Politics & Government
Calling All Sailors!
The Ellington Board of Selectmen approved a regatta permit application and then held its regular meeting.
A public hearing was held on Monday in Ellington to discuss the application of the Crystal Lake Sailing Club for a regatta permit.
The public hearing was an open and closed event as no one attended the hearing to comment on the application.
Every Sunday from June 5 through October 16, sailboats would be permitted to hold races and regattas on between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
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During that time there are no motor boats allowed on the lake and the regatta has been held for years at the lake.
At the meeting that followed the hearing, the permit application was put through.
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"It's the purpose for being here tonight," First Selectman Maurice Blanchette said regarding the regatta application.
The board then finished up some business, approving every item under new business except for a request, which was tabled until the next meeting instead.
Tax refunds and abatements for the amount of $2,003.41 for the month of April were approved.
Contracts for resident troopers were approved by the board. The contracts date from July 1, 2011 until June 30, 2015 and include five positions.
Blanchette said the town has a 30-day option to drop out of the state program, but that would entail setting up a police department for Ellington. Blanchette also said that the Sergeant suggested the town simply sign the contracts.
“They’re supposed to be comparable, roughly, to what it was two years ago,” Blanchette said.
Selectman John Turner said, “We don’t have any option.”
A contract was awarded to Communities Opportunities Group, or COP, for the Small Cities Grant Application. COP won the bid over Lisa Lohan Associates because the board felt COP was better suited for Ellington.
A public hearing was set for May 11 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss the Small Cities Grant.
The Board of Education requested two vehicles to be donated to Kidsafe. Selectman James Prichard asked why the town would give the vehicles away.
Interim Director Peter Michaud told the board about an auction that would buy the town’s vehicles. They sell on Tuesdays and the town would have a check by that Thursday.
However, since it was the Board of Education’s request to donate the vehicles without knowing about the auction, the item was tabled with a 4-3 vote.
The Department of Public Works also had vehicles they originally planned to donate to Kidsafe. Michaud requested the vehicles be turned over to him to take to auction, which the Board agreed upon.
The board approved a replacement ride-on lawn mower. The motion was changed before the board voted because the amount of the mower was altered by $80.50, which would allow the mower to be purchased in Enfield instead of Waterbury.
The details for the annual town budget meeting were also ironed out. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 10 at 8 p.m. at .
There was an option to send the budget to the town meeting or to referendum. Selectman Ronald Stromberg said, “A town meeting would be more appropriate.” He compared a town meeting to “New England thinking.”
Selectman Leo Miller said to regards to a town meeting, “I remember when the gym or the auditorium would be full…wouldn’t it be nice, but it’s not going to happen.”
After a little debate between the board members, it was decided that the budget would be sent directly to referendum. The legal notice, which was also approved at the meeting, reflects sending the budget to referendum.
