The board voted to support the law at its meeting Tuesday night, with Burgesses Ron San Angelo and Patrick Scully offering the only opposing votes.

The costly and improper disposal of mattresses is a problem throughout Connecticut, including in the borough, according to Sheila Baummer, Naugatuck’s recycling and solid waste coordinator.

According to a fact sheet provided by supporters of the bill, 350,000 to 450,000 mattresses are disposed of in Connecticut annually.

Baummer said the borough paid $7,645 to haul away about 570 mattresses from the Naugatuck Recycling Center during the last fiscal year.

Bulk recycling fees ranging from $5 to $15, depending on the size of the mattress, covered most of the borough’s cost, Baummer said. But, she said private haulers charge as much as $25 per mattress.

Baummer said landfills don’t want mattresses because they are hard to process and tend to “float” to the top. Similarly, incinerators can’t take mattresses because the springs get tangled up in the shredding equipment. Even big burn centers can’t burn many mattresses, Baummer said.

In addition to the cost of hauling away mattresses, Baummer said many people who can’t afford the fee or don’t know what to do with their mattresses just end up leaving them on the curb when they move out. She said this is a bigger problem in cities, but happens in Naugatuck as well.

“It’s a problem on a whole lot of levels,” Baummer said.

The legislation, which is spearheaded by the city of Hartford and the Connecticut Product Stewardship Council, would be similar to an electronics recycling program that went into effect a few years ago and an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for paint that is scheduled to start in 2013.

Baummer said the borough spent $1,552 recycling electronics in the 2009-10 fiscal year. A few times a year, the borough held one-day events for residents to recycle used electronics free of charge, but Baummer said that system was inconvenient for many residents. During those one-day events, residents would bring in old TVs and other electronics they’d been holding on to for years, Baummer said. Now that electronics manufacturers finance the recycling of their products, the borough can collect them at the recycling center year-round, free of charge.

In conjunction with the bill, two businesses are opening up in Connecticut to deconstruct mattresses, recycling as much of the component materials as possible, Baummer said.

“The businesses opening would give the areas of Connecticut and surrounding states … a location to bring mattresses to a place where they aren’t going to a landfill or being burned,” Baummer said.

Baummer said the key to the legislation would be convenience for consumers. If passed, Baummer said the law would make it easier and cheaper to dispose of used mattresses and thereby deter illegal dumping.

“This kind of bill would give residents more options,” Baummer said.

She also said the bill would also help reduce the illegal sale of used mattresses that have not been property inspected and cleansed. She said some companies take used mattresses, which may be infested with bedbugs or other pests, and try to sell them as new.

San Angelo and Scully voted against supporting the bill because they said the extra cost to manufacturers would be passed along to consumers in upfront costs instead of at the end of the products life. Scully said the law would be unnecessary if recycling companies set up shop in Connecticut even without a law on the issue.

The borough board approved contractors for Naugatuck High School renovations at a special meeting Monday night.

The Board of Mayor and Burgesses approved three contractors for the project at a special meeting Tuesday night.

While architectural firm Kaestle Boos Associates will oversee the design and execution of the project, the borough sought bids for environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, and surveying — services Kaestle Boos does not provide.

The three consultants will provide information on the state of the property prior to construction, which will be used in the planning and design of the renovations.

The building committee chose BSC Group of Glastonbury to provide surveying services at a cost of $19,300. BSC was the lowest of three bidders, according to Burgess Robert Neth, who also serves on the building committee. Kaestle Boos has not worked with BSC Group in the past, but Kaestle Boos Vice President David King said the company is well-qualified for the job, with a long history of land surveying since 1965.

According to BSC’s proposal, it will depict the property boundaries, topography, and utility information. BSC plans to review existing documents before going out in the field to identify wetlands and map the boundaries and elevations. The field work will take two to three weeks, with the final map ready within a month, the proposal states.

For geotechnical engineering, the borough board approved Dr. Clarence Welti, whose bid of $41,000 was the lowest of six proposals.

“Dr. Welti is probably one of the best in his field,” Neth said.

Both Kaestle Boos and the borough have worked with the firm in the past, he said.

“His reputation is very good,” King said.

The geotechnical engineer will bore down into 65 spots on the high school property, under proposed locations for new additions to the school, ball fields, and drainage areas. The firm will test the depth of rock and analyze the soil to recommend how to design foundations and drainage to suit the area, according to King.

Finally, TRC of Windsor will provide environmental consulting services at a cost of $30,000. TRC was the only company considered because it already has all the school’s records after working with the borough for many years, according to Kaestle Boos’ Construction Administration Specialist Firdos “Freddie” Khericha.

The environmental consultant will test for hazardous materials, such as asbestos, PCBs, mercury, and lead paint, prior to construction and provide an abatement plan. TRC will also monitor the project after construction to ensure none of those hazardous materials have leached into the environment.

All contractor costs are part of the $81 million bond package passed at referendum Nov. 8. The contractor fees are part of an estimated $9.3 million for “soft costs,” which include engineering fees and professional services. So far, the collective costs have come in below the estimate, according to King.

All three companies met requirements and have good reputations, according to Neth.

The borough board also approved the final contract for Kaestle Boos. The architectural firm is charging $3.05 million for its services.

Before the start of construction, the borough also plans to hire a construction manager to oversee all subcontractors.

Fire Chief Ken Hanks requested contingency funds to pay for repairs to two Fire Department vehicles.

NAUGATUCK — After years of putting off replacing fire department vehicles, the costs are starting to add up.

The department is spending more money to repair old vehicles than those vehicles are worth, according to Fire Chief Ken Hanks.

Hanks requested a transfer of $15,000 from the contingency fund to repair two of the department’s emergency vehicles at the Board of Mayor and Burgesses meeting Tuesday. Hanks had asked to replace the vehicles in this year’s budget, but the request was denied.

“We are way behind the curve on replacing apparatus,” Hanks said.

Fire Engine 3, which operates out of the East Side Fire Station on May Street, has been out of service for the last two weeks due to corrosion on the frame and other metal parts. The town purchased the pumper in 1996 and it has logged 73,800 miles and over 6,700 hours in service.

“We’re afraid the frame is going to snap as we’re going down the road,” Hanks said.

The vehicle weighs 45,000 pounds.

Hanks said it will cost about $10,000 to $25,000 to repair the frame, but he would like to see the vehicle completely refurbished next year, which would cost more in the range of $200,000.

It would take about three months to refurbish the engine at the manufacturer in Wisconsin, where mechanics would take the body off the truck and replace everything from electronics, to the motor, to lights, according to Hanks.

Such extensive work would buy the engine about eight more years of life, Hanks said.

He said he would also like to refurbish Engine 5, which was purchased at the same time as Engine 3, two years from now.

In addition, Hanks said he would ideally like to purchase a new engine in the next budget and keep Engines 3 and 5 as spares. Fire engines cost about $560,000 and last about 15 years, Hanks said. The new engine would take about a year to make.

“It’s not like buying a car … it’s designed for what our needs are,” Hanks said.

The department currently has four engines, one ladder truck, and one rescue truck.

Aside from maintenance needed for the fire engines, Hanks is also looking to replace the engine in a 1999 Ford Expedition used by the second assistant chief. The vehicle has 130,000 miles on it and goes through two quarts of oil per week, Hanks said.

Hanks estimated it will cost $4,500 to $5,000 to replace the engine.

“Paul (Russell) was driving it last week with a white smoke cloud coming out of it,” Hanks said.

He said the car can’t be driven on the highway because it sparks and leaks oil.

Since July 1, the department has spent $2,755 on repairs on the SUV, not including routine maintenance. Hanks said the vehicle is valued at $4,200.

Although it doesn’t need immediate repairs, Hanks said the deputy chief’s 1999 Crown Victoria is also on its last legs.

Hanks said those two vehicles should be replaced as soon as possible.

The department currently maintains two SUVs, one pickup truck, two cars, and a minivan.

Deputy Mayor Tamath Rossi, who is the burgess liaison to the Fire Commission, said its time for the borough to enact a vehicle replacement program. Two engines were out of service Thanksgiving weekend, at a time when the risk of fire was great, Rossi said.

She said the situation was “pretty scary for a community our size.” Rossi said the borough board should discuss the possibility of bonding the project and staggering vehicle replacement so cars don’t fail at the same time.

Hanks agreed, saying emergency vehicles have to be 100 percent reliable.

“There’s been a serious lack of long-term planning,” Hanks said.

Hanks suggested rotating vehicles to replace fire trucks every 15 years, and other cars every four to seven years.

The board referred the transfer request to the Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses, which will meet Dec. 14.

NAUGATUCK — Residents will have a chance to voice their opinions on proposed changes to the Town Charter including switching to a town manager form of government and moving municipal elections from May to November.

The Board of Mayor and Burgesses voted Tuesday to send the Charter Revision Commission’s draft report to a public hearing to be scheduled within 45 days, in compliance with state statute.

The Charter Revision Commission has been working since last December to update the old charter and propose revisions which could have a big impact on local government.

The draft report includes five proposals, but in two cases, the commission did not yet make a recommendation.

Borough attorney N. Warren “Pete” Hess said the commission will need to make a recommendation before the Board of Mayor and Burgesses can act on it.

“There are a lot of potentially big issues on the table,” Hess said.

Hess said a lot of details would have to be worked out before the proposals can go to referendum.

The commission was split 4-4 on the biggest item of the proposals, a suggestion to hire a town manager to handle the day-to-day operations of Naugatuck while the mayor would still be responsible for policy decisions.

Burgess Mike Ciacciarella, who sits on the commission, would have broken the tie with his support of the town manager government, but he was not present at the vote due to an emergency, he said Tuesday.

Charter Revision Commission Chair Andrew Bottnick said the commission felt strongly about the two options and wanted to get some feedback from the Board of Mayor and Burgesses and the public before finalizing its recommendation.

Burgess Robert Neth, who is also on the commission, said he liked the idea of a town manager but didn’t think the position, with its high salary, would fly in Naugatuck.

If the commission does make that recommendation, Hess said it would have to hash out the details of exactly what powers the town manager would have and what powers the mayor and burgesses would retain.

Bottnick said the borough has plenty of examples to draw from of other areas towns that successfully host a town manager form of government.

“We just need to make sure the wheel fits our cart,” he said.

Another charter proposal would only take effect if the town manager idea was voted down. The commission voted unanimously to change the mayor’s term from two to four years.

This proposal had enough legs to proceed as is, Hess said.

“We can do anything we want as long as there’s not a state statute that says we can’t do it,” he said.

The commission was also split over what to do about the budget referendum process. The draft report presented three options. The first option, with to revise the process to force a referendum if 10 percent of registered voters signed a petition. The proposal would also change the minimum turnout requirement for the referendum to be valid from 15 to eight percent. This year, the budget was voted down in referendum, but was ultimately adopted because less than 15 percent of registered voters participated. After the first successful petition, the budget would automatically go back to referendum, if voted down, for no more than three times. Currently, voters have to sign a new petition for each referendum. Five of the nine commissioners, including the absent Ciacciarella, support this plan. The second option, supported by Bottnick, was to remove the referendum option completely. A third option would maintain the status quo.

Members of the Charter Revision Commission unanimously supported moving municipal elections from May to November, to put them in line with most other towns in the state.

The commission recommended changing the elected offices of tax collector and town clerk to hire positions and eliminating the selectmen and treasurer positions. They also recommended allowing voters to vote on all nine burgesses, rather than six.

That last recommendation might pose a legal problem, Hess said. He said the state ruled that voters can vote for a maximum of six burgesses in a case he argued against the state in the 1970s.

The sixth proposal the commission recommended was eliminating outdated language in the charter, including sections 25, 58, 3.22, 3.11, and 22, as well as deleting references to “freemen.”

The last proposal would move the requirements for the town bidding process out of the Town Charter and leave it to town ordinances to allow town boards more flexibility to change the process without going through the trouble of changing the charter, according to Bottnick.

Neth stressed that the report was only a draft and that the commission was seeking the views of the burgesses to see if it was on the right track.

“It would require a lot of work to get to the end product,” Hess said.

Once the borough holds a public hearing, the Board of Mayor and Burgesses will have 15 days to accept, reject, or request revisions to the proposals and send them back to the Charter Revision Commission. Once the commission submits a final report, the recommendations will go to referendum.

Mayor Robert Mezzo looks at a rusty door handle at the entrance to the Naugatuck High School pool during a tour of the high school Aug. 25.

NAUGATUCK — The Board of Mayor and Burgesses overwhelmingly supported sending a multi-million dollar high school renovation plan to referendum Nov. 8

Voters will be asked to approve an $81 million reconstruction and renovation plan that would include replacing windows with energy efficient windows, replacing all ceiling and floor tiles, removing hazardous materials, constructing new athletic fields, repairing drainage systems, and installing new furniture, equipment, and computers.

Representatives from Kaestle Boos Associates presented their plan for high school improvements at the board’s meeting Tuesday night.

Burgess Ron San Angelo, the only burgess who voted against sending the plan to referendum, said he wasn’t convinced that renovate-to-new was the best option.

He said he was concerned with the speed with which the borough was acting on such a big project, which could increase the mill rate at a time when taxpayers are struggling to make ends meet. The project could increase taxes by a little more than one mill, according to Comptroller Wayne McAllister.

“I’m not sure that this is the right time,” San Angelo said.

The consensus among the other burgesses was that now is the best time for the project because the borough’s reimbursement rate is at an all-time high and its bond rating just went up while costs for constructions and interest rates have gone down. The borough’s bonded indebtedness is relatively low, according to Mayor Robert Mezzo. He said the last big project the borough bonded was the construction of Maple Hill School in 1990.

“The high school is an asset we need to take care of. We always say it’s never a good time. …We have to make it time now,” said Burgess Robert Neth, who pointed out that the taxpayers won’t start paying for it for a few years. “Naugatuck as a community needs to move forward.”

Deputy Mayor Tamath Rossi said the high school is the anchor of the community that will draw families and businesses to the town.

“A school is the root of a community,” Rossi said.

Mezzo, who “vehemently” supports the project, said people always fear change.

“To me, this is a clear-cut choice between doing what is right economically for our future and just doing just more of the same and kicking the can down the road like we’ve done for the better part of a generation.”

The plan is the results months of research by the Long Term School Facilities Planning Committee, which was formed last October.

Architect David King of Kaestle Boos outlined for the board existing conditions at the high school, including cracked walls and floors, deteriorating infrastructure, and a number of state and federal code violations.

Besides addressing maintenance and compliance issues, the plan would meet new educational specifications and house the Board of Education.

If voters approve the project, the borough would have until June 30 to file with the state and lock in its reimbursement rate. Construction would start the following year and take about three years to complete in phases.

Officials expect the state to reimburse the borough 75 percent for most of the costs, but some areas, like the Board of Education offices, natatorium, and athletic fields would be reimbursed at a lower rate. The borough would finance the project through a 20-year bond.

By comparison, officials estimate the borough would only receive around 50 percent reimbursement for constructing a new school. King estimated the cost for a new building on the same location would be about $106 million.

King said the life expectancy of the building would be about the same under renovate-to-new or new construction. Once completed, the newly-renovated building is expected to serve the borough for another 20 years.

If the borough only did maintenance and code compliance upgrades, the state would only reimburse it for a few items. To do basic maintenance, code compliance, and the Board of Education offices, the borough would pay about $22.6 million of the $46 million cost officials have estimated.

Mezzo appointed a Naugatuck High School Building Committee to work with the Board of Education on the project.

Voters will have a chance to voice their opinions and ask questions at a public hearing prior to the referendum. The hearing date has not yet been set. The plan is also subject to approval by the Planning Commission, Board of Education, and Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses.

David King of Kaestle Boos Associates points to a crack in a classroom wall during an Aug. 25 tour of Naugatuck High School. King said the crack is indicative of classrooms through the building.

David King of Kaestle Boos Associates gestures at windows that come loose from the walls during an Aug. 25 tour of Naugatuck High School. King said the problem is indicative of classrooms through the building.

Burgess Ron SanAngelo, left, and David King of Kaestle Boos Associates inspect cracks along the wall during an Aug. 25 tour of Naugatuck High School.

From left, Board of Education member Debra Brackett, Board of Finance member Matt Katra, Burgess Tamath Rossi, and Board of Education member Dorothy Neth-Kunin inspect the weight room in the basement of Naugatuck High School during a tour of the school Aug. 25. The floor of the room was torn up after it flooded.

A broken toilet in the girls locker rooms is a common sight, according to school officials.

Members of the Board of Education, Board of Finance, and Board of Mayor and Burgesses walk through the pool at Naugatuck High School during a tour Aug. 25. Renovation plans for the building would move the bleachers to an upper balcony and bring the pool up to code.

Mayor Robert Mezzo looks at a rusty door handle at the entrance to the Naugatuck High School pool during a tour of the high school Aug. 25.

Athletic Director Tom Pompei points to a drain on the edge of the Naugatuck High School soccer field. Drains and sprinklers in the field violate safety codes for players.

The tri-boards overwhelmingly voted to present the $80.9 million renovation plan to the public after touring the high school with architects from Kaestle Boos Associates on Aug. 25.

If all goes well, the plan will go to referendum Nov. 8 with construction starting in the fall of 2012.

The proposed renovations would fix problems in the school’s infrastructure and bring the high school up to code for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other building codes. The proposal would also relocate the Board of Education offices to the high school and improve classrooms for new academic standards.

The tour led board members throughout the school, pointing to deficiencies in the school structure.

In one classroom, David King of Kaestle Boos pointed out a long crack in the wall, then pushed on the single-pane window behind him. The window came out from its casing.

“This is indicative of almost all the classrooms along here,” King said.

In other areas, asbestos floor tiles were cracked and falling apart.

In the proposed plan, all windows would be replaced with insulated windows and asbestos tiles removed and replaced.

“I don’t like the fact that my daughter is in a room that’s all cracked up,” Board of Finance member Diane Scinto said.

In the basement, varsity locker rooms were pungent, grimy, and stagnant.

“The air quality is so horrendous, I can’t describe it,” Athletic Director Tom Pompei said.

The proposed plan would abandon the basement lockers and weight room, which would be relocated upstairs with additional space for dance.

Outside, the high school soccer team was busy practicing on the lower field.

“This is the best this field is ever going to look,” Pompei said.

Soon, he said, rain and use would turn the fields into mud pits.

Mayor Robert Mezzo said the football field gets used less than 20 times per year because of its poor condition.

The field also presents hazards in the form of exposed sprinkler heads and storm drains in the middle of the field. Not being able to use the fields means lost revenue for teams who have to play games away from home. Two years ago, the flag football team won the right to host regional games on their home turf, but were forced to go to Waterbury instead, Pompei said. The Waterbury school made $11,000 that day in concessions, he said.

A new drainage system in the proposed plan would allow fields to drain completely within an hour of rainfall, according to Kaestle Boos architect Freddie Khericha. The plan would also move the baseball and softball fields to the lower level and put the soccer field on the upper, artificial turf field. An eight-lane track would mean the track and field team could host large tournaments.

At the front entrance to the high school, the open vestibule was never meant to remain that way, according to Pompei, but the school simply ran out of money to complete it. Under the new plan, the area would be filled in with classrooms, with the school’s main office in front. The change would improve security at the school because visitors would be forced to go through the main office to enter the school, according to King.

The plan for the auditorium would improve performance space, lighting, and acoustics as well as add an entrance space and ADA compliant seating.

Burgess Ron San Angelo asked why the auditorium hadn’t been brought up to code when the town spent $1 million on asbestos removal, new curtains, and new chairs five years ago, but Kaestle Boos representatives were not the borough’s architects for the project and couldn’t provide an answer.

For home economics classes, a new suite of rooms would add separate space for lecture, labs, and a restaurant.

In the swimming pool, tiles routinely fall off the sides, the deep end is not deep enough and a lip around the pool presents a tripping hazard, Pompei said. Also, with bleachers at pool level, spectators in street shoes violate state health codes, he said.

In the new plan, a second level balcony would add more seating for spectators and keep them away from the pool area while fixing the other code problems with the pool.

The new plan would also add an extra bus lane and parent drop-off lane to the parking lot. The plan would also replace furniture and the school’s slim lockers with larger lockers that could fit bookbags.

In terms of improving educational space, the new plan would create an outdoor play area for child development, a video production studio that would double as a Board of Education meeting space, and a new art room with large windows in part of the current media center.

Part of the reason for moving the Board of Education to the high school is to reduce the high school’s footprint. The state reimburses the town for a certain amount of square feet based on population and the school already exceeds its allotted amount. If the school board moves over, the town will get reimbursed separately for the area it occupies. Additionally, the Tuttle building where the school board currently resides is in need of $800,000 worth of maintenance repairs for the roof and exterior walls, according to Superintendent John Tindall-Gibson.

Despite the down economy, Mezzo argued that now is the ideal time to start a renovation project. Right now, Naugatuck’s reimbursement rate from the state for renovate-to-new projects is 74 percent, likely the highest it will ever be, Mezzo said. The reimbursement rate means the borough would be responsible for about $21 million of the total cost.

Another factor in favor of renovating the school now, according to Mezzo, is that interest rates are very low and the borough recently got an upgrade in its bond rating.

The borough would likely take out a 20-year bond at 3.482 percent interest to pay for the renovations, according to School Business Manager Wayne McAllister. That would work out to $115,500 per month, according to Board of Finance Chair Robert Butler. The state would reimburse the borough after the borough bonds the whole amount. The town wouldn’t take out the whole bond amount at once, but rather as needed.

Adding to that, construction rates are currently very low.

“To me, this makes perfect economic sense,” Mezzo said.

On the other hand, if the town does not complete a renovate-to-new project, but instead fixes maintenance problems, brings the building up to code, and adds the Board of Education offices, the cost to the borough would be $22.6 million, according to Kaestle Boos estimates. The cost reflects the lower state reimbursement rate for these projects.

Most of the board members agreed with Mezzo that completing the renovate-to-new project now will save the borough money in the long run.

“Do it now. Get it done. Get it done right, and pay for it once” Burgess Pat Scully said.

Burgess Tamath Rossi called the project an investment. Once completed, the school is expected to last another 20 years.

“This building is a disgrace. I’m about saving taxpayer money. … If this isn’t a good project to spend money on, I don’t know what is,” Board of Education member Glenn Connan said.

During discussions following the tour, San Angelo expressed concern that the referendum wouldn’t pass given the economy and people’s reluctance to pay more in taxes.

“People are scared. I’m afraid to put such an important project on the ballot. … They’re going to vote their pocketbooks right now,” San Angelo said.

Both San Angelo and Board of Finance member Matt Katra abstained from the vote because they felt it was too early to give a positive sign to the plan they had just received.

Renovate-to-new cost breakdown

$7.6 million for site, fields and utilities

$57 million for renovations

$2.6 million for Board of Education offices

$627,000 for new locker rooms

$2.1 million for the natatorium

$1.1 million for the fitness and dance studio

$9.3 miscellaneous costs

$80.9 million total

$21 borough cost after reimbursement

Basic improvements cost breakdown

$13 million for maintenance (no state reimbursement)

$31 million for code compliance ($23 million state reimbursement)

$2.6 million Board of Education offices ($750,000 state reimbursement)

$46 million total

$22.6 million borough cost after reimbursement

Problems with the high school

• Cracks in walls and floor all over the building and on outside walls
• Window loose in its casing
• Building loosing energy through un-insulated windows
• American with Disabilities Act compliance issues
• Asbestos floor tiles
• Boys varsity sports and physical education locker rooms and weight room are in poor shape and located in the basement with no air flow
• Toilets broken
• Pool bleachers are on same area as pool, which violates state health rules that say street shoes can’t be in pool area
• Not enough bleachers for spectators to watch swim meets
• Tiles fall off pool all the time
• Lip of pool is a tripping hazard
• Pool is too shallow and not safe for diving
• Athletic fields flood all the time
• Drains in the middle of the field don’t meet regulations and pose a safety hazard
• Irrigation sprinklers stick up in middle of field above surface, posing a safety hazard
• The football field is currently used less than 20 times per year because it is always in bad condition
• Main office is set back in school where visitors can get into the school without permission
• Auditorium seating is not ADA compliant
• Moisture issues in certain areas of school
• The lockers are too narrow and can’t fit book bags

What would be fixed under renovate to new

• All windows at the high school would be replaced
• Cracks would be fixed properly
• New furniture in every classroom
• Smartboards in every classroom
• More electrical outlets to support technology
• Basement locker rooms and weight room would be abandoned
• Pool bleachers would be on a separate balcony level with more seats
• Current soccer field would become baseball and softball field, with practice field for fall sports
• A new drainage system would be put in both fields that would get rid of excess water within one hour of rain
• Football field would become football and soccer field with synthetic grass
• Bleachers would be added to other side of football field
• Front vestibule would be filled in with administrative offices in front, limiting access to the school by visitors
• Improved performance space, lighting, acoustics, rigging in auditorium
• Auditorium will have wheelchair seating on each level
• Family and consumer sciences with have a new suite with separate classroom, lab, and restaurant space
• Cooking area with have better outlets to support stove and cooking implements
• Eight lane track around field
• Addition to school in front of auditorium
• Locker rooms will be moved upstairs
• New dance room
• Widen exit stairway to meet regulations
• Add second bus lane to get students  out faster
• Add parent drop-off loop
• Board of education will be housed in former shops space which is no longer needed
• Board of Education will have large meeting space that will double as video production space for students
• Outdoor play area for child development
• New lockers 12″x15″
• Additional faculty workspace
• Lots of small classrooms for special education students
• Part of media center will be converted to  art classrooms with big windows for natural light

David King of Kaestle Boos Associates points to a crack in a classroom wall during an Aug. 25 tour of Naugatuck High School. King said the crack is indicative of classrooms through the building.

The borough and the Naugatuck Visiting Nurses Association have agreed to a new three-year deal. LARAINE WESCHLER

NAUGATUCK — A new contract with the Naugatuck Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) will lower the borough’s health insurance obligations while increasing wages for nurses slightly over the next three years.

A focus on changing the health care benefits for borough employees has been a priority for Mayor Robert Mezzo.

“It’s time to be intelligent over the long term and realize that while we would like to be able to offer lucrative benefits to our employees, the reality is we simply can’t sustain the level of cost of those benefits that we’ve been paying for the better part of a generation,” Mezzo said.

He said the philosophy of the borough’s negotiating team is that while wage freezes make headlines, cuts in health costs make a real difference over the long term.

The three-year contract was approved Tuesday night by the Board of Mayor and Burgesses. The contract is retroactive to July 1.

The new plan is estimated to save the borough about $25,000 over the next three years.

“That’s the equivalent of getting a year and a half worth of wage increases,” Mezzo said.

According to Mezzo, if the town had asked for zero wage increases and kept the health benefits as they were, it would have cost the borough $56,000 more.

Under the new agreement, the borough offers registered nurses and physical therapists two options for health insurance.

The first plan will increase the amount employees contribute to the annual premium from 8 percent to 11.5 percent over the contract. The first plan includes slight increases in co-pays.

Mezzo said the 8 percent employees are contributing now is out of line with equivalent plans in the private sector.

The second plan increases employee contributions towards the premium from 2 percent to 6 percent. This plan offers a health savings account coupled with a higher deductible. In the first year of the contract, the borough will contribute 75 percent of the deductible, which will decrease to 65 percent, then 50 percent over the last two years of the deal. Originally, the borough funded 100 percent of the deductible.

According to Mezzo, the second plan was supposed to save money by giving employees incentive not to use the money in their health accounts, but employers found that if they paid too much, employees didn’t save. With employees contributing to that account, Mezzo said he expects them to save more.

There’s a financial incentive for the bargaining unit’s members to go into the health savings account, which will benefit both the employee and the borough, Mezzo said.

As for wages, they will increase 2.15 percent in the first two years and 2.2 percent in the third year, totaling about $46,000 over the life of the contract.

“We think the modest wage increase, which is actually lower than many of the other agreements that we have, is more than justified by the savings in the health care,” Mezzo said.

Mezzo said the new agreement puts the town in a better position with other bargaining units when inevitable comparisons are made.

“We had a very good spirited and cooperative negotiation with the VNA bargaining unit. I think they understand the times that we live in and they were willing to make some very meaningful changes to their health care plan that will benefit the borough and ultimately benefit the employees,” Mezzo said.

Mezzo said pensions were not part of the discussion since the borough closed the pension plan a year ago as part of an agreement to extend the VNA contract, which was up in 2010, another year. All new hires now go into a defined contribution plan.

Mezzo said the new contract is another step towards achieving long-term fiscal health and sustainability in Naugatuck.

“We’d love the throw a Hail Mary and dramatically change some of the unsustainable benefits that we have offered over many years, but the reality is it’s much more like three yards and a cloud of dust,” Mezzo said.

VNA union representatives could not be reached for comment as of this post.

Burgess Ron San Angelo, right, and Board of Finance Chair Bob Butler discuss Naugatuck’s budget during a budget meeting May 16.

NAUGATUCK – The joint boards of Mayor and Burgess and Finance worked late into the night Monday into Tuesday morning to put together a $106 million budget to present to the public.

The budget is a $2.3 million or 2.23 percent increase over the current budget. On the revenue side, state grants and other town revenues are down $575,000, leaving taxpayers to make up the difference in addition to the spending increase.

The proposed budget would raise property taxes about 3.7 percent and bump the mill rate up 1.18 mills, to 33.20 mills.

A mill is worth $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. With the proposed increase, the owner of a $200,000 property would pay an additional $236 in taxes.

The budget will go to a public hearing May 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Naugatuck High School.

The longest debate at the meeting was over the school budget, which makes up over half the total budget. The finance board had previously reduced the originally requested $57.89 million school budget to $57 million. However, the joint board added $200,000 back to the school budget, bringing it to $57.2 million, a $745,000, 1.32 percent increase over this year’s budget. On the town side, the boards approved a $48.9 million budget, $1.6 million or 3.32 percent increase over this year.

Finance board member Diane Scinto was the strongest advocate for adding the money back. She felt cutting $800,000 from the Board of Education’s request was simply too much and would drastically impact student programs. With the $57 million figure, Scinto said items like much-needed textbooks and facilities maintenance would fall out. Scinto proposed a school budget of $57.3 million.

“We’re going to make the entire system suffer,” Scinto said.

On the other side, Board of Finance member Matt Katra pointed out that officials were already increasing the budget over last year. He thought it should be reduced to $56.8 million.

“There is no cut being made here,” Katra said.

Burgess Mike Ciacciarella agreed the school budget should be cut.

“I think we have an obligation to taxpayers,” he said.

The boards discussed asking for a freeze on teacher salaries, which make up a hefty portion of the school budget.

Mayor Robert Mezzo said that teacher’s expenses have gone down over the past three years, with teachers paying higher premiums for health care and a combination of layoffs and early retirements which resulted in a 14 percent reduction in staff. He said that a freeze might help the town for one year, but they had to bring benefits down to save money in the long run.

“That’s what’s killing us now,” he said.

Burgess Ron San Angelo said it’s time for the Board of Education to take a stand in contract negotiations with teachers.

School Superintendent John Tindall-Gibson argued that it had. He pointed out that the average school budget in Connecticut is set to rise 1.33 percent next year, more than Naugatuck’s increase.

After much back and forth, the joint boards approved the $57.2 million school budget 10-8 and moved on to the municipal budget.

Ciacciarella proposed reducing the office supply line item in each department by 10 percent, saving about $10,000 in the budget. Most of the other board members agreed, passing the majority of department budgets as presented with the reduction in office supplies.

However, there were some cuts made to certain departments’ request, including cutting part-time help for the Tax Department by 14 days, saving $1,029.

The police department budget became bone of contention with as some officials opposed the newly-created $20,000 blight officer position.

The position was created to enforce the new blight ordinance. But some members felt the borough couldn’t afford a new position at this time and its duties should be carried out by the zoning enforcement officer.

Mezzo argued that the town needs the position to enforce the ordinance and put liens on blighted properties owned by banks. The boards voted to cut funding for the position.

Burgess Bob Neth questioned a 50 percent increase in the police department’s computer costs over this year. Scinto assured the boards that the police had presented a well-reasoned plan for how all the monies would be used, but couldn’t remember the specifics. The board ended up cutting $6,831 from that line item, as well as $25,000 for overtime and $830 for office supplies.

The Hop Brook Golf Course also came under the joint boards’ knife. The boards cut $5,408 from the part-time and seasonal employee accounts, bringing the budget back to 2010-2011 levels of $395,000. According to Mezzo, there is a perception by some board members that the golf commission has not been receptive to the board’s suggestions and is reluctant to raise its fees.

The contingency fund was approved at $400,000, a $50,000 increase over this year, and the boards voted to maintain the capital projects budget current funding, which funds one-time expenses.

“At this time … no one can afford an increase in taxes,” said Catherine Ernsky, a Republican candidate for burgess.

Naugatuck’s Taxpayers in Revolt hosted the forum April 20, which brought together 14 of the 21 school board and burgess candidates.

Exactly how to ensure residents don’t face a local tax increase was up for debate when the burgess candidates were asked how they felt about making budget cuts.

Some favored cuts, while others pointed to making government more efficient to obtain savings.

Republican Tamath Rossi, who’s currently Deputy Mayor, said the borough needs to cut spending, but must do so with a plan in place and without harming public safety and education.

“The key is not only to cut spending and hold the line. But, to make sure we have a plan,” Rossi said.

However, some candidates felt cuts aren’t an option because there’s nowhere left to slice.

“There’s really no place to cut in Naugatuck’s budget,” said Anthony Campbell, a Democrat seeking re-election.

Campbell said every borough department is below proper staffing levels already.

Republican Michael Bronko, a former mayor seeking a seat on the Board of Burgesses, said if the need is there he’s willing to look at cuts. But, he said, it’s difficult to cut from departments working on “shoestrings.”

“To just cut for the sake of cutting is foolish,” said Robert Burns, a Democrat seeking re-election.

How much say residents have in the budget also proved to be a matter for differing opinions among the candidates, when they were asked whether they would support an automatic budget referendum.

“I never have and I never will support a referendum,” Campbell said.

Patrick Scully, a Democrat seeking re-election, said he’s in favor of a referendum, just not an automatic one, which he called “stupid and ludicrous.”

Those who didn’t support an automatic referendum felt the current system in which voters have to petition to force a referendum is sufficient and could be examined to streamline the process.

“I feel that their (taxpayers) interests are being served,” Rossi said.

The issue did draw support from a couple of candidates.

Republican Matthew Katra said he’s in favor of at least one automatic referendum. But, after that, he would want to see the petition process put into place.

Burns felt two referendums would be fine. One is not enough, he said, and three is too many.

Implementing an automatic budget referendum is one of the issues being explored by the Charter Revision Commission.

Democrat Mike Ciacciarella, who sits on the commission, said the issue is a complex one.

“It’s not as simple as just coming up with a number,” Ciacciarella said.

With all the budget talk, one of the best ways to ease the local burden is economic development. Renaissance Place could provide a substantial local boost, but the project has slowed considerably due to the economic climate of the past few years.

The candidates were asked whether they felt the project is still a viable plan.

Nearly every candidate said they support the plan, and felt parts of it are still viable. But, the consensus was that the plans need to be looked at again to see if they need to be modified.

“The world has changed,” said Republican Ron San Angelo, a former mayor seeking a burgess seat. “The plans need to be readjusted.”

Scully was the only candidate present to speak negatively about the project, saying he never liked the contract the borough signed with Alex Conroy of the Conroy Development Company.

“I think he sold a bill of goods to the taxpayers,” Scully said.

When school board candidates took the stage, the financial theme of the evening continued. Rather than focusing on budget cuts and referendums, among the questions posed to the candidates were how they would regain the borough’s trust after running a deficit in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, and whether they felt the board needed an independent finance committee.

“I think trust really starts from the bottom,” Democrat Deanna Krzykowski said.

All five candidates on hand felt transparency and open communications with the public and the Board of Mayor and Burgesses was the way to rebuild trust.

“We can’t be afraid to talk to the burgesses,” Democrat James Jordan said.

The candidates weren’t all in agreement that the school board needs a separate finance board though.

Jordan and Democrat Debra Brackett expressed concerns that such a committee would just add another layer of bureaucracy to the board.

Krzykowski, along with Republicans Dorothy Neth-Kunin and Glenn Connan felt the idea has merit.

“The more things we can do to increase trust the better. This to me seems like a no-brainer,” Connan said.

From left, Board of Education candidate Dorothy Neth-Kunin, Mayor Robert Mezzo, and Board of Finance Member Diane Scinto discuss the Board of Education Budget Monday night.

NAUGATUCK – The school board is hoping for a 2.6 percent bump in its budget next fiscal year.

The Board of Education presented a $57.9 million budget, an increase of $1.44 million, to the Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses April 25 for next school year.

The biggest budget increase comes from the payroll accounts, which went up $936,000 or 2.8 percent.

The board requested funding for four new certified teaching positions—a third grade teacher for Central Avenue School, a City Hill Middle School language arts teacher, a high school math teacher and a high school physical education and health teacher. The new positions would help the school system meet new state mandated secondary education reforms.

The school board also requested two part-time security personnel for City Hill Middle School. The board was originally looking at 8.3 new positions, including additions to elementary art and music programs, but cut half of those out to keep the budget as low as possible, according to Wayne McAllister, Business Manager for the Board of Education and borough controller.

Other significant payroll increases include an extra $66,000 for administrative, $26,000 for substitutes and interns, $29,000 for teacher aids, $66,000 for secretarial, $20,000 for computer personnel, $25,000 for non-certified staff overtime.

On top of the extra positions, teachers are due for a contractual 4.1 percent raise this year. The school board saved some of the federal grant money they received as part of the stimulus package to help pay for the increase, according to school board Secretary David Heller. However, that grant money will not be available to help pay teachers’ salaries for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The pay increase and new positions nudged the line item for teachers up $831,000 over this year.

Another grant that helped pay for social workers this year will be gone next fiscal year, leaving a $209,000 gap in that line item, school officials said.

On top of pay increases, the cost for benefits is going up. The board added $380,000 for health benefits next year, an increase of 3.7 percent.

Professional services also went up $20,000 to help pay for the search for a new superintendent and contract negotiations with AFSME and the teacher’s union. Superintendent of Schools John Tindall-Gibson will be leaving the district in June 2012.

With many of Naugatuck’s school buildings aging, they need a lot more maintenance and repair. The board requested doubling the budget for capital outlay for facilities, a $100,000 increase.

An extra $59,000 in the proposed budget will go into the lease payments accounts to help pay for information technology upgrades, among other investments.

The district is expecting the cost of gas and oil to go up next year and added $117,000 for gas and $72,000 for student transportation. The line item for oil went up $38,000.

School officials are also seeking more money for supplies with the biggest increase for textbooks at another $82,000 and $37,000 in other instructional supplies.

Over the years, the cost of education has gone up in Naugatuck even as student enrollment declined. Over the past 10 years, the district lost 1,000 students, but the cost to educate each student went up over 71 percent. The decline in enrollment will bottom out in 2015, according to a study cited by Tindall-Gibson. There are currently 2,500 students in the system.

The boards discussed the possibility of consolidating certain “back office” services that are used by both the town and schools, such as human resources, payroll and maintenance in order to reduce costs.

“My thoughts are it’s an area that we need to go in—creative solutions to reducing duplicity and freeing up some more dollars. But I do think that careful thought’s going to be required as to what those services are, how they’re consolidated, what that means in terms of personnel,” said Mayor Bob Mezzo, who sits on both the Board of Education and Board of Mayor and Burgesses.

Mezzo said historically, there has been resistance to the concept from Board of Education members who want to remain autonomous from the town.

He pointed out that the Board of Education and town already work together in several areas, including the school board’s temporary business manager, McAllister. The two entities also share the same health care broker and provider.

“One of the biggest misconceptions is that the Board of Education and the town are completely separate. The fact of the matter is that’s not true,” McAllister said.

Finance board member Diance Scinto suggested that the Board of Education look at where they could combine services for the 2012-2013 budget.

The school board was the last department to present their request to the joint boards. Their request, along with a 4.1 percent or $1.94 million increase on the municipal side, means the borough budget would increase 3.3 percent if no changes are made.

Board of Finance member Dan Sheridan said the board left a lot of “nice-to-haves” in the first go-around of the budget. At the next session, he said, they have to take a long look at some of those items and eliminate some programs that the town can’t afford until revenues go up.

Mezzo said the budget is a work in progress and there will be more painful cuts before the budget is finalized. The fundamental question, he said, is how much the town can afford to spend. They’ll have to pick from multiple bad choices to come up with a number taxpayers can stomach, he said.

Burgess Patrick Scully pointed out that there are still a lot of unknowns in the budget on the revenue side.

“You don’t know until it’s over,” he said.

The Finance Board will take another look at the numbers May 9, with another meeting of the Joint Boards scheduled for May 16.

Officials hope to hold a public hearing on the budget May 23 to move to adopt it May 26.