Town/Govt

Town manager feeling the pinch as budget presentation draws near

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by Shirley MurthaTown Manager Bill Smith will present the budget at the BOS meeting on March 7. He reported that it is becoming more and more difficult as the years go by to meet the Board of Finance guideline and still meet the goals and objectives of the Board of Selectmen to maintain the staffing and services that town residents expect. The BOF wants the BOS budget to come in at a 2.5 percent increase, which would result in a two percent increase in the mill rate, but to meet that guideline t […]

Town/Govt

Three-board meeting kicks off annual budget process

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By Shirley MurthaThe 2016-17 Granby budget process began with public reports by the boards of selectmen, education and finance at the annual three-board meeting, held on Jan. 25. After thanking the members and staffs of all the boards for their diligent efforts to try to keep increases at a minimum, First Selectman Scott Kuhnly introduced Ron Walther, chairman of the Board of Education, who presented that board’s preliminary budget.Walther said that after much deliberation, the board had s […]

Town/Govt

Superintendent spars with BOF and BOE on 2017 budget

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By Kim BeckerDeclaring a budget decrease of 1 percent for FY 2017 “disappointing”, superintendent Dr. Alan Addley, expressed concern to the Boards of Finance and Education that “maintaining the status quo is going backward.” He stated he had promised families that the school reconfiguration would not harm services or programs. He now feels that the 1 percent decrease “doesn’t keep the quality of the system.” Addley’s original budget called for a .5 […]

Town/Govt

Preparing the FY17 budget

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By Alan Addley, Ed. D.On March 2, I will present the FY17 Administrative Budget to the Board of Education. The budget is a spending plan that is responsive to the slow-recovering economy; savings realized from the closing of the F.M. Kearns Primary School; board-approved goals; and, the budget guideline (-1 percent) established by the Board of Finance. The FY17 Administrative Budget is in the final stages of development. As of press time, the Administrative Budget is level funded (zero percent) […]

Town/Govt

Fire department presents case for increase in budget

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By Shirley Murtha​Lost Acres Fire Department Chief John Horr, Jr. presented an in-depth explanation of the cost of running the town’s all volunteer fire service. The department is an independent corporation that receives quarterly payments from the Town of Granby. For many years, these payments have kept pace with the department’s expenses but that is no longer the case. In the past 15 years, there has been in increase of 52 percent in costs, while the town’s payments to the department h […]

Town/Govt

CT DOT sets information meetings to discuss major intersection improvements

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The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) will conduct a public informational meeting concerning the proposed major intersection improvements on Route 10/US 202 (Salmon Brook St.) at Route 20/189 (North Granby Rd./East Granby Rd.) and at Route 189 (Hartford Ave.) on Wednesday March 16, 2016, at 7 p.m. at the Granby Senior Center.The project is identified as Prospective State Project No. 55-TMP1.The purpose of this project is to reduce delays and queue lengths during peak travel periods […]

Town/Govt

Flat budget with slight tax increase for FY17

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By Michael B. Guarco,Chair, Board of Finance​Each year as the spring budget process commences, the selectmen convene a meeting of the three Boards—Education, Finance, and Selectmen—for an open discussion on what the next year looks like in each board’s perspective. This helps the boards get a sense of what the operating boards are looking at, and what the fiscal ramifications and limitations are from the BOF perspective.In the aftermath of the Great Recession, the boards […]

Town/Govt

Are you eligible to vote in the April 26 primary?

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By Laura Wolf & Paul Willis,RegistrarsTo vote in the Democratic or Republican primary in April you must be a member of that party. In the past, many voters came to a primary only to be told that unaffiliated and minor party members can not vote in the primary. Residents who are currently unaffiliated have until noon the day before the primary to enroll. Same day registration does not apply to primaries, it must be done prior to the primary. To be eligible to vote in the presidential primary […]

Town/Govt

Connecticut DOT designing roundabout for East Street/Rte. 10/202 intersection

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By Shirley MurthaTown Manager Smith and Community Development Director Fran Armentano reported on the status of the proposals having to do with the roadwork at the “Five Points” intersection and the intersection in the center of town. Fifteen years ago, the town proposed a four-way stop at the intersection of East Street, Notch Road, Quarry Road and Rte. 10/202, for which the re-configuration of Notch and Quarry was undertaken by the town. The state eventually rejected that proposal and in turn, […]

Town/Govt

​Lost Acres Volunteer Fire Department lists December Responses

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By Tim RickisLAFD responded to 22 calls between Dec. 8 and Jan. 11: six smoke detector activations; six carbon monoxide incidents; two dispatch & cancels; two mutual aid fire calls; two hazmat/chemical spills; one furnace fire; one brush fire; one power line down; one odor of propane. LAFD wants you to be aware of carbon monoxide (CO) dangers. CO can come from furnaces, heaters, water heaters, generators, cars and grills. CO is of particular concern during cold weather when doors and wind […]