By Sarah Opdahl

At the Tuesday, May 12, New Fairfield Board of Selectmen (BOS) special meeting, there were a handful of budget transfers approved, some of which elicited discussion, the first of which was  a request to transfer $30,000 from Police Department Resident Trooper Overtime to Police Department Resident Sergeant Overtime and a request to transfer $10,000 from Police Department Private Duty Overtime and $22,000 from Police Department Resident Trooper Overtime for a total of $32,000 to Police Department Overtime.

Mr. Jon Russo asked out, “$62,000 to move over for overtime, $30,000 for the sergeant alone…for how long was this? Like, how many hours?” First Selectman Ms. Pat Del Monaco said, “I believe it is because of some long-term medical leave that occurred in the police department, so that is a big piece of it.” Town Finance Direct Mr. Adam Lawrence concurred, saying, “you basically captured it, and I know that the sergeant has been working some substantial OT [overtime] throughout the year. This transfer for the sergeant is expected to get all the way through to the end of the fiscal year, and the PD over timeline at the bottom, that is more tied to the absence, and our Town Officers have been covering, because they get priority on overtime over the troopers.”

There were also a large amount of transfers for legal services, which Del Monaco explained as due to “a combination of things, we were under budgeted in legal (fees). The number that got budgeted in legal for this year was $130,000 or $135,000, which was based on the hourly rates from 2017, that was $150 an hour. Now the previous legal counsel and our current legal counsel are $250 an hour…by November we had already used about $100,000 of that $130 so now with our normal legal workload, we are under budgeted, and we are transferring from other lines to make it whole.”

The BOS also voted to set a special Town Meeting on Tuesday, May 19:

 1. To consider and act upon an appropriation of $276,637 from General Fund Education ECS and $179,041 from General Fund Interest Income for a total of $455,678 to General Fund-Education Operating A/P for allocation as needed to Out of District Tuition SPED and Transportation SPED.

These funds will cover a deficit in the Special Education budget at New Fairfield Public Schools.

Del Monaco also read in the annual Fair Housing Resolution for the Town:

FAIR HOUSING RESOLUTION TOWN OF NEW FAIRFIELD

Whereas, All persons are afforded a right to full and equal housing opportunities in neighborhood of their choice; and

Whereas, Federal fair housing laws require that all individuals, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, be given equal access to all housing related opportunities, including rental and homeownership opportunities, and be allowed to make free choices regarding housing location; and

Whereas, Connecticut fair housing laws require that all individuals, regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, learning disability, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression be given equal access to all housing-related opportunities, including rental and home ownership opportunities, and be allowed to make free choices regarding housing location; and

Whereas, The Town of New Fairfield is committed to upholding these laws, and realizes that these laws must be supplemented by an Affirmative Statement publicly endorsing the right of all people to full and equal housing opportunities in the neighborhood of their choice.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOVED, That the Town of New Fairfield hereby endorses a Fair Housing Policy to ensure equal opportunity for all persons to rent, purchase, obtain financing and enjoy all other housing-related services of their choice on a non-discriminatory basis as provided by state and federal law; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the chief executive officer of the Town of New Fairfield or her designated representative is responsible for responding to and assisting any person who alleges to be the victim of an illegal discriminatory housing practice in the Town of New Fairfield and for advising such person of the right to file a complaint with the State of Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or to seek assistance from the CT Fair Housing Center, legal services, or other fair housing organizations to protect his or her right to equal housing opportunities.