Northbrook Trail, Speed Cameras at Board of Selectmen

By Avice Meehan

The Board of Selectmen (BoS) has scheduled a special town meeting for Monday, Aug. 3, at 6 p.m., at Town Hall, to appropriate $399,750 for construction of the long-delayed Northbrook Trail being developed by the town’s Rails to Trails Committee. All funds will be reimbursed by the state.

The resolution, approved at a special meeting held on July 23, means that the project can begin and the town can avoid borrowing money while awaiting reimbursement. A contract for $774,406 has been awarded to Yield Industries for the Northbrook Trail, and the committee is working to secure additional funding to cover higher costs associated with delays in the project. The appropriation would cover the project’s first phase, the construction of a parking lot, a walkway to the trail and approximately 200 feet of the actual trail. In other business, the BoS met on July 1 for the regular monthly meeting and tackled a full agenda. In addition to a discussion of the Northbrook Trail, it included a presentation from Sitestream, a traffic management company that has been evaluating several Norfolk

locations for installation of speed cameras. Company representatives Mark Bedard and

Andrew Noble presented data for cameras placed on Route 44 near Botelle School from June 10-16, when school was still in session. During that time, the cameras clocked 18,400 vehicles headed uphill, with 13,000 traveling over the speed limit of 40 miles per hour. Slightly more than 2,000 were traveling at more than 50 miles per hour and would have been ticketed. The numbers were higher on the downhill slope: out of 21,000 vehicles, 15,500 were speeding and roughly 3,600 would have received a ticket.

Following the meeting, First Selectman Henry Tirrell said he is continuing research into whether going forward with speed cameras makes sense for Norfolk, which lacks a police department and would have to identify staff to manage ticket review and adjudicate disputes. Norfolk is the smallest community of the towns who have adopted or are considering traffic cameras.

Regardless, the matter would need to be brought forward to a town meeting because voters must approve a speeding ordinance before an application could be filed with the state Department of Transportation (DOT). Tirrell has also renewed a request to DOT for an evaluation of traffic speeds on Route 44 between Laurel Way and Blackberry Street.

Tirrell remains deeply concerned about traffic speeds, noting that a driver in a pickup truck recently passed him on Route 44 just before Maple Avenue and the Village Green. “I don’t get people,” he said, adding that the “only way we are going to get people to slow down is to ticket them.”

Also at the July 1 meeting, the BoS reappointed Jessica Bannerman and Hartley Mead to the Recreation Committee for terms that expire July 1, 2031. Bonnie Pritzker was also appointed to fill a vacancy on the Economic Development Commission for a term that expires on Dec. 21, 2028.

In other matters, Tirrell reported on a variety of system upgrades to town operations. In addition to new, energy-efficient lighting at Town Hall and the town garage, they include the adoption of online platforms to streamline the building permit process and management of infrastructure. Tirrell said the Department of Public Works will soon have access to software called Vialytics, supported through the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, that will enable Norfolk to track conditions of town roads, culvert replacement schedules and the like. Other town improvements that have been completed or are underway include the repaving of Old Colony Road and replacement of sidewalks in the village center outside the Royal Arcanum building and the post office. Tirrell said Laurel Way Extension will be repaved later in the summer. He also reported on communications with the Inland Wetlands Agency about placement of “beaver deceivers” to protect areas of Lovers Lane, Loon Meadow Drive and Winchester Road from flooding. This project has been undertaken in collaboration with the Conservation Commission

Finance Board Discusses R2T, Firehouse

By Susan MacEachron

The Board of Finance (BoF) discussed the status of several town  infrastructure projects at the meeting on July 14. First Selectman Henry Tirrell reported on the search for a new plumbing contractor for the firehouse construction project and explained that the Mountain Road bridge construction was paused while waiting for a water main bracket. BOF Chairman Michael Sconyers noted that the Botelle School teacher contract negotiations are scheduled to start on Aug. 11. Tirrell explained that Newfield Construction, the general contractor for the firehouse project, is working to find a replacement plumbing  contractor after Performance Plumbing ceased doing business. He also reported that the town received $858,000 of the $2.5 million grant from the State of Connecticut for completed work, noting that enough progress has been made on the project to soon support payment of most of the remaining funds from the state grant.

Tirrell said he is working to finalize the paperwork needed to secure the U.S. Department of Agriculture grant of $500,000 for the firehouse. Unlike the state grant, the federal funds will be paid to the town only after the project is complete.

The Mountain Road bridge construction is proceeding relatively quickly. Work has resumed after the pause, and Tirrell said the state has been quick to reimburse the town as the project progresses.

Tirrell described the Rails to Trails funding and permitting saga. The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) provided a grant of $399,725 in 2023, and the Rails to Trails Committee committed to raising $100,000 towards a total project cost of $500,000. However, it has taken three years to secure permits for the project, and with the elapse of time the bid is now $774,000. To get underway with the funds available, the work has been divided into two phases. The first phase is set to begin in August and will include the trail across the beaver dam and trail-head parking on Route 272 North. Tirrell noted that the town could seek a grant anticipation note to cover the upfront construction costs before the DEEP reimbursement, but he recommended that the town provide the short-term funding and avoid the interest expense of borrowing. The BoF agreed this was the better approach. It was noted that DEEP reimburses on a quarterly basis. In a follow-up call, Rails to Trails Committee Chair Bob Gilchrest said DEEP encouraged the town to file a second grant request. Gilchrest is hopeful the funds to complete the trail to its intersection with Ashpohtag Road will be approved.

P&Z Tackles FOI Implications

By Susan MacEachron

On July 14 the Planning & Zoning Commission held a special meeting in executive session, followed by a regular meeting. According to the agenda, the special meeting was a discussion of pending claims and litigation against P&Z Chair Christopher Schaut, the P&Z commission and the town by Nancy Griswold of Thomaston, Conn.  No actions were taken during the regular P&Z meeting.

Griswold and Zoning Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik had tangled when Sefcik was the ZEO in Thomaston. It appears that Griswold is keeping a close eye from afar on Sefcik and Norfolk P&Z matters.

Griswold filed a Freedom of Information action against Norfolk P&Z related to a special meeting held on June 10, 2025, where two unrelated litigation matters were discussed. She questioned whether proper procedures had been followed. The executive session attendees included the P&Z commission members, First Selectman Matt Riiska, Sefcik and P&Z recording secretary Marinell Crippen. After its review, the Freedom of Information Commission issued a decision in this matter on June 24, 2026, concluding that the First Selectman is an ex officio member of P&Z and therefore entitled to attend executive session meetings. They noted, however, that any other parties, including the ZEO or the commission secretary, can only be in the meeting for the time required to “present testimony or opinion.” The FOI Commission’s ruling stated that Norfolk P&Z must comply with these requirements henceforth.

Returning to the regular P&Z meeting, a public hearing regarding an application by William and Deborah Couch to build an accessory dwelling unit at 132 Mountain Road was postponed, at their request, until Aug. 11. The commission has been grappling with drafting new regulations for two unrelated issues, family compounds and camps and junk and unregistered vehicles. They are also considering proposed amendments to zoning regulations regarding accessory dwelling units. The discussion was postponed to a future meeting.

Sefcik noted that John Papp has been hired as the building inspector and the town is instituting an online permit application system. Chair Schaut said he had received an email from Cheryl Heller, chair of the Economic Development Commission, expressing interest in being involved in the Norfolk Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). Schaut noted that the POCD must be updated every

10 years, which will be in 2029. He said he would reach out to Heller to better understand whether she had questions or concerns about the current POCD or whether the EDC was looking to be involved in the update. He noted that P&Z has not yet focused on the update due in 2029, but that the EDC would certainly be consulted.

Beavers, Culverts, Repaving Reviewed at Wetlands

By Susan MacEachron

Beaver deceivers, aging culverts and repaving on Laurel Way Extension were the focus of the Inland Wetlands Agency meeting on July 6.

The town was seeking a declaratory ruling that the installation of beaver deceivers was a permitted use as of right. First Selectman Henry Tirrell described the assessment provided by Beaver Solutions, which determined that locations on Loon Meadow Drive, Winchester Road and Lovers Lane were suitable for its products. The goal is to install piping or fencing that allows beavers to continue to live in the chosen location but keeps water moving through the culvert and prevents flooding.

Tirrell noted that the town of New Marlborough, Mass. has 16 beaver deceivers installed, and Beaver Solutions provides annual maintenance. Wetlands approved the installation. Agency member Bill Millard asked for a follow-up report once the installation is complete.

Susannah Wood appeared to present an application to replace two “extremely” old culverts along a dirt road leading from Westside Road over Swift Hill. The dirt road provides alternative access to a family property that Wood says is important to maintain for emergency purposes. The road is collapsing around the old culverts. The contractor proposes using aluminum piping of the same size as the existing pipes.

Wood noted that the road is wide enough that the material needed can be stored onsite while the work is underway and that it should only take a few days. In response to a question as to whether there was an intention to pave or improve the road, Wood said that only a repair of the culverts is planned. The application was accepted and will be addressed at the Aug. 3 meeting.

Tirrell described the plan to repave a large section of Laurel Way Extension and said the project would likely include replacement of some piping and a catch basin. Wetlands Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik said the town was informing Wetlands of this plan to ensure that the agency members agreed it was not a project that required permits. Responding to questions about erosion and sedimentation controls, Sefcik said Town Public Works Supervisor Troy LaMere was aware of what controls might be needed. Agency member Myron Kwast noted that projects that appear routine can subsequently turn into something larger. He requested that LaMere inform Sefcik if that were the case, to allow further review by Wetlands. It was agreed that this project was routine maintenance and did not need a permit.

Early Voting Starts Aug. 3

By Avice Meehan

The Democratic and Republican parties will be holding primaries this year with early voting set to begin Monday, Aug. 3 and run through Sunday, Aug. 9. Election day is Tuesday, Aug. 11.

Incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont, who is seeking a third term, faces a primary challenge. Republicans have a primary for the nomination to run against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes of Waterbury, a Democrat.

Only persons registered in the Democratic or Republican parties are eligible to vote. New voters may register by noon of the day before they wish to vote. Individuals who will be 18 years old by the date of the general election (Nov. 3) are eligible to vote.

Early voting will occur in the upstairs meeting room at Town Hall. The polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9. Extended hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., will be offered on Aug. 4 and Aug. 6. Sample ballots and other information, including how to apply for an absentee ballot, are available from the Registrar of Voters: www.norfolkct.org/registrar-of-voters.