Board of Selectmen Public Hearing August 12, 2013-Approved

BOARD OF SELECTMEN - PUBLIC HEARING - AUGUST 12, 2013

CALL TO ORDER

The Public Hearing of the Board of Selectmen was called to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Meeting Room of the Simsbury Town Offices.  Present were:  First Selectmen Mary Glassman; Board members Moira Wertheimer, Nancy Haase, Lisa Heavner, Shannon Knall and Sean Askham.  Others in attendance included Tom Cooke, Mary Ann Harris, Sean Kimball, Tom Roy, and other interested parties.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

PUBLIC HEARING

Mr. Askham made a motion to open the Public Hearing to receive comments concerning the proposed Amendments to Simsbury Code of Ordinances, Chapter 133 concerning the Storage, Collection and Disposal of Recyclable Materials.  Ms. Haase seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion passed.

Joan Coe, 26 Whitcomb Drive, said she didn’t know what was old or new as items aren’t marked.  She has some questions on 133-16 and how people are to do recycling.  She feels this is an undue burden on the people by going through five different ways of doing things before they even place items in the recycle bin.  She feels this is going to be difficult.

Ms. Coe said she is concerned about #c and the paying of a fee.  Do the people who bring recyclables to the center pay a fee now?  She said the Recycling place was supposed to be put aside for the poor of Simsbury as part of the Eno Trust.  The Recyclables are supposed to be free to the people.  She feels the prices are ridiculous.  She feels the Town should adhere to the Eno Trust as much as possible.

Robert Kalechman, 971 Hopmeadow Street feels these changes pay little or no attention to the condo owners or tenants in apartments in Town run housing.  He is also concerned about the Eno Trust.  He said there was talk of coming up with a system that in the end of the year people would be given back what was made on whatever was turned in.  He said whoever does the recycling in Town gets paid for it and he wants to know where that money goes to.

Lori Fernand, 15 Camille Lane, said this is the next big step to increasing recycling that provides a return to the Town.  She said that the Public Works Department has assessed all options.  The proposal would allow the Town to use both All Waste and Paine’s.  It is her understanding that both companies have agreed in principal to provide a rebate of $10 per ton on these recyclables.  Ms. Fernand said the contracts will be renewed annually.  Both companies have served the Town very well for a long time now.
Ms. Fernand feels 50% of the rebates should go to the Recycling Committee for an awareness campaign and 50% should be used to assist with hazardous waste collection to offset the costs.  She said the Recycling Committee did want the ordinance to go forward.

There was no further public comment on this issue.

CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING

Ms. Wertheimer made a motion to adjourn the Public Hearing at 7:10 p.m.  Ms. Heavner seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion passed.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary A. Glassman, First Selectman