Selectmen Push for Bonding Projects to go to Referendum

The Suffield Board of Selectmen drafted and approved language agreeing to support any budget restraints from the Board of Finance during the next three fiscal years related to proposed bonding projects at a special meeting on Wednesday night. The language also reinforced the goal of holding a referendum, the final step in the process, in April.

The selectmen stressed the importance of keeping the projects moving through the approval process throughout the meeting. The selectmen want to take advantage of the low interest rates, construction and material costs that are currently available.

The projects, approved by the selectmen and awaiting approval from the Board of Finance, are road and drainage improvements, new fire trucks, Town Hall renovations and a new library. They will cost the town $13.2 million.

The selectmen met to discuss a memorandum of understanding proposed by the Board of Finance.

The selectmen backed the memorandum but believed it should focus on the agreement between the Boards of Education, Finance and Selectmen that the projects are necessary for the town to complete. The document’s focus is currently on the financial restrictions each board will assume to reduce the impact of the projects’ costs on residents.

First Selectman Tom Frenaye said the importance of the memorandum should come from the three boards’ agreement on the importance of the four bonding projects.

The Board of Finance wants to have the memorandum pass through the three boards before it votes on the projects.

The board also advocated a simplified document. Selectman Eileen Moncrief said the memorandum contained too much detail.

“I think this is more like a treaty document,” she said.

Frenaye will present proposed changes to the policy to the finance board members in charge of the memorandum by the end of the weekend.

A proposed budget for the next financial was also discussed, with a mostly finalized version to be completed by Monday, Feb. 28.  Frenaye said an overall increase from last year’s budget of only 1 percent is likely.