By Sarah Opdahl
In a short Town Meeting that preceded the New Fairfield Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting on Thursday, June 8, residents voted to approve the sale of a small parcel on Cameron Road to resident Ms. Bailey Santucci for $3,000. A unique situation, the .3 acre lot is valued by Santucci, as it will provide buffer space between her and new construction that is underway.
The Town expects to have a significant end-of-year surplus in the range of $1.3 to $1.5 million. A large factor adding to the surplus is unanticipated state revenue of $274,000. It’s a distribution from the State to the municipal revenue sharing account because the State over-collected sales taxes. Town Finance Director Ms. Olga Melnikov said, it is a “Very common occurrence in the environment of hyperinflation when the prices are increasing. The State receives higher sales tax revenue. But the main factor that added to the surplus is the high interest rates and interest income have exceeded our expectations by a very significant amount.” There will be a Town Meeting to potentially approve supplemental appropriation into the medical fund and to cover police private duty overtime. That appropriation will come from this unanticipated revenue surplus, if approved.
Another factor that contributed to a favorable year-end position was the reduction in fringe benefit rate from the State regarding state troopers and unfilled positions during the year that took time to hire, resulting in savings.
The BOS congratulated over two dozen New Fairfield Public Schools students for their submissions to the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA) 16th Annual Regional Recycling Billboard contest. Among them was the regional Grand Prize Winner Caiden Davidson, a third grader at Meeting House Hill School, whose poster is currently on display on twenty HART buses in Danbury. He also received $500. In addition, there were six regional winners, who were honored at a reception in April and received cash prizes, and eighteen local ribbon winners were recognized.
The BOS approved a series of budget transfers and tax refunds to several parties who overpaid. They also re-appointed Maureen Clegg to the Permanent Building Committee, who has served since February 2022. Clegg said, “I have enjoyed being a member of this committee and I hope my skills as a professional engineer have been valuable to the Town. I look forward to the opportunity to continue volunteering on this important committee.”
In public comment, residents spoke on behalf of their parents whose property is now the site of a crosswalk that will be added to Gillotti Road for access to the new high school. They asked for reassurance that their octogenarian parents will not be required to maintain the crosswalk in any manner and asked for clarification on whether potential sidewalks were being considered. First Selectman Pat Del Monaco said there are no plans for sidewalks that she is aware of and referred the residents to the Zoning Commission for more information. She said that the crosswalk was a stipulation of that Commission, in response to public comment regarding the danger of crossing the road for high and middle school students.
The next regular Board of Selectmen meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 22, 7:30 p.m. A Town Meeting will be held the same evening at 7:00 p.m.