Security and Swift House discussed by Kent BOS

KENT — Using the strategically located Swift House to house a security unit and securing the structure against further deterioration were two topics discussed at the regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The meeting was conducted by Zoom.

In an effort to enhance security around the veterans’ monument, Andrew Ocif, chair of the seven-member Veterans Committee, asked the selectmen’s permission to install a single video camera near the monument, and to place the monitor box inside the town-owned Swift House. To accomplish the installation the town would need to arrange with Frontier Communications to add the wire to their utility pole.  The Veterans Committee already has in hand the $1,395 that the project will cost, Ocif said.

The Veterans Committee was formed in 2007 through the Kent Historical Society. That year the volunteer committee restored the monument as a project.

“This is something we really need,” Ocif told the selectmen, speaking of the security camera.

First Selectman Jean Speck noted that the proposed system is hard-wired, not internet connected, so there is no computer monitor to view. Therefore, the video monitor box needs to be close by.

Discussion centered on alternate locations for the camera and whether remote monitoring might be possible through using the internet, and the selectmen ultimately agreed with Ocif that a security system is needed. Ocif reasoned that the hard-wired option was affordable; all other options would cost more.

Badly needed repairs to the Swift House were detailed by Suzanne Charity, chair of the selectmen’s Swift House Task Force.  She reviewed a spreadsheet of projected expenditures needed to stabilize the historically significant structure and to halt infestation by squirrels and other rodents.  The house is suffering from water damage and areas of rot and chimney damage, all combining to endanger the well-being of the property.

“The Swift House is deteriorating,” Charity told the selectmen, although she assured them that experts have declared it to be structurally sound.

Following discussion, the selectmen agreed that work could begin to secure the building against the animal infestation and that a request for $18,900 would be sent to the Board of Finance to address the remainder of the Phase 1 work.

A recent expenditure of $1,200 replaced the front steps.  Selectman Chris Garrity noted, however, that an average of $620 per year has been spent on repairs for the past 11 years.

A total of $25,550 would cover the first phase of securing the building from further damage, Charity indicated. That expense would repair the areas damaged by animals gaining access to the interior, seal the foundation, repoint the chimney, repair rotting siding and trim, and provide for additional painting and carpentry. The figure offered was a ballpark estimate.

“How do we proceed?” Charity asked the selectmen.

Speck asked whether the selectmen are clear about what the use of the building is to be. She said that the selectmen do not usually see a capital project needing immediate attention.

Some funding (approximately $5,500) already exists in the repair and maintenance budget for the Swift House, so the selectmen agreed that those funds could be spent immediately.

Charity urged the selectmen to take action now to prevent further deterioration. “We are trying to prevent more damage. It’s crucial,” she said.