Special town meeting is Dec. 17

SHARON — A special town meeting to discuss and possibly settle three long-debated issues has been scheduled for Friday, Dec. 17, at 7:30 p.m.

The cemetery funds

Voters will be asked to decide whether or not to allow the town to transfer $226,000 out of its Sharon East Side Cemetery trust account to a newly formed company, Sharon East Side Cemetery Inc., that has been set up to maintain the cemetery.

Prior to 1989, the East Side Cemetery Association was in charge of both maintaining the cemetery and managing the fund.

When the association was dissolved in 1989, its assets, including an endowment of $200,000, were put in the hands of the town.

The town has used those funds to maintain other cemeteries in town.

First Selectman Bob Loucks said that if voters approve the agenda item, the company will be taking over any and all future maintenance of the cemetery from the town.

“The town took it over when no one else wanted to take care of it,� Loucks said. “[Sharon East Side Cemetery Inc.] has stepped in and said they will take care of it if this passes at the town meeting.�

In an interview in April, Glenn Dennis, who is also one of the members of the company, said the cemetery has fallen into disrepair over the years.

“The cemetery needs about $26,000 of work right now because it has not been kept up by the town during all of these years,� Dennis said.

Mitchelltown Road

The second item scheduled for a vote is whether or not the town should accept an offer from resident James Metz to buy a portion of Mitchelltown Road.

In December 2009, Metz, who owns property on the road, made a formal offer to the town of $500,000 to purchase a section of it that passes through his property.

The section includes a bridge that has been closed since August 2009 because two cracks were discovered in it.

The Board of Selectmen rejected Metz’s offer at a meeting in January.

Metz recently requested the selectmen put the offer to voters on a town meeting agenda.

For the offer to be accepted, a two-thirds majority of residents present at town meeting must approve it.

Peddlers and Hawkers

The last item scheduled to be on the agenda will be a Peddlers and Hawkers ordinance that will limit the hours salesmen will be allowed to go to households and sell items.

Loucks said the item has been placed on the agenda because several residents complained that salesmen have bothered them during late-night hours.