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Selectmen approve boat-training transfer, brownfield grant application, legal engagement; set special town meeting
Summary
The Winchester Board of Selectmen on March 3 unanimously approved four formal measures: a $25,400 line‑item transfer to fund police boat safety training, a resolution authorizing the Northwest Hills Council of Governments to apply for a $200,000 brownfield planning grant with a $20,000 town match, engagement of outside counsel to challenge a tax‑exempt status claim by Centurion Holdings, and a special town meeting April 3 to consider the sale of three town‑owned properties.
The Winchester Board of Selectmen on March 3 unanimously approved four formal measures: a $25,400 line‑item transfer to fund police boat safety training, a resolution authorizing the Northwest Hills Council of Governments to apply for a $200,000 brownfield area‑wide revitalization planning grant with a $20,000 town match, engagement of outside counsel to challenge a tax‑exempt status claim by Centurion Holdings (the entity tied to the local Hartford Hospital facility), and a special town meeting April 3 to consider the sale of three town‑owned properties.
The measures were presented and discussed during the board’s regular meeting. The transfer will pay for advanced NASBLA‑style maritime training and equipment so town officers and an enforcement agent can staff lake patrols this summer; the town manager said the funding is tied to an agreement that properly trained officers will patrol the lake. The brownfield planning grant would fund an implementation plan for roughly 12 acres along the Mad River; the town committed a 10 percent local match. Town staff recommended hiring an experienced law firm to pursue litigation or negotiation to keep taxes on a property that the town says currently pays about $160,000 annually.
Votes at a glance
- Line‑item transfer for boat training — Motion: move $25,400 into training and education (from several accounts). Mover: not specified. Second: Linda Grafoff. Outcome: approved unanimously. Notes: Transfer details recorded in the meeting packet and on the record.
- Resolution authorizing Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG) to apply for $200,000 BAR (brownfield area‑wide revitalization) planning grant for Mad River — Mover: not specified. Second: Bill (surname not specified). Outcome: approved unanimously. Notes: The board separately approved a $20,000 match from the capital improvement account to accompany the grant application.
- Resolution authorizing use of grant matching funds ($20,000) for NHCOG BAR application — Mover: not specified. Second: not specified. Outcome: approved unanimously.
- Letter of engagement / fee agreement to retain outside counsel regarding Centurion Holdings’ tax‑exempt claim — Mover: not specified. Second: not specified. Outcome: approved unanimously. Notes: Town staff described the engagement as necessary to protect approximately $160,000 in annual tax revenue the town currently receives from the property.
- Executive‑session motions (public action after executive session) — Heffner v. Town of Winchester: the board authorized the town manager to approve the settlement; Outcome: authorized unanimously. The board also authorized the town manager to negotiate and finalize contracts of sale on behalf of the town for 50–52 Cottage Street, 104 Norfolk Road, and 109 Marshall Street, subject to a town meeting; Outcome: authorized unanimously.
- Special town meeting scheduled — Motion: set a special town meeting for April 3 at 7:00 p.m. to consider sale approvals for 50–52 Cottage Street, 104 Norfolk Road and 109 Marshall Street. Outcome: scheduled unanimously.
Why it matters
The transfer funds a new summer enforcement presence on the town’s lake, a visible public‑safety and recreation issue for residents. The brownfield planning grant is a first step to remediate and market 12 acres along the Mad River, which town staff said could unlock larger state or federal cleanup and redevelopment funds. The legal engagement aims to preserve a recurring tax revenue stream the town says supports public safety and other services. Finally, the property sales and the April 3 special town meeting begin the formal process for disposing of town parcels.
Details and next steps
The $25,400 transfer was sourced from three line items and placed into the police training account; meeting discussion specified course content (boat operation, towing, single‑officer emergency response) and a target of eight local officers for the advanced class, plus a separate, less expensive safety course for the town enforcement agent. The brownfield planning grant requires a 10 percent match; the board approved $20,000 from the capital improvement account as the match. Town staff said NHCOG and the town will use the plan to attract developers and, if environmental assessment work is needed, to apply for remediation funds.
On the Centurion Holdings matter, town staff said the property has previously been a substantial taxpayer and that if the facility wins tax‑exempt status the town stands to lose roughly $160,000 a year. The board authorized engagement of outside counsel to pursue the town’s interests.
The board voted unanimously on each item; minutes and formal resolutions will appear in the final meeting packet.
Ending
Town officials said the next regular Board of Selectmen meeting will follow the schedule on the town calendar; the special town meeting on April 3 will be posted with a location and the precise warrant language for the property sales.
