Simsbury, CT - March 14, 2006

The Board of Finance Public Hearing on Capital Improvement Projects was called to order at 7:30 PM in the Simsbury High School auditorium. The following members were present: Moderator Paul Henault, Peter Askham, Candace Fitzpatrick, Nicholas Mason, and Kevin North. Member Anita Mielert was absent. Also present were BOE Business Manager, David Holden; School Superintendent, Dr. Diane Ullman; Board of Education Chairman, Richard Hogan; Deputy First Selectman Joel Mandell; Finance Director/Treasurer Kevin Kane; Town Engineer Richard Sawitzke; Library Director Susan Bullock; Chairman of the Library Board of Directors Charmaine Glew; Head of Reference/Adult Services James Miller; and other interested parties.

Mr. Henault introduced the members of the Board of Finance, Mr. Mandell, Mr. Hogan, Dr. Ullman, Mr. Holden, and Mr. Kane. He noted that the purpose of the Public Hearing was to review the BOS and BOE Capital Projects and to solicit input from the public. He also stated that this Public Hearing would be dealing with only 2006-07 projects, but that any questions that came up regarding the six-year capital plan would be addressed. He noted that, according to the Town Charter, the public is to be heard regarding appropriations, which is the purpose of the Public Hearing.

Mr. Henault noted that the debt policy from the Board of Finance was to keep the percentage of principal and interest payments as a percentage of the operating budget to be 5%-7%. This policy was adopted by the Board of Finance in 1989, when the amount had gone up to 12% of the operating budgets. It was the intent of the Board of Finance to reduce that percentage and keep it reduced so that there was a steady supply of funding available for projects as they came up. The intent was not to prohibit major projects, such as the high school renovation, which did for a period exceed 7%.

1. Sewer extension plan for design and construction of sanitary sewers, including installation of sanitary sewers, sewer mains, laterals, rehabilitation of existing sewer lines on portions of Bushy Hill Road and other areas. The sewers to be constructed are subject to final approval by the Simsbury Water Pollution Control Authority. These funds will not be bonded; the funds will be expended from the Sewer Assessment Fund, which is paid for only by property owners with property with sewer lines.

3. Library expansion (19,600 square feet) and renovation (23,000 square feet), including doubling the size of the children’s area, additional parking spaces, expanding the teen and business resource centers, accommodating 50,000 additional materials, expanding conference room and staff space, expanding program room space by 50%, installation of self-service check in/check out systems and a drive-up book drop. The total funding of $6,100,000 would be through $4,600,000 of bonding, $1,000,000 from reserves and $500,000 from a State grant.

Mr. Mandell introduced Charmaine Glew, the Chairman of the Library Board of Directors, who presented additional information. Ms. Glew stated that the current library was built in 1985. It was well suited to meeting the needs of the community at the time, but today needs renovating, refurbishing and modernizing to meet the needs of a changed community. It is too small to hold the materials that patrons now request, lacks modern technology and is no longer compliant with regulations.

Ms. Glew stated that their experience is that the use of the library has increased since the advent of the internet. Faced with so much information, users consult librarians to formulate their reference and searches. Studies show that users still like the book format vs. a downloadable format and few books are currently downloadable. During the next 20 years, it is expected that more media will be downloadable, users will be more sophisticated, and wireless access will be widely available. Consumer preferences will change and, by adding flexible space, the library will be able to adapt more easily to the change as it occurs.

Ms. Glew stated that a number of alternatives were considered for the project, such as moving to another building or opening a satellite library, but proved to be too costly. A phased enlargement would not be eligible for state grant funds. The library, in its present location, is in the Town’s plan of development and is strongly preferred by the majority of patrons surveyed.

Ms. Glew introduced James Miller, Head of Reference/Adult Services at the Library. Mr. Miller stated that the Simsbury Public Library is one of the busiest public libraries in the State per capita. Approximately 60% of the entire Town has a library card. The Library serves a wide demographic population. Mr. Miller stated that the simplest way to state the need for the project is that the library is out of room. It is currently operating at 120% of shelf capacity, which translates to books literally falling off the shelves. The Library’s holdings have increase from 80,000 to 150,000 volumes in twenty years of operation. Also, circulation has almost doubled in the last twenty years. The Library now supports new formats that did not previously exist, such as DVD’s, CD’s, VHS tapes, computer programs, and a large print collection. New technologies must be contended with using the same space. Public use computers have increased from 4 to 29.

Mr. Miller showed slides of torn carpets, leaky windows, and the space issues on the shelves. Due to safety and accessibility concerns, they would prefer not putting books on the top and lowest shelves and the shelving has been pushed too close together to be ADA compliant. Also the building is in need of the usual 20-year improvements, such as a new boiler, new air conditioning and air handling as well as the addition of a sprinkler system so that the collections and patrons are adequately protected.

· Adding a new technology area (a classroom where each student would have a computer as well as an instructor in front of the room). There are many electronic resources available through the library that are not available to the general public, which currently can not be fully utilized as there is not adequate space to teach them to patrons. Further, the internet has not obviated the need for the Library; the explosion of information has created a situation where the Library is ideally placed to be a teacher and arbiter in this new area of information. A technology lab can be used to teach everything from how to use a computer to advanced electronic research techniques.

1. The computer technology plan involves the installation of an inter-building fiber-optic connection that would allow the transfer of information from school to school at increased speed. This initial installation would involve a connection between the high school, Henry James, Central School and Town Hall, replacement and/or expansion of network servers, switches and network equipment and updating some of the computer monitoring equipment and battery backups.

2. The Tariffville School renovation project was the result of a meeting of the Board of Education and the residents of Tariffville in which their needs for the school were discussed. It was very clear to the BOE that the residents of Tariffville embrace that school tremendously and, in many ways, the school serves as a town center and is a building that is used year round. The educational program at Tariffville School has been impacted by the lack of space for programs. Since 1984, there has only been a roof replacement and very minor renovations and, for the last three years, the kindergarten program has been relocated to Central School. Because of inadequate ventilation and old windows, temperatures typically reach into the 90’s in spring and fall.

The addition/renovation project would include replacing the modular classrooms, adding one regular classroom, special education and tutorial space, adding boys’ and girls’ bathrooms, enclosing the courtyard, renovating and expanding the main office and the nurse’s office, replacing the windows and ventilation and adding a new sprinkler system and making code corrections.

Mr. Henault reviewed the impact of the proposed projects on cost to the taxpayers of Simsbury. The proposed bonding for the projects would be approximately $10,260,000 using a ten-year bond with a blended interest rate of 4.6%. The average resident assumption is based on an assessment of $175,000 (home value of $250,000). The net taxable grand list being used is $1.9 billion. Mr. Henault noted that the governor’s car tax proposal would lower that figure if enacted. The assumed tax collection rate is 98%. The annual debt service would be $1,285,000 over a period of years. There are no projects on the six-year capital plan for next year due to the two-year lead time required for the Tariffville School project. Using the above assumptions, the projected cost to the average citizen would be $116. The governor’s proposal could adjust that number slightly.

Mr. Henault stated that $117 million of capital projects have been approved over the past ten years. Approximately $46 million has been on the Town side (primarily the Sewer Treatment plant, Simsbury Farms, Police Dept. renovation, development rights and open space acquisitions) and approximately $70 million has been on the BOE side (primarily the high school project, the Henry James expansion, Central School, Tootin Hills School and various computer upgrades).

Joan Coe, 26 Whitcomb Drive, stated that expenditures are rising for the general public as well as the Town relative to electricity, gasoline, and health care. She felt that the elected officials were disregarding the signs in the economy, namely that the cost of living is going up and the ability to pay is reduced. She felt that all the projects proposed would increase the Town’s debt for at least ten years. Ms. Coe felt that money for improvements to the parks should be paid for by the users and that the Town’s facilities were being given away to outside vendors without any measurable return and suggested a Special Revenue Fund for all revenues collected and no more than that amount should be spent on park improvements. Relative to the library expansion, Ms. Coe felt that the 19,600 square foot addition to the Library was determined in order to qualify for a State grant and then a consultant was hired to back into and justify the need for the expansion. She felt that the only real need was to reconfigure the present library to meet the needs within the present 23,000 square feet and some interior redecorating and updating the shelves with more timely materials. Ms. Coe also felt that the Tariffville renovation was not needed due to declining enrollment and that modular classrooms have served the school well. She also asked why computer technology, which changes every year, is not included in the operating budget. Finally, she asked if the security upgrades would include installing cameras on school buses.

Cathy Cockcroft, 85 Plank Hill Road, stated that she has been a resident of Simsbury for 19.5 years and that she has served on the Library Board and serves on the Advisory Council for Long-Range Planning and Development for the State and as director of the Canton Public Library. Ms. Cockcroft stated that re-arranging the shelves will not fix the problem at the Simsbury Public Library. She has heard that Simsbury residents visit the Canton Library daily because there is a space shortage in the Children’s Library, but that they must serve Canton residents first.

Bert Kaplan, 3 Lionel Drive, stated that the 19,000 additional square foot space requirement was the result of a space study that was done by an independent library space consultant who interviewed staff members, conducted focus groups with Town residents of all ages, reviewed Simsbury patron surveys, studied the Town’s economic development plan, reviewed the Library’s current usage and programs, and spent many hours in the Library. After completing his studies, he concluded that at least 19,600 square feet were required to meet the needs over the next 20 years. If the square footage were to be cut, it would also be necessary to cut back on the services and programs that the Library would be able to offer, which would impair its ability to fully meet the needs of the community. In addition, it is likely that any future expansion programs would need to be accelerated, thereby increasing the longer term costs to the Town as well losing the $500,000 State grant and the $500,000 matching grant from the Friends of the Simsbury Public Library.

Gail Ryan, 20 Westledge Road, stated that she has been a member of the Library Board since 1992 and has been a public librarian and is now a school librarian. Ms. Ryan stated that a library is a key component to a town’s center and is a tremendous benefit to its citizens of all ages. Simsbury Library has been recognized in the past as one of the top libraries in the country, but it is falling behind and is out of space for its materials. Ms. Ryan stated that, what many people do not know is, libraries are used differently today; studies show that library users spend twice as much time as they used to, using not only reference books, but also sophisticated databases. The users want and ask instruction to use these materials. The library has become a real town center and deserves to be one its citizens can be proud of. Ms. Ryan stated that the Library Board has worked for eight years to bring forth a responsible plan to provide for a library for the 21^st century and asked that the Town please allow this project to go forward to referendum and then vote at the referendum.

Mona Herman, 45 Fox Den Road, stated that she has lived in Simsbury for almost 25 years and is a lawyer who works in Town and has had three children go through the school system and used the Library. Although she admits to grumbling every time she has to write out her tax payment, she supports all the capital projects like the golf course, Simsbury High School or the band shell whether or not she actually uses them because they all make Simsbury what it is. A public library, along with all the other projects in Town, tell people what this Town holds dear, which includes education and learning. She asked that the Library not be short changed.

Julie Meyer, 3 Eastview Drive, asked if the Board of Finance will on an annual basis offer a public session in the fall prior to the Board’s deliberation and vote to send capital projects forward to referendum. She asked if it was safe to assume that, due to the two major projects moving forward this year, there would not be any significant capital projects for the next 4-5 years in order to maintain the 7% debt ratio. Also, she expressed concern over some security issues that could occur at Henry James that perhaps might not be covered by the proposed enhanced security cameras due to the fact that the entranceways are not visible from the office.

Mr. Henault responded that the BOF will discuss the possibility of holding a public session in the fall, but reminded Ms. Meyer that all of these projects that come to the BOF originate from the BOS or the BOE, both of which have public audience at all of their meetings and that there is opportunity as the budgets develop to comment on any proposed projects. Mr. Henault also gave a quick overview of the six-year plan, noting that projects often get moved around within the plan for a variety of reasons. He summarized the future project requests as follows:

Jewel Gutman, 8 Daniel Lane, stated that she has lived in Simsbury since 1961. She noted that the Library is a tremendous draw during the day, which benefits the merchants and serves the community as its town center. It hosts meetings, allows students access to all sorts of media and activities, encourages pre-schoolers to numerous events and serves the business community with its Resource Center. But the Library needs room to grow. The Library does not want to remove books from the shelves in order to put new books there and it wants to be able to accept gift collections for which there is presently no room. The Library wants to be ADA-compatible so that those in wheelchairs can still navigate around the Library and the Library does not want to have to turn people away when they hold special programs because the Program Room is too small. Ms. Guttman stated that Simsbury is a town of educated people who value the resources that we have and, as such, it must also take action when those resources are too limited to properly serve our citizens. She urged the BOF to forward the library project toward referendum so that all the people of Simsbury could be heard on this matter.

Carolyn Clement, 8 Bradley Road, stated that she is a Tariffville School parent as well as a library volunteer. She encouraged support for the Tariffville School project. She said that she attended a meeting at Tariffville School about 8 years ago, where plans for a much needed renovation were presented. Unfortunately, none of those plans, although clearly needed at the time, ever came to fruition and her pre-schooler at the time is now in middle school. She noted that there is only one boys’ bathroom in the entire school and that the “temporary” modular classrooms that were installed in 1984 are still in place. The layout of the office designed in 1925 is no longer adequate to meet the technology and security needs of the students who attend. The health office needs more privacy. But one of the most pressing needs for her is space, so that kindergartners do not have to go across Town and are able to attend the same school as their siblings. She asked for the Town’s support in moving this renovation forward so that all its students are provided with a safe and adequate school building.

Kathy Miller, 21 Old Barge Road, stated that she is the president of the Friends of the Simsbury Public Library. She asked for the Town’s support in the library project and thanked Library Board members, past and present, for their persistence in bringing this project forward and successfully applying and re-applying for a highly competitive State grant and obtaining the maximum amount available. She encouraged the Board of Finance to bring this project forward to the voters. She stated that the project has been very carefully planned and reflects the needs of the community, one whose values include life-long learning.

John Nagy, 3 Red Hill Road, Tariffville, stated that he supported both the Library and the Tariffville School project. He felt both projects have been passed over many times in the budget process and that now their time has come. He also noted that Tariffville School consistently produces the highest performing elementary students in the Town of Simsbury. He felt that Tariffville School is critical to the revitalization of Tariffville and deserves a renovation befitting its stature in the community. He thanked the BOS and BOF for their support of this project.

Liz Carey, 1 West Street, stated that she is a passionate supporter of the Library project and wanted to reinforce a point made earlier, namely that the Library project is an equal beneficiary project. Many of the Town’s prior projects, although certainly needed and beneficial to the Town, tended to benefit one segment of the population – geographical location, sports buffs vs. culture, old vs. young, residents with school children vs. those without. However, this project benefits everyone and anyone who votes for this project makes winners of us all.

George Richards, 11 Buttonwood Drive, stated that the need for the Library renovation can not be questioned. The need goes back several years and he encouraged anyone who does not agree to go to the Library and view the problems for themselves. He stated that a very good plan has been put together over a long period of time and its financing fits in well with the Town’s budget.

Margaret Shanks, 2 Briarwood Drive, stated that she supports both projects and that she does not want to see the Town get in a position of having to play catch-up. She stated that the Board of Finance is to be commended for the systematic approach it has taken to capital programs. She stated that she appreciated Mrs. Coe’s concerns relative to the economy, but that it is a State-wide problem and that we, as a town, have to step up to the plate and keep Simsbury a Class A community.

Jerry Lintner, 22 Massaco Street, stated that a sense of community is difficult for a town that has experienced a large amount of growth to maintain. His differing experiences in various libraries in different communities throughout the years have showed him that they reflect the values of that community. He noted that, although serving as a community center may not have been the Library’s traditional value or purpose, it is, in today’s communities, part of why ideal places to live rank very highly the quality of the library. He stated that Simsbury’s library has been great in the past and can be that again. He encouraged everyone to vote for the library expansion.

Mary Nordstrom, 7 Hopmeadow Street, stated that she was skeptical about the need for the library addition and stated that libraries in the area are enormous and are more in the nature of community centers. She is not sure where Simsbury’s future is going and thought they had picked the best school system, but now all the programs for the gifted and talented have been jettisoned. She felt there is so much focus on Town projects and that it is at the expense of the school system. She expressed a concern about the state of Latimer Lane and noted that there is mold in the modular classrooms. She stated that she is scared that money is going everywhere else but education and that the Simsbury education system may be at the end of an era and that newcomers may be shopping around for other areas to live as a result.

Marjorie Carlson, 121 Hedgehog Lane, stated that she was supportive of the library expansion. She said that, when she served as a tutoring program volunteer, it was difficult to find a quiet area for her assigned student, who was easily distractible. She said that she found the book discussion groups to be interesting and horizon expanding. She stated that libraries can and should exist for more than just loaning books. She said that the Library is a quality of life issue and it is in our self-interest to maintain it and be competitive with other communities.

Jack Sennott, 23 Adams Road, stated that he is a member of the Board of Education. He noted that the BOE is very supportive of the Library project. Although the tax system often results in the pitting of one project against another in conjunction with what can be afforde, he noted that the Library is probably the most significant place in Town where the entire spectrum of the Town gets together and is an educational resource for students and for the Town in general. He stated that it is great that all three boards feel that both the BOE project and the Library project can move forward and that it is fiscally responsible to do it. He stated that this is not a time to pit education vs. the Library because the Library is an educational program as well.

Mr. Henault then summarized the next steps of the budget process. He noted that the BOS and the BOE have already submitted their six-year capital plans and that the BOF has until 3/22/06 to approve the legal language, but has decided to take them up tonight at a Special Meeting immediately following the Public Hearing. He noted that the Board of Selectmen must then approve any legal language that is sent to them by the BOF. Also a Legal Notice must be published in the newspaper by 3/31/06. The projects must go to the Planning Commission and then there is a Special Town Meeting. There is a Special Town Meeting set for May 2^nd. The automatic referendum date has not yet been set and is set by the Board of Selectmen and will be either May 16^th or May 23^rd.