Sunday, July 05, 2009

Turf moving forward

The powers-that-be want to move ahead with the turf.


I still think we should request that the money be reallocated to the pool. But hey, it's all free money!

Tim White

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

These people have to be complete morons.
We are in an economic crisis and they think they can get another $500,000 to install turf?
They must have some big backers or big dreams.

So, let me keep a scorecard:
$4 to $5 million for a permanent pool structure
$1 million for a new locker room/refreshment stand at the football field
An additional $500,000 for artificial turf

And this is all during an election year....lets vote out anyone who approves these expenditures.

If I were on the TC (I am sure I can do a better job then most) I would not approve the turf unless they had a specific date to get the additional funding and if they don't get it, they transfer the money to a different project.

Anonymous said...

There is no "free money." Coming from the state this free money originated either previously if it was in the bank (ha ha CT having a solvent savings account is a stretch) or in the future if it is borrowed from us local tax payers.

In addition to the $5 million for a new pool and $1 million for the previously destroyed by its users locker room one needs to include the 4.3% teachers' pay raises which are to be compounded at that rate for 3 years. Don't forget the pool heating bill too for several hundred thousand more per year.

Rather then being complete morons quite possibly someone's brother-in-law or buddy stands to make a load off of much of the frivolous millions to be squandered on the stuff described here. Remember it is for the children, even if they are grown children.

Quod Felix said...

It does seems like we ought to be able to spend this money elsewhere - maybe even for debt reduction.

But has anybody done a cost-analysis of what it takes to maintain the grass field versus what might be saved with an artificial one? One wrinkle would be how to account for the cost of events cancelled because the grass field is unusable. And how does one account for cost of injuries related to either type of field.

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Anonymous said...

THIS TOWN IS NOT HAVING A FINANCIAL CRISIS.... THE TOWN IS POSTING A 400k PLUS SURPLUS. THE TOWN JUST HAD ITS BOND RATING IMPROVED. THE TOWN IS USING THE CURRENT ECONOMY TO USE AGAINST THE UNIONS IN THIER CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS. THEY ARE ALSO USING THE TEACHERS SALARY INCREASES AS LEVERAGE, BLAMING THE TEACHERS FOR WHY OTHER UNIONS SHOULD NOT GET RAISES.
AS FAR AS THESE ALLEGATIONS REGARDING SOMEONE BENEFITING FROM THE TOWN SPENDING, HAVE THE COURAGE TO NAME NAMES, AND RESOURCES OF SUCH INFORMTION. JUST MAKING ALLEGATIONS IS A LITTLE WEAK, AND EASY TO DO.

Anonymous said...

"It does seems like we ought to be able to spend this money elsewhere - maybe even for debt reduction."

"THIS TOWN IS NOT HAVING A FINANCIAL CRISIS.... THE TOWN IS POSTING A 400k PLUS SURPLUS."

Wow, it can now be said, WE JUST DON'T GET IT. The money associated with the state grant for part of a turf field no doubt is associated with dollars that will come from some financial trickery but it will in the end be coming out of our already emptying pockets. We are not yet as dollar poor as those in CA who are setting the trends we follow but we still don't have a budget yet either. Let's see to it that the grant goes back to where it originated from.

This town is not having a financial crisis because there is a $13/person surplus, get a life. $13 per person as a surplus to drive us to really start spending is just plain dumb. Do the math. If town officials came up with that $400,000 surplus number it's as good as a ZERO surplus. Per person it is just about $13 which is just not what anyone personally considers a surplus in the first place. It's not even enough to buy your kids a treat at DQ even once.

It's an election year, so someone who wants to see union wages greatly increase and spending overall increase comes up with a wonderful $13/person surplus as a reason to just spend.

If the town union workers and their supervisors can't fix the pot hole on east end of Norton Lane any better then they have been fixing it they certainly deserve no raises and maybe not even continued employment either.

A $13 per person surplus, for a town like this it is an embarrassment. Time to get our spending under control and increase the surplus say, 10 fold to $133/person for starters.

Anonymous said...

THIS TOWN IS NOT HAVING A FINANCIAL CRISIS....

WAKE UP!
The town may not be in a financial crisis? Then why did we cut the budget the way we did?
The town may not be in a financial crisis but the people who live in it are.
These are the people who will be asked to support this ridiculous expenditure.

The tuf heads will make you believe that it is cheaper to take care of a turf field but how much is the special squeegee machine? How much are the chemicals to clean it? How often are geese flying over it leaving droppings. Won't that affect the cost of taking care of it> Have any of them thought this out?

The most glaring reason not to allow this is health reasons.
Look at this article that was just in the USA Today on June 10:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2009-06-10-artificial-turf_N.htm

If New York and Los Angeles officials don't feel it is safe, why do the Cheshire officials think it is?

Please stop this Tim!

Anonymous said...

Ooops, sorry, click on link below to see the aricle:
USA TODAY ARTICLE

Anonymous said...

11:06: Get a life. If you people cant stand their family so much than give a reason. Otherwise concentrate on the real issues. The field was always in good shape until recently. I think it would be a good idea to do the turf. It would open the field up almost year round (when no snow). Athletics, band, shows, events, and meetings could all benefit. The locker rooms are shot. Parents and volunteers did help last year to clean them up, but bottom line they are more of a health risk than the turf. The refreshment stand is income generating. It has virtually been unchanged since inception. Lease it to a local group and let them make the improvements. If the town gets and upgraded facility and generates income than would is the big deal. The town wastes more money every year on payroll than all these projects combined.

Anonymous said...

Turf is a great idea for the people who want it but want someone else to pay for its installation and unending maintenance.

The supporters say they can raise the rest of the money from the public. So, let's not do a damn thing until they find out exactly how much it will cost to install, and that they then raise all the money the money needed. Once they have the cost, and the money in escrow, then that would be the time to bring it to the council for a vote. Until they have the money they should just shut up.

Then if they ever build it, they should charge for the use so that taxpayers don't have to subsidize it. Let the users pay for the future maintenace and replacement, just like everyone expects the pool to be self sufficiant.

Maybe the local boys that are making all the money with their wheeling and dealing pay for it. Isn't that a joke?

Anonymous said...

The field was always in good shape until recently. I think it would be a good idea to do the turf.
Why did it get so bad recently?
If the town didn't take care of the current field, what makes them think they will take care of a $1 million field?
The turf heads need to bring in costs of installing as well as maintenance and the TC better do there due dilligence and make sure those figures are accurate or we will be subsidizing this green monster like we do the pool.

The locker rooms are shot. Parents and volunteers did help last year to clean them up, but bottom line they are more of a health risk than the turf.

So you agree that the turf is a health risk?
Why install it?
Why not take that money and gut the existing locker rooms and fix them up?Where are we suppose to get that money from?

Last I checked, the Cheshire High Rams are not a major college or professional team.

Also, who is responsible for the locker rooms getting to this state? The football team?Coaches? Parents?
How do we know that if they build a new one someday, that it too, won't last because the coaches allow the players to damage it??

The refreshment stand is income generating.

Where has that money been going? Is it going to the Booster Club? The BOE? Or the Town?. But who do they want to pay to build it?

I really don't think we are ready for these expenditures at this time.

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Anonymous said...

do you have proof of that? which kid? when? tim will you allow these slanderous remarks to stand without merit?

Anonymous said...

I agree, without proof, names should not be mentioned, I question how the ceiling tiles could get so damaged???

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Anonymous said...

This weeks Cheshire herald the town manager is asking dept. heads to take a short term pay freeze, sure if I just got a real good pay raise I'd be glad to let him freeze it there for a few months to a year. Why don't we ask the police Chief to give back the nice raise TM just gave him? Turf for the football field? how about food for the tables of every home in Cheshire first then when,winter comes as it soon will, heat all these homes then maybe we can afford turf for the field, lets get real!!! people are scraping by and we want Turf?

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