You guys got to come down.
» No, I know.
602 and uh public hearing no start.
First we'll do the pledge of 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.
» First, we'll have uh citizens comments.
Any citizen comments?
Are we
talking about what you just did on your
bucket or
» Talk about anything? Now's the time.
Is is this a selective meeting or a town
meeting?
» This is a public hearing.
» David Lamach school
for the chip seal on it come out pretty
nice.
I just had a a couple of questions.
First one is
roads selected
to be taken care of.
When you when you're looking at your
budget
or how much
you can do,
who makes the determination on what
needs to be done?
The determination comes from
I public works. what roads are more
grave than others with this with the ch
some some of the roads can't be chips
some of them are just they need to be
replaced so they they figure out what
roads could you like they start with
then they'll go to um brown or wherever
» Well can I jump in here we also have the
contract with Beta which did a scan of
all 37.2 2 miles of town road and they
gave us recommendations for maintenance
for each road and a schedule and that's
what public works is using to make their
decisions. So it's not just we're
randomly picking roads. It's we have
data that was collected because data
drove around with trucks and they
scanned all the roads to get road
conditions and then they gave
recommendations on whether it was a chip
seal, whether it was a full replacement,
all that sort of stuff. There was a host
of things that they gave us. Okay.
So, if we remember back last year at the
town meeting that
got cops involved
and
over a lot of voicing over Williams
throat over there off of Brown
and Kentucky was supposed to be chip
sealed last year,
but apparently they went over and did a
pave job
on Williams.
» So the reason why Shitucket wasn't done
last year wasn't a change in priorities.
It was due to weather. So they ran out
of time due to weather on what they
» Time to do Williams.
They were assigned to Williams
» And I don't when they were crack sealing
and it got 90 degrees,
you undercoated everybody's car.
The stuff was running down the road.
» Yeah, I had a few people calling about
that. So, we uh we had the chip ceiling
company here tonight. I think
they're going to show up. They were
supposed to be here. So,
So my second question is
when are you going to finish the reps of
from school that horse?
» I don't know if that was on the plan. Do
you Ryan?
» Really?
It's on the plan. Um,
Kentucky and
not Valley.
Ron, what's your road? Where is it?
» James.
» James Road.
» He's on James Road.
» James Road. So, they were doing
Satucket, James Road, and I think
» Where the chip seal.
» Yeah.
» But Shitucket from Wley School at a
farest
» The back end. You can't just chip seal
that.
» Is that Is that
okay? I know what you're saying now.
» You know where I mean?
» Yeah. Don't to the dead end.
» Yeah.
» A dead end back there. Yeah.
» Dirty ch
» Um I mean I'll have to find out about
that.
» Have you driven it?
» I driven. It's not great. I'm going to
agree. Not good. So,
» I'm just curious where it fits in.
» Right. And I I'll I'll get to the bottom
of that and ask him why. But
» The other one he got done was that was
just as bad.
» Right.
Quickly,
» Right?
I will make that a note and I'll talk
to the chip steelers if they're here
tonight about it and then if not then
I'll talk to
» That's complete rebuild.
» Yeah.
» Oh yeah.
» A rebuild's a little tougher than just
chips.
» But so wasn't the other one off of
Brown,
» Right?
» That was rebuilt off.
» It wasn't rebuilt. It was just hard.
» Yeah. Well, okay. It was just part over,
but it was just as bad a shape as the
rest is.
» That's the thing.
» Well, it's a lot better than it was.
» We will figure that one out. We'll we'll
try to figure that one out. And that's
just like any other road in Ventown. We
got to look at it, process, and what we
can afford. Okay. At one one time, one
of the
past selectman
I thought to him about it
said, "Well, there's only one house down
there."
That was the wrong answer.
» Did you hear me say that?
» No.
Every road's a road here. Whether it's
one house on the road, whether it's 30,
» Right?
» We I look at it the same. though and and
you drive around Vent Town and some of
these roads are not good at all. So, I
mean it's tough to like we can say that
and we can put Gallop on there and we
can put Kenny on there and we can put
you know a ton of them on there too.
» Oh yeah.
» So
there's a lot of work involved if we had
the money be great. I wish I could call
and say, "Well, we're going to do this
one this year. We'll do that one next
year or two those two next year." But,
you know,
» Well, you can put in your strong
reputation,
» Right?
Anybody else?
» Hey, John.
» Yeah. Um, not messing with the TV
because it's still working. Everybody
can see fine. But John here,
» Uh, new business
first part is the water study findings.
John, you there?
» John?
» I am here. Can you hear me?
» Can you guys hear me?
» He shouldn't come through the TV. He
should be coming here.
Can you hear us?
» I can. Yes. And I can see Brian and Sue.
» Okay.
Okay. You're on the laptop. Give us a
second, John. We'll get you.
» Okay. Yeah. Take your time.
Is the plug coming out from the garbage
can on the wall over there?
» Oh, yeah. I can see.
» Well,
thanks, Tracy.
[laughter]
» All right.
» Can you guys hear me now?
» Perfect. Yes.
Okay. Um, so for the record, I'm John
Gusowski. I'm the town's uh consulting
planning director. Um, I've been uh
project managing the community water
system study. Um, just have a brief
statement about the the current status.
Um, the town of Volunttown community
water system study was initiated to
evaluate whether a public water system
could address recurring well reliability
concerns, support future development,
and enhance long-term water availability
in two key areas of town. The study was
prompted uh in part by drought
conditions several over the last several
years and concerns regarding uh private
well capacity and particularly within
the village center area and the beach
pond area. Um we pursued and received a
community infrastructure fund grant from
the state of Connecticut department of
economic and community development. This
was a $250,000
um planning and engineering study that
was fully funded by the state. no
municipal finances were required or
involved. Um, as part of this effort,
the town conducted hydrogeeologic
investigations. Uh, we installed and
monitor observation wells and we
performed water quality testing at
several potential water source
locations. Um, in the village center,
which study was is basically getting
wrapped up now. Um, the observation
wells showed uh promising groundwater
availability in terms of pure flow.
However, there was a need for treatment
for um detected levels of manganesees
and POS. Um we are still undergoing
hydro uh geological investigations at
Beach Pond uh to determine if a viable
water source exists. We received
preliminary findings again on the
village center um system. Um, while a a
water system may be technically feasible
in the village center, meaning that we
have enough water for a community water
system, the capital costs that would be
associated with developing um a
permanent uh public water system uh
supply system in the village area
appears to be prohibitively expensive
for the town to take on. Um and and you
know so as a result of this this expense
um the pursuing a public water system in
the village center does not appear to be
a practical investment for the town
unless significant and we mean
significant outside funding was
available for implementation. Um so at
this time town leadership has decided
not to pursue any additional funding for
the village center component. Um we will
be having uh we we again as I said we
are not done with the beach pond study.
When that study is wrapped up we will
provide uh additional public information
at that time when that component of the
study um comp concludes. I'd also just
like to note um that we have we have
been maintaining a uh a page on our
community website the town website uh
providing updates on the water system
study. So people can people can check in
on that. But again the the bottom line
is the first phase of this study
focusing on village center revealed
sufficient water but the capital costs
for implementation were were deemed too
high and we will not be pursuing further
um uh you know studies or or engineering
along this this line in the village. So
happy to answer any questions that
people may have.
» John, how much was the significant
capital cost for us to go further with
this study? Um, yeah, it was it was in
the range of uh 15 to $18 million
» To basically stand up the the system.
» Thank you.
» A lot of that I mean a lot of that you
know infrastructure is expensive but a
lot of that had to deal with uh you know
building out water treatment capacity
and and storage and and that sort of
thing.
Who would maintain something like that?
I think there would be a reoccurring
flaw.
» It would be maintained most likely
again if we were to consider something
like that. And I want to reiterate at
this time we are not. Um it would be
maintained by the Connecticut Water
Company who is designated by the
Department of Public Health to be the
exclusive service provider for public
water systems in this municipality.
So we we could essentially build it and
then turn it over to Connecticut water
to maintain.
So similar there is there is a small
water system out near Beach Pond um
Tangle Wood a couple of roads over there
that is a small community system
maintained by Connecticut Water
» And those residents receive a bill from
Connecticut Water. Correct.
» Precisely as as they would for any other
utility. So that's not a reoccurring
budget line item
» On the town. No, but it would then be
anyone connected to it would get a war a
monthly water.
» Pretty big [clears throat] amount of
money to put out,
» Which is why we have chosen at this time
to not
» You wouldn't get any return on it.
» It's well a public water system is not
intended to be a money-making operation.
It's a utility,
» Right? It's
the reason why we even looked at this
originally was because of the
possibility of future economic
development and growth in the town
center. Um some of the mandates from the
state around um changing zoning so that
um we could change from single family
dwellings to multif family dwellings in
town center. Um, but with that sort of
cost,
that's a oh no, because right now it's
cost the town nothing to do the study.
» Right. Right. Right. Right.
» So, and we've gotten an answer out of
the study on the village center. We'll
get an answer on Beach Pond. So, we'll
talk about that when that happens. But
» That would have to be a real good will,
right?
Exactly. What area of the beach are you
talking about?
» Um John,
» Yeah, it's it's basically basically the
[clears throat] Bennett Road, Bennett
Circle area,
» The the the properties. Um, and I mean
we I think we may expand uh expand just
the the um cost estimates to the
northshore of Beach Pond also, but the
initial study was intended to be
basically the the the Bennett Road,
Bennett Circle area, you know, the areas
just immediately south of the pond
itself,
the high, you know, the area of highest
residential density.
» And it's not an area where you can bring
in multif family homes. I mean,
everything's stacked in there. Well, in
in the Beach Pond area, the idea there
is recognizing that the the properties
are developed at at quite an a a a high
density. Um those are seasonal cottages
that have gradually and continue to be
converted from seasonal, you know,
one-bedroom, two-bedroom cottages to
three, four, fivebedroom year-round
houses
um that that have a significantly higher
water demand and more importantly
require by public health code
significant separation distances between
water systems and septic systems. So
that sign that that that that uh public
health code significantly um hinders
people's ability to essentially build
out their property and invest in their
property uh making improvements and
frankly making their properties more
valuable in a way that is you know good
for the town's grand list. Um and so
because of public health limitations,
you know, sometimes those building
expansions are h h h h h h h h h h h h h
h h h h h h h h h h h h h h h h h h h h
h h h h h h h hindered. And so the idea
is if we can bring in public water, we
can reduce the separation distance
burden and and allow people to develop
at a a more robust level
properties that you could do that with.
» I'm sorry.
» Do you have a count number of properties
that could possibly do that? We didn't
do a property bypropy analysis. We just
basically drew a circle around the
highest density of residential
properties and said these would be the
ones that would be included in a public
water system study. Again, this is just
a planning exercise.
» So that's two separate systems,
» A system and a pond system.
» Correct. And so we we've completed the
the research on the village system. the
beach pond system is is you know another
six weeks behind
» Any additional questions
I ask question did the town ever look at
um
the opposite situation where you
provided a mutual septic tank instead
instead of dealing with the well issue
because um
that also has a separate things
» Going on.
» Sure. So we did we did at the initial
planning stages uh consider that I mean
so you know if you're looking to do a
some sort of public infrastructure
system either a public water system or a
public sewer system either of those
would help alleviate the uh development
constraints. However in very broad
strokes a sewer system is an order of
magnitude more expensive than a public
water system. Um because you not only
have to do all the pipes that you would
for a water system, you also have to
build a water treatment facility um a
sewer plant and and so you know whereas
in in rough numbers you know if if uh a
water system in the village is going to
cost us $15 million, a sewer plant would
cost us $75 million. Like and so we you
know knowing knowing those those just
how expensive
» Sewer treatment is versus water.
» Yeah. versus a a larger septic system
which would be pumped out which the
homeowners could pay a fee to have have
maintained and pumped out every year.
Not
» Sure. And so a community
» Not a whole full-blown sewer system,
» Right? There's there Yes, we could we
could look at I mean that is something
that could be looked at a community
waste comm basically a community septic
system like a um that would be certainly
cheaper than a full-blown sewer system
but it's its size constraints would be
quite low compared to I mean even the
number of houses there right now you you
wouldn't be able to get that number of
houses on a you know a traditional
community system, even if you had, you
know, a bunch of acres for a, you know,
a perfectly designed septic leech field.
Not that you've got the the space, you
know, I don't know where down there you
would be able to size a leech field that
big. Um, but yeah, I mean, that's that's
a consideration. Not, you know, falling
short of a full sewer plant. Yes. Um,
but we we just didn't see that as
feasible for the the type of study we
wanted to do with this money at this
time. That could could be something we
look at in the future. And then the only
other question is a zoning question
where a lot of towns if someone owns a
small lot which can't be
um built on because it's too small or
they don't have the room for another
well or another septic system but they
own an adjacent adjacent lot and want to
upgrade their property. There's some
towns that require that the homeowner
combined the lots to make the lot more
conforming.
» Is that a question or a statement?
» No, that's one way of alleviating um too
much buildup of the pond because you
still people building up and adding
bathrooms and adding all this stuff.
» [clears throat]
» You still have se you're still close to
the pond and so you still have leech
leeching water that goes down to the
pond because everything just about on
that pond is uphill from the pond. So if
you're building bigger houses with
bigger bathrooms, going from cottages to
full-blown houses that are twostory or
threetory,
five, you know, five bedrooms and four
bathrooms or whatever it is, you're
adding beach water into the pond, which
is a big concern because
um this is
the quality of the water. Pretty sure
everything down there pretty much is
engineered septic now if you're building
the doors or something.
» There's a lot of smaller cottages that
are not.
» Yeah, but you're not going from a
onebedroom to a fivebedroom without any
septic. I don't
» No, you're not. But but some people we
did it. We went up, but we still
maintained it was a threebedroom.
We maintain the three bedroomedroom, but
there are some places that are smaller,
a smaller lot and
some with old septic systems. I don't
know if you've ever seen soap suds that
run along the pond.
» Yeah.
Every weekend.
Just it's just what do you want? Do you
want more development? Do you want the
houses to be worth more? just want
people to be able to maintain their
houses or do you want the pond to have
maintain its quality of water
um in the long term because of um tax
dollars down there and tourism and all
the fun people have down there in the
summer fun
or is it just benefiting a few people
for all this money? We want all of the
above for Nevada.
» Great.
» All right. So, John, since I got you on
uh we got the proposed proposed
extinguishment of the second Oh, there
was one more question.
» Yeah. I I want this just one thing about
the water the water system. I know it's
all preliminary and I know the engineers
and all probably looked at this. I
looked at a lot of the paperwork, a lot
of the first study that was done, what
was available in the least. One thing I
didn't see in there take into account
and I know the city chiefs the study is
uh up in Massachusetts a lot of towns
went through the same problem uh over
the decades and they put city water in
to solve a lot of the problems. In 20
years they have more problems because
you have to take into account when you
pump water out to different locations
you have to raise the water table six
feet in a town and all the septics fail
because
you're pumping water to all these
locations. So the hydra all hydrarology
and everything else has to take into
account theoretically all that water
being put to a different location in
this. understand we ended up paying $50
million for the septic system for the uh
sewer. Lucky though you're next to a
large city. So a large city took the
treatment. So we don't have a large city
nearby to pipe it to. So that's just
something I just didn't see in in the
study. I just chiming in from what what
I've seen is that that hit me in the
pocket quite hard when that when that
happened in North Dakota. So got very
very expensive to to connect because we
have a bond that would be just pointing
that out.
» Thank you.
» John, you still there?
» I am.
» Okay. Uh a proposed extinguishment of
the town's right away to Old Econ Road.
Um what where did we come up with that?
Um that was a request uh made by um a
Butters uh on Old Econ Road folks that
basically have an old road rightway
still under the control and ownership of
the municipality
um that was sort of handed over to the
town when the state rebuilt 49 and
rerouted it. there's a little eyebrow of
a road that basically runs through a
couple of people's backyards. and they
made the inquiry and request um that
since the town clearly does not use nor
need this that it be formally
extinguished and the the legal term is
discontinued
um so that the town can divest itself of
that property um which it does not use
nor need nor need the liability on um
and basically hand it off to the uh
abuing property owners so that they can
own it in fee simple. Um, this was the
request made. Um, the board of selectmen
considered this and referred it to the
planning and zoning commission for
what's referred to as an 824 referral.
Um, referencing Connecticut General
Statute section 8-24.
Um, the planning and zoning commission
determined that this um extinguishment
of the road uh formally through
discontinuation was appropriate and was
in keeping with the goals of the plan of
conservation and development. um they
encourage the selectman to move forward
on it. And um in order to do so uh if
the selectman wish to continue, the
selectmen need to um schedule a town
meeting to formally
um vote to discontinue the road. Uh and
there are some you know legal
notifications in the newspaper, legal
notifications to the abutters as well as
signage posted to properly notify the
municipality of its intent. Um but that
this would be basically a formal action
requiring a majority town meeting vote
uh essentially to extinguish and say the
town no longer has interest legal
interest in uh this right of way.
All right. So, how's um September 22nd
for a town meeting for this?
» John, does that give us enough time at
60 days from tonight?
» Yeah. Yeah. you basically need um to
notify a Butters uh 30 days prior um and
post assigned 30 days prior and then you
know you need to because it's a town
meeting you need to legally notice it in
the paper um twice ahead of time at
least 15 days. So yes, two months out
gives you plenty of time.
I make a motion that we set a the town
meeting for the uh discontinuence of Old
Econ Road under an 824 referral to
September 22nd, 2026.
» All in favor?
» I
have a 22nd town meeting.
» Yep.
At 7 p.m.
here
at town hall.
Thanks, John.
» Okay, thanks folks.
Okay,
» Next the chip ceiling guys are supposed
to be here. Are they here?
» They did not show up, so we can't talk
to them, which is great.
Uh, let's do tax movement.
We talked about the chips dealing with
that. I'm I I'll talk with the guys.
I'll talk why they're not here tonight.
So, that's not but but the company was
supposed to be here tonight. The
representatives of the company and
maybe the weather. There's
» A miscommunication on the time I just
dropped on. And they think the meeting
is at 7,
but they should be on their way.
They didn't know the meeting was 6. They
thought it was seven. Okay, hold on.
» Let's reschedu with them.
» Oh, the 22nd with them, too.
You want to do that?
» Add them to September 22nd.
» Okay. Okay.
» Was this a town meeting or a selectman's
meeting?
» Public hearing.
» What does it say on the new board up
there?
» Says on the website.
» What does No. What does it say? Town
meeting.
» Public hearing.
» It says town meeting on the board. That
That is a mistake that we fully take
responsibility for and acknowledge. But
this is a public hearing. The newspaper
and the town website stated it was just
the board that was the mistake.
And that's the one that doesn't have a
legal requirements. Not trying to get
out of anything, but that's then don't
try and get out of it. No, we're not
trying to get out of it. We We take the
hit.
» Doors are always open. You want to come
in, talk, whatever.
» Well, no. I I read it.
» Yep. I'm going to stay.
» Oh, okay. That's fair.
» All right. Uh, let's do the Where do we
have three more?
Four.
Yeah.
First one
is for Robert Engel Jr. for 3145
11:45.
Second one is for Toyota lease trust for
19730.
Third one is for
Sean Douly founding road volunt 40 52
$4052
and the last one Donna stole of condon
road and that one is $4488.
I make a motion to issue tax refunds as
recommended by the tax collector.
» Second.
» All in favor? Hi,
Make them.