TOWN OF GRANBY
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
APRIL 23, 2007
Electors and Citizens qualified to vote at Town Meetings of the Town of Granby, Connecticut are hereby warned that the Annual Town Meeting will be held in the Granby Memorial High School Auditorium, 315 Salmon Brook Street, Granby, Connecticut on Monday, April 23, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of considering and acting upon the following resolution:
TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION:
That the Annual Budget for the 2007-2008 Fiscal Year as recommended by the Board of Finance for the Town Meeting, including appropriations from the General Fund, Dog Fund, Cossitt Library Fund, Local Capital Improvement Program Fund, Capital Equipment/Improvement Fund, Town Aid Road Fund, Sewer Utility Fund, Recreation Events Fund, Education Quality and Diversity Fund, and Other Funds, be adopted.
The above was signed by a majority of the members of the Board of Selectmen
MODERATOR WILMOT called the Town Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and introduced himself as the Town Moderator. He then welcomed all of the electors in attendance and thanked them for coming to tonight’s town meeting.
A minimum of two hundred and thirty voters (230) are required to be in attendance to allow for a vote on the budget at tonight’s meeting. If there are two hundred and thirty (or more) electors in attendance a vote will be taken on the budget. The budget must be approved by a two-thirds majority.
MODERATOR WILMOT called on the Town Clerk, Carol J. Smith, to read the call as recorded on page ________.
The RESOLUTION, as recorded on page ________, was then introduced by John Flint, seconded by Ron Desrosiers.
William F. Smith, Jr., Town Manager, began the Board of Selectmen presentation by stating he was standing in for First Selectman John Adams because of a family emergency.
Town Manager Smith began with a review of accomplishments achieved over the past year including the Kelly Lane and Wells Road School projects, National Accreditation received by the Senior Center, Senior Services transportation increases, rebuilding of the Broad Hill Road Bridge, Cossitt Library improvements, renewed accreditation of the Police Department, successful bond issue assisted by the recently received AA bond rating, the Bank Street lighting program, a solid Emergency Management plan, and upgrades to the town web site. He noted this was all achieved with no increase in full time staffing.
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April 23, 2007
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He continued reviewing contract services, revenues, and debt service. Three committees were recently created by the Board of Selectmen to look at the needs of the town. Those are the Granby Athletic Field Long-Range Advisory Committee, the Salmon Brook Park Facility Building Committee and the Storage and Wash Bay Committee.
The Board of Selectmen presentation concluded at 7:34 p.m.
Cal Heminway, Chairman of the Board of Education, was the next to present. He acknowledged the members of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools, Gwen Van Dorp. He also thanked the residents of the town for the level of support they have shown over the years in the long-range facility planning.
Chairman Heminway covered enrollment growth, tuition students from Hartland, per pupil expenditure, status as Vanguard High School, and the four major goals of the Board of Education. Those goals are to address class size and student support needs; to enhance continuous improvement efforts through developing new programs and program enhancements; to promote educational opportunities and enrichment through quality and diversity initiatives; and to support district infrastructure and operational needs.
Chairman Hemingway’s presentation concluded at 7:55 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Finance Michael B. Guarco, Jr. began his presentation by reviewing the process the Board goes through to set the guidelines for both the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Education to adhere to in their budget process.
He stated the Boards are in their fifth year of the third Statement of Commitment. He also furnished information on what will happen to the mill rate if the Town receives more money than anticipated from the State once the Governor’s Budget is approved.
Information provided covered the large increase or “spike” in the debt service, the proposed mill rate for this year, how Granby compares to other towns in the state, the revenue from taxes, growth, and labor mandates.
Chairman Guarco’s presentation concluded at 8:10 p.m.
MODERATOR WILMOT then opened the meeting to questions and answers or statements.
Approximately eight residents came forward to ask questions covering the possibility of a refund if more than expected money is received from the State of Connecticut, could a refund be applied to the January tax bill, the savings in leasing vehicles and/or equipment, the No Child Left Behind program, possibility of increases in commercial development to off set residential taxes, cost per student coming from other towns,
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how teacher’s salaries and benefits rank with those in other towns, and binding arbitration when negotiating.
Residents were encouraged to write their legislators concerning unfunded mandates and binding arbitration as those items impose heavy monetary strains on Connecticut towns.
Lowell Johnson – 289 Simsbury Road – thanked all the Boards for their hard work and detailed presentation and made a MOTION, duly seconded, to now vote on the budget.
MODERATOR WILMOT then explained the procedure for voting stating there would be ballot boxes for the ballots at the end of each aisle.
The Registrars conducted the vote for budget approval. The vote was YES - 179 NO – 64 a percentage in favor of 73.66%. The Budget for Fiscal Year 2007-2008 was approved. The RESOLUTION was adopted.
There being no other business before the meeting MODERATOR WILMOT adjourned the Annual Town Meeting at 9:36 p.m.
ATTEST:
Dated this 24th day of April 2007.
Carol J. Smith, Town Clerk for the Town of Granby
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