Thomaston voters approve $245,455.89 in appropriations and adopt three ordinances

Thomaston voters met in special session Oct. 29, 2024, and unanimously approved three appropriations totaling $245,455.89 and adopted three ordinances, the town clerk’s record shows.

First Selectman Edmond Mone called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Paul Yoos moved and Julie Ingham seconded the meeting’s appointment of Cathy DuPont as clerk. After procedural votes to elect a moderator and waive the reading of the call, the meeting took up six items on the agenda.

The largest appropriation approved was an authorization to appropriate up to $151,000 from the town’s undesignated fund balance to pay for Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) sewer plant and inflow-and-infiltration (I&I) studies, with any federal, state or other grants to be deducted. Paul Yoos moved the resolution and Julie Ingham seconded; the motion passed unanimously. The authorization also empowers the First Selectman to execute all documents and take actions necessary or convenient to carry out the project.

Two smaller transfers were also approved. Christine Yoos moved (seconded by Paul Yoos) to transfer $42,381.45 from the Contingency line item to the Town Hall Maintenance line item; the motion passed unanimously. Julie Ingham moved (seconded by Paul Yoos) to appropriate $52,074.44 from fund balance to supplement the Transfer Station Fund; that motion also passed unanimously.

The meeting then adopted three ordinances. Burt Galpin moved (seconded by Julie Ingham) to amend Chapter 154 of the Thomaston Code by adding Section 154-11, authorizing the town, through its building official, to assess an electronic permit processing fee reasonably related to the town’s cost for processing building permits filed electronically. The ordinance, adopted unanimously, was published in the Republican-American on Nov. 4, 2024, and becomes effective 15 days after publication (Nov. 20, 2024).

Tim Scatina moved (seconded by Christine Yoos) to add line-of-duty death determination provisions to Chapter 32 (Fire Department and Ambulance Corps) and Chapter 75 (Police Department), consistent with Public Act 24-16 and Sections 7-148(c)(4)(A) and (B) of the Connecticut General Statutes. Under the new provisions the First Selectman, in consultation with the appropriate department chief, may make a line-of-duty death determination; the ordinance states such a declaration is not to be used as evidence in a workers’ compensation claim. A resident, Glen Clark, asked that a question about “specifically what is considered line of duty” be put on the record. The ordinance was adopted unanimously and takes effect Nov. 20, 2024.

Christina Molliconi moved (seconded by Jeff Dunn) to adopt an Aquifer Protection Agency Fees Ordinance codified at Chapter 154, Article III, establishing registration and permit application fees to cover processing and technical review costs, allowing exemptions for town boards and departments, permitting the agency to assess additional costs (for example, outside consultants) where necessary, and setting enforcement and appeals procedures under the state statute. That ordinance was adopted unanimously and takes effect Nov. 20, 2024.

The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m. Clerk Cathy DuPont attested the minutes. The full text of each adopted ordinance is available in the Town Clerk’s office, and the published summaries appeared in the Republican-American on Nov. 4, 2024.