million. Barry Roseman, a member of the Firehouse Building Committee, said the capital campaign had $400,000 in the bank, and that the campaign would continue throughout construction.

To make up the shortfall, Riiska said he is considering going back to the town to ask to borrow an additional $500,000. This would require a special meeting to draft a resolution that would then have to go to a special town meeting for approval. He said he would be talking about that with the Board of Finance.
Riiska said he would attend the Inland Wetlands Agency meeting to ask that the proposed boardwalk be eliminated in favor of a gravel path. The pervious pavers and other landscaping features already approved by Inland Wetlands would remain. (See related story on this page.)

He also planned to present design changes to the Planning & Zoning Commission, including removal of the hose tower, the monitor and the three-bay garage. Riiska said that “we are close to where we want to be” with the numbers, but “we would love to put back the monitor and the hose tower.” He stressed that the important thing is that “the function of the firehouse,” its interior, has not been changed. (See related story on page 9.)

Slowing traffic through town has been an ongoing concern for years. Despite efforts by the Economic Development Commission’s subcommittee on traffic calming, including members Larry Hannafin and Michael Selleck, and resident Barry Webber, progress has not been made. “It’s been painful,” Riiska said.
Riiska recently met with representatives of Sitestream, an automated traffic enforcement company that sets up speed cameras in towns and collects fines from drivers caught speeding. Sitestream supplies all the equipment, and no upfront money is required. The town would get 15 percent of the fines collected. Riiska said that the amount of money would not be large, but the main purpose of the project would be to slow traffic.

Five towns in Connecticut are trying similar programs. Sitestream currently has monitors set up on Main Street in Winsted to gauge how fast drivers are going on Route 44. Other companies providing a similar service are Dacra Tech and Traffic Logicx. Traffic Logicx, however, would require the town to buy their equipment. Riiska said that there were many steps to go through first before any decision could be made—developing a municipal plan, drafting a town ordinance, going before a town meeting—and he proposed setting up a committee to start working on this. Riiska tackled the topic in “Selectman’s Corner” and said several people had emailed him in support of the idea.

At the end of the meeting, Selectman Sandy Evans expressed concern that the Town Clerk’s office has frequently been closed on Fridays, even though an assistant was hired to keep the office open.