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Bee Intelligencer Informing the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown A FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Volume VIII, No. 43
Friday, October 19, 2012
EIDC tackles commercial development guidebook By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Economic and Industrial Development Commission (EIDC) at its Oct. 15 special meeting fleshed out plans to create a commercial development guidebook for new and expanding businesses. To prepare for the project, commissioners were asked Sept. 25 to visit the various land use offices, gather forms and interview employees and appointed officials involved in approvals. Co-chairman Gerry Matthews said one objective of the effort was to simplify the processes. He said Planning and Zoning (P&Z) has a one-page application requiring a $25 filing fee and several other required forms depending on the work. He recommended they all be placed on the town website to cut out unnecessary trips to Town Hall. Co-chairman Michael Kenausis suggested the $30 printed zoning regulations also be available online for free. Matthews said recent Planning and Zoning Commission procedural amendments require all commercial use changes to go before the commission, making the process more onerous for simple changes formerly approved by the Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO). Commissioner Joseph Salvini noted limited hours of the Fire Marshall, ZEO and Wetlands Enforcement Officer (WEO) due to reduced staff budgets and the few incoming applications in our small town. Commissioner Frank Mirovsky said he visited WEO Deborah Seavey and learned there were a lot of “it depends” in a process defined by a $15 folder of regulations. Salvini said getting approvals could easily exceed 60 days because applications wait for acceptance at public meetings, and public hearings sometimes continue more than a month before a decision is made. He complimented the land use office staff, saying they guide applicants through the necessary forms. Kenausis passed around a flowchart and recommended it as a method of showing the steps and approvals needed for different situations, but cautioned it could not cover everything. Commissioner Mark Petrucci passed around a guidebook from Georgetown, Mass., as an example to use, and Matthews remarked it covered most of the necessary ground but was much more than a few pages. A follow-up special meeting was set for Monday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. to continue the work, and commissioners were assigned to speak with the Town Engineer, Fire Marshall and Water Pollution Control Authority before that meeting. The next regular EIDC meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Hall conference room, but it may be cancelled if there is no new business.
More than 1,000 people hold lights as they remember PHS senior Tucker Gowen at the PHS track last Thursday night. A Walk of Light was held there to remember Gowen, who lost his battle with leukemia last Tuesday. (Kathleen Riedel photo)
Community remembers PHS senior Tucker Gowen By KATHLEEN RIEDEL A week ago Thursday night, classmates, friends and family congregated on the Pomperaug High School (PHS) track for a Walk of Light memorial in honor of Tucker Gowen. He died Tuesday, Oct. 9. As Truck Gowen said in the eulogy for his son at Saturday’s funeral service, “We rarely remember a person for one thing. Rather we remember a collage of moments, expressions and touches – the look in their eyes, their smile.” In this way friends and teammates remembered Tucker – sharing stories of his constant smile, the way he imitated Michael Jackson’s dance and sang Eminem, played the piano during free blocks and refused to tie his own tie. The evening of remembrances concluded with a candlelight vigil during which field lights were turned off and the community walked the track, holding lights and quietly remembering Tucker. March 24, 2012, after a routine checkup, then 17-year-old Tucker Gowen was diagnosed with
acute myeloid leukemia. Throughout the seven months that followed, Tucker, his family and the community fought hard for Tucker’s life. But Tucker’s fight, his energy and determination were not limited to his battle with cancer. As a member of the PHS band and swim team, Tucker “taught us how a person is really capable of fighting to succeed at a whole new level,” PHS swim coach Fran Pentino said at Thursday’s walk. Twenty years ago, Pentino began the tradition of writing letters to his senior athletes at the end of the season. At Thursday’s Walk of Light, he shared his letter to Tucker with the 1000-plus attendees. “You, Tucker, will always be remembered for your amazing kind heart, your never-ending positive attitude, your competitive spirit and your refreshing innocence you brought to practice, to school and to life every day,” Pentino read. Tucker excelled academically, loved and made music in the band room and on the pool deck and swam with a fervor that helped his
team achieve a 41-1 record as well two South West Conference league and three Class-L state championship titles. His positive energy was contagious and stimulating to his peers and teammates. “He taught me it’s okay to be yourself,” swimmer Tommy McNamara said. “That seemed to be his mission,” fellow band member Claire Boettcher said. “To make people laugh or smile by simply doing what he knew best. Being Tucker.” Tucker was the eldest of five children, and Pentino spoke of the love Tucker showed his brothers and sister. “I saw how seriously you took the job of mentor and big brother. Never did I see you stray from your responsibility as a leader or role model for your siblings or your teammates and other classmates.” “When we think of you,” Boettcher said, “We will swim extra laps, play more beautiful music and smile more often.” Tucker’s funeral service was Saturday, Oct. 13, at Sacred Heart Church in Southbury.
Elderly Tax Relief Committee presents plan; Proulx proposes trust fund By KATHLEEN RIEDEL After three years of work to come up with an acceptable elderly tax relief plan, Paul Babarik of the Elderly Tax Relief Committee presented the committee’s latest plan to the Board of Selectmen (BoS) for approval at Monday night’s meeting. Also at the BoS meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Betty Proulx proposed establishing a trust fund to alleviate the budget strain for the Middlebury Recreation Area (MRA), Middlebury parks and the Greenway. Babarik said the latest elderly tax relief plan uses the State Circuit Breaker (SCB) program as its backbone. Recipients of SCB tax relief – currently 74 Middlebury residents – would apply and qualify for the program through Middlebury Director of Social Services JoAnn Cappelletti. Currently, the program pays out $45,857, an amount reimbursed to Middlebury by the state. Babarik said the new program is rather simple. To receive additional relief, candidates must be 65 or older and participants in the SCB program. Other
qualifications include meeting state income requirements (married couples gross income of $39,000 maximum and singles gross income of $32,300); living in Middlebury 183 days or more per year; living at the same residence for five years or more; owning, paying taxes on and living in the home; as well as being up-to-date on tax payments. Following the BoS rejection of the committee’s former $99,000 income limit, the Elderly Tax Relief Committee has devised three new proposals for aid. The first would provide a flat $500 in additional tax relief. With 74 possible applicants, the maximum exposure to Middlebury would be $36,500. The second would provide 60 percent additional tax relief, creating $27,514 maximum exposure. The third, favored by the committee, offers 50 percent additional relief with $22,928 maximum exposure for the town. Seeking approval for one of the three plans, Babarik asked for further guidance from the BoS. “It was my understanding that we would fall in the $25,000 area,” First Selectman Edward B. St. John responded.
“Basically you have two proposals that fall in that area.” In terms of proper protocol, St. John suggested a meeting between the committee and the Board of Finance (BoF) for further proceedings, with BoF alternate member Dick Spierto acting on the committee’s behalf. “It actually is the town that has to sign off on this. It’s a little complex. This is not really something the Board of Selectmen would officiate. You fall within the guidelines for the monetary amount. The problem is there is a process which will ultimately take a public hearing and a budget approval to finally get it approved. Then it would become a part of the budgetary process,” St. John said. In an effort to move the process forward, St. John revealed $25,000 was put into a reserve account by former board member Francis Ruccio for a similar plan proposed in the past. This money would pay for only year one of the program. Babarik said he will ask Chief Financial Officer Larry Hutvagner about this reserve account. During public comments, Proulx proposed a Parks and Recreation trust
fund that would allow residents donating to the department to receive tax deductions. “My goal is eventually to set up a Friends of the Greenway program. There are a lot of people who use the Greenway who would maybe like to donate to it. And to donate now, they can’t do a tax deduction,” Proulx said. She used the Greenway Committee’s current flowerbed maintenance fundraiser as an example. If the trust fund were established, fundraising money could go into the trust fund to alleviate future budget strain. She also proposed using funds from the snack bar for MRA expenses. Drawing a parallel to the Library Improvement Fund, Selectmen Elaine Strobel expressed concern over how the Parks and Rec fund would be run. “The treasurer signs off on it, but you can do what you want with the money, correct?” St. John agreed. In the past, auditors felt the Library Improvement Fund should be handled by the town’s auditors. All finances and checks would be accounted for by the BoS with the blessing of the library.
“I would recommend very strongly that if you are going to set up a fund, it be under the umbrella of the town, be audited by the town and at your direction the funds would be expended. This is a nice clean way,” St. John said. Parks and Rec Commission Chairman Ron Clark said the committee’s intent “was never to bypass regulations.” St. John said selectmen will revisit the issue at a future meeting. In the interim, he asked Proulx and Clark to consult Hutvagner and the town attorney about how a trust fund would be structured. Earlier in the meeting, selectmen approved the reappointment of Dennis M. Small (R) as Zoning Board of Appeals member from Oct. 6, 2012, to Oct. 6, 2017. Selectman Ralph Barra also announced a Lights on the Greenway meeting Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center. The next regular BoS meeting will be Monday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room.
Library Happenings............2 Nuggets for Life................6 Obituaries.........................5 Parks & Recreation............6 Puzzles.............................7 Region 15 Calendar..........3 Senior Center News...........3 Varsity Sports Calendar......6
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Upcoming Events
Inside this Issue Adoptable Pets..................8 Classifieds.........................7 Community Calendar.........2 Computer Tip....................8 Fire Log.............................2 In Brief..............................4 Legal Notices....................7 Letters to the Editor...........4
Saturday
Oct. 20
SUNday
Oct. 21
All Hollow’s Eve at the Glebe House When: What: Where:
5 to 8:30 p.m. A night of spooky spirits and historic revelations during a tour through the Ancient Burying Grounds. The Glebe House Museum at 49 Hollow Road in Woodbury
Middlebury Volunteer Fire Dept. Open House
When: 1 to 5 p.m. What: Tour fire trucks and ambulances, watch fire safety demos, raffle at 4 p.m. Where: Tucker Hill Road Firehouse
SWC fills backpacks for those in need
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