Small issues, big concerns for Board of Selectmen

SHARON — Howard Randall came to the Dec. 12 meeting of the Board of Selectmen to express concern that the potholes on Keeler and Knibloe Hill roads have not been repaired. First Selectman Bob Loucks thanked Randall for his comments but did not address his concerns.Former Selectman John Matthews asked the board about plans to create a large parking lot behind the town garage. “Nothing is being planned at this time,” Loucks said. “We’re just cleaning up the area and putting in a drain to take water away.”One town resident, who did not give her name, objected to a plan for the selectmen’s meetings to begin at 4:30 p.m. starting in 2012. Loucks said the decision was made to make it more convenient for the selectmen, because Town Hall closes at 4 p.m. The resident said, “The meetings are for the convenience of taxpayers, not the people on the board,” which brought a loud round of applause from the room. The audience for the meeting was particularly large because of an agenda item that day regarding accusations of censorship from an artist whose work was supposed to be shown in the Town Hall gallery (see story, this page).Jessica Fowler, who was chairman of the town’s Long Range Planning Committee noted that on Nov. 23 the selectmen had voted to disband the committee. She said she would like to see the committee reinstated, with all the same members.Loucks responded that much of the work the committee did was a duplication of work by other committees, “When Malcom [Brown] was first selectman, he felt the need for this committee. The selectmen have acted for years and years without this committee.”The members of the committee were invited to meet with the selectmen to discuss the matter further.Nancy Wadman was appointed to the Board of Recreation and Youth. Wendy Marshall was approved as a part-time clerk for the Sharon Historic District Commission.The selectmen approved a five-year contract with the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority, the agency that handles solid waste disposal for the transfer station.It was reported that the Mitchelltown Road bridge repairs should be completed in the spring of 2012.