New Committees, Bridges Occupy Selectmen

By Avice Meehan

The Board of Selectmen (BoS) kicked off the Sept. 2 meeting with a report from Town Clerk Debbie Nelson on the effectiveness of extended summer hours and recommendations for how to manage the 2027 schedule. The BoS also addressed the value of creating ad hoc committees to address specific issues, including roadside tree maintenance and the potential use of speed cameras in Norfolk.

“I am glad we opened on Fridays,” Nelson said, noting that an average of 23 people visited the office on Fridays during June and July to buy stickers for the transfer station and Tobey Pond and to utilize her services as a notary public. Traffic to the office trailed off in August and she said it would make the most sense to offer extended hours during June and July. As of the BoS meeting, she said the office had sold 671 transfer station permits and 298 Tobey Pond stickers. A total of 225 dog licenses had been issued.
First Selectman Henry Tirrell presented the idea of several new committees to Selectmen Sandy Evans and Leo F. Colwell Jr. and said he hoped to share the names of possible members at the Oct. 7 meeting. Tirrell said the public meeting to discuss the future of the tree outside the U.S. Post Office on Station Place—it was removed to make way for new sidewalks—revealed considerable interest among residents about town policies. He said Matt Klimkosky, the tree warden, favored the idea of creating a tree commission that would meet several times a year to assess priorities around town, including the health of trees on the Village Green.

Other committees might be more time-limited: one to outline next steps on whether Norfolk should proceed with installing speed cameras in at least three locations in town; and the other to develop a long-range assessment of the town’s capital needs to guide future budget planning. Tirrell noted that the state Department of Transportation has outlined a process for towns to follow before speed cameras can be implemented, adding that the committee assignment would likely last six to nine months. While a company called Sitestream has provided Norfolk with speeding data for three locations, including Route 44 in the vicinity of Botelle Elementary School, a committee could recommend other companies or advise that the town proceed along a different path.
Evans said she believed the last capital plan was developed about 2012, when the new ambulance building was being planned. Both she and Colwell supported the idea of a capital needs committee given the major investments Norfolk is making in a new firehouse, new pumper truck and two new dump trucks.

In his formal report, Tirrell updated his colleagues on the significant infrastructure projects underway in Norfolk, including the construction of the retaining wall on Route 44 and the timing of the bridge replacements for Old Goshen and Smith Roads. As previously reported, bidding for those projects will be combined, with Old Goshen Road scheduled to start in April 2027 and Smith Road the following year. He reported that the bridge over Spaulding Brook at the intersection of Mountain and Westside Roads should be completed in October. Tirrell said he continues to seek grants to cover the cost of replacing the damaged culvert further down Mountain Road. “It seems like every bridge in town has a problem,” Evans observed. Tirrell did not disagree and noted that he hopes to complete assessments for all town bridges that are between six and 20 feet wide because the state only inspects bridges that are more than 20 feet wide. Repairs to the smaller bridges are, however, eligible for 50 percent state reimbursement.

Three Matters Approved at Town Meeting

By Susan MacEachron

A Special Town Meeting was held on Sept. 2 for town residents to vote on two resolutions and an amendment to a town ordinance. The resolutions regarded approval of a new pumper truck for the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department and an increase in the cost of the fire house project. The ordinance amendment pertained to Inland Wetlands Commission fees. All three were unanimously approved in a matter of 12 minutes.

The new pumper truck will cost $1,252,490. The resolution included authorization for the initial downpayment of $260,000, previously earmarked for this purpose by the Board of Finance. First Selectman Henry Tirrell explained that Connecticut Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy have recommended federal funding of $875,000 for the truck. The Senators’ funding request must be approved by Congress, so it is not guaranteed. The 33-month lead time before the truck is ready for delivery would allow the funding request to be reintroduced if it is not authorized during this session of Congress.
The second resolution was approval of an additional $125,000 for the fire house project. This will increase the project cost from $10,400,000 to $10,525,000. However, due to successful fundraising from private donors, there is no increase in the $4 million bond financing approved at the Special Town Meeting in October 2025.
Wetlands Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik and Inland Wetlands Agency Chair Hartley Mead explained the rationale behind the proposals to increase the fees for obtaining a wetlands permit. It was noted that part of the impetus for revising the existing regulations was the fact that they were convoluted and hard to follow. Sefcik said the modest increase in fees was necessary to cover the town’s costs for the required legal notices.

School is Back for the BoE

By Avice Meehan

After a hiatus during July and August, the Board of Education (BoE) met Sept. 1 to review the prior fiscal year, receive a fire safety update, meet several new faculty members and discuss potential curriculum adjustments at the regional level. Going forward, the board will meet on the first Tuesday of the month with the exception of Election Day, Nov. 7.

Fire Marshall Keith Byrne shared the results of his annual survey and praised the staff at Botelle Elementary School for addressing significant past issues. He noted that several sprinkler heads were buried in ceiling tiles and identified mislabeling issues in the boiler room. Byrne, who was joined by Deputy Fire Marshall John DeShazo, who also chairs the BoE, said teaching staff needed to manage the amount of decorative materials in their classrooms and also reviewed best practices for charging devices with lithium ion batteries. He noted the importance of installing a new railing to the external staircase leading to the Hall of Flags. Fire safety day for Botelle students is slated for Oct. 7.

Superintendent Kevin Case and Principal Lauren Valentino introduced two new staff members: Chris Valerio, who will teach instrumental music, and Jennifer Rodgers, an early childhood educator who will divide her time between the early primary classroom and providing extra student support. Other new faculty include Megan Schneider, who joined Botelle as the new upper intermediate teacher following the surprise July resignation of Sarah Ward, who took a non-teaching role elsewhere.

Much of the discussion at the September meeting focused on an idea put forward by the Northwest Regional 7 leadership to better coordinate curriculum among Norfolk, Colebrook, New Hartford and Barkhamsted schools. It was the subject of several meetings over the course of the summer and into the new academic year.

Case said regional data “showed that not all students were entering with the same baseline experience,” but noted that a number of options are under discussion and that all four towns would need to agree on a unified approach. Board member Amy Bennett raised a number of questions, including the financial impact and potential conflicts with local curriculum committees. The matter will be up for discussion again at the Oct. 6 meeting.

In other business, the board approved expenditure reports and account transfers to close out the 2025-26 budget, which ended in the black. Actions included a transfer of $50,904 into the school district’s non-lapsing account and a return of $9,242 to the town budget. Funds appropriated at a special town meeting to satisfy minimum expenditure requirements set by the state had already been returned to the town treasury. The board also approved a detailed health and wellness policy and rec

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The September 2026 meetings of the Wetlands Commission, Planning & Zoning Commission and Board of Finance were canceled.