Volume 19, Number 43
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
www.TownTimes.com
Friday, March 6, 2015
Solar farm contract delayed, controversy continues By Mark Dionne
sion, the selectmen voted to table the decision on the contract until questions were Argument and concern answered. The public comment secover a potential solar farm at the corner of Haddam Quar- tion of the meeting lasted one ter Road and Brick Lane con- hour and 40 minutes, almost tinued at the Durham Board all of it devoted to the solar of Selectmen meeting on farm. The solar farm, an idea March 2. A vote to sign a contract put forward by the Clean Enwith the company running ergy and Sustainability Task the potential solar farm, one Force, would be built and of the remaining steps in the maintained by Green Skies, process, drew more than 40 a private Middletown-based members of the public to the company. Under the potenmeeting. After a lengthy and, tial agreement, Green Skies at times, contentious discus- would then sell the generated Town Times
electricity back to the town at a reduced rate to run up to 10 municipal and public safety accounts for a 20-year agreement. Green Skies would also collect certain credits and tax exemptions. Many of the objections continued to center around property values and the placement in a residential neighborhood. “No one can tell me what’s going to happen with our property ... and we’re all facing that for the rest of our See Solar / Page 6
DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN?
A crowd fills the meeting room of Durham’s Town Hall on March 2 to discuss the proposed solar farm. | Mark Dionne / Town Times
Trooper still focus of school budget By Mark Dionne Town Times
Lyman Orchards held its 43rd annual WinterFest Feb. 28 and March 1. The “Frozen”themed event included a sing-a-long, meet-and-greet and photo op with Elsa, Anna and Olaf from the movie “Frozen.” The weekend entertainment also included ice-carving demonstrations, contests and games, face painting and much more. Pictured: As a steady snow fell March 1, Elsa and Anna entertained a large crowd of “Frozen” fans. | Photo by Brett Bogdan
At the Board of Education meeting held on Feb. 25, the first meeting after Superintendent Kathryn Veronesi presented the proposed 20152016 school budget, much of the attention and discussion concerned the addition of a School Resource Officer. The budget proposed on Feb. 11 totaled $36,218,006, a 2.96 percent increase over the current budget. That figure has since decreased. As business manager Ron Melnik explained, the increase for health insurance costs went from 12 percent to 9 percent, saving the district $120,513 and landing the proposed budget at a 2.61 percent increase. According to Melnik, health insurance costs are based on a sample of months and the most recent review was more favorable. That 9
percent increase is capped for next year. Veronesi led the BOE through presentations based on the board’s previous questions. The lengthiest presentation, and the subject that dominated the rest of the budget discussion, concerned the School Resource Officer. “The area of safety and security is the most important to me because I believe that that’s the foundation on which teaching and learning are built,” Veronesi told the BOE. According to Veronesi’s presentation, State Troopers choose to be School Resource Officers and undergo seven days of school-specific training that covers areas such as school-based laws, bullying behavior, suicide crisis intervention, gang activity, Internet safety, disaster and emergency response, and See Budget / Page 12