The bond proposal put forth by the Woodstock Selectmen last night is a modest and much needed proposal of $2.5 million compared to the $7.42 million 2006 shopping list proposed in the capital improvement plan by the Wholean administration (see this proposal below). The unfortunate greed of the Wholean admininstration has tainted this bond proposal which is absolutely required by the State Environmental Protection Agency.
from the poorly written Norwich Bull article today:
“Town officials are seeking permission to bond $2.5 million … to demolish, expand or rebuild several buildings at the garage site, a plan that includes removing contaminated soil from the property.
The question will go to referendum Tuesday (December 8th). The money, if approved, would supplement a $500,000 state grant already received for the … $3 million project.
John Navarro, highway department foreman, said the Coatney Hill Road garage has a host of problems, most notably its size. He said the existing structure cannot accommodate the fleet of municipal vehicles. Eleven of them sit exposed to the elements and are in danger of incurring weather-related damage.”
also
“First Selectman Allan Walker Jr. said taking on the new bond will have a “negligible” effect on the town’s mill rate. He said the town’s existing debt load is set to decrease about the time the first payments on the new debt would be due, in 2013.
“This is the time to go out to bid on this,” he said. “Pricing is competitive and bond rates are the most attractive they’ve been in years.”
A portion of the bond money would fund construction of a bigger 10-bay garage, a new covered salt shed, well and septic system. A vehicle wash bay and employee facilities also would be built.
Roughly $1 million of the money would be used to remediate soil that was contaminated by leaking underground gasoline tanks, solid waste and salt.”
Mike Dougherty summed up the situation accurately by saying “We should do this now … It’s only going to be more expensive if we wait.”
Ms. Wholean’s Proposal which failed miserably in referendum (October 8th, 2006, article) is pasted below.
A Public Hearing of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) will take place on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 at 3PM by the Board of Finance at the Town Hall. There will be an additional Public Hearing during the evening hours sometime in November. I will advise all of the precise time and date at a later time.
For the purposes of being an informed electorate, I thought I would forward at least a roll call of items to be included.
Highway Fleet Operations: (to be amortized over 10 years)
1 Dump/Plow truck per year for five years $588,500
1 ½-ton pickup truck per year for two years $74,000
1 backhoe $97,000
1 Option II Sweeper $225,000
1 Roadside Mower $100,000
TOTAL $1,084,500Highway Operations: (to be amortized over 20 years)
Drainage, Grinding, Paving
Bungay Hill Road $350,000
Roseland Park Road $300,000
English Neighborhood Road $250,000
Lower Prospect Road $200,000
Child Road $200,000
TOTAL $1,300,000Bridges
Butts Road Bridge $400,000
Peake Brooke Bridge * ** $400,000
Northgate Bridge $400,000
Woodstock Road Bridge $400,000
TOTAL $1,600,000
* may qualify for a 2% loan on 75% of cost
** STEAP grants deniedHighway Facilities: (to be amortized over 20 years)
Salt/Sand Storage Facility *** $170,000
Highway Facility *** $1,500,000
*** estimated costsOther Projects: (to be amortized over 10 years)
Transfer Station
Backhoe $97,000
Roll-off Truck $100,000
Public Schools
2 School Buses per year for five years $773,589
1 Boiler $ 68,500
Various
Voting Machines $150,000
Parks & Recreation Field(amortized over 20 years) $300,000
Town Hall Improvements(amortized over 20 years) $205,000
TOTAL $1,694,089Insurance Cost (to be amortized over 20 years) $ 75,000
TOTAL $7,418,589
The Mil Rate impact will range from .07 mil to 1.64 mil over the next 25 years.
Thanks to Barbara Rich and Donna Stefanik for their assistance in providing this information.
Becki Leavitt
Thank you for posting this Becki. Can you and or other Cafers tell me if this is a wish list at this point or a package that we are voting on? I think the town needs to plan ahead, but some of these items seem extravagent for a town that is not funding education adequately.
Frustrated - This IS the package we will be voting on. I am somewhat frustrated myself knowing that the results of our schools feasibilty study will be finalized after this plan is voted on. If our schools need additional support from the town, there will probably be little sympathy to be found after this large investment goes through. It is another example of the fractured state of our town government.
There isn’t much I can say I like about reading budgets in this town but one of the things that I did like was the supplemental information included in the education budget. I can sit here and look at the list of busses we have; it tells you the age, mileage and other facts. Does anyone know af a comparable document for the highway department’s equipment. What is the expected life expectancy for these dump/plow trucks? What is the status of the fleet we have right now? I realize this might be late in the game to be asking, but we haven’t signed on the dotted line yet. I’d feel more comfortable with more information.
“1 ½-ton pickup truck per year for two years $74,000″ Am I to understand that this represents 2 $39,000 pickup trucks? Or should I say Cowboy Cadillacs? “Highway Facility *** $1,500,000″ Another Town Hall for the Highway Department? This is a joke right? I was laughing so hard I couldn’t do the math.
Well now. Over the past elections the Democrat and Republican Town committees colluded to bring you these tax and spend public servants on the Board of Ed, Board of Selectman and the Board of Finance. Between the ridiculous expenditures listed above and the Board of Education the poor Citizens of Woodstock will all have to get second jobs, or maybe third jobs. With all the demands of Education coming up next with their $40,000 study, all of this should get exciting. The BOE will keep the ninth grade, saying the economics are compelling and they must save the Town money. Why with all of these demands, there is only one thing the Townspeople should do to be responsible citizens. Just Repeal 46 or Amend 46. That’s what all of this spending nonsense is about. Give something to everyone and the Bond Issue will pass. Scare people into seeing the terrible need Woodstock has and that they must invest in our future. Just Repeal 46 and let us spend your money. When will the people of Woodstock just get enough of this lying and misrepresentation. Joe Breen wrote an article about how the Democrat and Republican Town Committees agreed not to make Prop 46 a campaign issue. Have people get elected who misrepresent what they believe in and then proceed to undermine 46. The people of Woodstock have voted enough to save 46 and send you a message. Enough already. Learn how make due on the money you have within 46. The households of Woodstock have learned how to do that with rising energy costs, taxes, and inflation, and yet their incomes are not rising that fast. You elitist snobs just see the taxpayer as an endless supply of tax money for your foolishness. You have enough money in your school system to get the job done. Your energy has gone towards everything but getting creative with the funds you have. If the BOE had spent their time saving money and redirecting the funds they have, instead of trying to undermine 46 we’d all be better off. The BOE members lied to get elected because they weren’t honest about 46. Now they still refuse to honor the taxpayers votes on 46. Let’s punish the parents by charging for sports. Now maybe they will Amend or Repeal 46. Let’s take the Ninth Grade and now maybe they will Amend or Repeal 46. Lets keep playing hardball with the parents until we get what we want. All of this is politics, power, control and egos. None of this is about Edcuation or our kids. I hope the people of Woodstock see you for what you really are.
Let’s not forget who sponsored the first petition to repeal 46 and spoke about the need to repeal 46 in the Villager. It was Ernest A. Wetzel.
Geezer, I had that same thought as I was reading Ernie’s post. So Ernie, which is it?
How does the town/road foreman come to the cost for the road and bridge work in the CIP? The four bridges (Butts Rd, Peake Brook Rd, Northgate, and Woodstock Rd.) cost $400K each in the plan. These bridges seem different enough to have different individual costs. The roads are confusing also. Bungay Hill Rd. goes for $350K, Roseland Park Rd. for $300K, English Neighborhood Rd. for $250K, Lower Prospect for $200K, and Child Rd. for $200K. This doesn’t seem to make sense based on their differing lengths.
Also, are we paying some outside company to do the work or is most of the work going to be done by our road crew. If that’s the case, do we have solid quotes from these outside companies? Since we already pay the wages of our road crew, what kind of materials do we need that cost these many thousands of dollars?
This is not coming from the perspective of a doubting Thomas. I don’t have any construction/engineering background, so I guess I’m just at loose ends. Also does anybody have any information on what the Town Hall improvements consist of and where is the $300K soccer field going to be?
Mr. Wetzel,
Does your attack on Education extend to the budget shannigans at Woodstock Academy? What is the status of the $488,000+ surplus up there? Are the Trustees going to do the right thing on October 17 and return that money to the households of Woodstock and other sending towns whose tuition payments created that surplus or are the Academy Trustees also going to act like elist snobs and retain the surplus for their empire building?…(see article on the left, Admin).
Ernie- get off education, or at least include the idiocy of a $300,000.00 SOCCER field. How come you never get into the General Government budget? Someone get a bee in your bonnet over in the superintendents office? With the exception of Charlie Snow- YOU DONT EVEN KNOW the people on the BOE. Do you think we should spend $8 million on town crap before we see wether we need to add on to the middle school or not? Or how and where the architect recomends we do it? It foolish not to wait untill all the info is in. By the way- how come YOU never took care of the salt shed?
Administrators: Arent you forgetting the “soccer” field on Hawkins Road? This same field is on our Capital Plan for $350,000.00.It is already owned by the Town of Woodstock, but is not suitable for anything. The suggested cost to clean it up , or “remediate” it several years ago was close to $300,000.00. In this lean budget atmosphere- why are we spending money to buy a recreation field? Also- why are taxpayers asked to clean up a field that it has been suggested could be achieved through grants with the DEP? Couldnt we get a soccer field for less than that if we really needed one? Mr. wetzel- this sounds like something you and your CPS crowd should really sink your teeth into.
I will address your questions about 46 and the Repeal I organized. The Elected Officials in Woodstock have been lying about 46 for many years. They never run on a platform of Repeal or Amendment, but once elected spend all of their energy trying to undermine the ordinance. I knew that 46 was under attack since the last election and this group was going to Amend 46 in a Reval year. Which means in a non-reval year the spending increases are much higher. They blamed everything wrong in Woodstock on Prop 46, they almost went with Global Warming but even they couldn’t say it with a straight face. I went for the Repeal because I knew that the Citizens of Woodstock would never Repeal 46, to them it is their ADT alarm system against these tax and spend liberals that keep getting elected. I also got out alot of information for the people to see what they were up to. The people overwhelmingly support 46 and voted to keep it intact. Then I knew these genuises would go for an Amendment which the people felt they were trying to backdoor their first vote. By having a Repeal vote, and winning the referendum I was protecting 46 from these lying public officials. When they run for public office and declare their position on 46 then they have the moral right to attack it, until then they are nothing but schemers and liars. In addition, I believe Prop 46 has retarded democratic discussion in Woodstock. It allows the citizens to run out and vote for 46 and then not get involved in what is going on in town. They don’t care who gets elected because these idiots won’t have the money to pay for their nonsense. I would like to see 46 go and get the people of Woodstock involved in their own town. But, I see the wisdom of the Townspeople for keeping 46 because the public officials in town are scary when it comes to spending money. I would’t trust them either. I called their bluff about 46 and where were all the supporters of the Repeal during the discussions. Hiding, because if they came public they would be finished. Margaret Wholean had the guts to state her position publicly. I don’t agree with Margaret on many things, but I admire her courage. Woodstock could use some honest politicians in office.
Dear Seadog; I was out of Woodstock politics and had no interest in getting involved ever again. But the behavior of the BOE prompted me to get back involved because I believe in the Academy. The BOE has engaged in disgusting behavior over the last two years. They have harmed the Academy and its all about politics and money. The Academy is a well run school and fiscally responsible, which is something I can’t say about education in the Town of Woodstock. Your own BOE doesn’t understand their own budget. They have put no energy into self evaluation. Their answer is more and more money. Undermining 46 is what they are all about, and that means any tactic is okay in their jihad. Now they are going after the ninth grade for next year. To supposedly save money. Who is kidding who. All the people of Woodstock will get is Eight grade twice. There is a surplus at the Academy and we are engaging in productive and thoughtful discussion about what to do with the money. I am in favor of returning some of the money to the sending Towns. However, I wouldn’t give Woodstock a dime until a contract is in place guaranteeing grades 9-12 will go to the Academy.
So Ernie- what about the soccer field? What about spending in the General Government budget? Just because you have advised Ms. Wholean, doesnt mean the budget is OK.
Dear Ernest A. Wetzel,
If the surplus arises from last year and the Academy Trustees admit that the sending towns are entitled to it, why wouldn’t Woodstock be entitled to receive their portion of the surplus regardless of whether they have agreed to a contract? It would be wrong for the Academy to withhold monies that the Town of Woodstock overpaid. That would be extortion.
Now back to the point of this thread. Which of the items in the list do you believe is unnecessary? How do you propose to pay for the items on the list if not through the proposed Capital Improvement Plan?
Hey Ernie! Great to hear from the Woodstock Academy Gestapo! I just want to get this straight! You sought to repeal Prop 46 in order to protect Prop 46, because it “retards democratic discussion”, so you would like to see it go! OK! Got it! Thanks!
Mr. Wetzel,
Its seems to me that it is very easy and convenient for you to write that the Academy is fiscally well-run; after all, you are a Trustee! Are the financial statements of the Academy under scrutiny of a 3rd party financial entity? Are they published in full for the public to see? The BOE’s budget is. You state the BOE doesn’t understand its own budget. By reading the statement provided by the BOE on this website, I would say they most certainly do. (see recent posting by Admin.) You have not provided any evidence to suppport your claim that the Board of Ed is irresponsible. Reading the published Minutes of the Board of Eds meetings over the past several years suggests to me that there are several financially competent people on the Board- I mention Frank Corden specifically because he has demonstrated a real understanding of educational and municipal finance. 8th Grade twice? Come on Mr. Wetzel- if the BOE wished to provide a 9th grade education, they would be bound by the State Dept of Ed requiriments to meet the frameworks for a 9th grade education! Your comments seem unfitting and unbecoming of a Trustee of the Academy. A true caretaker of education would zealously strive for understanding and partnership despite different viewpoints. I see no attempt by you or the Trustees to genuinely understand the squeeze of 46 on Woodstock and its effect on the Board of Education. You appear only to criticize people who do not share your viewpoints. You seem to be hell-bent on antagonism, elitism, and conflict. These are not attributes needed when it comes to solving tough problems. Your behavior and writings are embarassing to me as a Woodstock citizen, and to the Academy. I think you should voluntarily resign from your position on the Board of Trustees- you have tarnished that body and fueled ill will in Woodstock.
The Knights of the Reich didnt care about Germany either- only their own egos………..
Question. I don’t fully understand the ‘parliamentary’ route that this plan will take for approval or rejection. Does anyone know how to stop this train wreck? Thanks.
referee,
The Board of Finance will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, October 18 at 7:30 PM as Woodstock Elementary School to discuss the funding of the capital plan that was adopted at the Annual Town Meeting in May 2006.
MAY DAY! MAY DAY! Let’s not have a repeat of the WES Feasibility Study TV typo.
Sorry Administrator. I goofed.
I GOT MY INFO FROM THE VILLAGER. THEY’RE WRONG AGAIN!
The Board of Finance public hearing on Wednesday, October 18 apparently is NOT at 7:30 PM. It’s at 3 PM to accomodate those who don’t go out at night.
Administrator, can you verify this with a reliable source so you’re not wrongfully blamed again for publishing incorrect information? Could you also check to see if the November night meeting has been scheduled yet? One would think if BOF is seriously interested in getting public input they would schedule these hearings well in advance. Thanks.
Can anyone report on what was presented at the meeting for the Capital Improvement Plan tonight? Some are saying the effect of its passage on our tax payment will be minimal. CPS is saying it is another tax boondoggle. Who is correct?
Common sense dictates a “no vote” to any and all tax increase until the economy has stabilized. The busses park out side or should we build a shelter for them too. We could have our town folks stay there when they loose there homes.
Some of the projects in the list have already been done. (bungay hill road). I’ll assume that was already taken care of
I have a real problem with “farmer” using the farmer moniker. Any farmers I know will vote approvingly.
Mom,
Well I guess you don’t know all the farmers? My family friend’s co-op friends and employees are in the NO category.
We were thinking of raising the price of milk our cows want hot showers and more bedding.
In reference to Craig Powers’ letter in The Villager: He writes poorly. I can’t tell if he is a proponent of sand or salt or brine.
I would like to address comments made by Craig Powers and the Citizens for Prudent Spending such that people have the facts when they vote on Tuesday…. (see Dean’s new article. Admin).