Cover Photo: Town Clerk Deb Hess swears in reappointed Town Officials. From left to right: Hess, Town Attorney, Scott Krob, Finance Director, Sharon Spurlin, and, Police Chief James Kraker. Photo by Casey Malon

At the Granby Board of Trustees meeting on April 24, the Trustees met one final time, before newly elected Trustees were sworn in later that evening. The Trustees heard the results of the Town’s 2017 Financial audit from Paul J Backes, CPA, CGMA, of McMahon and Associates, who had performed the audit. Based in Avon, McMahon and Associates have expertise in auditing of governmental entities. Backes commended the Town on budgeting, saying they’d found nothing surprising or unusual with the results. He described the Town’s approximate $3 million reserve as “solid”. The Board accepted and approved the 2017 audit results.

Food Truck Regulations Clarified

The Town moved on to approve clarification of Mobile Vendors, as it pertains to Food Trucks. Ordinance 892 lists several stipulations, such as sited not within a 100 foot distance of existing eating and drinking establishments, placement of temporary signage, no outdoor storage, trash and cleanliness, and, permitted locations in the Central Business and Highway General Business Districts.

Free Standing Sign Code Amended

Ordinance 893 amends the Code Regulating Free Standing signs, outlining permitted placement and quality. A Free Standing sign is not attached to a structure such as Dollar General’s and Country Ace Hardware’s signs. Sandwich Boards also have specific placement parameters, which should be adjacent to the business. The Town expressed desire to remain flexible and noted that existing businesses will be grandfathered; however, businesses that do not fall within the code will be contacted to explore options that may better suit downtown frontage.

Granby Water Solar Field approved to begin Phase II

Granby Water South Service Area Superintendent, Doug Bellatty, requested the Board approve his department moving forward with the second phase of their solar field. The Board had allocated $47,000 in the 2018 budget for the project. Bellatty told the board that the current solar field is performing well, but said the wind has an affect on performance. The project includes perimeter landscaping and they’ll be planting trees along the field border this summer. He estimated that they’re producing about 3.5 megawatts of power currently and pointed out that the more they generate, the less they’ll have to pay in utility expenses, which run about $3,000 a month. He also projected that the Town would make the money invested back in about ten years. The Board approved the expenditure.

Tindle Appointed to Board of Trustees

The Town had posted a Board vacancy to fill the late Trustee Paul Robertson’s seat. They received five applications from citizens interested in filling the vacancy. At the meeting, two of the candidates appeared before the Board to describe how they would be the best candidate to fill the seat. The Board then cast their votes which were recorded by Town Clerk, Deb Hess. With the greatest number of votes, the Board appointed Mary Catherine Tindle, who’d previously garnered 70 votes during the Municipal Election held on April 3rd, to the Board of Trustees.

Outgoing Trustees say good-bye

During their final Board of Trustees meeting, Trustees Greg Mordini and Robin Trainor gave heartfelt farewells to the Board. Mordini said “It’s been an honor to serve the past ten years” and went on to tell the newly elected Trustees that “It’s a challenging position but it is also rewarding”. Trainor recognized Mayor Chavoustie, Town staff and the Trustees for accomplishing such “positive movement” in the past two years. Trainor thanked them for helping to make that happen and congratulated the incoming Trustees.

New trustees, Josh Hardy, Natascha O’Flaherty and Cathy Tindle; and, re-elected Trustee Nick Raible were sworn in by Hess and took their places on the Board. The first order of business was reappointment of Town Clerk, Deb Hess, Police Chief James Kraker, Finance Director Sharon Spurlin and Town Attorney, Scott Krob. Mayor Chavoustie recommended that the Board “keep the appointees we have”, and, all were unanimously reappointed. Hess was sworn in by Mayor Chavoustie, followed by Hess swearing in Kraker, Spurlin and Krob.

For more information, visit: townofgranby.com