Abbewood Homeowners' Association
Homeowners' Meeting
Monday June 10, 2024 6:00 PM
Hazardville United Methodist Church 330 Hazard Avenue, Enfield, CT
Driveway is just before the church down to parking lot in back.
The meeting room is at parking lot level. Entrance is on side of the church.
Agenda
- Call to Order
- Acceptance of minutes from June 13, 2023 Homeowners Meeting
- Question and Answer Session with Chris Tomkunes, Beebe Landscape Services, Inc.
- Proposed F' 2024-25 Budget
- Presentation
- Discussion and vote
- Nomination and Election for Board Members
- Term expires in June 2024 for Guy Bourassa
- Nominations for candidates to be accepted from the floor
- Old Business
- New Business
- Adjournment
In accordance with Article III, Section 3.5 of the By Laws this agenda serves as notice of the upcoming Homeowners' meeting. Please bring this agenda and all attachments to the meeting.
ARE WE STILL AN ALL AMERICAN TOWN?
ReplyDeleteIn the early 70’s Enfield was acclaimed an “All American Town” by
a national magazine. As a former “All American City” we hope that
our governing body can once again strive for that title. After
witnessing what the majority party has recently done to our town, I
don’t believe we will be given that accolade anytime soon and that
is sad.
What will this town council be remembered for……decimating our
local school system and squandering taxpayer dollars by wanting
to demolish sidewalks on Abbe Road that were recently installed,
also at taxpayer expense.
So, lets look at what the majority party has done to our image and
to the school system and what it has done to those who have no
voice….our children.
First the sidewalk issue
New sidewalks were installed on Abbe road effecting 4 or 5
residents. The sidewalks were installed at the request of a town
councilor who recognized that older people and the disabled
needed those walkways for safety.
One resident does not want to maintain the sidewalks and claims
that the former town manager told him that the town would
maintain them and shovel the sidewalks when it snows. If indeed
she told him that DPW would maintain the walkway, she had no
right under the law or our state constitution to say this. Article 1
section 1of our state Constitution states: “All men when they form
a social compact, are equal in rights; and no man or set of men
are entitled to exclusive public emoluments or privileges from the
community”. This essentially means that no individual or group of
individuals should receive a benefit from the town that is not
available to anyone else. All residents whose homes abut
sidewalks have to shovel those walkways as per municipal
ordinance. These sidewalks were put in place for public safety.
People who wish to safely walk on that stretch of Abbe would be
prohibited from doing so if the sidewalks were dismantled. People
with disabilities and particularly older people need those
sidewalks. So the answer given by the majority party is to
dismantle them at public expense.
Rather than spending time in trying to improve our town (like
making sure that our kids are given the best education possible)
the majority party is bogged down with this silly notion of digging
up sidewalks that were flawlessly installed by a reputable
contractor at taxpayer expense and now possibly removed again
at taxpayer expense. Is this what makes for an “All American
Town”?
And now there’s the education budget that an “All American Town”
has to address. Making draconian cuts in the education budget
that will hurt one group of people who really have no voice…our
children…. is something that we should not be proud of.
By cutting the superintendent’s budget by almost $10 million we’ll
have this result:
1. A possible layoff of approximately 100 tenured and non
tenured staff resulting in larger class sizes and as interim
Superintendent Andrew Langley has said, shattering the livelihood
and family life of these dedicated professionals.
2. We will also see the elimination of positions that are so
beneficial and helpful to many of our students.
3. The elimination of reading teachers, world language
teachers and the end of the sixth grade world language program
are results of the budget cut.
4. Career counselors at Enfield High School are on the
chopping block.
5. The sports program at the middle school will be
eliminated.
6. And class sizes will increase that will prevent teachers
from giving individual attention to those children who need it.
Is this what we want for our children? Is this what we want for our
community? Is this what an “All American Town” looks lik