Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/category/town/page/134/)
Will not run for 5th Congressional District seat
State Senator Kevin Witkos (R-8) announced his decision not to run for the 5th Congressional District seat. Witkos currently serves the 8th Senate District in the Connecticut General Assembly as the Deputy Senate Republican President Pro Tempore.
GMHS senior registration drive
The registrars were pleased by student participation in the high school spring registration drive at Granby Memorial High School on April 4. Registrars received 89 new registrations—79 from in-town and 10 from out-of-town students. Twenty-three students chose to register as Republicans, 25 students as Democrats, one student as an Independent and the remaining 40 students chose to be unaffiliated with any party.
On a motion by Christine Chinni, seconded by Eric Myers, the commission voted to add the consideration of a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen to accept the extension of Mill Pond Drive to the agenda. Director of Community Development Fran Armentano reviewed the original approval of the Greenway Village development that included the extension of Mill Pond Drive.
Public Hearings
Pam Stevens, 31 Wells Road is requesting a Special Permit for a detached accessory apartment under the revised Zoning Regulations, Section 8.5. The apartment is part of a larger barn-style building and contains 850 square feet.
The Herbicide and Pesticide Study Committee held a public information session on March 14 to gather input from Granby residents on the use of glyphosate (commonly known as Round-up) by the Public Works Department on roadways and near waterways. The first use by the DPW was in 2017, done with a boom truck whose spray width was five feet.
At the March 5 meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Town Manager John Ward gave an update on the status of the action regarding the use of the former Evonsion property. As reported in the last issue of the Drummer, three RFPs (Request for Proposal) had been submitted within the due date of January 31.
On Monday, April 23, the Town Budget Referendum will be held in the Town Hall Meeting Room in Granby Town Hall, 15 North Granby Road. The polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. As with all opportunities to vote, plan to bring identification so you can be checked off the official voter list and issued a paper ballot.
As the boards near the conclusion of the budget-making process in preparation to send the final product on to Public Hearing for review and comment, they are faced with twin difficulties: managing the moderate but constant increase in the cost of doing business, and the uncertainty in state aid levels as seen throughout last year’s rollercoaster ride. Granby has experienced a nearly million-dollar reduction in state funding from last year’s state budget compared to what the Governor has proposed for the upcoming fiscal year.
“When something happens to someone in your community, when you live in a small town, you band together and do what you can,” said Rebecca Lobo on NBC News Connecticut. Rebecca was referring to Katherine “Katie” O’Neill, 10-year-old Granby resident who was seriously injured over the long Presidents’ Day weekend when a dead tree fell on her as she was walking with a group (including her brother, PJ) in the McLean Game Refuge.
