Memorial Day parade to return this year; Grove prices to rise

SALISBURY — The Board of Selectmen met online Monday, April 4, to discuss a new mobile medical unit, adjust town Grove prices, appoint new committee members to the Affordable Housing Committee and sign off on a grant for assessing the old railroad station in Lakeville.

And the selectmen announced that the traditional Memorial Day parade will be held this year, after being canceled two years in a row because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gina Burrows of the Community Health and Wellness Center of Torrington offered a presentation on its mobile clinic, Bringing Exceptional Treatment to You (BETTY).

Burrows said CHWC has several mobile units posted around the area and the state and hopes to include Salisbury in the future. She said BETTY has served more than 5,000 patients between the ages of 25 and 75 in 2020. BETTYs are a nonprofit entity and accept most insurance, with a scaling payment plan.

Prices at the town Grove are being increased across the board. Launching fees for non-residents have been increased to $10, kayaks to $5 and season launching to $150. Launching is still free for residents. Dock spaces are increasing to $200, $100 for seniors and $300 for non-residents.

“I know it’s not a profit-oriented thing, it’s not supposed to be,” Selectman Christian Williams said. “ But we’ve got to recoup some of the cost of dock upkeep and the employees there.”

Selectman Don Mayland expressed concern about raising prices for non-residents using the Grove and lake, and about the kayak fee in particular. “I’m not gonna object to it, I just think it’s a little, frankly, ridiculous,” Mayland said. The motion was passed with Mayland’s abstention.

The selectmen appointed  three new members to the Salisbury  Affordable Housing Commission: Katie White, John Higgins and Lee Sullivan.

The selectmen approved the use of a $20,000 state grant from the State Historic Preservation Office to do an assessment of the CNE train station building on Ethan Allan Street.

During public comment, Susan Galluzzo of the Lakeville Community Conservancy expressed dissatisfaction with how the selectmen are proceeding with the assessment renovation of the building. She asked for more input from Lakeville residents, businesses and the conservancy group.  First Selectman Curtis Rand agreed to include a LCC member in future discussions.