BOE vote on study of turf
From the NHRs Luther Turmelle (not online):
"The Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday night to create an ad hoc committee"for a study on handling the installation of turf. The committee's membership will likely include the CHS AD, an administrator, a Council member and one or two members of the public.
Before the board voted, Florio seemed to suggest that he supports having the district use the state money rather than return it. "I will say this: The town of Cheshire sends far more money to Hartford than it gets back," the superintendent said.Tim White
22 comments:
So it ok to take it and waste it.
Same old story, if we don't take it somebody else will. The Supt, Town Council should stand up and say we will take the money only if we can use it to repair the school buildings or purchase technology. The money should be spent on something worthwhile; not worthless. Another example of demonstrating that athletics is more important than academics.
"The town of Cheshire sends far more money to Hartford than it gets back" says the super. I'd say it's the taxpayers that send the money and we don't want it wasted on turf fields.
We have a pool that is sucking up over $400K of our tax dollars every year. The town council should suck it up, face the facts, and tell Hartford that the only way we'll take their "lollipop" is if we can use it towards fixing the problems with the pool. If they take the money for the turf, the taxpayers will be the "suckers" when they find out all the costs involved and are asked to dish out money for huge replacement costs in 10 years.
Some will say the toxins in the turf aren't harming the kids. Exposing kids to these toxins will show up later down the road. Then what...it will be too late. Why create a future liability?
MRSA infections are proven to be much higher for athletes using artificial turf. MRSA infections can kill you.
Don’t waste your energy - it’s already been decided.
The town council will, in a 5 Dem to 4 Reps, appoint a committee of turf supporters. The committee will request $14,000 to have Milone and MacBroom look at it. The Cheshire Herald will announce that their poll showed that 99.6% of the residents want the more shopping and turf now and that residents just can’t wait to meet their friends at the ball field. The other .4% represent the “against everything” that were even against global warming and is just a group that nobody listens to. The Turf Committee will unanimously approve it. The TM will determine who the contractor will be and then request bids. Martin Cobern will write the final P&Z approval for the turf application. A copy of the P&Z final approval will be leaked. P&Z will get the turf application, supporters will be wearing their "YES" buttons and then the final approval will be read, no questions of answers will follow and then the vote will be taken and a 7-2 in favor vote will be recorded. The Cheshire Herald will report the project approval and that the project will be good for the environment, good for the wildlife, good for everyone’s health, it’s a win-win and will be used 365 days a year. The TM will request funds for Milone and MacBroom to oversee the construction. Construction will begin, but before construction begins, a second committee will be formed to determine what went wrong and what can be done to fix it. The second committee will request funds to have Milone and MacBroom provide engineering services to determine what went wrong. Everyone will say, it sounded so good, who could have expected this? The TM will say, because of possible litigation, he doesn't know what is wrong and that the public can't be told what is wrong. The second committee will offer two solutions: replace the turf or return to natural grass, but the natural grass will require an in-depth environmental impact study to determine all the risks and a cost benefit analysis. The natural grass will be found too expensive and the only solution is to seek a grant to replace the artificial turf.
Mary Fritz and Chris Murphy will offer to help and special executive session of the 5 Democratic members of the town council will be held.
How sad but true.
You left out that in the draft report Martin Coburn will discuss for dozens of pages the implication of third party U.S. Senators and the definition of "hubris";the concept of "peak oil" and offer an overview on enhanced petroleum production techniques, explain how we will improve energy conservation by building a huge mall and apartment complex next to a highway, and tell us why neighbors who don't want to own a decrepit dam don't know what a wonderful deal a developer from Woodbridge has offered them.
Coburn in Cheshire's Cliff Clavin: except he is not humorous and does not do the useful job of delivering mail
Can someone explain to me how the AD, Mr. Trifone, continues to say that the turf will "save" the town $180,000 over 15 years (which I believe is way too long for turf to last)on maintenance. Thats sounds fine, but how much will it cost us to install? How much will it cost for the squegee machine or whatever it is they use to clean it??Lets hope we can get these figures. And do they really think the fiels will get more use if they install the turf??I am sure the football coach will treat it like his baby and not want anyone using it.
Ask Marty Coburn; He has an answer to everything: One day he wants high density auto dependent sprawl development he claims will net the town money; the next day he is yammering on about peak oil and suggesting we will all be riding mopeds soon.
The State is supposedly doing more studies on turf fields. Do you think the results are actually going to give the truth about all the toxins in turf? Of course they are not. Since the State is the one handing out the money, why would their study show that turf is "unsafe"...they'd look like fools if they reported that it could cause health risks to kids.
At the end of the BOE meeting and after Behrer's motion to form the turf committee, Trifone walked up to Bob Behrer and gave him a nice hearty hand shake. I guess he was thanking him in advance for pushing through the turf project.
The committee is a joke with the AD, Behrer, Altieri, the P & R guy on it. Do you honestly think they'll come back saying it will cost too much money or they worry about the cancer causing toxins?
They should put a bubble over to turf to protect it from the weather and it would allow the five Dems on the council to use it 365 days a year.
"The committee is a joke with the AD, Behrer, Altieri"
It's not a joke, it's outrageous. Talk about shenanigans, what do Hall and Esty have to say about this? This is a flagrant example of subverting the democratic process and again the taxpayers will end up getting screwed.
Altieri is the person that supposedly went to Fritz asking for the money and has been been one of the most vocal suppoters. If this goes through, he will have two blunders to his name, the north end and the turf.
The AD, Trifone, has been and is for this all the way.
Behrer made the motion to form the committee and is obviously for it.
This is not just tweaking the system, as Esty would say, this loading of the committee with proponents of the turf is simply underhanded and deceitful. How can anyone trust a town government that allows this to happen?
7:45 Couple of things... while Matt Altieri is the leading advocate for turf, as I mentioned here in Jan 2006... as far as I know... there is not yet a Council representative for this study on installing turf.
As for the AD supporting it, I wouldn't expect anything different and that's not a bad thing IMO. He gets 200 uses instead of 30 uses each year. And similar to the ND... the developers would obviously want it... but it's the elected officials who have to consider the best interests of the town.
As for Behrer making the motion to study the handling of turf... even if he's for it... it still makes sense for him to be on a committee for which he made the motion.
IMO, the only thing that would be bad is if the Council (in typical fashion) rubberstamps the nomination of one particular Council member to the committee... without having an intelligent discussion of the merits. And if that happens... that'll be bad for the town.
Additionally, I want to know if the money could be redirected to something far more pressing... the pool and its insatiable energy appetite.
Additionally, I want to know if the money could be redirected to something far more pressing... the pool and its insatiable energy appetite.
Monday, April 14, 2008 9:09:00 PM
I agree totally with you that the money should be redirected to the pool. However, the superintendent specifically said the funds are for improving the CHS field, specifically a turf field. Of course I'm not surprised he says that BUT I do believe it is worth the effort for the TC as a whole to write to Rell or Amann and explain that there is a MUCH greater need to use the money on the pool. How could there be any council members who could think the pool problems shouldn't take a higher priority over costly turf fields?
Tim, why don't you offer up a motion to request the change in use of funds (via a letter to the State). I doubt you'd get a unanimous vote, but at least the public would see who feels fixing the pool is more important than getting artificial turf.
I doubt you'd get a unanimous vote
Do you think The Rubberstampers would even allow a discussion, let alone a vote?
Didn't you see the obstructionist tactics when I offered motions on the pool (Feb 26 & Mar 11) and the strawmen that were bandied about when I suggested alleviating Rte 10 traffic was a higher priority than extending the linear park?
Is there anything in the Charter that would allow the public (or the council) to block this approval of funds for the turf?
How much extra would it have to cost in order for it to be put in a referendum?
How much can the TC approv? I can't see it just being passed through with out the town having to vote.
I wonder who will be willing to take the fall if it is passed and one of our youths is injured or falls ill due to the turf.
Do you really think it would get 200 uses? If that is the case, what is the life expectancy?
"without having an intelligent discussion of the merits."
You can have an intelligent discussion and the entire town can be against it, but there is nobody listening, they already know how they are going to vote.
They have selective hearing. How about writing to Mary Fritz and asking her to change the request since it came from one person. The rest of the town does not agree. Write letters and call all.
The BOE did no work on the budget but they have plenty of time to work on this "TURF" fiasco. 200 events. The AD could only dream of so many. That would be more than one every school day. What can they possibly use the "commuity field" for in Dec, Jan and Feb? Ice sculptures?
I suppose if there would be 200 events we'd need to hire more staff to coordinate them all. The AD will likely need, at the least, an assistant.
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