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The Granby
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Published by Citizens for a Better Granby a non-profit 501(c)3 organization
Volume XLVII, No. 10 • July/August 2017
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New town manager selected John D. Ward of Vernon has been appointed as Granby’s new town manager, effective July 13. Ward will replace William F. Smith, Jr. who retired after 39 years. Ward has served as chief administrative officer for the Town of Vernon since January 2009. His responsibilities were very much the same as a town manager except he reported to the mayor and not a council or board of selectmen. He previously served on the Vernon Town Council and Board of Education. He was a practicing attorney from 1992 to 2008, specializing in labor relations and worker compensation law. He received his J.D. from Western New England College School of Law and is currently working on his master in public administration degree from the University of Connecticut. Some of Ward’s accomplishments include: overseeing the renovation of old mills for reuse in Vernon, renovations of a new senior center, administration of many grants and municipal bonds for capital improvement, and implementation of the merger of the Town and Board of Education IT departments.
First Selectman B. Scott Kuhnly and the Board of Selectmen were impressed with Ward’s experience in Connecticut municipal government, his knowledge of contract administration, human resources, risk management and purchasing experience as a chief administrative officer, and his effort to consolidate services with the board of education to improve efficiencies such as facility and IT services. He is also very active in regional organizations such as the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), Council of Small Towns (COST), Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) and serves as the President of the Connecticut Town and City Manager Association. The executive search firm of Randi Frank Consulting, LLC assisted with the recruitment process, winnowing the field of 24 candidates to nine that the Board of Selectmen reviewed. The Board then interviewed the top three, unanimously selecting Ward to proceed in the process.
GMHS Class of 2017 says farewell
Brigitte DeGagne, Madison Clark and Noah Cox take one last walk down the halls of Granby Memorial High School as they prepare for commencement exercises. Photo by Jay Harder
Inside Humans of Granby............. 10
Historic Footnotes............ 18
Memorial Day................... 17
GMHS Graduation.............. 32
It was a go for 2017 Memorial Day parade Despite threats of rain for the second year running, the 2017 Memorial Day parade went forward. Last year, the parade was cancelled. Above, the 103rd Fighter Wing Support Unit, Connecticut Air National Guard leads the way followed by the Marquis of Granby. Photo by Peter Dinella
Selectmen approve easement for proposed Ridgewood development By Shirley Murtha Director of Community Development Fran Armentano presented the site map for the proposed Ridgewood Residential Development to the Board of Selectmen at its June 5 meeting. Located at the intersection of Floydville Road and Salmon Brook Street, behind the Peppermill Deli, the development was originally to have 60 houses and 130 apartment units, but the developers have reduced the number of houses to 50 to provide a larger buffer between the properties and the nearby wetlands. The Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission has approved the site plan. The access road to the development crosses land owned by the Town of Granby. Armentano asked the board to approve an access and utility easement over the property located at 83 Salmon Brook St. so that the developers can proceed, contingent upon approval by the Planning & Zoning Commission and review by the town attorney. The BOS would establish the terms of the agreement. The access road is to be named Murtha’s Way in recognition of the late Bud Murtha’s leadership in obtaining this property for future development. More development may eventually occur north of the Ridgewood housing, at which time the access road will be extended.
The Board approved the access and utility easement. OTHER APPROVALS Renaming of municipal complex road The board approved the naming of the access road to the Municipal Complex William F. Smith, Jr. Way, in honor of the retiring Town Manager. Both entrances to the complex will be so designated. Purchase of LED lighting The board approved the appropriation of $21,000 for the purchase of LED lights and the arms necessary for mounting on the 150 light poles in town. The change from incandescent to LED will be a money-saving measure once the initial cost is recovered. Transfer of Accounts The board approved three fiscal-year 2017 Transfers of Accounts, due to unexpected expenses. The transfers all come from the Police Operations and Communications account in which money was available due to a shortage of police personnel. $30,000 was transferred to Legal Services for personnel and planning and zoning issues; $22,000 to contingency for town manager search expenses; and $10,000 from Infrastructure and Maintenance for various necessary repairs. The board made a presentation to Student Liaison Kelly-Anne Moffa in appreciation of her service during the 2016-2017 school year.
Memorial Day parade photos by Peter Dinella