Oxford retained its title as most politically contentious town in the area after a Selectmen meeting marked by bickering Wednesday.
The main topic of discussion — whether to borrow $1.2 million to repair Great Hill Road.
(The Selectmen eventually voted 3 – 0 to send the issue along to the Board of Finance, who will ponder the topic Dec. 20. A town meeting — where residents can decide — is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 10, 2011.)
Wednesday’s meeting started with Republican Richard Burke, a member of the Board of Finance, reading a letter into the record at the start of the meeting. Click the video to watch a portion of his statement.
Burke is a member of the Board of Finance. He and fellow Republicans on the board are often at odds with Democratic First Selectman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers.
Burke said he didn’t want the town to rush to borrow money. Burke said he was worried about the mill rate and the town’s bond rating. He wanted the town to look for state grants to fund the road repairs.
Drayton-Rogers said the town applied for a $500,000 state grant to fund the road repairs. Oxford was rejected.
The town has been advised now is the time to borrow, due to low interest rates and relatively inexpensive construction costs. The road’s a threat to public safety and has to be fixed, Drayton-Rogers said.
Burke also said Drayton-Rogers denied Oxford voters a “true choice” when it came to replacing the roof on Great Oak Middle School.
That didn’t sit well with Drayton-Rogers. She pointed out the new roof is already being installed. The issue’s dead.
“Get over it, Dick,” she said.
Click the bottom video to see a portion of the First Selectman’s response.
Selectman David Yish, a Republican, asked why the town budgeted $350,000 for Great Hill Road repairs — only to see the repair bill soar to $1.2 million.
Drayton-Rogers and Democratic Selectman David McKane said the $350,000 was a “Band Aid” approach to Great Hill — and that the Selectmen greatly underestimated how much work was needed on the road.
Yish pointed out there are other pressing needs in town — high school playing fields and bleachers, for example — and other Oxford roads in rough shape. He wanted to wait a month before making a decision. He also said he wanted the borrowing issue to move to the Board of Finance, “so they could fully vet it.”
That statement highlighted another deep divide between Oxford Democrats and Republicans — the role of the Board of Finance.
Drayton-Rogers has said the Board of Finance isn’t suppose to do the work of the Board of Selectmen.
“They’re job isn’t to start from scratch,” she said. “It’s not up to (the Board of Finance) to restudy the issue.”
McKane, meanwhile, said the GOP’s goal is simple — undermine and oppose anything and everything proposed by the Democrats.
At one point, voices were raised as Yish tried to make a point before being formally recognized by Drayton-Rogers. Others in the audience were also speaking. Drayton-Rogers and Yish spoke over each other for a tense moment or two.
“I’m running this meeting and I want you to get that straight,” Drayton-Rogers said.
About That Road
Great Hill Road, by the way, is in bad shape.
It has major drainage issues, which were underscored during Wednesday’s downpour. Town highway workers scrambled to clear out undersized drains along the road. Meadowbrook Estates, under construction in the area, worsened the problem because the project has erosion control problems, town officials said.
Town Engineer Jim Galligan said the project will renovate a 1‑mile stretch of Great Hill Road by adding 20 catch basins, 1,300 feet of drainage pipes and 10,000 feet of curbing.
“We are going to reclaim and repave this road,” Galligan said.
The engineer said it makes sense to get the ball rolling now, as opposed to waiting.
“I’m saying this is a good time to take advantage of good prices,” he said.
