001Good evening. [clears throat] Today is Monday, December 1st, 2025. It's 7 p.m. I'd like to call the regular meeting for the board of selectman to order. Troy Laneir, >> Kevin Bishop, Paul Marino, Paul Harrington, >> Todd Archawashi, >> Glenn Elvinius, >> William Hester, >> Cheryl Heinland, >> William Poso. Please join me for the pledge of allegiance. Pledge >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. flag. >> I don't know. >> Maybe a blue one. >> I'll look at the blue. Yeah, maybe. >> Uh, agenda review. Does anyone have anything? >> Not, Mr. Mayor. >> Moving on to item four, approval of minutes from our regular meeting. Was that a special meeting on November
0025th? >> I should say. >> So, we debated this. Um, and I think Glenn's chuckling a little bit. We uh we debated this because the charter actually dictates that the meeting is called the day after the election. We didn't feel that it was a special meeting because the charter literally dictates that we would call the meeting the day after the election. Great question. Was debated by staff who also brought it up and we kept it as a regular because the charter actually dictates that the meeting be called and we left it as a regular meeting. >> I'll make a motion to approve the minister the regular meeting of November 5th. >> There's a there's a typo. Yeah, there's a typo that um it says 10:02 PM, but we actually there a second then we'll open
003discussion. >> All right. Now, okay. So, >> typo. >> Okay. >> 10 a.m. Not 10 p.m. >> Yep. Anything else? Uh any other typos? [clears throat] Seeing none, all in favor? >> With that correction? >> With the correction. Unanimous. Thank you. Moving on to item B, minutes from a regular meeting on November 17th. >> Troy second. Thank you, Bill. Discussion. >> I did. I'm good. >> Okay. No discussion. All in favor? Opposed? Obstaining. 601. >> Hey Glenn, I'm getting uh comments here that there's no feed. Feed's not working. >> The video feed or the audio feed? >> Video. I think >> you're getting comments on the phone. I don't think we should. >> It's on the phone. >> Okay. Just checking. Let me redo it. >> Do a brief recess. >> The meeting is in
004recess temporarily at 7:04. [clears throat] >> Testing. Testing. Testing. Maybe the uh the voice came through. >> Sometimes Sometimes you got to redo it on your on your phone if you're in TV. I have to do it. >> Meeting is back in session at 7:05. Moving on to item number five, citizens comments. The board of selectmen welcomes public comments. Speakers will be limited to three minutes or less and may speak once. Please give your name and address. Just a reminder, this is not meant to be a dialogue. Any responses required will be coming from the town manager's office by the next meeting. Who wishes to speak? Anyone? >> Moving on to item number six, town manager report. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and good evening, board. Uh, with Thanksgiving falling smack in the middle of
005the last two weeks, I uh hope everyone got time to spend uh spend a little time with their family and friends. Didn't eat too much pie. Um, but I do want to remind everybody that inboxes is probably calmed down a little bit, but I want to remind everyone that shopping local is still the best way to get unique gifts, support your neighbors, and keep your main street bustling. Every dollar spent here helps a friend or keeps a beloved business thriving. Don't forget to check out our local shops as you finish finish up your holiday list. And don't forget gift cards. Um I know for some of the staff that I go out, I do get uh local gift cards for them to eat at different restaurants. So uh please take advantage of all of our
006wonderful businesses all over town. Moving on, uh Wallins Hill and Crystal Lake uh water tank projects. Uh happy to report that both of those water tanks are 100% operable. But where I really want to drive home tonight is just today we received $2.4 million reimbursement from the uh federal government which was passed through the state of Connecticut. And to date $5.8 million of that project have being has been reimbursed by the federal government which only leaves $22,000 remaining to get reimbursed. Um, I can finally probably put my head >> to sleep and sleep through the entire night. When we had that much out there and a lot of uncertainty at the federal level if we were going to get reimbursed, it made for a lot of sleepless nights. So, when that $2.4 million wire hit
007today, I screamed. You might have heard it wherever you were if you were in town. Uh, but great news, the 22K uh, we just submitted last week. It was just some retainage stuff, some legal stuff. We're we're 5.8 8 million. I'm happy. 22. Um, but happy to report that the both those tanks are operable and $5.8 million has been returned back to uh back to the town of Winstead and we've gotten basically all of our money from the federal government. Moving on, solar roof project. I know some of our board was here during the budget process. Some of the uh board members here were uh here during the budget process that we had allocated $50,000 to begin the engineering work of the Pearson uh roof. We partnered with Garland company. I think it was selectman
008Lamir suggested we look into that company. We did. Uh we started doing an asbestous test and a moisture scan. The asbestous test is still pending. But unfortunately this morning I walked into some unfortunate news that the moisture scan we received was not very positive and we will be looking at a full tear off and replacement for the Pierce Pearson roof. Um, and although it wasn't the outcome that we really were hoping for, we are bringing in a gentleman um, and working with Superintendent Lubie um, and I forgot the gentleman's name on important at this time. Um, that he works through all of this paperwork and grant reimbursing process that we felt it very crucial when staff's limited in time that we bring in an expert that knows exactly what the state's looking for in order
009for us to get the full reimbursement of this roof. Because although the numbers are being worked, this will not be an inexpensive roof. I'm just going to put that out there right now. When you're looking at a full tear and replace, it's not going to be one of those inexpensive ones. It's you're talking all new insulation, everything like that. So, more on that. It's going to go off to the board of education. Obviously, we're waiting for uh um the asbestous test to come back, but more on that as we move through the process. Northwest Transit update. Um former selectoman uh Perez and I met with the Northwest Transit District. um that Northwest Transit District is so near and dear to select former select woman uh Perez's heart. She came up with this idea um and
010she had emailed it to me and she said, "You know, Paul, we're sending this bus to Torington five days uh five times a day. We have some great businesses. Why are we not just doing a local route? What do you think of this route?" And they go, I will tell you exactly what I said. They were about cleanup. I love it. I absolutely love that idea. So we brought in the director of Northwest Transit um and we shared what routes we would like to now incorporate and believe it or not to our surprise even the district was understood exactly what we were trying to accomplish. So, it's not going to happen overnight, but I can let you know that with former Sacramento Pres's help, we will be looking to uh do more local routes uh
011including the marshalss as well, but we think it's very important as we're striving to, you know, build our local businesses up. We keep a bus just looping around. There is I'm going to go a little off uh script. There is no reason why we should have Winstead residents going to the post office in Torington. We have one right here in town. Why don't we just bring them here? So, uh, more on that as we continue, but good news that we we're working on the routes and we are looking to keep these routes more local. Three of them at least a day instead of five or will go to two will go to Torington, three will stay local. Um, there is a need to get out to Torington, whether it's hospitals, court systems, anything like that.
012We understand that. We do. Plus, we've also believe determined that we probably have residents that live in Torington that take the buses to come here to work. And we don't want to limit that. We obviously want people to work. We want them to work in our businesses. So, um, more on that as we progress, but great positive meeting last week or the week before. Budget update. You heard me talk about it briefly before the meeting. Uh, capital improvement cruster coming in. Um, larger departments are asking for a little bit more time to fully review their needs. Also, the asterk that I put out there in the meeting that hey, don't start a project that we don't think we can complete. And also, funds are going to be limited. So really, you know, look at what
013you need, um, not what you want and and bring it forward. But keep in mind, we won't be able to probably fund all of the requests. And then we are finalizing, the budget office is finalizing the budget sheets uh, for the operating budget with zerobased budgeting as we did last year, sending out basically blank documents to all of our department heads and saying, "Okay, what do you need?" And let's build it from zero. And and and you know, then have a meeting about it all. Moving on. Brownfield uh round 20 assessment. Uh earlier this year, you guys remember the bar grant to $200,000. Um work is starting to begin. Um looking at all of the quote unquote legacy buildings to see exactly what it's going to take to clean those uh buildings up. BL companies
014were selected to be the engineers to look at it all. It's very important that this bar grant gets done because that then gives us the report. we can go after federal and state dollars to say, "Hey, here's a report that tells us it's going to cost a million dollars to clean up, name the building, name the, you know, plot of land to get them cleaned up." So, that's been kicked off. Bridge Street intersection redesign update. Um, we're working with the state to see if we can shift and extend the grant. Um, you remember what happened a few months ago. We did meet after Veterans Day uh a few of us with uh a proposal where we were going to potentially um do a land swap with some of the land over there. Um we did
015meet with the loan owners uh that would possibly do a land swap and they are fully on board and love the idea of uh possibly doing that. Now, does it work out when an engineer comes in? I'm not an engineer, but we'll wait to see, but we're working with the state to see if we can do that. And last two things, um, town attorney services for RFP. Just following up on the last board of selectment meeting, we did issue the R, uh, request for proposals for town attorney services. Full RFPs are available on the town's website. Seal proposals are due back into my office no later than 10 a.m. on December 11th. And last but not least, the regional housing growth plan, uh, HB8002. As you know that the state and the governor has signed
016it. Quickly, the change shifts housing strategy authority for municipalities to regional entities. Going forward, we'll provide local data and input, but the council of governments, also known as the COG, will draft the actual plan, set growth levels, and deliver it to the state. Towns will no longer adopt or control their own h housing plans, and these regional plans must be updated and kept compliant with the state requirements every five years. With that, turn it over to the board for questions. >> Questions for the town manager. [clears throat] Anyone? Uh, town manager did mention gift cards. Just as a reminder, at no point will I or the mayor's office request gift cards from any member of the board, [laughter] member of town staff or anyone? Seeing that, are there any other questions? Moving on to item
017number. >> Do you want to give some uh back text that emails get pitched around, I think it's called, where it says it's from the mayor and they're and and he's looking for gift cards and it's completely not the mayor. >> Look at who it's from. >> Always look at the actual address. So, just context of why our mayor made that comment >> once or twice a year ahead. >> Uh item seven, correspondence. Does anyone have anything? Mr. Item eight, boards of commissions. Bill Kevin who's taking um tonight we have two reappoints. Glenn Elbanius, RRD1, party Republican, full member term end day 12 of 2028. and also John Puzzeneck uh RRDD1 Republican member determine date 12 2028. Do we have a motion for Glenn? So moved. >> Thank you. >> Second bill. >> Thank you
018Paul. Any discussion? >> Seeing none. All in favor? >> Unanimous. Do we have a motion for John? >> Thank you Troy. Is there a second? Second. Thank you Bill. Any discussion? All in favor? Unanimous. Congratulations, John and Glenn for reappoint. Next. Uh, no resignations. We have one nomination. Linda Grapo, uh, Winchester Housing Authority, Party, Democrat, full member. Term end date would be 4 of 2028. >> Do we have a motion? >> Thank you, Troy. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Paul. Any discussion? Seeing none. All in favor? Unanimous. Congratulations, Linda. >> That's all we have. Do you have anything coming? >> No. >> Thank you. Moving on to item number nine, unfinished business. We have nothing listed. Item 10, new business. Discussion regarding the addition of automatic traffic enforcement safety devices ordinance.
019This is meeting one of three meetings to be held. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, as we talked about at the last board of selectment meeting, I did give you the draft of the uh ordinance that town attorney Nelligan created. Uh there were a small minor typos that were in it. We've gone back and cleaned up those typos. Um and what you see in front of you and what was included on our on our uh website and in our board of selectment packet is the actual ordinance uh that we are suggesting that uh goes forward. Uh this is the first of three meetings uh that is required by our town charter in order to enact an ordinance. Um with that, I'll turn it over to the board for any particular questions they may have on the
020ordinance itself or if the mayor so allows uh any questions they may have on the automatic traffic enforcement safety devices, uh also known as speed cameras. >> Okay, first any questions on the ordinance from the board? Okay. Any question? >> Can I jump in real quick? Um, and I apologize. I I should have Later on in the agenda, you're going to see that we're going to set the public hearing, which is also required by state statute for December 18th, uh, which is a Thursday at 6 p.m. I have confirmed with Sightstream, uh, that they could be present at that meeting as well. So, it won't even it won't just be me giving the presentation. [clears throat] I figure bring in the experts that may have well will definitely have more technological background. Certainly I will.
021So they will be here for our residents to also you know answer questions as well later on in the agenda. But as we talked about at the prior meeting we thought it best that we schedule the public hearing in between the second meeting of the ordinance and the third. The second meeting is going to be December 15th. That's that Monday. We'll fast forward to that Thursday the 18th. We'll do our public hearing. we'll take a little holiday and then right after the new year will be our third meeting for uh for the ordinance if it passes. So that's just how it's playing out uh the way we set it up in the office. >> So Paul, this um ordinance is a make meets all the state requirements because I know that they're they're very precise
022on what we have to in have in here and this is also a draft that's been I presume used in other towns successfully. >> Yes. um pretty much uh very verbatim uh except when it gets down to traffic authority. Towns do differently in in traffic authority. What uh attorney did is he he really basically changed the parts that were important or that contained to us. Um, but I will tell you that this will go in if ultimately the three ordinances or the three meetings that passes the ordinance and this board does go ahead with the uh speed uh camera devices that this does get included in the packet to the Connecticut DOT um for their final approval. So, it has to get through all of that. But I can tell you that Kevin Elligan is
023very comfortable with this ordinance as it's crafted that it will pass the DOT standard. >> And the red line items are things that we've added or changed. Uh the red line items are items that contain us or are driven by Connecticut general statute. >> So the um stoplight provision, is that from us or is that a state requirement? >> Um that was added because if down the road this board or any other board decides that it wants to go to the stoplight provision, we don't have to recreate a new ordinance. This ordinance covers both um speed devices and stoplight devices. So, uh, we're trying to get it all under one. It keeps it nice and clean on our ordinance page and that if this board ever decides to take it on, we don't have to
024go through another whole three meetings again, just do it all at once. >> That's my questions. Anything else? >> I just quick kind of pertains to this. Um, back I don't know several months the state came here and offered some slow traffic initiatives. What's the on that. I mean, I know they did the the lane closure, but they were supposed to put flashing crosswalk things. >> Is that still in the works? >> Still in the works. Uh, that project kind didn't necessarily get derailed, but what it did was Eversource decided that they were going to crack open the road and the DOT Yeah. and DOT said, "We'll wait. We'll revisit it once the repavement's done." And and I'm glad you brought that up. I I did not update the board on that, but um we
025are still heavily engaged with with CT DOT. Uh they do still plan on coming out and doing all that, but um it'll Yeah, I want to say later spring or summer because you got to get Ever Source back out here, pave it, and then do [clears throat] all that stuff. So >> include adding crosswalks. >> Not at the present time of adding crosswalks. That was not in the original plan. Um their answer was we'll have to do more studies. Um, we're >> count the number of crosswalks on that strip and the distance between them and it's clear you need more crosswalks. >> You do. You definitely do. We'll bring them back in. We, you know, we pressured them pretty good. We were happy with the results that we got him to do something, but we
026need more. >> When can we get them back in to discuss that issue? >> I'll start reaching out tomorrow immediately and see if we can get them back in here. >> Just having accidents. We keep having concerns with people crossing the street. I hear it all the time. >> So, I would really like to see, you know, a real push and I'd be happy to tend to meet and hope, too. >> And Paul, if we're going to light crosswalks, I presume that's going to be cutting up the road to run wiring and stuff. Perhaps that should get laid out before they come and put the nice fresh pavement down. >> Absolutely. >> Yes. Um >> I think the flashers may be solar actually. >> I didn't want to comment because at one time there was
027talks of solar but then there's some other times there's electric. What I want to do is I want to as >> let's find out and not make the mistake. >> Let's get DOT back into >> cutting up the brand new road again. >> Agreed. um with all that and also there were for the newer board members there the temporary ballards as well that were going to go in front of the crosswalks to to give people a little feel of safety as they were entering the crosswalk that they weren't literally right in the middle of the street. So tempor temp temporary ballards which will go down if you hit them hard enough but it is a it can't be cement because the DOT won't do that but we do plastic ones and things of that but
028um let me engage the DOT um we have a very uh uh good DOT commissioner as you know you know uh they gave the town the additional $500,000 for Sue Gman um the commissioner does have family that lives in town um which I don't mind playing that card whenever I have to. Um, so, uh, let me let me engage them again and let me let me get them back in there. And, um, listen, if if the board, and I'm going to throw it out there if the board is okay with it, I I would love to invite, uh, one of our new, uh, board members to that meeting as a business owner to let them hear firsthand what it's like to own a business. You know, I think that impact that a commissioner hears goes
029a long way. Really does. >> I agree. Um, you know, I can say speak from the, you know, rooftops, shout it, but, you know, that's my job. >> And just, you know, just to throw it out there, I mean, some of the comments that we saw, you know, in publicizing the information regarding um this plan, this new ordinance was, why aren't we doing crosswalks? Why aren't we lighting including the lighting? Why aren't we doing this and that? So, I mean, these are things that we need to explore because we're going to have to address them at the public hearing. Y so we can explain exactly what we're trying to do and that we're doing more than this, >> but that this is something that's also very important, >> you know. So, >> other [clears throat]
030other questions, comments uh before we move on, I just want to hopefully correct some of the misrepresentations that are out there about these traffic safety cameras. one, we are not paying for them. They are being provided by the vendor. People, a lot of people have said it's too much money. It is costing the town zero dollars for these cameras. Um, other people have said this is strictly a money grab. In a perfect world, we will get zero dollars in fines because people will slow down on our streets. You only have to pay if you speed. >> And it's 10 over, not one over. Correct. Correct. And I'll note that um under what you said and I think it's important that good information gets put out. We did do a very formal RFP. I think we
031were the first town in the state of Connecticut that actually did the RFP process. We did have eight companies come in with proposal which are all available for for all of you to look at. But we gave you that cheat sheet that summarized you know pages and pages of information and we found that or you all found that sitream offered a very good package with no out of cost uh expense to us and it was only an item in the revenue side of the budget not on the expense side of things even on the monthly usage or maintenance fees and all of that. So, the town did do a lot of due diligence. Um, and I go back, I was speaking with somebody, and I apologize, uh, who I was speaking to and I forgot,
032but if you remember back when I originally had talked to the board about this, we're going back almost a year now. I think it was select that said, well, I want some data. And I'm like, that's going to be hard because there's only one town in Connecticut that has this. So, I [clears throat] reached out to companies and I found companies that literally put speed cameras here so we could get our own data and analyze it, which I think was an absolute great thing that the numbers we're using are our own data um to make this determination. >> So, one thing that would be interesting because I think you'll hear this question at the public hearing um is can you check with Sidream? I'm sure they while it's relatively new in Connecticut, maybe they have
033some experience around the country, but what happens two and three years after installation? Does the revenue dry up to the point where they don't want to participate anymore? Um, or I mean, because I mean, as Todd said, be great if we have the perfectly safe street, no one ever speeds again. But who's going to pay for all this stuff should the revenue stream drop to the point where they don't want to participate anymore? >> Well, >> and and do they I'm sorry. I mean, and do they have any data showing what's happened two and three years after installation? >> I'm sure they do. Site's been around for a while, and I'll give one better that they're not just a US company. They're all over the world. Um, this technology is somewhat new to Connecticut, somewhat
034new to the country, but it's been used in European countries for many, many years. And Andrew Noble, you'll be able to tell with his very English accent, has spent uh, you know, his life over there. and he's brought it over into the states now too. But let me get all that. But on the flip side of it, the contract that Sightstream is proposing, um, they're taking all of the risk. Um, absolutely all the risk. So if the revenue does dry up, I mean, once the cameras are installed, >> forgot who again I was talking to, you know, they're probably, you know, going to pay themselves back within the first year. Then the profit of that company obviously kicks in. Um, how long that profit lasts, that's on them. I think more more than the revenue
035though it'd be interesting to know what the results have been you know two to three years there is a percentage drop >> even those numbers >> yes >> and and I think that your locals that travel that route every day after they get their first three or four tickets realize okay >> but your commuters that are coming through town >> it's it's going to drop to a certain level, Paul, I believe, and then it's going to it's going to maintain maintain >> to the to the point uh Todd you mentioned of the money grab.