Seymour Residents Say ‘Yes’ To Spending $837,000

Seymour residents at a special town meeting Tuesday gave permission to the Board of Selectmen to make three large equipment purchases.

The total cost given the green light by residents at Town Hall Tuesday — $837,000.

Here is how the money will be spent:

• $497,000 for an emergency communications console at the Police Department.

• $160,000 for a pay-loader at the Public Works Department.

• $180,000 for a dump truck for the Public Works Department.

(Programming note: The Valley Indy and the Seymour High School Student Council are hosting a First Selectman debate 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Seymour High School Auditorium)

The police department has been using an obsolete console that has stopped working on occasion.

“This is the main hub of communications in the town,” Lt. Paul Satkowski said.

The communications console ties in all emergency radio broadcasting in the town, as well as telephone and 911 calls, Satkowski said. The current system is more than 20 years old.

The radio communications system passed by a 93-1 vote. The other items passed unanimously.

The lone dissenting vote on the communications system came from Gary Bruce, a volunteer firefighter. He had questions about the process being used to acquire the equipment.

Bruce also said he wants to be certain the breakdowns that occur in the current system are understood so that they do not happen with the new system.

Voters had previously rejected spending the money on the purchases, when presented in a referendum.

One of the items on that referendum was money for the communication equipment at the Police Department. Voters rejected that item.

The truck purchases replaces equipment that is some 30 years old.

First Selectman Paul Roy said this year’s severe weather — a flash flood, Tropical Storm Irene and a then another storm about a week later — underscored how badly the new equipment was needed.

“Hurricane Irene pointed out there are weaknesses in town that we need to address,” Roy said.

The next step is for the Board of Selectmen to find a way to finance the purchases. Short-term borrowing is an option.

“Right now interest rates are low, so it’s a very good time to make these purchases,” he said.

The purchases, stretched over a period of years, should amount to only a tenth of a mill increase per year in taxes, Roy said.