LPOS vote ends in a tie, Fenn Farm work continues

By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE

The Middlebury Land Preservation and Open Space Committee (LPOS) election of officers at its Jan. 7 meeting ended in a tie. Members were to vote on officers again at the February meeting. After welcoming Ted Mannello as a new member, the committee discussed upcoming Fenn Farm maintenance and repairs.

In the election, James Crocicchia nominated Chairman John Cookson to serve again, and Patrick Dwyer nominated Raymond Pietrorazio to serve as chair. After a paper ballot of the six members present resulted in a 3-3 tie, Pietrorazio made a motion to move the election to the February meeting. The motion passed unanimously. Voting on a vice-chairman and a secretary also was deferred until February.

Resident Malcolm Todt noted LPOS bylaws require a majority vote of the entire membership, rather than just the ones attending. In response, Cookson said he could have broken the tie as chairman but declined to do it in this case.

Cookson had opened the meeting by introducing Mannello, who was appointed by the Board of Selectmen Dec. 15 to fill the position formerly held by Ken Long. Long resigned in October.

During approval of the Dec. 3 minutes, Pietrorazio asked why the discussion on electing officers was not in the minutes. Recording clerk Tracy Graziano said only motions and actions and comments specifically directed to be on the record went into the minutes.

In maintenance items, Pietrorazio said he had drafted a bid package for the cow barn re-roofing using information from two quotations received from vendors and his knowledge of typical procedures. Cookson advised him to reorganize the package around the town’s regular bid structure, which he said was available in town hall and includes things such as bonding and insurance requirements.

Pietrorazio took on the job Nov. 5 when members agreed the work, expected to cost more than $5,000, was not sufficiently urgent to bypass the town’s bidding process but still needed to be done quickly so repairs could start before the more expensive spring busy season. Cookson told him to include Building Inspector Ollie Leduc and Town Engineer John Calabrese in writing the technical specifications, and then run the package by Public Works Director Dan Norton and First Selectman Ed St. John. Pietrorazio said he’d bring his materials to them for incorporation in the formal bid package.

Middlebury’s Land Preservation and Open Space Committee is dealing with these deteriorating foundation walls under the Fenn Farm horse barn. (Terrence S. McAuliffe photo)

Masonry repairs on collapsing horse barn walls are still waiting for a third written proposal, Pietrorazio said. He received quotes in November from two contractors but has been unable to get one more. He said an area on the west wall needed to be supported by jacks so loose stones and dirt could be removed and the stones cemented back in place, a repair he said was not controversial and was likely to cost less than $5,000, thus not requiring competitive bidding. He asked members to suggest additional contractors, and two were mentioned for his follow-up.

In electrical repairs, Cookson said Mark Electric of Middlebury had been waiting on CL&P but was now ready to begin the outside work replacing and upgrading old, brittle wiring from the service entrance into the farmhouse, and inside upgrades of the electrical service to 200 amps from 60. He said the street wiring would go to a pole and not a mid-line connection as had been previously specified. The work also will include a manual transfer switch to an existing backup generator. All work should be completed in about two weeks if the weather cooperates.

On the topic of asbestos removal from furnace pipes in the farm house basement, Cookson said he had been told by Norton that BriCo Environmental Services LLC of Windsor had performed the work. The $4,275 purchase order for removing and disposing of the asbestos and then reinsulating with Fiberglas, had been awarded to Abatement Plus LLC of Windsor by Norton in November after he reviewed two bids for the remediation. Cookson said all the work was completed except for a 3-inch pipe where materials were on order. Cookson noted a concern by owner Rob Fenn on heat loss from unwrapped pipe elbows. Cookson said Norton spoke to BriCo and was told elbows did not radiate enough heat to justify the additional expense of wrapping. Pietrorazio said he wanted to go on record and inform the committee that the Connecticut Department of Energy requires all the pipes, including elbows, to be insulated to an R-value of R-3. Cookson said he would bring that information to Norton.

The LPOS met again Wednesday, Feb. 4. Information on that meeting will be posted as soon as it is available.