This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
12/26/2016 11:00 PMJanuary
Two new town employees started work this month: Town Building Official David Maiden and part-time health educator Natalie Giusto.
The boards of Selectmen and Finance agreed to amend a 2013 bonding resolution by adopting a new one that allows the town to buy three new fire pumper trucks at one time instead of spreading the purchases over three years.
The Board of Selectmen (BOS) began budget workshops with town department heads.
A Jan. 7 Town Meeting vote let the town add $115,000 from the general fund to supplement money approved in 2013 for a school window replacement project, and $50,000 to complete repairs to town buildings.
A settlement agreement signed by the town and former Selectman Chris Ehlert on Jan. 27 means Ehlert will withdraw three Freedom of Information Act complaints he filed against the town. The complaints alleged a failure to produce documents related to a public bidding process for the phone system purchase, and for twice incorrectly noticing an executive session with an employee performance review; the town acknowledged in turn that it “inadvertently posted an incomplete agenda on two occasions.”
Town Assessor Pam Fogarty on Jan. 31 certified the new 2015 Grand List of Taxable Property; it increased in value by .55 percent over the prior year.
February
On Feb. 10, the town fire marshal of more than 40 years, George Rehberg, was placed on administrative leave by the Board of Fire Commissioners Chairman Robert Hagemeister while Rehberg’s performance was investigated. On Feb. 18, the board interviewed three candidates who together would perform inspections and plan reviews as deputy fire marshals. The BOS approved $19,000 to hire all three to work part-time through June 30 as deputy fire marshals.
The Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments unveiled the new Know Your Farmers
website to connect local farmers with those seeking local farm products and suppliers.
The proposed school spending plan, as presented to the Board of Education this month, would increase spending by 1.76 percent over the current year.
Westbrook High School swimmers took part in the Polar Plunge at the Westbrook Elks Club to benefit Westbrook High School’s annual Project Graduation.
March
The Yale Whiffenpoofs performed at Westbrook High School on March 3 to raise funds for school scholarships.
On March 14, a Community Forum on Opiate Abuse sparked discussion of a growing abuse problem.
The BOS agreed on March 14 to support the town’s purchase of a 0.17 acre sliver of land from Niagara Bank for $30,000. The land abuts a town-owned parcel on the Boston Post Road at Knothe Road upon which the town will build a public parking lot. With the added land, the lot will hold 27 instead of 14 vehicles.
In a March 17 ceremony, VISTA Life Innovations celebrated the completion of phase one of a project to restore the historic Captain Spencer House, including the rebuilding and renovation of bathrooms to make them handicapped-accessible for residents and the addition of fire alarm annunciators and lights.
On March 19, the Oxford Academy hosted the fifth annual Light on Westbrook
, a judged photography exhibition, and on March 26, the Tanger Outlets Westbrook hosted its 19th annual Spring Egg Hunt.
The Valley Shore Y conducted a selective logging operation on 11 of the Spencer Plains Y site’s 22 acres to thin the forest and strengthen the remaining trees.
Water Pollution Control Commission (WPCC) Chairman Marilyn Ozols resigned her post in protest of the BOS decision to ignore the WPCC’s recommendation for filling the open environmental technician slot. The BOS voted to appoint Shireley Mickens of Westbrook to the full-time position.
An ex-Westbrook constable, Benjamin Quinones, on March 29 was sentenced to three years probation for falsifying overtime records for work he performed at the Connecticut Valley Hospital.
The BOS approved a town budget of $11.9 million for town government and debt service; if approved, it would increase town government spending by 4.2 percent. The budget reflects two new Land Use Department positions and an increase of four hours per week for the assistant director of the Parks & Recreation Department. The BOS also voted to have the town budget decision be a Town Meeting vote, not a referendum.
The Board of Fire Commissioners appointed John Planas, Bill Robbins, and Donald Dobson to work part-time for the town as deputy fire marshals at a cost of $32.50 an hour.
April
At a Town Meeting, electors approved the purchase of 0.17 acres of land from Niagara Bank to clear the way for road and parking re-alignment in the center of town. Also approved was a $200,000 Municipal Brownfields Assessment grant the town received from the State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development to conduct an environmental assessment and make a remedial action plan for 88 Pond Meadow Road, private land that once was the site of an auto-wrecking operation. The town approved $40,000 for the Public Works Department to purchase a bucket truck.
In advance of the May 11 Town Budget Meeting, the town mailed out a Citizen’s Budget Guide summarizing the proposed budget and its 2.8 percent overall spending increase. Proposed major state grant cuts, if approved, would put the town’s education cost sharing grant at zero. As a precaution, the Board of Finance voted to cut the town’s planned annual contributions to capital reserves funds and capital projects by $190,000.
Town leaders discussed Middlesex Hospital’s proposal to have local governments share the cost of providing 24/7 paramedic coverage at a cost of $1 per capita in the first year; previously the service had been free to towns.
On April 13, state legislators and local officials from shoreline communities joined together to oppose the major education grant cuts proposed by the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee.
VISTA Life Innovations held a Gilligan’s Island
-themed fundraiser at Water’s Edge on April 16.
The Zoning Commission deferred action on an application to convert the former Scrapbooking store’s retail space into a Gowrie Group Wellness Center.
On April 25, a prank paint job on Senior Rock at Westbrook High School that favored candidate Donald Trump led to community objections about fairness and appropriateness.
Another rock, Col. Worthington’s Rock at Water’s Edge, received a historic marker for its place in history.
The BOS voted to renew the town’s contract with the firm Hog Wild to operate the Westbrook Town Beach concession stand for $3,500 in summer 2017.
On April 30, the Valley Shore YMCA held is 25th annual Healthy Kids Day.
May
The May Garden Market of the Westbrook Garden Club graced the Town Green on May 7.
Dennis Hallahan reported to the BOS that the cost for code-related upgrades and maintenance at the John P. Riggio Building could cost up to $146,000. The tasks include relocation of emergency operations center antennas from the roof to the ground and replacement of the building’s aging roof.
At a May 11 Town Meeting, electors approved the proposed town and school budgets totaling $29.4 million; this will raise spending by 1.7 percent.
On May 12, the Town of Westbrook held a public information meeting at the Westbrook Public Library to discuss the map proposed for the designation of a town center-area state historic district.
On May 14, Westbrook High School’s juniors and seniors held their prom at Water’s Edge.
At a BOS meeting, the Westbrook Foundation was honored for its many community contributions; the selectmen also approved a new three-year contract with Greenscape of Clinton to maintain town and school fields for $159,000 in the 2016-2017 year. On May 26, the BOS had a public hearing on policing in Westbrook.
Westbrook held its annual Memorial Day parade on May 30.
The firm Monument Conservaton Collaborative began restoring gravestones that vandals damaged in October 2015 at the Old Burying Ground on Old Clinton Road.
June
On June 6, the Selectmen asked the town’s Police Advisory/Traffic Authority to make recommendations on policing in Westbrook while considering input gathered during the public hearing.
Westbrook High School graduated 62 seniors this month.
At a June 22 Town Meeting, electors appropriated $100,000 for upgrades to the John P. Riggio Building on the Town Green.
July
The town and the 13-member union for town hall employees settled on the terms of a new three-year contract that gives them annual raises of 2.5 percent.
The annual Firemen’s Carnival was held at Ted Lane Field and the annual Boat Show and Food Truck Festival at Tanger Outlets.
The Valley Shore Y marked 100 years with a plan to document its history with old Y memorabilia.
The Zoning Commission approved the town’s parking lot plan in the center of town at Knothe Road and Boston Post Road.
July 14 was a deadline for the town to receive statements of qualifications for environmental engineering consultants able to do assessment work for 88 Pond Meadow Road site.
Fire Marshall George Rehberg and the Town of Westbrook reached an agreement to end his town employment. He had been out on administrative leave since Feb. 10.
The Lee Company celebrated its founder’s 100th birthday on July 8.
August
Moody’s reaffirmed the town’s favorable Aa2 bond rating for the $2.45 million bond refunding sale; the proceeds will provide $1.5 million for three fire pumper trucks; $55,000 for bond sale financing costs; $235,000 in added funding for town bridge projects; $300,000 to install air conditioning at Westbrook Middle School; and $140,000 to re-pave two school parking areas.
Fife and drum corps again gathered for the annual Muster and Parade organized by Westbrook Drum Corps.
VISTA Life Innovations graduated 15 students from the VISTA Discover Program.
Both Westbrook High School and Daisy Ingraham Elementary School sites were closed to the public, to complete summer construction work.
Finished this month was a new bocce ball court at the Mulvey Center; it was Justin Heilmann’s Eagle Scout project, completed in coordination with the town’s Public Works Department and with financial support from a $3,000 Westbrook Foundation grant.
Schools opened Aug. 31.
The Westbrook Senior Center initiated a new senior medical ID program with support from the Westbrook Foundation.
The BOS voted to remove the proposed blight ordinance from the November ballot and reconsider action in spring 2017. Town Building Official David Maiden presented three scenarios for town enforcement of the noise ordinance; the BOS voted to choose the one that would send complaints to Maiden to resolve.
September
George Pytlik organized a public auction of surplus town firetrucks and other inventory items on Sept. 17.
Shira Levin filmed scenes for her new movie Good Grief AKA Starfish
in Westbrook.
The David Mathus family celebrated its historic home’s 250th year with a Colonial era day and guided tours of the Pond Meadow home.
The BOS as of Sept. 7, placed Finance Director Andrew Urban; on Sept. 8, the selectmen then voted to terminate his employment, citing performance issues. The board began a search for a new finance director.
The Zoning Commission weighed the Gowrie Group’s modified health club plan for the former Scrapbooking retail storefront. Also discussed was an application to land a Planned Residential Development District (PRDD) over seven acres of land at the end of Meadowbrook Extension.
Ron Lyman asked the BOS to let him buy property at 1112 Boston Post Road that is adjacent to the Lyman Real Estate Development office at 1160 Boston Post Road. The proposal faced stiff public opposition at a later meeting.
The town’s three new fire pumper trucks arrived and entered active service on Sept. 17.
The town chose Woodward and Curran to conduct the brownfields assessment and remedial action plan for the former autowreckers’s site at 88 Pond Meadow Road; the BOS also voted to designate an area encompassing three barrier islands of Salt, Menuketesuck, and Duck as the Tom ODell Wildlife and Conservation Area.
The Westbrook Garden Club held its annual Mum Market sale on the Town Green.
October
The Westbrook Garden Club, the Town Center Revitalization Committee, and the Westbrook Foundation unveiled the results of project to renovate the planting beds around the Memorial Library on the Town Green and to install a fenced concrete pad for a handicapped-accessible portable rest room.
The Westbrook Elks Lodge #1784 raised $45,000 to fight breast cancer at its annual Beach Jam for Breast Cancer Patient Care
. Checks for $22,500 each were delivered by Exalted Ruler Rick Sheldon in an Oct. 17 ceremony to Smilow Cancer Center and to the Cancer Center of Middlesex Hospital.
The Zoning Commission denied the application to land a Planned Residential Development District over seven acres at the end of Meadowbrook Extension.
On Oct. 13, state and local officials, residents and volunteers honored Tom ODell for his half-century of volunteer leadership for conservation and open space preservation.
Bids for construction of the new Town Center parking lot at Knothe Road and the Boston Post Road were due Oct. 14. The lowest bid was submitted by Xenelis Construction for $331,141.
At the request of the Westbrook Foundation, the BOS returned grants worth $58,500 for the long-delayed kayak launch fishing dock.
The BOS selected Donna Castracane of Guilford as the town’s new finance director. She started on Dec. 5.
November
In the November elections, it was a Republican sweep: State Senator Art Linares, Jr. (R-33) State Representative Devin Carney (R-23), and State Representative Jesse MacLachlan (R-35) were re-elected.
A community of volunteers, spearheaded by the Elks Lodge Veterans Committee and the House of Heroes, rallied around Westbrook Navy veteran Pat Gorski to replace the failing roof at her home on Old Clinton Road. This work culminates two years of volunteer work to help make her house safer and more habitable.
Townspeople mourned the loss of the historic structure known as The Old Store, the H.L. Clark Store, and the Kirtland Store on Old Clinton Road when owner/developer Brian Faucher demolished it starting Nov. 29.
At a special meeting, the BOS heard presentations on the work of the Westbrook Visiting Nurses; after this, the BOS agreed the group was a valuable town asset to retain.
At a Nov. 21 Town Meeting, a new schedule of building fees was adopted. The new rates are effective Jan. 1, 2017.
The town Land Use Department planned to move permitting applications and status tracking online with new cloud-based permitting software in early 2017.
For the 13th year, the Gowrie Group launched a $30,000 Matching Challenge to area businesses and their employees to support Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries.
At a Nov. 21 public meeting, town residents and neighbors to the Fiske Lane tennis courts discussed options: tennis court repair or redevelopment? Placement for the new playscape, already on-site at the Town Garage? Build a dog park?
December
Westbrook’s Holiday Parade and Tree-lighting celebration was held Dec. 4.
The town Assessor and Vision Appraisal representatives continued with informal homeowner hearings to discuss the adjusted home values in revaluation notices sent out in November to property owners.
Significant roof and interior damage due to a fire at a commercial building at 755 Boston Post Road owned by resident and Board of Finance member George Pytlik closed two busineeses this month: Pytlik’s own business, Jet Launderette, a tenant’s business, Cindy’s Wine and Spirits. The fire was likely started by a rubber-backed rug that had been placed in the largest dryer unit.