The Windsor Town Council met on June 17, 2024. The meeting included public testimony on open burning, council member communications, reports from boards and the town manager, approval of two tax-relief ordinance changes, year-end finance actions, grant authorizations, board appointments, a minutes correction, and a vote to enter executive session on pending litigation. All votes were unanimous or as noted below; one councilor recused from the Voya-related executive session matter.
Good evening and welcome to our June 17th, 2024 town council meeting. We will begin. All counselors are here and accounted for. So thank you, counselors, for attending. And we will move directly to items two and three, which is our prayer andor reflection in the Pledge of Allegiance, and that will be led by Councillor Glock Hoffman. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Heavenly Father, we come to you today asking for your guidance, wisdom, and support as we begin this meeting. Help us engage in meaningful discussion. Allow us to grow closer as a group and nurture the bonds of community. Give the council members wisdom and guidance as they deliberate on the items before them. May every decision be righteous in your sight for our benefit and for your glory. We also continue to ask for your protect for your protection of our community's law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders. In your name, Amen. If this to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands. Thank you, Councilor Glauc Taufman. We do not have any proclamations or awards. So we'll move directly into public communications and petitions. If anyone from the public would like to address the council, you will be given three minutes to speak. Please state your name and address. Thank you, Madam Mayor. If there is anyone from the public who is virtual this evening and would like to address the council, you may do so by raising your hand on your computer by selecting the participants icon on the zoom menu bar and then clicking raise hand or by dialing star nine on your phone. You'll be given three minutes to speak. Please state your name and address when you are called on. You'll be prompted that you are now unmuted. And for those dialing in by phone, once prompted, you will then press star six to unmute for clear communication. We ask that you do not place the call on speaker phone. At this time, Madam Mayor, our attendees who are virtual do not have their hands raised. Thank you. So we'll move here to the town hall chamber. Um if there's anyone here in the audience who would like to um come up and speak, we would ask that you come up, state your name and address. You will have three minutes to speak. And at the sound of the chime, please conclude your comments. Good evening. My name's Tim Tomcho. I'm a resident of Connecticut. I reside at 101 Winthrop Road. I've been a resident for the past 20 years. I come before you tonight uh to request your consideration of revising town ordinances relative to open burning, commoning commonly known as outdoor fires. The harmful effects of wood smoke to both the environment and human health are well known. Uh a recent publication highlights those hazards, the harmful effects of wood smoke and growth of recreational wood burning, uh, which is available online, and I do have a copy, I'll leave with the clerk for your uh review. Um, this publication highlights that wood smoke is a serious pollutant and is toxic, as toxic as other regulated pollutants, including cigarette smoke, vehicle emissions, and coal burning. Windsor regulates open burning in accordance with Connecticut General Statute 22A 174 F. And it empowers towns to regulate open burning and of course uh uh brush burning as well. Uh Windsor prohibits brush burning, but it does allow for two exceptions to open burning. It's uh six-28 of our ordinances. It provides for uh uh recreational fires and for bonfires. However, it prohibits them if they do not abide by the ordinance. The fire department shall be authorized to require any fire to be immediately discontinued if the fire is determined to constitute a hazardous condition. I have experienced a hazardous condition. I have been continually subjected to my neighbors' outdoor fires.