SEYMOUR – Highlights from last week’s Seymour Board of Selectpersons meeting:
Farewell Rory
Seymour’s Chief Administrative Officer Rory Burke is moving on. Burke’s last day here was Friday (April 21). He has accepted a job as assistant town manager for the Town of North Branford. Having earned his master’s degree in public administration in 2021, Burke said he was looking for an opportunity to advance in his career.
“I’ve worked my way up through Seymour and hit the ceiling of potential here,” Burke said. “I love working in Seymour, but it’s time for a new challenge.”
First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis fought back tears while announcing the news.
“For 10 years Rory has been the face of our Board of Selectmen meetings, he has been the go-to person at town hall, if you need to know something you go to Rory, Rory knows it all,” Drugonis said.
Selectman Bob Findley concurred saying “Rory is a big asset to this town and this will be a major loss of us.”
Drugonis has appointed a panel comprised of Findley, along with deputy first selectman Al Bruno, selectman Phil Wilhelmy and the town’s human resources director and operations director to find a replacement for Burke.
The job was posted April 10 and applications are being accepted until April 29.
Volunteer Firefighters Get Tax Break
The board also approved a tax abatement for retired Seymour volunteer firefighters, which will give eligible members aged 65 and over up to $1,500 off their property taxes. Fire Chief Chris Edwards said there are 15 members who are eligible for the tax break. In order to qualify, members must have 25 years active service with the fire department, as well as commit to attending five meetings per year, and belong to two fire department related committees.
New Guardrails Coming To West Street
The old wooden guardrails that previously lined a small stretch of West Street, but were recently taken out and destroyed when a car crashed into them, will be replaced with metal ones. Drugonis said the town will use $19,056 in LOCIP funds to pay for the guardrails. The town engineer is also assessing other areas of town where outdated wooden guardrails are still in place, and plans to use additional LOCIP funds to replace them with metal ones, as well.
New Restaurant Coming To Town Gets Small Loan Assistance
Drugonis said a new restaurant, Dock 34 Bar & Grille is expected to open at 177 Roosevelt Dr. next month behind Chaves Bakery. Drugonis said the owner was the first to apply for a small business loan through the town, which offers loans up to $5,000, interest free, to eligible businesses. The loan will be used to help fund a new sign, which Drugonis said will cost about $15,000.
Holbrook Road Almost Road Ready
Drugonis expects the ongoing $4.3 million project to redesign Holbrook Road to be complete ahead of schedule. The long overdue road makeover began last summer, and construction was expected to last until around November 2023. Drugonis, however, said the project is ahead of schedule and the newly improved road is expected to open in late June/early July. The town-owned road serves as a cut-through for motorists to access two major routes in town- Route 67 and Route 34. The project includes utility relocation, drainage improvements, realignment, an improved snow shelf, improved sloping and guide rails, improved signage and significant tree work.
98 Bank St. Could Hit The Market
Drugonis said now that the Board of Education central offices have moved out of 98 Bank St. and into its new digs at Seymour High School, the town will look into selling the more than 100-year old building. The building currently houses the Naugatuck Valley Health District and was once home to the former Center School. Drugonis had said the building costs the town between $60,000-$80,000 per year in operational costs (NOTE: typo in original article had the dollar amounts wrong). She said the board will discuss possibly putting the building up for sale at its next meeting in May.
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