Selectmen: Users should pay for repairs

KENT — At a meeting June 2 at Town Hall, the Board of Selectmen recommended to the Board of Finance that sewer users should bear the full cost of the much-needed repairs to the sewer line on Bridge Street, which runs from Elizabeth Street to the bridge on Route 341.

At a previous meeting, Sewer Commission Chairman Will Gawel estimated that the project will cost $330,000. He said he believes the cost of the repair would be an unreasonable burden to the 340 sewer users in town.

The selectmen disagreed with Gawel,  and on June 2 unanimously approved a recommendation to make sewer users  pay for the repairs, rather than have all the taxpayers in town share the expense.

“It seems to me it wouldn’t be a terrible crush for those who are on the town sewer to pay for it over an extended period of time,â€� First Selectman Ruth Epstein said.  

Selectman Bruce Adams agreed, adding that the commission needs to be more aware of sewer line conditions and plan better for the future.

“If the town’s going to invest money,  there has to be some sort of safeguard for them to be prepared for the next emergency,â€� Adams said. “I think they need to build up a contingency fund because it is going to happen again. Maybe they can do some preventative maintenance studies.â€�

If the Board of Finance approves the recommendation, a bank loan to the sewer users would be set up by the board, and would include payback terms and rates.

Neither Gawel nor any representatives from the Sewer Committee were present at the meeting.

Selectman Vince LaFontan said, if the Board of Finance approves the recommendation, the next step would be to schedule a special town meeting to vote on whether or not to fund the repairs.

 

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
Taking on Tanglewood

Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

Provided

Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.

Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
James H. Fox

SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.

Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.

Keep ReadingShow less