If you haven’t already read the rest of our coverage of the December 6, 2023, Board of Selectmen meeting, be sure to look at those articles for a closer look at some of the meatier issues. This article will focus on some of the smaller but no less important updates and issues.
Stafford gets a new CFO
Stafford's interim chief financial officer, Lynn Nenni, is finally getting a permanent successor. Nenni was hired through an agency, but the town has hired John Lund as a full-time CFO.
Stafford Housing Authority update
Ann Marie Perrone, executive director of Stafford Housing Authority, updated the BOS on its building projects. She explained that Phase I (Woodland Springs) has been up and running for seven years. Phase II is about 60% complete, and she hopes to have residents move in late spring/early summer of 2024.
The project's third phase will focus on renovating and adding new units at Avery Park. She asked that the town consider applying for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to help the Housing Authority with the costs of the access road for Woodland Springs that is required by the Fire Marshal. While the Housing Authority operates its own budget, it sometimes asks the town to apply for grants that it cannot apply for on its own.
Perrone also said the Housing Authority is interested in participating with the Witt School renovation and helping to bring “workforce housing” — housing designed to be affordable for skilled tradespeople who often have trouble finding affordable housing in the areas where they work — to that location. She said that it can be useful to have the Housing Authority involved when it comes to getting grants, as those providing grants don’t want to see a developer come in to redevelop the property for “workforce housing” only to see the building later.
Budget transfers
The board approved three transfers of funds as follows:
$2,000 to an emergency fund for use by Veterans Organization for a Veterans Advocate.
$4,250 to cover the annual audit filing fee for fiscal year 2022 and fiscal year 2023
$14,500 to cover a two-week overlap and possible future assistance during the transition of CFOs.
Much of this money came from the health insurance budget, as unfilled positions in the town have meant some of the health insurance funds were not used.
Borough School sale
The Borough School sale closed on November 21, 2023, for $275,000. The land was originally given to the town specifically for use by the schools, and the sale had to be approved by a judge. Because of this, the sale proceeds must be given to the Board of Education. (The former school will be turned into apartments.) First Selectmen Bill Morrison said he spoke with Superintendent of Schools Steven A. Moccio to see if the board would consider returning that money to the town. Predictably, the school budget has seen many cuts this year, and the BOE is reluctant to prematurely give the money back, given its own shortfalls.
Budget freezes
Morrison informed the board that he met with department heads — including Superintendent Moccio — and asked that they institute a budget freeze. Morrison also said he requests all town employees get overtime approved in advance. In an emergency, the form can be completed the next day.
And more…
Morrison informed the board of the emergency repair to the Staffordville Dam Wing Wall, which needed to be done while TTM was closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Public Works Director Devin Cowperthwaite submitted a letter discussing the need to rescan the town roadways to inventory and analyze pavement conditions. The ARPA Commission approved the funding at the November 2, 2023 meeting. This will help the town prioritize paving projects.
[This article was written with assistance from the official minutes from the meeting, and those minutes include additional documents that interested parties can read here.]
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