#MiddleburyCT #GreenwayBridge #MeetingTimes
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
The Middlebury Board of Selectmen (BoS), at their October 7 and 21 meetings, considered two topics likely of great interest to many in Middlebury – replacement of the Greenway bridge destroyed in the August storm and 2025 BoS meeting times.
The Greenway bridge was discussed at both meetings, with Selectman Jennifer Mahr initially introducing the topic on October 7 by saying a resident had asked her when the bridge might be repaired. She said she wanted a better explanation than First Selectman Edward B. St. John saying it is part of a long-term repair process. “What is it that we’re waiting for?” she asked. “What is holding up the repair of the bridge?”
St. John explained that, on September 9, 2024, FEMA changed its process. In the past, the town would have replaced the bridge and then filed for reimbursement from FEMA. It can no longer do that. FEMA now requires towns to develop a “resiliency plan” that shows how it will prevent the new bridge from being destroyed in the future.
Because of the new requirement, the town has to engage an engineering firm that meets FEMA requirements to do the following:
- Inspect 38-40 bridges and culverts.
- Create a written report of the field conditions found at each location.
- Recommend a work schedule at each location.
- Attach potential budget amounts to the recommended work.
- Categorize and prioritize the list of bridges or culverts needing work.
As we go to press, the town is soliciting interviews with engineering firms to complete these tasks.
On October 21, St. John said the bridge area had been fenced off, and Public Works Director Dan Norton has ordered a sign that will be put up advising Greenway users. St. John encourages people to plan their exercise so they go from one end of the Greenway to the bridge area and then turn around instead of trying to get around the bridge area.
On October 7, selectmen set their 2025 meeting schedule. Although an agenda attachment listing 2025 meeting dates stated the first Monday meeting would be at 4 p.m. and the third at 6:30 p.m., the listed times proved to be incorrect.
When Mahr joined the BoS last year, she asked that the meetings then being held at 4 p.m. be moved to evening meetings so more residents could attend the meetings. St. John and Selectman J. Paul Vance agreed to have the third Monday meeting at 6:30 p.m.
On October 7, Vance asked if they needed to meet two different times. He said having meetings at two different times is confusing and that having meetings at 4 p.m. allows employees to more easily attend. He also said having them attend a evening meeting is an expense to the town because employees who attend have to be paid. Since all meetings are on Zoom and the recordings are posted on the town website, he said they are available to all. He said there was no dramatic increase in attendance at the 6:30 p.m. meetings, so he requested all meetings be at 4 p.m. in 2025.
Mahr objected to the change, noting that people at work can’t attend 4 p.m. Zoom meetings. She also questioned Vance’s statement about paying employees. She said salaried employees are paid no matter what, and the job descriptions she read include attending town meetings as necessary. She said it’s part of their jobs to attend these meetings. Vance said the labor board disagrees.
Mahr said this will be the opposite of transparency. Vance said he disagreed and reiterated his earlier statement about the recordings being on the town website.
St John said attendance (at the 6:30 p.m. meetings) isn’t what he would have liked to see and he believes it could be handled as it was in the past, with an evening meeting being held when resident participation was needed.
The vote on the motion was Vance and St. John, “Yes” and Mahr “No.” The motion passed.
Times for selectmen meetings in Southbury and Woodbury are 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively. Watertown’s town council meets at 7 p.m., as do Naugatuck’s mayor and burgesses.
