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The town budget is the subject of a hearing being held at Botelle School tonight at 7:00 p.m. by the Board of Finance. After the hearing the board is having a special meeting to discuss it.

Website committee agenda

BoF minutes, March 10

Bof minutes, April 15

Next Monday’s town meeting, planned for 7:00 p.m. at Botelle School has taken on new urgency as state legislators weigh the future of Torrington’s waste facility. 

Item 4 on the agenda is to discuss whether Norfolk will designate the Northwest Regional Recovery Authority (NRRA) as the town’s resource recovery authority. [please keep the strong “has taken on new urgency” as the lead and then say why.]

First Selectman Henry Tirrell has said that designating the NRRA as the town’s waste management authority will strengthen the NRRA’s position with the state legislature as it debates the future of the Torrington site.

The NRRA is the Northwest Hills Council of Government’s response to the solid waste crisis in Connecticut created by the dissolution of the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) in Hartford. COG has sought control of Torrington recycling site for use as a central collection hub for Northwest Corner towns since 2022, when MIRA—which served 72 Connecticut municipalities—was closed.

Last year, lawmakers scuttled the attempt of USA Waste, a private hauler, to purchase the Torrington facility, passing legislation that required it to remain in the public domain. But area town officials were stunned in March to learn that the Department of Administrative Services, which has operated the plant for the last year, plans to shutter it on June 30. 

It is expected that USA Waste would renew its offer to buy the facility and the NRRA does not have the staff or the budget to compete with the company’s $3.25 million offer. 

In response, a bipartisan group of area legislators has raised a land conveyance bill that would transfer ownership of the facility to the NRRA at no cost other administrative expenses. A hearing on the bill was held Wednesday in Hartford with much comment supporting the land conveyance. 

If successful, the bill would require the NRRA to operate the transfer station in perpetuity, as a public facility for handling municipal waste. The facility processes 25,000 tons per year of waste, recyclables and bulky items, and has a capacity to expand that to 60,000 tons.

The Connecticut Siting Council has approved Tarpon Towers III’s application to construct a 186-foot telecommunications tower at 78 Goshen East Street in South Norfolk.

The siting council’s final decision was issued last October, only two months after it had asked for an extension until March 13, 2026, the latest date by which, statutorily, it could reach a decision.

By October the siting council had all the information needed and granted a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need. According to Jonathan Schaefer, attorney for Tarpon, the council simply wanted to make sure it had sufficient time to consider all factors in setting the March 13 date.

The tower will provide service to a portion of south Norfolk and Goshen that currently has spotty or no cell service. 

The council received the final documentation needed for a Development and Management Plan by March 23. The council will review it to ensure it complies with all conditions set forth in the final decision.

“If the council approves of the plan, which can take about two months, construction can begin—depending on weather and when the company gets all the equipment on site,” said Jonathan Schaefer, an attorney representing Tarpon.

During hearings about the tower, testimony focused on such factors as storm water runoff, habitat degradation, the effect of tree clearing on a “core forest” and possible alternate locations. The siting council imposed 18 conditions on its approval, most of them boilerplate restrictions placed on all cellular towers, according to Schaefer.

Two related specifically to 78 Goshen East Street. One is a “time of year” restriction to protect the red bat’s breeding season between May 1 and July 31. 

The second condition required the D&M Plan to detail mitigation for clearing trees and to monitor the construction impact on the habitat.

The Board of Finance got its first look at items that could affect the town’s 2026-2027 budget when it met Tuesday night.

Botelle Superintendent Kevin Case reported that it will cost $58,000 to repair the school’s elevator, of which $45,000 will be drawn from the school’s non-lapsing fund. School districts can put up to 2 percent of the the prior fiscal year’s total education budget into such funds for future educational uses.

He said the school board is committed to finding the additional $13,000 within this year’s operating budget, then added that the town will probably receive $32,000 in state District Repair and Improvement Program funding. “If we do, we would use some of that,” he said. 

Case also reported on his continuing effort to reverse a state Board of Education finding that Norfolk Is not compliant with the state’s Minimum Budget Requirement. Under it a town cannot budget less for education than it did the previous year. The current budget is about $150,000 less than the previous year’s because the town serves fewer special education students.

The budget reduction is “easily defendable,” said Case, “but the state says, no, it doesn’t qualify. It doesn’t make sense, and I will fight it.” 

The state threatens to withhold Education Cost Sharing funds if the situation is not resolved but some members of the Board of Finance scoffed. The town only receives about $55,000 a year in ECS funds, while the budget was reduced by $150,000. 

When attention turned to municipal finances, First Selectman Henry Tirrell said he hopes to hear next month about $750,000 in insurance claims that former First Selectman Matt Riiska submitted to cover remediation costs stemming from the 2023 gas spill. 

Tirrell is concerned about the condition of some Public Works trucks, noting that a new truck has not been purchased in recent years. “I want to come up with a plan for future purchases, to take out the old truck that is soaking up a lot of money through repairs.” 

He further reported that he is working on financing for the Mountain Road bridge scheduled for replacement this spring at a cost of $2.2 million. Although it will be paid for with state and federal funds, the town must pay for it up front and wait for reimbursement. 

Work on the temporary bridge on Smith Road is expected to start next week, weather permitting. 

“We’re bringing in the materials now,” said First Selectman Matt Riiska, adding that the town is salvaging materials from other projects to keep costs lower. “I’ve met with the contractor and engineer and we’re just getting everything coordinated to start. 

People living in that neighborhood have been without easy access to Route 272 for nearly two years since a flash flood swept away the old span. 

—Kathryn Boughton

Bad things often come in threes. As if the hot weather were not enough, now the Great Mountain Forest weather station has lost its connection to Weather Underground and Norfolk weather aficionados have to rely on stations that may have very different conditions, such as Doolittle, Colebrook, Winsted or even the New Bedford Regional Airport.

“It went off-line yesterday at 5:00 p.m. and I’m not sure why,” said Russell Russ, who manages the station. “I’m investigating, but it might take a while. Unfortunately, the station is 15 years old and it might be worn out [and] getting a new one might be complicated.”

Russ is planning to talk with GMF’s fundraising group and hopes he’ll have something back online soon. What’s next? Let’s hope there is not a third mishap.

Winter has faded, and with it the snow that temporarily covered the debris that gathered along roadsides. Now, it’s time to clean up.

The annual Norfolk Community Association town cleanup takes place Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Volunteers should meet at the Norfolk Hub at 9:00 a.m. to pick up trash bags.

In addition, the Norfolk Land Trust will organize a volunteer work party to clean up the Tait and Pine Mountain trails on Saturday. Meet at 12:30 p.m. at the trailhead on Grantville Road and bring work gloves and bug repellent. 

The cleanups will take place rain or shine. Land Trust questions may be directed here. 

—Newsletter Editor

A Weekend in Norfolk returns to town for the eighth time August 4, 5 and 6. The three-day town-wide summer festival celebrates the myriad of things to see and do in the rural paradise. There will be all kinds of events, both old favorites and new surprises, including fun for kids, concerts at the Music Shed and work by artists and artisans all over town.

For a listing of events, click here.