[Marker]
REDDING BOARD OF FINANCE
BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING
March 1, 2007
Filed subject to approval
Present: Alvarez, Cotton, DeSalvo, Dolan
Board of Selectmen: Ketcham, Miller, Takacs
Redding Board of Education: Simeonidis, Lewson, Gaspar, Barickman
Region #9 Board of Education: Pemberton, Poltrack
School administrators: Fossbender, Sullivan, Mas, Kelly, Johnson, Martin, Farrell, Freeston
Town administrators: Hutvagner, O’Donnell, Moisio, Grande
Members of the public: five individuals
Media: S. Wolf of the Redding Pilot
Mr. Cotton called the Public Hearing to order at 7:03 pm in the Community Room of the John Read Middle School.
Presentation of budget requests:
Mrs. Ketcham presented information on the Town’s proposed budget.
Mr. Simeonidis presented the Redding Board of Education’s proposed operating budget.
Mrs. Pemberton reported that Region #9 has just begun a review of the budget and she anticipates completion by the end of the month.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Hans VanOostendorf, Huckleberry Road: regarding the Redding BOE budget, what items were eliminated from the administration’s initial request of 7.9% to bring it down to 5.63% and did the administration feel “short-changed”. Mrs. Sullivan responded that there were reductions as a result of four teachers announcing their retirement, and other reductions, but that the administration did not feel “short-changed”. Mr. VanOostendorf, commenting on the difference between the Redding & Easton education budgets and what is provided, did the administration see any difference in performance when the children got to the high school. Dr. Fossbender responded that there is no difference in the core curriculum, but the programs (Project Adventure, Latin, Gifted & Talented) offered in
Redding certainly contribute to student success. Mr. Van Oostendorf asked Mrs. Ketcham about the legal counsel line item and the highway department reduction. Mrs. Ketcham reported the funding for legal counsel is under “general” and that the Board of Selectmen is reviewing how the Town obtains and uses legal counsel to determine the most cost effective way to do business. With regard to the Highway Department, the hiring of two additional people was postponed due to the need for additional people for the building/zoning departments to handle the expected flow of work from the Georgetown Land Development project.
James Miller, Middlebrook Pond Road: questions regarding the roadway project funding. Mrs. Ketcham clarified the amount requested, stating that routinely $240,000 is budgeted, but is being increased to $300,000 to accomplish more road repair in the next year. This is in addition to the $300,000 road project. Regarding the school’s inclusion of SMARTboards in the budget, Mr. Miller suggested the board/administration make the public aware of their use and utility.
Mike D’Agostino, Glen Hill Road: asked how much more money would be needed to complete the Barlow building project. Mr. Poltrack and Mrs. Pemberton reported that the board of education is considering items in need of repair or renovation that were not planned for in the building project. The money requested for debt repayment is the money needed to pay for the project. The project was voted and approved by the public of Easton and Redding, now the same taxpayers must vote to pay for the project.
ADJOURNMENT
The Chair adjourned the meeting at 8:28 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Maday, Recording Secretary
| 
