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01/08/2018 11:00 PMAt a special town meeting on Jan. 3, Clinton residents voted in favor of two resolutions to reassign money from a bonding package first approved in May to allow for the removal of fuel tanks around town, and the completion of a bulkhead at the Fire Department at a cost of $292,400.
The money for the projects is left over from projects that came in under budget that were part of a bonding package voters approved in May.
Approximately 40 residents gathered in Town Hall to discuss the two resolutions. The first resolution asked “that the scope of the resolution approved by the voters on May 10, 2017 is hereby changed to add the Fuel Tank Removal Project for the approximate amount of $230,000, such additional projects to be financed by the original bond authorization of $7,120,000 from savings generated from the original projects.”
The vote, conducted by paper ballot, was tallied at 27 votes for the resolution, and 11 against. During the allotted time for public comment on the issue, one resident, Kirk Carr, spoke. Carr called the move to amend the bonding package “a bait and switch.” Carr also voiced his displeasure that “45 people can overturn the will of 3,000 people,” referring to the turnout of the original bond referendum.
Approval of the resolution means the town can now remove several expired, underground, fuel oil tanks for which it had recently received Department of Energy & Environmental Protection violation notices. Superintendent of Schools Maryann O’Donnell said she anticipated the removal of the fuel tanks at the old Morgan School, the Pierson School, and The Joel School to take place in the late spring.
The second resolution asked “that the scope of the resolution approved by the voters on May 10, 2017 is hereby changed to add the completion costs for the Bulkhead Project in the approximate amount of $62,400, such additional projects to be financed by the original bond authorization of $7,120,000 from savings generated from the original projects.” This vote was taken by a show of hands rather than by paper ballot, with a visible majority supporting the resolution. Two speakers addressed the crowd before the vote.
Fire Chief Brian Manware spoke in favor of the project, which would buttress the barrier between Clinton’s downtown fire house and the adjacent Indian River.
“The bulkhead directly effects the safety of my agency,” Manware said. “If it does not pass, I’ll have to close my side parking lot.”
Manware said the issue has been going on for 10 years. Carr again spoke, also opposing this resolution. Carr called the process “very sloppy” and said the project was “raiding the bond fund.”
At the budget referendum on May 10, voters approved a $7,120,000 bonding package for various improvements around the town. The official wording of the resolution the voters passed was: “Shall the Town of Clinton appropriate $7,120,000 for the cost of the (a) planning, design, construction, reconstruction and repair of various bridges (b) the repair of the ramp and dredging of the Town Dock (c) roofing projects at various schools (d) the construction and reconstruction of sidewalks and (e) repair and/or construction of the Department of Public Works Fuel Farm all in the Town including, all surveys, alterations, repairs and improvements in connection therewith and engineering, architectural and temporary and permanent financing costs related thereto, and authorize the issuance of bonds, notes or other obligations in the amount of $7,120,000 to finance such appropriation.”