Killingworth Election 2007 Online Debate

Final Round: Question 1

2007-10-29T00:25:00.000-04:00

Given the many ways the town interacts and intersects with the regional school district, what will you do to improve and expand that relationship?

2007-10-29T00:24:00.000-04:00

Rick Albrecht, Ed Sipples, Cathy Iino

The first thing we'd like to say is that we are starting from a much better place than we were a few years ago. Superintendent Gary Mala is an honest, responsive, open-minded leader who has done a lot to restore the trust and confidence that is essential to a good relationship between the school district and the town.

Now we need to extend that relationship. As selectmen, we will go beyond the required annual presentations and consultations.

• We will all engage in a forward-looking dialogue with our counterparts in Haddam and with members of the school board. By discussing Killingworth’s long-range plans and budget forecasts with those of Region 17, we should be able to avoid such conflicts as pile-ups of major capital projects.
• We will explore ways to work together in areas such as purchasing, grant writing, and scheduling use of fields and other facilities. The more our townspeople see the schools as community institutions, the more they will understand the needs and values of the school system.
• We will look for ways to bring together students and other groups in our community. The new middle school, for instance, is almost next door to Jensen’s. Could eighth graders provide some community services to our seniors? Could our seniors provide some guidance for fifth graders? Or imagine an oral history project in which students use the high school's excellent media lab to record the recollections of our longtime residents. It takes a village to raise a child, and children give life to a village.
• We will find ways to support education as well as ways in which the school system can be useful to the town.

The town's concerns intersect with the school district's in some less obvious ways as well. Take, for example, the traffic issues we have been so vigorously debating. One factor in these problems is the large number of cars driving to the schools every day. Perhaps Killingworth and Region 17 could work together to make the buses a more attractive option for students and parents. Reducing school traffic would benefit our environment as well as our roads.

At the end of the day, the citizens of Killingworth care more about providing a good education for the next generation without breaking the bank than they care about separate lines of authority. As representatives of the people of the town, we have an obligation to participate fully in deliberations about such an important public function.

2007-10-29T00:23:00.000-04:00

John Amport

RSD 17 is more like Clinton, Westbrook or Haddam than your routine town school system. It is a governmental entity unto itself. The RSD 17 Board members along with the Superintendent are the key points of contact.

In the past, most of the focus has been on maintaining open lines of communication with the Superintendent. That is fine, but I will open lines of communication with Killingworth’s representatives on the RSD 17 Board. I feel this would be more effective than the past efforts of having liaisons.

I feel it is essential that these channels be opened to facilitate a broad range of information and issues. It is more important than ever that Board members be kept abreast of Town Capital Plans and Budgets to allow them to have greater perspective on the fiscal impact of the RSD17 Budget.

Conversely, I feel it is essential that the Board of Selectmen is aware of the many issues with which the RSD 17 Board must deal. As with the regional associations of which we are a member, I am sure that there are opportunities to work more collaboratively to our mutual benefit. In my answer to the next question, you will see how working together served both RSD 17 and the Town when we collaborated to produce a video taped debate that was shown throughout the 2005 election campaign on public access.

2007-10-29T00:22:00.000-04:00

Rich Cabral and Fred Dudek

We will endeavor to establish a closer working relationship with the B.O.E. liaison to the B.O.S. so that both have a clearer understanding of each other’s role in relationship to the use of the taxpayer’s dollar. Constant and positive contact with the Superintendent over matters of concern to both R.S.D.17 and the Town will improve our relations. By communicating with our representatives on the B.O.E. on an individual basis, we can better inform them of areas where we have concerns and how we can work together for their solution.

We will be more cognizant of the B.O.E. needs and how they relate to the grand scheme of expenditures in Killingworth. We will offer our input regarding the budget of R.S.D. 17 as a Town and work closely with the Superintendent in this area. We will represent the Town at school functions when asked and visit the schools from time to time, so that the general populace may see that we are all part of Killingworth. Although R.S.D. 17 is a separate entity, a cooperative sense of direction needs to be developed in order that we accomplish the shared goal of a quality education for all of our residents in a fiscally responsible environment.

Final Round: Question 2

2007-10-29T00:15:00.000-04:00

2. What will you do to encourage more residents to step forward to volunteer for town committees?

2007-10-29T00:14:00.000-04:00

Cathy Iino

One of the unexpected pleasures of this campaign, for me, has been discovering how many Killingworthies generously give their time to an amazing range of endeavors. I have met a volunteer child advocate, a volunteer hospice worker, volunteer ambulance and fire crews, volunteer land stewards and library staff, church wardens and foster parents. Killingworth has a reputation as a place where people keep very much to themselves, but my experience has shown me the other side of the picture.

Why, then, are we having a hard time recruiting volunteers for town committees?

One reason seems to me to be an atmosphere of disrespect and rancor, of frustration and futility, at town hall. As selectman, I will work hard to create a shared sense of purpose for all town committees; I will take their proposals seriously; and I will try to make sure that their efforts are not wasted.

A more basic reason, I believe, is that we have lost sight of government as public service. When we use politics as a dirty word and call government the enemy, is it any wonder that people do not want to be part of it? If we can change that view of government—if we can remind people that government is a way of acting together for the common good—then I believe our townspeople will not hesitate to serve where they are needed. I hope I can show people, by words and by actions, that government can be a positive and productive force in our community.

2007-10-29T00:13:00.000-04:00

Rich Cabral and Fred Dudek

Volunteerism comes from a desire to see things as they are and a desire to improve them for the good of all.

Here in Killingworth, there are so many people willing to give of their time in some small way if only asked. By approaching the various service organizations in Town such as the PTA, Lions, KWO, Library Association, Fire Company, Ambulance Association, and Chamber of Commerce, we will appeal to their members concerning the rewards of Town service. We will encourage our current volunteers to speak and write about the rewards of volunteering. We believe that we must go outside our small circle of contacts and approach even those we don’t know to invite them to become actively concerned in their community. We will do this by personally speaking with individuals to persuade them to become involved. Keeping the aforementioned in mind, it is our intention to engage our fellow residents in dialogue leading to their desire to volunteer for service to our community.

There needs to be a feeling of vested interest by individuals in order for them to become involved and truly make a difference. We will accomplish this vested interest through written articles of information concerning Town matters and the need for volunteers.

We feel increasing information and understanding of Town matters will result in greater participation. Our fellow neighbors, we believe, want to contribute to the betterment of the quality of life in Killingworth.

2007-10-29T00:12:00.000-04:00

Ed Sipples

Volunteers are critical to making a small town like KW function properly. All the Boards, Commissions, Committees and groups are like spokes in a wheel. Without all the spokes, the wheel becomes distorted and wobbles. KW would wobble without the help of volunteerism!

The first thing the Executive Branch of our town government (BOS) should do is to set the example by LISTENING and RESPECTING the recommendations that are brought forth by our current volunteers serving on Committees. These volunteers are giving of their precious time to research and develop recommendations and the BOS should always receive them with open minds.

Last winter, the Boards of Selectmen (I'm a member) and Finance approved a town expenditure that was intended to be a "Volunteer Appreciation Night". EVERY town volunteer (at least as being defined as "sworn in" by the Town) and a guest were invited to attend this Town sponsored gathering. The purpose of the evening was to RECOGNIZE their importance and to allow town leaders to say Thank You. At this recent dinner, many who have freely given of their precious time and helped serve the Town's best interests, received long overdue recognition.

The BOS depends heavily upon the two major parties (KDTC and KRTC) to search for and recommend people to fill most vacancies. The Democratic and Republican Town Committees are at the grass roots of finding volunteers. The current selection process for both groups is to constantly look for someone who pops up on the Town radar screen by showing their interest in some sort of Town issue or business. Next they identify the persons' skill sets and match that person to the appropriate Committee. Finally they have to persuade the person to step up to the plate and volunteer for it.

Is there a problem finding people to volunteer? You betcha! We live in a fast paced society where many times both Mom and Dad are working and there is little or no "spare time" available. If we currently try to "hook" any resident who appears on the radar screen, the only way to improve upon this is to find people who don't pop up. I don't know how one does this, so I don't really have a good answer to this question.

The last alternative has to be to pay volunteers for their service. The monetary impact upon our taxes would be gigantic and of course we would want to avoid this option.

I'm all ears to any ideas about how this problem could be tackled! But, at the risk of repeating myself, I do think acknowledging the tireless work of our volunteers, and respecting their efforts is job one if we are to recruit more.

2007-10-29T00:11:00.000-04:00

John Amport

As a former Republican Town Committee Chairman, I can tell you this is every year’s biggest challenge. I believe people volunteer to serve if they become interested in what is going on in a particular arena. We have a real problem in Killingworth. Other than The Source newspaper and KillingworthToday.com, there are no real media outlets to supply information on the goings on in Killingworth.

The Source provides no governmental news coverage at all. Other out of town papers provide some limited coverage but have very spotty circulation in Town.
KillingworthToday does a good job of trying to cover a variety of subject areas but has limited resources. A forum like this is a good start.

We need to find ways to increase citizen awareness of what their government is doing. I have long advocated a Town web-site as a source of information and automation of Town services. This site needs to clearly delineate what the committee does, how many meetings it has and what additional time commitments may be necessary. I will make the implementation of a Town Web-site a priority if I am elected.

Two years ago Marty and I participated in a live debate that was taped (By the RSD 17 A/V Department) and played on Public Access. We felt it could be very helpful in providing information to our residents. As readers of KillingworthToday know, this year we asked the Democrats and Republicans in August if they would participate. Then in early October we told the KWO that we wanted to have a debate and asked them if they would be interested in sponsor it. They did. Again, there will be no debate because the Republicans and Democrats would not agree.

It is kind of "political maneuvering" that makes the job of the KRTC and KDTC ever more difficult. People do not want to play politics when it comes to their own community.

Marty has been able to get new volunteers by doing what Marty does best; taking the bull by the horns and soliciting volunteers directly. I have had the pleasure of helping him with some of those efforts.

Let me give you a specific example of this from a recent E-Mail I received from Bruce Dodson regarding the Killingworth Open Space Committee.

"During the previous administration there were only two token members: Dave Gumbart and me. We never met. There was no point. The activities of the KOSC were handled, unofficially, within the Land Trust. . . When Marty took office he wanted to know what we were doing, when we were going to make recommendations he could act on, wanted a list of prospective new members he could take to the BOS for appointment, called several of us on the phone and to his office to discuss specific properties, and has made more phone calls to me than I could remember. And he calls me almost monthly to make sure I'm keeping an open dialogue with the Venutis."

If the Town Committees can not fulfill their role of soliciting volunteers Marty and I will.

2007-10-29T00:10:00.001-04:00

Question 2 Rebuttal by Michael J. Sanders, Chair of the Democratic Town Committee: An innocuous debate question on Killingworth Today concerning promoting volunteerism in town, was used by Mr. Amport to repeat blatant misrepresentations he had already spewed forth on October 27th. Its link to the original question was strained and obscure.

Mr. Amport stated that his team had asked the Democrats and Republicans to participate in debates and they would not agree. Wrong Mr. Amport!!! Democrats have an email record on our efforts to get a schedule of debates going, emails to which you never responded. The KDTC can make these emails available if necessary. We also have the emails from the KWO and our Committee Chairman's response supporting selectmen debates.

We have been eager for debates with all our selectman candidates. If anyone has asked Rick Albrecht about debates, you know his answer has consistently been "I will debate anywhere, any candidates, anytime. Just let me know where to show up."

Again for the record, we have, and will make available, the emails attempting to set up First Selectman and Selectmen candidate debates. And as we all know, emails are dated.

2007-10-29T00:10:00.000-04:00

Rick Albrecht

The majority of the people hours needed for the many functions and programs required for the smooth running of the Town of Killingworth are preformed by volunteers - both elected and appointed.

Every two years we have municipal elections for certain standing boards and commissions. Not everyone, however, is willing to withstand the rigors of a political campaign in order to donate their time and talents. The elected positions are for two to fours years. Sometimes there are fewer interested folks than positions available.

For those still wanting to serve there is another option. There are well over one hundred appointed positions on permanent boards, commissions, committees, subcommittees and ad hoc committees. These commitments may be for as long three years or as short as one year or less if their charge is for a limited and specific task. There currently are quite a number of vacancies at this level also.

The commitment for the elected or appointed positions may be as little as a couple of hours a month or several hours a week. Some are reluctant to serve because they are uncertain of the commitment.

The best way to encourage volunteerism is to show support, appreciation and respect for the work or tasks performed by the participants. Their tasks, quite often require investigations and compilations of information that may be needed to make decisions for future needs. The findings of a group or the results of their deliberations are just that and don't reflect uninformed personal opinions.

When we find a willing constituent, I have noticed that they are suddenly on a second or even third committee. They burn out quickly and then are reluctant to get involved again.

During my forty years of involvement at all levels of municipal service and other local civic organizations, I have met many residents and I know of their diverse talents and skills. I believe some folks just need to be asked. More importantly, I know they are not doing it for the recognition so when they are done they need to be thanked.

We, as members of a vibrant community, must also remember there are service opportunities beyond the Town level. Our Volunteer Fire Company and Ambulance service, Historical Society, Land Trust, Youth Athletics, and other associations including our great Killingworth Library, rely on volunteer support.

In closing, I would ask that you look around and see where you think your talents could help your fellow residents and then step forward.

Round II: Question 1

2007-10-22T00:25:00.000-04:00

Hypothetically, if given independent authority to allocate town tax dollars, including through bonding or capital accounts, what would be your top three areas of expenditure over the next five years?

2007-10-22T00:24:00.000-04:00

John Amport

This question appears to exclude placing a priority on repair of our roads and bridges that should be able to be handled through the ongoing Long Term Capital Plan. It also excludes the annual effort by the BOS and BOF to minimize the impact of Town government expenditures on the MIL Rate. Therefore, I take this question to mean; if you were go to the Town (Town Meeting/Referendum) for expenditures above and beyond the annual budget for ongoing operations what top three priorities do you envision?

Given the above, the following three areas lead my list of priorities.

Recreational Facilities – We need to be prepared to complete the effort to bring the Town current with regard to its recreation needs and ensure the plan encompasses the immediate future requirements. I do not know that this cannot be accomplished without bonding, but I would not vote to approve a recreational plan that continued to leave the Town short of the require facilities simply because we cannot fund it "out-of-pocket".

Town Office Facilities - The "Town Office Building Committee" is well along with their report. It is clear that we do not have sufficient meeting space and that Town Hall is not currently a very efficient facility from a number of points of view. If I am elected, when the committee's report is complete, I would have a public information meeting to seek taxpayer input on the report. Then I would seek a consensus on the BOS to begin the process of implementing a solution prior to the end of the lease on the modular addition to Town Hall.

Open Space - This is a subject that means different things to different people. I think of the acquisition of open space on a "value" basis. What that means is:

1. Can the Town acquire the property at or below its Fair Market Value?
2. What are the possible uses of the property for the Town now and in the future?
3. What alternative development possibilities exist and what would the impact of those alternatives mean to the Town?

Each one of the above can enhance the value to the Town and its residents.

I have one final word on bonding. The Town, like a household, cannot continually borrow to provide things today and leave payment for the future. The judicious use of leverage (bonding) is a valid means to provide essential facilities (like a home) but needs to be approached with caution when used for items that are "nice to have".

2007-10-22T00:23:00.001-04:00

Rick Albrecht, Ed Sipples, Cathy Iino

In the next five years, the Democratic team would use your hard-earned tax dollars to protect the investments Killingworth has made over the last century. In addition to the continuing expenses for town operations and Region 17 schools, we see several priorities.

Repairing our infrastructure has to be at the top of the list. We already know of some needed repairs—to the Reservoir Road Bridge, Burr Hill Road, Lover’s Lane, just to name the most pressing needs. The good news: we have already allocated $220K to cover our portion of the Reservoir Road Bridge replacement, and we have a federal commitment for the remaining 80 percent. A $450K fund to repair Burr Hill is also on target. Clearly, however, Killingworth needs to inspect all of its bridges, culverts, and roads and then repair and maintain them in a systematic way that will allow us to balance competing demands and preserve Killingworth’s scenic and environmental assets.

Another area of investment should be the development of athletic fields, most immediately on the Wettish property that the town purchased last year. In the last twenty years, Killingworth’s population has grown by 50 percent, yet we have added only one small baseball practice field. (Because school teams take priority, the new middle school fields only slightly relieve the pressure on our current facilities.) Twenty years ago, recreational sport here pretty much was baseball; today, over 600 boys and girls—and another 50 adults—play soccer. The few fields we do have are overused, and we have had to turn down proposals for football and lacrosse leagues for lack of space. The cost of new fields will be shared by the town and the state.

Another way we can guard both our quality of life and our budget is to acquire more open space. This is truly an investment in our future: it will ensure that Killingworth remains rural, and it will control the growth in public expenses. We need to look at many ways of managing growth, from conservation subdivisions to age-restricted housing. But it would also serve us well to develop a long-range plan for purchasing large tracts of land that come on the market. Our dedicated Open Space Subcommittee has been preparing an inventory of those properties. Again, the funds won’t all have to come from town coffers; we should seek partnerships with groups such as the Land Trust, the water companies, and the State of Connecticut. We must not allow these precious open spaces to be lost through inattention and apathy.

All of these initiatives are, in fact, overdue. Other demands are also on the horizon: our town hall is bursting at the seams; a Killingworth government website could help make town services more accessible; our public works department will need new equipment; our fire department must stay prepared. For the future, we promise to act openly, cooperatively, and expeditiously to guard Killingworth’s fiscal, capital, and environmental assets.

2007-10-22T00:22:00.000-04:00

Rich Cabral and Fred Dudek

The most obvious project now in development is the Wettish Property and thus should be our number one priority. Its completion will assure that long awaited recreational facilities will be available for our youth. With these fields in operation, the recreation committee can then begin to develop a master plan that will encompass present fields and their refurbishing while always keeping in mind both active and passive recreation.

Our present Transfer Station needs to be modernized and relocated to the rear of the town-owned property and should be our second priority. With an ever growing population and the need to recycle so many materials, a modern Transfer Station is needed now more than ever. In recycling those materials that can be and not having them as part of the household waste disposal, the savings will benefit all of the people of Killingworth.

The third priority should be our aging infrastructure of roads and bridges. We should start by having an engineering examination of all roads and bridges. Having this in hand would then permit us to establish priorities within this area and move bond one package of infrastructure improvements with a life expectancy of 20-25 years.

Round II: Question 2

2007-10-22T00:15:00.000-04:00

The closing of the Reservoir Road bridge has caused a great deal of inconvenience for residents living in that area. If elected what, if anything, would you change in that project plan and how would you handle future long-term road closings?

2007-10-22T00:14:00.000-04:00

Ed Sipples

Let's examine the events surrounding the actual closing. Your current 1st Selectman unilaterally decided that the bridge was to be immediately closed without consulting the BOARD OF SELECTMEN. After the fact, the BOARD was informed the State of CT had instructed him, in writing, to immediately close it. I asked for a copy and after waiting too long for this documentation, I asked a second time. Mr. Klein's response was "he forgot". The third time I publicly asked, his response was "it was verbal, not written instructions, from the State". I have repeatedly stated that I'm not convinced that it couldn't be safely reopened to one lane of restricted weight traffic while we wait for what now appears to be a 2009 or even 2010 completion date!

When Mr. Klein finally allowed BOARD participation, both Selectman Dudek and Selectman Sipples insisted upon revising his "charge" to the Reservoir Road Bridge Engineering Review Committee, to allow them to consider the simpler, quicker and less expensive option of replacing "like for like" culverts. Unfortunately, this option was later rejected due to a hydrology report that deemed "sleeving" the culverts as unacceptable.

We are now at the point where the federally funded, and State administered, new replacement bridge is the only reasonable option. It will be a thoroughly engineered, very complex bridge and have every bell, whistle, and bead you can imagine.

The information Marty shared with the BOARD was the bridge was going to cost approximately one million dollars and the Town's 20% share therefore would run around $200,000. The BOARD has already set aside $218,600, so we should be covered on the expense side.

On the PEOPLE SIDE, however, many disturbing reports have emerged. Mr. Klein's self admitted arrogance is not only unbecoming to a 1st Selectman, his rudeness to those neighbors who heavily depend upon this road, is cause for concern.

I would handle future long term road closings by first starting with the word "WE", not "I". The BOS should be informed, "We have a serious problem that we need to figure out the best way to handle". Next, we should be much more cognizant of the negative impact upon neighbors and would only completely close it if this were the last remaining option and absolutely necessary. The creation of a special Committee, comprised of knowledgeable members, dedicated to coming up with the best repair/replacement solution for our Town, makes good sense. The hasty way it was closed and the subsequent disparaging remarks about the neighbors, does not make good sense.

Lastly, it is important to say that I don't believe anyone knew up front that this would turn into such a long term closing. I know I was initially optimistic that the quick and easy "sleeving" option would be selected. If the upcoming election puts a new 1st Selectman in office, and I am re-elected, I will push to determine if the bridge could safely be reopened to restricted use while we wait for the new bridge to be built.

2007-10-22T00:13:00.000-04:00

Rich Cabral and Fred Dudek

"The die is cast!" It is quite apparent that pages could be written on the handling of the Reservoir Road Project, but, since we have already embarked upon an avenue with the Federal Government as our partner to remediate the bridge, there is very little we can do to expedite the project. To pull out of the process already begun, would only lengthen the project and increase the frustration of the neighboring residents. Knowing that we could have probably completed the project in less time, we, apparently, chose the avenue that would be less costly. Many times the cheapest route is not always the best for all concerned. However, as your First Selectman, I vow to investigate all possible avenues to secure a temporary way to allow passage along Reservoir Road until a permanent bridge may be put into place. I do appreciate the fact that a lack of a bridge is a major inconvenience for the citizens that live in that area.

As for the future, we can only say that every effort will be made to not have history repeat itself. As indicated in Priority 3 of Question 1 of the Second Round, it is most important that a long term master plan be developed by the Selectmen in consultation with its engineer for repair and upkeep of its roads and bridges. With such a plan in place, the engineering for such road and bridge projects can be done far in advance of the project and, thus, shorten the time that a road or bridge will be out of commission.

2007-10-22T00:12:00.000-04:00

John Amport

Let me answer the second part of the question first. In the future, like the last two years, I too would act immediately to respond in a timely fashion to warnings regarding dangerously crumbling infrastructure. Much of the inconvenience that has been experienced could have been avoided if the Town had taken advantage of the State's offer of a temporary bridge back in 2004 when it first said the bridge was unsafe and recommended closure. The fact is that timely proper planning, situations like this can be held to a minimum. If you start the planning and analysis well in advance of it becoming a safety crisis, downtime can be limited to the actual construction time. We need to keep in mind that the length of time associated with construction is, to some degree, a function of what State or Federal program the Town chooses for reimbursement. For example, the Federal specifications are "higher" and therefore more expensive and likely have a longer construction cycle and hopefully longer useful life.

With regard to the current project, it is at a stage where actual implementation decisions are ready to be made. There is a public information session scheduled for November 15th at KES at 7:30PM where the Town's engineering company and the State's representatives with present the plan's status and where they think the project is going. The ongoing management of the project needs active involvement of the 1st Selectman and the Board of Selectmen so as to minimize the elapsed time as the project goes through the final design, permitting, DEP and construction phases. I will be looking for any means to improve the "critical path" to completion by seeking any opportunities to parallel process different aspects of the project. Say what you will regarding my running mate, you know you can count on him (and me) to push the project every day.

2007-10-22T00:11:00.000-04:00

Rick Albrecht

I have been trying to get an understanding of the history of the Reservoir Road Bridge (RRB) debacle. To date, I have only been able to get bits and pieces from BOS and RRB committee meetings. As far as I can tell there have been safety concerns going back 3-4 years. These issues were not followed up on until continuing concerns lead to the setting of weight limits per vehicle and then per axle. I haven't been able to find information as to whether there were recommendations on how to remediate, even if on a temporary basis, those safety concerns. The bridge was then closed because we were instructed to do so, but we can't find out by whom or when.

The town then needed to decide if the repair/replacement was going to be an in-house job or a federal project. We appointed the volunteer RRB committee to hire an engineering firm to help with setting the specs for the project and hiring the contractor. This is where we are now.

I agree that this is a significant inconvenience for the residents living in the Reservoir Road neighborhoods. But we must also recognize that the neighborhoods of the detour routes are inconvenienced by traffic as well. I believe that we should have investigated some relatively modest temporary re-enforcements such as street plates or a concrete deck to better distribute a vehicles weight. I am not an engineer but I'm sure there are other possible remedies that could have been studied. That did not happen so now the RRB it is closed.

As soon as it became evident that this was going to be a long term closure we should have put our own engineers to work to recommend alternatives and/or temporary fixes to allow at least a partial, one lane opening. That did not happen either. In light of the fact that we have now been told that a new RRB can not be completed until 2009 we should still consider looking into a reasonable cost effective alternative. (Funds would have to be approved through the proper channels so nothing would be forced down the taxpayers' throats.)

Going forward, I would never see something like this happening again. I would not ignore warnings so strong as to have a safety issue get this far out of hand. I have already discussed my plans to complete an inventory of all our infrastructure. This would enable us to schedule repairs and rebuilding projects with sufficient forethought to limit inconvenience.

I find it interesting that those bringing up the topic of 'bridge safety' have invoked the tragedy of the Interstate 35W bridge failure in Minneapolis. We are told that that massive replacement project is scheduled to be done before our Reservoir Road Bridge. Getting things done is important, getting them done right is imperative.

2007-10-22T00:10:00.000-04:00

Cathy Iino

I am not an engineer, and I would not begin to second guess the many experts who have been involved in trying to fix the bridge on Reservoir Road. Clearly, no one wants to take risks with a school bus, or a station wagon, full of children. I do believe that strengthening our community is as important as reinforcing our culverts. If I am elected, I will work hard to engage the community much more closely in the decision-making process. I operate on the assumption that all who have been involved in the controversy--even our cantankerous first selectman--have acted out of real concern for the welfare of our citizens, but I wonder whether there are other avenues we could pursue. Have we contacted state and national elected officials about expediting the review process? Could the water company that owns the reservoir for which the road is named help in any way? I'm not ready to throw up my hands and say, "Live with it."

2007-10-22T00:09:00.000-04:00

Question 2 Rebuttal by Cathy Iino: I just want to add that I spoke with our state senator, Ed Meyer, on Monday, and he is ready to go to the Connecticut Department of Transportation and any other state agencies on our behalf, to try to expedite the process.

Round I: Question 1

2007-10-15T00:20:00.000-04:00

What is your position on making the Board of Selectmen a policy board and handing off day to day operations of the Town to a Town Manager?

2007-10-15T00:19:00.000-04:00

Rich Cabral and Fred Dudek

The town of Killingworth has experience a rapid growth over the last 10 years and the day to day operations have become ever more demanding. A Town Manager form of government would lend itself to a more efficient and cost saving means of government, thus, establishing a more effective sense of accountability and taking the business of the Town out of the political arena. This form of fiscal governance would provide an atmosphere of continuity and not one that would change every two years with a new election. The Board of Selectmen would then become the policy making body of the Town and concern itself with the quality of life in our community. Realizing that a change such as this would require a change in our Charter and eventual passage by the legislative body of the Town, we, as your elected representatives, would welcome an exchange of ideas concerning this matter and would support a move to this form of government for Killingworth.

2007-10-15T00:18:00.000-04:00

Rick Albrecht

I believe that at this time we are well served by the Board of Selectmen - Board of Finance - Town Meeting form of government. Every town in our area continues to operate with a 'hands on' First Selectman although Town Charters may vary the size of the board and method of election. While the Board of Selectman (BOS) is the primary policy making board, the board of Finance (BOF), by virtue of its' fiscal control can also influence policy.

Day to day managing can easily be done by the First Selectman. The 'job description' is not in the employee manual but I believe that while the First Selectman's position is a 24/7 responsibility, it's also a full time office job and I would not abuse the position by taking unusually long leaves for personal or business reasons. Obviously there are daytime appointments and obligations out of the office but my point is that I intend to treat it as a full time job.

There is one major responsibility that I would consider the First Selectman hand off because of its significant technical and long term responsibilities. That is the position of Director of Public Works. The operational budget for highway maintenance, transfer station/solid waste and Town Engineer is $1,250,000 without capital projects. During the last few years the responsibility for compiling these budgets has been passed down to the Highway Foreman. Currently we have an 'Acting Foreman' who was hired as the town mechanic. By default, the foreman has had to assume the roles of budgeting, working with contractors, working with vendors and supervising 10 - 12 employees.

We have recently heard a lot about our most valuable asset, our infrastructure, our aging infrastructure of roads, bridges and other rights of way. Because of years of poor planning we have been acting in crisis mode. I would propose that we investigate hiring a full time professional engineer to become the Director of Public Works. The BOS would still set the annual and long range agenda, but the recommendations would come from a professionally developed plan of action.

We recently learned that engineering studies and reports should accompany requests for changes and upgrades to the infrastructure, including placement of new stop signs and changes in speed limits. Please keep in mind that engineering costs for major projects are included in those projects.

There is currently a budget for routine services for a 'Town Engineer' of $40,000 and there are wages in the Highway account for eight employees. We only have six now. So without new money, I believe we could hire a Professional Engineer, letting the Highway Foreman go back to a 'Working Foreman' role as was originally the plan. I believe this course of action would prepare us for a fiscally sound and coordinated long range plan of action.