TOWN OF GRANBY
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING
JANUARY 9, 2006
First Selectman Adams called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
PRESENT: John Adams, Ronald Desrosiers, Frank Judice, Sally King, Mark Neumann, and William F. Smith, Jr., Town Manager
TOWN BUILDING MAINTENANCE
The Fredrick H. Cossitt Library
Cossitt Library was built in 1891 and is on the National Registry of historic buildings. It has been a children’s library as well as a branch of the town library. Funding in the amount of $35,000 was recently awarded by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. An additional $8,000-$10,000 will be received due to recent storm damage, however, necessary repairs total approximately one half million dollars.
Parking is definitely a problem as are the well and septic systems. The library sits on a very small piece of land, approximately .20 acres. Many times over recent years the town has considered closing the library or moving it to another site. In spite of problems, town residents have always rallied in support of keeping the library open. The Board noted however that it is possible to maintain the building as a municipal building but it could be used for another purpose. This too was believed to bring opposition by residents, especially the residents of North Granby who use it the most.
In conclusion, the Board decided to send the list back to James Klase, Director of Public Works, to be prioritized by safety issues. The Board also wanted to know if there were things that were not included on the list that would need attention within the next ten years. Plans for the repairs should be incorporated into the capital plan with the idea of bonding several projects within the next few years.
VNA Facility (formerly Granby Public Library) 248 Salmon Brook Street
There was very little discussion regarding this building. The Board members were in agreement the building should be sold. Rental received from this building is $2,400 annually. The building is in a R30 zone and conditions of the sale should include no change in the zone. The assessor and/or an independent appraiser could help establish a reasonable selling price. In the past, the VNA has expressed interest in purchasing the property.
VFW Hall (formerly Granby Town Hall) 248R Salmon Brook Street
Discussion on this property explored the history of how the town obtained the property originally. It was thought South Congregational Church gave the property to the town. If so, the town might want to consider giving it back to the church. The question is, was it a gift or did the church sell the property to the town?
Selectman King volunteered to research the land records to obtain the information.
Granby Drummer Building (formerly Granby Rec. Department) 11 North Granby Road
This building is currently used by the Drummer and the local public television station. The building is structurally sound and the current budget will provide funding for replacement of the roof. Rental received from this property is $1,500 annually and the town pays for the heat and utilities.
Board members indicated the Drummer is an important asset to the town and they didn’t want to displace the staff of that publication, however, they also did not think the town should bear the expense of heating the building. The lease agreement will be up soon and the town can negotiate responsibility for the heating and utility bills.
Old North Granby Firehouse (formerly Granby Ambulance Garage) 376 North Granby Road
This building is currently used for storage by the Public Works Department and basically just needs some clean up of the area and improvement to the exterior appearance. Town Manager Smith stated he doubted another building could be built for storage for less money than is needed to improve the current building, however, a cost analysis could be done.
Granby Town Hall at 15 North Granby Road
Town Manager Smith provided a memo explaining the heating and cooling problems with the Town Hall since the expansion took place several years ago. James Klase explained the extent of the project and what has to take place to resolve the problems including duct insulation, controls, and valves. He stated it could be a three-year program and gave an initial rough estimate of $85,000 to complete the project.
The other two items listed on the memo of November 3, 2005 were the Holcomb Farm buildings at an estimated cost of $250,000 to $300,000 and the Pond House at Salmon Brook at an estimated cost of half a million. No discussion followed on either of these projects.
The conclusion was approximately one million dollars is needed for these capital projects.
The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
William F. Smith, Jr.
Town Manager
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