WHAT DOES A $818,000 FIRE TRUCK LOOK LIKE?

West Hartford Takes Delivery Of $818,000 Firetruck [PERHAPS THEY HAVE SOME LEFT OVERS?]
By BILL LEUKHARDT | The Hartford Courant
May 16, 2009

A new $818,000 combination aerial, ladder and pumper was delivered Thursday to the fire department and is now in at Station 3 in Elmwood. (WEST HARTFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT / May 14, 2009)

WEST HARTFORD — - What is probably the most expensive vehicle in town — a new $818,000 combination aerial, ladder and pumper — is now at the fire department's Station 3 in Elmwood.

Firefighters inspected the new "quint" apparatus Thursday morning after it was driven to the town hall complex parking lot on Raymond Road from the Lancaster, Pa., factory where it had been built to town specifications.

"It has five functions. It's a ladder, water, pumper, aerial and hose," Gary S. Allyn, the town's assistant fire chief, said of the apparatus made by Crimson Aerial. "It's our third quint. It replaces a 19-year-old quint that we sold to a buyer in Montana."

That older apparatus was bought for $175,000 by a resort. The money was used toward the purchase of the new piece. Christopher Johnson, the town finance director, said that the town sold bonds to finance the balance of the purchase. The bonds will be paid over 10 years. The new vehicle might last 20 years.


Quints, invented 80 years ago, became popular in the 1990s with budget-challenged towns and cities attracted by the single vehicle that could function as both a ladder truck and a pumper.

Several town purchasing department employees had a quick ride skyward Thursday during tests of the quint's 100-foot aerial ladder. Johnson declined to join.

"Two stories up is my limit," he said later.

After testing, the bright-red quint was driven to the Elmwood station on New Britain Avenue. Firefighters will outfit it with department equipment and train to use it. The quint will go into service in about a month, Allyn said.

IMPORTANT VOTE SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2009

IMPORTANT VOTE

SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2009

MEETING HOUSE HILL SCHOOL
FROM 8AM — 8PM.

       (1) $32.6 MILLION SCHOOLS RENOVATION AND

       (2) 2009 — 2010 TOWN AND SCHOOL BUDGETS

$27.6 MILLION OF THE RENOVATION IS FOR MEETING HOUSE HILL SCHOOL (3RD — 5TH GRADES) WHICH BECAUSE OF LONG TERM DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT CAN BE EMPTIED IN JUST 6 — 7 YEARS. CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL WOULD THEN BE PRE — K TO 4TH OR 5TH GRADES (EDUCATIONALLY SOUND) AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WOULD BE FOR 5TH TO 8TH GRADES OR LEFT AS IS.

WE ALREADY HAVE THE SMALLEST KINDERGARTEN CLASS IN 24 YEARS AND THE SMALLEST 1ST — 4TH GRADE CLASSES IN 13 — 16 YEARS. BIRTH RATES CONTINUE TO DROP. IN 8 — 9 YEARS, TOTAL SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IS EXPECTED TO DROP FROM A PEAK OF ABOUT 3,100 DOWN TO FEWER THAN 2,400 STUDENTS. IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO BE PAYING A 20 YEAR MORTGAGE ON AN EMPTY SCHOOL!

A WORTHY PROJECT FOR NEXT YEAR, WHEN PRESIDENT OBAMA’S STIMULUS WILL BE AVAILABLE IS LIMITED RENOVATION TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.

BUDGETS — BOTH ARE TOO HIGH CONSIDERING THE POOR ECONOMY AND THAT NEW FAIRFIELD RANKS 2ND HIGHEST IN COST OF LIVING (TAXES, HOME PRICES) OF 23 CT TOWNS OF SIMILAR POPULATION. WILTON RANKS HIGHEST (#1). NF RANKS 42ND IN WEALTH, WILTON 4TH, BROOKFIELD 30TH AND RIDGEFIELD 11TH HIGHEST OF 169 CT TOWNS. NEW FAIRFIELD MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS ONLY $108,725.

 

REVALUATION — NF HOME PRICES ARE BACK DOWN TO 2004 LEVELS. EXPECT LITTLE CHANGE IN YOUR ASSESSED VALUE THIS OCTOBER UNLESS YOU’VE MADE CHANGES.

NEW FAIRFIELD MEDIAN HOME PRICES — MANY ECONOMISTS EXPECT HOME PRICES TO CONTINUE TO DROP BACK TO 1998 LEVELS — DOWN 50% FROM 2006 PEAK.

• 1999 — $238,900
  
• 1998 — $208,240
• 2000 — $244,450
• 2003 — $305,000
  
• 2005 — $407,250
  
• 2006 — $422,000
• 2007 — $401,500
  
• 2009 — $???,???

NEW FAIRFIELD HOME SALES — NEW FAIRFIELD HOME SALES CONTINUE TO DROP FROM A NORM OF 269 IN 2006 TO 174 IN 2007, AND ONLY 113 HOMES SOLD IN 2008. NEW FAIRFIELD HOME SALE TURNOVER 2000 — 2006 WAS ABOUT 34%. AS HOME PRICES CONTINUE TO DROP TO 1998 LEVELS ESTIMATES ARE THAT MORE THAN 60% OF HOMEOWNERS BECAUSE OF LIBERAL BANK MORTGAGE TERMS (0% — 5% DOWN), WILL OWE MORE THAN THEIR HOME IS WORTH.

ECONOMY — IT TOOK 25 YEARS FOR THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE (1954) TO RETURN TO THE STOCK MARKET PEAK OF 1929 (START OF THE “GREAT” DEPRESSION). JAPAN IS STILL IN A RECESSION AFTER 20 YEARS AND MANY STIMULUS PACKAGES.

 

EDUCATION — TEST SCORES ARE WORSE SINCE OUR NEW SUPERINTENDENT TOOK OVER FOUR YEARS AGO. MARK TWAIN ADVISED, “DON’T LET SCHOOL INTERFERE WITH YOUR EDUCATION”. SOMEHOW OUR ADMINISTRATORS GET IN THE WAY.

TEST SCORES — OF 24 TOTAL STATE TESTS, WE ARE IN THE BOTTOM 50% OF OUR SIMILAR DISTRICT REFERENCE GROUP IN 21 OF THESE TESTS. 3RD — 5TH GRADES CONTINUE TO BE ESPECIALLY EMBARASSING. ONLY 8TH GRADE DID PAR.

THE RESULT — FOR POORER TEST SCORES AND POOR JUDGEMENT IN SCHOOLS RENOVATION PROJECTS, OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION REWARDS OUR SUPERINTENDENT WITH AN $8,000 BONUS. 

GO FIGURE!

YYOUR TAXES WILL GO UP AS THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME DECLINES, UNLESS CUTS ARE MADE 

VOTE

 NO!

PAID FOR BY NF TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION — RUDY BEHRENS TREASURER.  QUESTIONS, CALL 746-5934

DON'T FORGET YOUR OBLIGATION ... GET OUT AND VOTE

Vote No! 

The proposed $34m  project leaves out over $70 million of addional work that, according to Dr. Castagnola must be done.  These are Dr. Castagnola’s exact words two years ago, on February 2, 2007. 

“The majority of the HS equipment and systems date back to the original construction – and have surpassed their useful life…If the 33 year old systems are not replaced in the near future,  significant dollars will be required over the next five to ten years replacing and repairing existing systems.  The current escalation of electrical costs is far surpassing other heating options and will add significantly to the operational cost of the school if not replaced.” 

None of this major work has been done.  Please send this to every one you know.  The HS Science Wing is just the tip of the $67 million additional iceberg.  The proposed project ignores all of the major systems Dr. Castagnola says must be replaced.  In addition, Dr. Castagnola (back in 2007) also outlined 9 million additional dollars of work that should be done to the MIDDLE SCHOOL. 

If the proposed project moves forward,  future BOE budgets will have to include millions for the High School and that will result in large tax increases.  When voters say “no” to those tax increases, and they are likely to do so, we will have to cut educational programs to pay for the High School Renovation. 

A “yes” vote will be a disaster for our Educational Programs in the future. 

Lake group considers weevils to keep away weeds

By PATRICK L. SULLIVAN April, 16, 2009

LAKEVILLE — Bill Littauer of the Lakeville Lake Association shared this pre-season update.

At the annual meeting in October we discussed the possibility of trying a weevil program to reduce the Eurasian water milfoil beds. They are native to Connecticut and could provide a safe biological control alternative. We received a proposal from EnviroScience, a  company starting the fourth year of a weevil treatment program on Indian Lake in Millerton.

The proposal for our lake would start with one bed to be expanded in each of the next two years with a final survey done in the fourth year. Although the cost for the first year would be $10,713, it appears we would have to follow through with the whole program at a cost of $51,498 to make any real determination of its impact.

Our proposal called for 6,000 weevils in the first year. EnviroScience says a 1,600-acre lake in Michigan showed dramatic results in the first year, but they used 60,000 to 70,000 weevils.

We decided at the board meeting April 4 to put off a weevil program for another year. One reason was that we would have to stop harvesting and hydro-raking anywhere near the area where the weevils were installed. We thought we should have more time to discuss the project with neighboring property owners. 

NOTE: If hydro-raking and harvesting would have to stop, what impact would there be with Bass Fisherman powering in a out of the coves?

Although Joe Stineman at Indian Lake is satisfied with the program so far it is difficult for the casual observer to see a dramatic improvement after three years. Chuck Lee at the state DEP Lake Management Bureau doesn’t believe the weevils will work in our lake and points to the program tried one year at Twin Lakes. Greg Bugbee at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station is also skeptical because our lake is open with lots of deep water. 

NOTE: Candlewood Lake has approximately 60 miles plus of shore line, would the weevils be distributed along the shore line and coves?  If the answer is yes, then would the bass fishing be compromised?  Would the use of power boats be impacted?  

And Michelle Marko, who has done post-doctoral work on weevils in Connecticut lakes over the past couple of years, says weevils do best in small lakes or sheltered bays and coves. She found only a small number of weevils around our lake, which raises the question of why they don’t thrive here. The whole idea is the stocked weevils will thrive, procreate enthusiastically, and survive the winter to attack the milfoil the next year in larger and larger numbers.

Fishing season opens Saturday, April 18. Please join us at 5:15 a.m. to greet the fisherfolk at the Town Grove. The idea is to make sure everyone knows how important it is to keep zebra mussels out of the lake. Boats have to be dry or hot washed before launching. It only takes about an hour or two to greet them. The trailers can be lined up all the way down to the firehouse before the gate opens. Two or three really enthusiastic fishermen get in line by sundown Friday night to be first on the lake for a new season. 

NOTE: What effect would such a program have on Candlewood Lake to aid in protecting the health of the lake?

Our Lake Keeper program is underway, led by Don Mayland, who is taking water measurements and samples this week to start our regular system of data collection. Much of the testing will be done at Hotchkiss and Don is encouraging participation of students from Hotchkiss and other area schools in the collection, testing and analysis of data and developments in the watershed.

Bruce Shearer prepared an update on the survey circulated last fall to help monitor the impact of using two weed harvesters last summer. Two-hundred forms were mailed and 45 responses have been received. The survey found that 85 percent of those who used the lake last summer for swimming, sailing, boating or fishing found access to be as good or better than the previous summer; 16 percent found access to be poor. All but one of those respondents gained access from a private home, which indicates our harvesting may need improvement in certain areas. 

The Lake Association in brief

Q: Who pays for the weed harvesting?

A: The town does not provide funds to the association at all, but does support the Town Grove and pays for one round of milfoil harvesting. The town owns the harvester, which was purchased by the association and turned over to the town some 20 years ago. The cost to the town (including trucking) is between $35,000 and $40,000, according to First Selectman Curtis Rand.

The association pays for the second round of harvesting each summer (about $10,000.) The Hotchkiss School provides financial and technical assistance as well.

Q: What else does the association do at the lake?

A:  The association uses its dues and contributions to pay for a guard at the Grove launch site in spring and fall (when the office is closed, to help with zebra mussel prevention) and pays for the benthic barrier mats at the Grove swimming area to eliminate the milfoil problem.

The association also funds various studies on lake vegetation, water quality and nutrient content.


© Copyright 2009 by TCExtra.com

Referendum Games in New Fairfield

When towns go to referenda, they play a game– bait and switch.  Referenda typically approve bonding for “something” - something very vague. There typically are no minimum specifications. No time limits. No constraints. It is open to abuse.

Let me give an example. In New Fairfield the “something” is to renovate two schools for $32,625,000. This is being sold as $24.6 million in expenditures because of a predicted $8 million state reimbursement. But that is not what the referendum says! It approves bonding for the full cost reduced by whatever the state gives back - which could be nothing! If it approved a bond of $25 million, it would require a state reimbursement. This is what the Board of Finance asked for, but not what was done. The Selectmen surreptitiously added a potential increase of up to 33% to what the public was told.

Furthermore, there is no start or finish date. They can start the architect and construction manager BEFORE state approval. If the state doesn’t approve or reduces its contribution, you have already invested millions. You’re hooked! But no need for another referendum to approve more funds – you have already approved them in bonding the full project.

There are no specifications. How many square feet are to be renovated? Not stated. And so it goes. They will just do “renovations and improvements”.

    

Any contract would have terms and conditions, specifications of what was to be done, start and finish dates and costs. Any referendum should also. The public should vote NO on any referendum that is so vague as to approve virtually anything – no matter how worthy the endeavor!

           

Edward Siebert

New Fairfield