The Board of Selectmen plans to ignore a vote from the Board of Finance regarding the installation of a new roof and solar panels on Great Oak Middle School.
In a move that generated controversy, the Board of Finance denied the $1.8 million project with a 3-2 vote on March 22. Finance Board members said they wanted more options for the roof project, which has been in the planning stages for several years.
The Finance Board vote was split along party lines.
During a special meeting Monday with Town Attorney Fran Teodosio, the Board of Selectmen discussed its options to move the project forward, regardless of the Finance Board’s vote.
According to Teodosio, the town charter — a set of rules for Oxford’s local government — states the Board of Selectmen can send a resolution on the school roof to a town meeting because the funding for the project is already in the 2009 capital plan.
A town meeting is the place where residents will vote on whether to fund the project.
“This is a capital expenditure, not an appropriation,” he said. “There is no requirement that the Board of Finance’s actions be favorable for a capital project that is not to be bonded.”
The town is eligible for a $324,000 grant from the state’s Clean Energy Fund to purchase the solar panels — and $180,000 in reimbursements from the Department of Education for the roof replacement.
The town would have to come up with $667,000 for the project.
Selectman David Yish said he is in full support of the project — but added if it goes forward the Board of Finance will “challenge” the Selectmen’s decision.
“They (Board of Finance) is going to claim their vote is being disenfranchised and question what section of the charter this action falls under,” he said.
Selectman Dave McKane said he is comfortable proceeding to the next step in the process based on with Teodosios’ legal opinion.
The Selectmen are scheduled to vote on the solar panel issue at its meeting Wednesday (April 7).
The Finance Board has been invited to attend.
Another power grab by the selectmen, what can’t be moved forward by due process will be forced on us.
Had the finance board anticipated such a move, could they have tabled the matter until an estimate for an asphalt roof was presented? The only choice the voters will have is to put a roof on or not. Not the type of roof or even to go with solar panels at all. They did the job that they were elected to do.
If a contractor came to your house with no options other than what he recommends and said you had to do it his way or not at all. You would send him packing.
This opinion will have far reaching consequences on our charter if allowed to stand. It will change how the finance board handles matters.
It disenfranchised all voters. We will be given no choice.
We elect officials to make decisions for us, sometimes they are good, sometimes they are bad. Committees are formed for the same purpose, to work on an issue and come to a conclusion. The Roof Committee did just that, they looked at the issue, did research, spoke to experts and came to a conclusion. You may not like the conclusion they came to and you have the right to vote no, but the Republicans on the BOF are the ones who are grabbing at power.
Their issue is that they do not want to give the Democratic First Selectman any “success stories” so that come November 2011, the RTC can try to claim progress wasn’t made during the current administration. The only Republican with a head on his shoulder has been Selectman David Yish because he sees the need for this project and isn’t acting in a politcal manner.
Leave it to Republican BOF members Ferrillo, Kelly, and Burke to make things political under the guise of “for the good of the people”. These three are and always have been “what is good for the RTC is good enough for Oxford, nothing else!”
DadinOxford hit the proverbial nail square on the head.
i agree with pigfarmer and DadinOxford, the committee presented exactly what they got the best information on and formulated what they all agreed upon as the proper and cost effective solution to the leaking roofing problems at GOMS.
what does eyes open in Oxford want, multiple choices for every line item for every budget? let’s be real. even Dave Yish was amazed at the BOF decision not to bring this to the people to vote on.