Eye on Town Government
Town Meeting Moves Quickly By Avice Meehan With about two dozen residents in attendance, Norfolk’s proposed $9.074 million budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year was approved without discussion and only one dissenting vote at the May 13 annual town meeting held at the Botelle School Hall of Flags. Immediately after the 15-minute meeting, the Board […]
Modest Tax Increase in a Difficult Year
By Susan MacEachron The Board of Finance approved a 2.5 percent increase in the mill rate for the fiscal year 2024/25 budget at its special meeting on April 23. To keep the tax increase below 3 percent, the significant increases in the education components of the budget were partially offset by a larger than usual […]
Eye on Town Government
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 […]
Eye on Town Government
P&Z Approves Home Business By Susan MacEachron The Planning & Zoning Commission determined that a home-based dog training business could be approved for a zoning permit at its meeting on April 9. Annie Johnson introduced herself to the commissioners and described how she moved to Norfolk last year and wanted to start a dog training […]
P&Z Gives No to Parking Lot on Ashpotag
By Susan MacEachron Norfolk’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has given the green light to construction of a drivewayand parking lot across the street from the sober house now operating on Ashpohtag Road. Mountainside Treatment Center in North Canaan, which runs the sober house as part of its extendedresidential treatment program, said the additional parking […]
With P&Z Approval, Firehouse Heads into Budget Review
By Joe Kelly After being scrutinized and approved by both Norfolk’s Wetlands and Planning & Zoning (P&Z)Commissions, the plans for a new Norfolk firehouse on Shepard Road are now undergoing a detailedbudget estimate. The architects of the firehouse, Silver Petrucelli and Associates of Hamden, are converting their sketchesinto detailed blueprints that can be used by […]
Regional 7 increase, town debt lead budget review
By Susan MacEachronThe Board of Finance (BoF) had a first look at the town government portion of the fiscal year 2024/25budget at its meeting on March 12. The overall budget of about $8 million has three major components:town government and services, Botelle School and Northwestern Regional School District Number 7(Regional 7). Absent finding ways to […]
Eye on Town Government
Funding City Meadow Discussed at Inlands Wetlands Agency By Susan MacEachron Construction of a pool house and tennis pavilion and restoration plans for City Meadow were the two issues discussed at the Inland Wetlands Agency (Wetlands) meeting on Feb. 5. Kevin Costello, an associate with Renee Byers Landscape Architect described the plans to build a […]
Board of Selectmen Approves Changes to Pension Plan
By Ruth Melville Susan MacEachron, chair of the town Retirement Plan Committee, attended the first part of the Jan. 10 special meeting of the Board of Selectmen (BoS) by phone to present the committee’s recommendations on the town’s pension plan. The BoS then voted (1) to terminate the defined benefit (DB) plan, (2) to offer […]
Proposed Firehouse Focus of P&Z Hearing
By Susan MacEachron Members of the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD) filled the room on Jan. 9 for the continuation of the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) public hearing on the proposed new firehouse. First on the agenda was the application to transfer some City Meadow land for the new firehouse. City Meadow and the […]
