EYE ON TOWN GOVERNMENT

P&Z Discusses Family Camps, Accessory Units

By Susan MacEachron

Regulations governing the establishment of family camps with multiple dwellings and potential changes to existing accessory dwelling unit (ADUs) regulations were once again the focus of the Planning & Zoning Commission at its meeting on October 13. An application for an accessory apartment in an existing building just happened to be presented at the meeting.

The application for the proposed ADU was presented by Rick Hahn on behalf of Julia and Jonathan Gold at 319 Beckley Bog Rd. for an accessory apartment in an existing detached accessory building. The application was accepted and a public hearing scheduled for Nov. 10. The Golds’ application fits within Norfolk’s current standards, according to Planning & Zoning Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik.

Commissioner Jordan Stern has been a strong advocate for expanding the parameters of Norfolk’s ADU regulations so that a unit could occupy a larger percentage of an existing building, such as a barn. Current regulations limit an ADU to either 40 percent of the primary dwelling or 1,200 square feet, whichever is less. P&Z has discussed the potential amendments to the regulation during numerous meetings, including the question of whether an ADU could be rented when the primary homeowner is not in residence. The current regulations appear to require that the owner reside on the property while the ADU is in use, presenting an issue for property owners who may also have homes elsewhere and be absent from the primary residence for part of the year. The discussion will be continued at the November meeting.

Proposed regulations governing family camps also have been debated at several prior meetings. P&Z members seem to have coalesced around a requirement of a minimum of five acres to create a compound and a maximum of five sleeping structures. They also debated whether sleeping structures could have kitchen facilities and how much of a property could be covered by structures. In a follow-up conversation Sefcik said she hopes the commissioners can agree on final language for each of these regulations at the November meeting so a public hearing could be held in early 2027.

Teacher Contract Presented

By Avice Meehan

School Superintendent Kevin Case reviewed the three-year contract with Botelle Elementary School’s teaching staff at the Oct. 13 Board of Finance (BOF) meeting that calls for a cumulative salary increase of 13.5 percent and a modest increase in the staff share of health insurance premiums.

The contract was approved by the Board of Education following a 13-minute executive session at its Oct. 6 meeting. It is effective on July 1, 2027, and covers eight full and part-time teachers who will receive raises of 4.1 percent in the first year and 4.47 and 4.93 percent in the succeeding two years. Teachers currently pay 25.5 percent of their health insurance premiums and that will increase to 26 percent in the second and third years of the agreement.

The contact was well received by the Board of Finance with Chairman Michael Sconyers describing it as a “good job all round.” The contract was to be signed by Board Chair John DeShazo later that day and then filed with the town clerk. Given inflation and increases in the cost of living, alternate Leslie Battis, filling in for Myron Kwast, noted that teachers would be “eking out slightly ahead.”

Before the BOF moved on to other matters, Case also reviewed the school district’s financial performance for the prior school year and the process for developing a new mission statement. The balance of the meeting, which lasted under 30 minutes, was devoted to a report from First Selectman Henry Tirrell who focused on public works projects and preparation for winter—Public Works Superintendent Troy LeMere had originally been on the original agenda.

Tirrell said most of the town’s road and sidewalk projects had been completed and that, while an ample supply of salt and sand was on hand, more supplies were slated to be delivered ahead of the winter. He also said the town’s fuel prices were locked in until next year, delaying the impact of significantly higher prices. Most of the town trucks are on the road, he said, and both new dump trucks should be operational by January.

More borrowing may be on the horizon as the town prepares for the replacement of the bridges at Old Goshen and Smith Roads. Bids were to be opened on Oct. 21, and the work will start in April 2027. The town will be fully reimbursed but must pay all the bills upfront and Tirrell said he was unsure that Norfolk will have enough cash on hand to manage despite a faster turnaround by the state. Sconyers asked Tirrell to prepare a memo outlining different financing options.

Tirrell also ran through the status of other bridge projects. He noted that the Rails to Trails Committee received its second grant and was preparing for construction. The town also received a micro grant from the state Department of Transportation to pay for a bike rack and repair station at the trail. Discussions are ongoing at the Fire House Committee regarding the design and cost of a three-bay garage. Voters approved funds for the foundation at a special town meeting.

Math, Language Scores Rise

By Avice Meehan

Bo telle Principal Lauren Valentino provided the Board of Education (BOE) with an overview of student performance and growth at the Oct. 6 meeting, sharing data that showed continued strength in mathematics and “slow and steady” progress in English language arts. Valentino’s presentation focused on students in grades three through six. She shared the results of the state-required Smarter Balanced Assessment or SBA that students take in the spring, as well as other tools used by the school to evaluate student learning. Other topics addressed at the meeting included the first reading of a policy on the use of generative artificial intelligence at Botelle and the apparent inability of the four towns in Region 7 to reach consensus on a proposal for a shared curriculum coordinator.

As Valentino explained, the SBA looks at student performance relative to the standards for English language arts (ELAS) and math. It also assesses the progress or growth that a student achieves. She cautioned that the results can be challenging to assess in a school of Botelle’s size because a single student can account for up to 25 percent of the result for a class and the scores of some students fall within the margin of error.

Nonetheless, out of the 27 students who took the SBA for ELA at the end of the 2025 school year, 52 percent met or exceeded the standards, showing steady improvement over prior years. Overall, more than 44 percent of the students taking the test were identified as high need and have an identified disability, individual educational plan (IEP), a language barrier or economic need.

Math scores started higher and continue to show improvement. Out of the 27 students who took the SBA, 63 percent met or exceeded the standard. This shows continued improvement over a period of several years.

“The growth in math is really consistent,” Valentino said. Additional investments are being made in ELA. All teachers are participating in a two-year professional development program called ReadConn that is focused on the science of reading and supplemental materials have been provided.

The SBA is only one measure, Valentino cautioned. The school also uses data from other assessments, which occur three times a year, to develop individualized learning plans for every student. Working together, teachers and students are developing shared power goals that inform day to day instruction. “The kids are part of this, [and] it is creating a cycle of empowerment,” Valentino said. That prompted board member Jeremy Withnell to ask how parents could be brought into the conversation, joking that his son “never talks about his day.”

At the other end of the spectrum, Case reported on a briefing he received about a new state law called the “Broad Assessment Reduction Incentive Program.” Veteran Norfolk teacher Nicole Partyka will be among those helping to develop the new approach to student assessments with Case noting that many districts are “overdoing it.”

The BOE also received extensive comments from a couple with two children at Botelle on the use of technology in the early
primary classroom (first and second grade) and their concerns about the small classroom sizes. The parents noted that Norfolk’s high tuition (set at $17,000 for non-staff children) established barriers for those who might want to enroll their children in the school. Although board policy on public comment precluded a back and forth, Superintendent Kevin Case suggested that they meet with him and Valentino to discuss their concerns.

Selectmen Tackle Trees, Speed Cameras

By Avice Meehan

The Board of Selectmen (BOS) established two ad hoc committees at the Oct. 7 meeting, one to make recommendations on policies governing tree maintenance in Norfolk and the other to study the use of automated speed cameras. Members were also appointed to each committee.

First Selectman Henry Tirrell said he hoped the five-member Ad Hoc Tree Committee would work with Tree Warden Matt Klimkosky and Public Works Supervisor Troy LaMere to review the town’s policies and procedures governing tree removal, recommend possible changes and assess whether Norfolk needs a formal tree commission. John Anderson, Nash Pradhan and Ted Hinman were appointed; Selectman Sandy Evans also agreed to serve. One vacancy remains. Creation of the committee follows on the heels of several tree-related controversies, including the removal of a tree outside the Norfolk Post Office.

The idea of utilizing automated cameras to enforce speed limits in Norfolk has been kicking around for more than a year and data has been collected at three possible locations by an outside company. Tirrell proposed five committee members, plus himself. They are Richard Byrne, emergency management director; Michael Listorti, representing the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department and the Board of Education; Bill Brodnitzki, a member of the Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance; Michael Selleck, a resident who has campaigned for lower speeds, and Selectman Leo F. Colwell Jr. One vacancy remains.

Speed data collected near Botelle Elementary School, on Route 272 and at the confluence of Routes 272 and 44 document what residents have long suspected: a significant percentage of drivers exceed the 25 mile-per-hour limit in the center of town and the 40-mile-per-hour limit immediately outside it. State law permits towns to use automated enforcement—tickets are issued when drivers go 10 or more miles over the speed limit—but also sets out a series of steps that must be followed before they can be implemented. They include approval by town meeting.

“Ideally, we would want to try and get it before the next [annual] town meeting in the spring,” said Tirrell, noting that he has “waffled back and forth” about whether the cameras are a good idea. Winsted is about to implement a camera system as have many communities around the state, starting with Washington. However, Norfolk differs from other cities and towns in that it lacks a police department to review citations and manage appeals.

Tirrell reported on two requests: installation of a street light on sparsely populated Bald Mountain Road and renaming of a street in honor of an unnamed individual. Both sparked discussion. Tirrell will undertake further research. Long timers were hard pressed to remember when Norfolk had changed a street name, and Colwell said he could recall the renaming of Ford Road to make it continuous with Loon Meadow Road.

The BOS appointed Ted Hinman to the City Meadow Committee to succeed Martyn Banks, endorsed a revised letter of support for the repairs to the meeting house ceiling at the United Church of Christ and approved a resolution empowering Tirrell to act on the town’s behalf to engage with the state Department of Emergency Management and Public Protection.

Tirrell reviewed the status of construction project. He said the Mountain Road bridge over Spaulding Brook was nearing completion – by late as October, bridge railings were installed and brackets were in place to carry water mains across the span. Eight bridges fewer than 20 feet long are the town’s responsibility and Tirrell said they will be inspected. The biggest worry is the culvert on Mountain Road near the pump house because there is no reasonable detour and residents would need to travel via Falls Village. In the meantime, he hopes to win approval for additional emergency repairs to the Mountain Road bridge that failed this summer so that it could remain open during winter.

Garage, Dam Discussed at Wetlands

By Susan MacEachron

Construction of a garage on Gamefield Road and reconstruction dam on Grantville Road were the two matters discussed at the Inland Wetlands Agency meeting on Oct. 5. The agency requested more information related to both projects ahead of the Nov. 2 meeting.

Jeff Torrant stood in for contractor Dan Green, who was out of town, and described the plans for the new 24-by-28 square foot garage on property owned by Sandy Walcott. The issue is whether wetlands exist on the proposed building site.

Wetlands Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik said a map from two years ago indicated the presence of wetlands. However, Tom Stansfield, a soil scientist hired by Walcott, concluded that the area should no longer be considered wetlands, prompting Sefcik to say that the older map could be superseded by this more recent assessment. Agency members agreed to accept the garage application. They requested that the area of the existing wetlands be flagged by Stansfield and that a surveyor be engaged to prepare a new map showing the wetlands in relation to the location of the proposed garage.

Tom Strumolo and First Selectman Henry Tirrell participated an informal discussion about the possible restoration of the Smith Pond dam on Grantville Road along the Mad River. Strumolo provided a lengthy history of the site. He said the dam was demolished approximately 20 years ago by the Norfolk town crew, which was acting under an emergency order to repair a culvert.

Strumolo said he believed it was appropriate to bring the matter to the attention of the agency. He said that he had many discussions with prior First Selectman Matt Riiska and Town Superintendent Troy Lamere about how the town might be helpful in the reconstruction. Strumolo believes a number of the original stones are on site and could be found with an excavator. He noted that a beaver dam has brought Smith Pond closer to its original size of nearly 14 acres, but that the water level has been much lower in some years when it shrunk to four or five acres. Inland Wetlands Agency Chair Hartley Mead asked Strumolo for registration number for the dam and additional information, including drawings.