There is a saying that goes “you have to spend money to make money.” That saying applied somewhat to two of the resolutions considered, and ultimately passed, at a special town meeting this week.

The first issue at hand required residents’ approval of a $1.6 million dollar appropriation for drainage and other improvements on Todd Drive. The second resolution – an appropriation of $2.15 million – is for the extension of Valley Service Road. Both of those projects will be funded through a combination of state and federal grants as well as town money. The town is slated to receive a $600,000 reimbursement from the state for the Todd Drive drainage project and $1.6 million from the federal government for the Valley Service Road project. However, in both instances the town must begin the work before it will get those reimbursements.

“The fact is that we have confirmed that that money is there for us,” said First Selectman Janet McCarty. “Sixty seven percent of the funding for these two projects is from state and federal grants, but we need to borrow the money to start the projects.”

McCarty voiced her support for all five of the resolutions on the agenda for the Monday night town meeting, and said that it was important to finally fix the flooding problems that have plagued Todd Drive residents for years.

“This project has been stuck in town hall for a long time,” she said, “and people have been very patient.”

Selectman Michael Freda agreed, noting that the problems have affected the 39 homes along the roadway. He explained that two archaic pipes need to be replaced, and will be replaced with larger versions. The extra one-foot in diameter space will give the pipes greater capacity to move the water out of the neighborhood, Freda said.

Residents, 124 in total, voted unanimously to approve the $1.6 million appropriation.

Residents question development

While there was little discussion about the Todd Drive project, residents had more to say about the extension of Valley Service Road. The road currently ends with a cul de sac, and town officials propose an extension of the road by about 950 feet, connecting it to Routes 5 and 22. The goal of the project is to make accessible the more than 100 acres of land in that area for future development.

Several residents, however, questioned whether the property was able to be developed. Gary Zempel said the are was full of swamp and flood plains, and asked if there was a development plan in place.

“Has anyone though whether this is a good idea to develop this land,” Zempel questioned. “We’re spending a great deal of money to develop swamp land.”

Sherman Katz noted that this is the same area where developers wanted to build a mall more than 20 years ago. At the time, he said, the Army Corps of Engineers said they couldn’t build it because of wetlands.

“What makes us think we can build on this land now,” said Katz.

Charlie Wicklein went so far as to say the extension of Valley Service Road was “a gift to Mickey Rabina,” who at one time was considering developing the nearby Pratt and Whitney site.

Jonathan Bodwell, the town engineer, noted that there are 12 developed properties currently on Valley Service Road, and said his office has received several inquiries from developers who are interested in further developing there..

“There is a considerable amount of wetlands there,” Bodwell said, “but there is also a considerable amount of uplands to be developed.”

Freda also expressed his support for the extension of Valley Service Road. “The future of economic development in that area is contingent upon the extension of that road,” he said.

He also told residents that given the economic climate, if the town did not utilize the grant money being offered it would lose it.

“We’re putting ourselves in a position to catapult into the future of economic development,” Freda said.

The appropriation was handily passed by residents, but still had some dissenters with a 106 to 23 vote.

Library’s leaky roof

Opinions differed among residents, town officials and experts on the actual condition of the library’s roof, whether or not to repair it, and how.

The library, which was only recently rebuilt in 2001, has been plagued with a leaky roof almost immediately after construction was complete.

Richard Kirby, of Kaestle Boos Associates, Inc., said the corrosion of the roof is “superficial” and that it will likely last another 10 to 15 years. Kaestle Boos examined the roof and reported on its condition and the specific repairs needed.

“Though there are major problems with the roof, it isn’t the roof itself, it is the intersection of the roof with the brick veneers,” Kirby said.

While industry standards call for metal flashing, the contractor who installed the roof used rubber flashings, Kirby said, and they are “falling apart.” Kirby suggested taking the brick walls apart in two-feet staggered sections in order to replace the flashings.

The Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance recommended using $100,000 from the unappropriated fund balance to pay for the repairs.

Kirby noted that the bidding climate right now is such that the estimated $97,000 price tag will likely come in much lower.

Florence Sinow said she was concerned that the money to pay for this repair would come out of the town’s fund balance. She said the fund was set up as a “safety net” many years ago.

“I think we should be very careful before we start drawing any more money out of that fund,” Sinow said.

Gerry Feinberg felt differently. For years, the library roof has been patched with “bubble gum” repairs, he said, and now is the time to fix it once and for all. “This $100,000 is not going to put us in the poor house, and it’s not going to affect our fund balance,” Feinberg said. “Fixing the roof, instead of trying to patch it again, is the right thing to do.”

Library director Lois Baldoni said it’s not just the leaks that concern her, but inefficient snow guards on the roof that cause collected snow to fall like avalanches. “Without these improvements I can tell you we have a tragedy waiting to happen,” she said.

With a majority of votes in favor, this resolution also passed.

Two more yes votes

Two additional resolutions were put to a vote at the town meeting, and both were passed unanimously.

The first increased the amount which would require a public bid for contracts for the town or the Board of Education, from $1,000 to $7,500. The second increased the property tax credit for the elderly and permanently disabled from $300 to $350. McCarty explained that this increase in tax credits will mean about $30,000 less in revenue for the town, but at the same time will be a help to those who need it.