Board of Mayor and Burgesses

MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING BOARD OF MAYOR AND BURGESSES APRIL 11, 2022 Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Borough of Naugatuck held the Board of Mayor and Burgesses meeting on a hybrid basis. Everyone was welcomed to attend in person, by Zoom Webinar or by phone. 1. Mayor “Pete” Hess called the special meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. with the following in attendance: BURGESSES: PRESS: R. Neth G. Mudry, absent None M. Bronko, absent D. Neth-Kunin F. Dambowsky M. Smith RESIDENTS: C. Marenghi R. Vitale None J. Mizeski DEPARTMENT HEADS: J. Kallipolites, IT Director A. Bruce, Controller, virtual 2. Burgess Dambowsky led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. 3. Mayor Hess said he thinks he overbooked the meeting last week and the presentations went longer than expected. Everyone was tired by the time there was executive session. He reversed the order of the meeting tonight to enter into executive session first while everyone is fresh. 4. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Dambowsky to recess to Executive Session at 7:06 p.m. for discussion on the following: Real Estate (Parcel B, LANXESS Property, Parcel A, Parcels Y & Z, TIF District, Greenway, Breen Field North and South, Remnant Parcel – Shadduck Road), Contract Negotiations (Amazon/Industrial Park) and Pending Litigation. No one was invited into executive session. Mayor Hess reconvened the meeting at 8:18 p.m. 5. The following motion emanated from Executive Session. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Dambowsky that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses authorize Mayor Hess to extend the closing date on the acquisition of the LANXESS Property for thirty days. 6. Mayor Hess would like to hear what the burgesses think of the possibility of a Downtown Parking Phone App. He said downtown storeowners like the idea. This is not to be a revenue generator.  -2- Minutes – Board of Mayor and Burgesses Special Meeting – April 11, 2022 Burgess Vitale is opposed to the idea. He said if merchants want the app, then why are they parking on Church Street all day. He doesn’t understand. It’s a merchant problem and the merchants need to work it out amongst themselves. There are some businesses where customers can be there longer than two hours. He is against charging people to park downtown. We want to bring people downtown not deter them from coming. Deputy Mayor Neth agrees with Burgess Vitale. Burgess Smith said there is no available parking to begin with downtown. There is a definite problem with parking downtown. We need to change the behavior with parking downtown. Merchants are taking photos of vehicles parking longer than two hours. She thinks the app is worth a shot and does not think merchants talking to each other will work. Burgess Mizeski asked how it will it be enforced when people are parking for hours. Burgess Neth-Kunin has only heard about one vendor having an issue. Burgess Marenghi said two-hour parking signs mean nothing. Law enforcement is comfortable doing the app in the hope of deterring people from parking long-term. He would like to hear from business owners and residents. Will business owners validate parking for their customers? He is concerned for seniors that are not comfortable with using apps. He would like to see black out times. Burgess Dambowsky said you don’t have to set anything up on the app if you want a range of time where people won’t be charged to pay to park. Burgess Mudry, who is absent tonight, texted Burgess Dambowsky. He told him he is not in support of a free parking grace period. Deputy Mayor Neth said he would never use the app to pick up his pizza from Mike’s Pizza Palace. Mayor Hess said he parked on Meadow Street when he was practicing law to leave a spot open on Church Street for his client. 7. Mayor Hess said the town saved $4,700,000 this year with the Pension Bond Restructured Savings. He discussed the allocation of the savings. Seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) has been set aside for the acquisition of additional parking downtown. One million, one hundred thousand dollars ($1,100,000) has been set aside for the purchase of the Bank of America building on Church Street. One hundred seventeen thousand dollars ($117,000) has been set aside for the purchase of three Connecticut Water Company parcels, which will allow us to build an additional ballfield. The new ballfield will allow us to sell Breen Fields North and South to get them on the tax rolls. Mayor Hess will ask for a motion to use one million, one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,150,000) to pay off the Siemens loan. After all the allocations, there is one million, six hundred thirty-three thousand dollars ($1,633,000) remaining that could be spent on a skateboard park, splash pad, debt reduction on Parcels A and B and/or put money into the Five Year Capital Plan Account. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Mizeski that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses pay $1,150,000 from the bond restructure savings to pay off the Siemens Loan and set aside funds to pay $200,000 to ION Bank for the 2022/2023 payment that is due for Parcels A and B.  -3- Minutes – Board of Mayor and Burgesses Special Meeting – April 11, 2022 8. Deputy Mayor Neth said the Five Year Capital Plan Account is low. He would like to see some money from the pension bond restructured savings go into the account. He said there are many things that need to be addressed. Mayor Hess said separate votes will be taken on the skateboard park and the splash pad before setting aside funds to go into the Five Year Capital Plan Account. 9. Mayor Hess asked for feedback from the burgesses regarding the allocation of funds for a Skateboard Park. Burgess Vitale thinks we need a skateboard park and said the model discussed is basically indestructible. He wonders if any of this money can be used toward the Tony Hawk Grant match. Deputy Mayor Neth said the Park Commission will need to do their due diligence on the design and location. Burgess Marenghi said this has been a request for years. We need to do it now. Burgess Neth-Kunin said this is something that people have been asking for and have been fundraising to try to achieve. Burgess Mizeski said he is all for it. A long time coming. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Mizeski that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses allocate $300,000 for a Skateboard Park from the allocation of the savings from the bond restructure and the location will be recommended by the Park Commission and decided on by this board. 10. Splash pad – discussion/possible action. Burgess Marenghi said this is the right time to do a splash pad. It will serve a large part of our community that doesn’t have a back yard pool. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Dambowsky that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses approve $150,000 from the bond restructure savings for a Splash Pad. 11. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Dambowsky that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses refer the Amazon Contract/Naugatuck Industrial Park to the Planning Commission for a report pursuant to Section 8-24 of the CT General Statutes. 12. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Mizeski that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses refer 275 Church Street – Bank of America Property to the Planning Commission for a report pursuant to Section 8-24 of the CT General Statutes. 13. For the record: Mayor Hess: “For the record of the minutes, we are revisiting item number eight, Five Year Capital Plan, discussion/possible action.”  -4- Minutes – Board of Mayor and Burgesses Special Meeting – April 11, 2022 VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Dambowsky that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses apply from the bond restructured savings account in the amount of $983,000 to go into the Five Year Capital Plan. 14. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Smith that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses authorize the Superintendent of Schools to apply to the Commissioner of Administrative Services for the Removal and Replacement of Vinyl Asbestos Flooring Project at City Hill Middle School. 15. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Smith that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses authorize the Superintendent of Schools to apply to the Commissioner of Administrative Services for the Removal and Replacement of Vinyl Asbestos Flooring Project at Andrew Avenue Elementary School. 16. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Smith that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses authorize the Superintendent of Schools to apply to the Commissioner of Administrative Services for the Removal and Replacement of Vinyl Asbestos Flooring Project at Salem Elementary School. 17. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Neth-Kunin that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses appoint the Borough of Naugatuck Standing Building Committee as the building committee in charge of the Removal and Replacement of Vinyl Asbestos Flooring Project at City Hill Middle School. 18. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Smith that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses authorize the Borough of Naugatuck Standing Building Committee as the building committee in charge of the Removal and Replacement of Vinyl Asbestos Flooring Project at Andrew Avenue Elementary School. 19. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Neth-Kunin that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses authorize the Borough of Naugatuck Standing Building Committee as the building committee in charge of the Removal and Replacement of Vinyl Asbestos Flooring Project at Salem Elementary School. 20. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Neth-Kunin that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses authorize Mayor Hess to enter into a contract with Silver/Petrucelli and Associates, 3190 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, CT 06518 in the amount of $18,500 for the preparation of schematic drawings, education specifications, and architectural services  -5- Minutes – Board of Mayor and Burgesses Special Meeting – April 11, 2022 related to the Removal and Replacement of Vinyl Asbestos Flooring Project at City Hill Middle School as recommended by the Borough of Naugatuck Standing Building Committee. 21. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Smith that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses authorize Mayor Hess to enter into a contract with Silver/Petrucelli and Associates, 3190 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, CT 06518 in the amount of $18,500 for the preparation of schematic drawings, education specifications, and architectural services related to the Removal and Replacement of Vinyl Asbestos Flooring Project at Andrew Avenue Elementary School as recommended by the Borough of Naugatuck Standing Building Committee. 22. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Neth-Kunin that the Board of Mayor and Burgesses authorize Mayor Hess to enter into a contract with Silver/Petrucelli and Associates, 3190 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, CT 06518 in the amount of $9,300 for the preparation of schematic drawings, education specifications, and architectural services related to the Removal and Replacement of Vinyl Asbestos Flooring Project at Salem Elementary School as recommended by the Borough of Naugatuck Standing Building Committee. 23. VOTED: Unanimously on a motion by Deputy Mayor Neth and seconded by Burgess Mizeski to adjourn the special meeting at 9:14 p.m. A digital recording of this meeting is available in the office of the Borough Clerk for further review. Attest: Nancy K. DiMeo Borough Clerk