School, Solar and Sewer Plans Win Council Approval

Three-and-a-half hours into a lengthy Town Council meeting Monday night, resident Sara Howard delivered remarks on the proposed elementary school rebuild. TOWN OF SOUTHINGTON VIDEO SCREENSHOTS

An epic, four-and-half-hour long meeting of Southington’s Town Council ended late Monday night with a series of votes that pushed several proposals involving the school system, solar parking canopies and the Sewer Department one step closer to implementation.

Elementary School Rebuild

The meeting began with an official celebration of hometown Olympian Austin Florian’s success on the skeleton course at the recent Winter Olympics. After that, representative Patrick Gallagher from MP Planning Group delivered a presentation on the elementary school rebuilding plan similar to the one recently given to the Board of Education, save for a slight decrease in the town’s estimated contribution.

This was the first chance that members of Town Council had to ask questions about the project in a formal setting. Councilors Chris Palmieri and Kristen Guida asked what the downsides would be if the referendum was postponed until November in order to give the public more time to learn about details. John Koplas from Colliers Project Leaders replied that a delay mainly risked increasing the project’s cost by four or five percent.

Some three hours later, when it came time for public comment, three residents, all parents of children at Flanders School, stepped up to the podium to urge Council members to vote against the current plan. Each stressed their agreement that the town’s three oldest elementary schools need upgrades, but all argued that the plan as presented lacks crucial details and was developed without sufficient community input or adequate transparency.

Sara Howard, head of the Flanders PTO, called on the Council to “invest in their constituents” by communicating better about the details of the plan and explaining, for instance, what problems would result if the proposal failed at referendum.

The motion that the Council voted on Monday would advance the process but did not constitute its final decision on the matter. It would allow a public hearing on the project to be held on March 23, with a optional second session scheduled for April 6 or April 27. In addition, it would refer the proposal to the Planning and Zoning Commission for comment. Planning and Zoning must offer their opinion on the project because of the proposed alterations to the school buildings, something the commission is required to review.

The motion carried by a vote of 6 to 3, with all six Republicans voting in favor and the three Democrats on the Council voting no.

Tennis and Parking Lot Reconstruction Passes

 

Some of the proposals that passed Monday night did so by a unanimous vote, like one to replace an aging sewer line at Town Hall before the street outside is repaved. Others, like the elementary school rebuild, received party-line votes, with the Democrats advocating a wait-and-see approach while the Republicans sought to keep the process moving.

One proposal, however, elicited a mix of individual opinions. That was a plan, previously approved by the Board of Finance, to greenlight construction of a new parking area at the high school around a new set of tennis courts, and to pay for that project from the town’s cash reserve.

During discussion, Councilor David Zoni argued that it would be more prudent from a fiscal point of view to fund the project by bonding rather than drawing on the reserve. Zoni cited a recommendation from the Government Financial Officer Association that towns should maintain a 16.67 percent emergency reserve, not just the mandatory minimum of 11 percent.

Palmieri said that whether it is paid for with cash or borrowing, a public referendum should be held on the matter. His rationale was that the Town Charter mandates a referendum for bonding projects over $1 million and that it would be more in keeping with the spirit of the Charter to allow residents to cast a collective vote on the expenditure even if no bonding was involved.

Replying to Palmieri, Council Chair Paul Chaplinsky pointed out that the Town Attorney had given his opinion that the Council’s action was consistent with the Charter. In response to Zoni, he argued that the town had a certain responsibility to use taxpayer funds to benefit taxpayers, rather than hold onto their money.

Councilor Josh Serafino spoke strongly in favor of the project, noting that, as the youngest member of the Council, he had the most immediate experience of the current parking crunch and felt that building more parking spaces was the best way to tackle it.

Councilor Jim Morelli then questioned how necessary the parking project really was, given that there might be other solutions, and expressed a preference for a public hearing or even a referendum on it. He noted that the project had been labeled the ‘High School Safety Project' on the agenda, but that no specifics had been offered on accidents caused by on-street parking around the high school.

Shortly before the vote was cast, Councilor Tony Morrison pointed out that while it may make sense to move forward with the project and pay for it from the cash reserve, this decision would leave little room to undertake any new capital projects in the next two or three years that could be paid for in this way.

Morrison also reiterated a point that came up earlier in the discussion, which is that drawing down $4.5 million from the cash reserve would deprive the town of $139,000 per year in interest income, thus further exacerbating the looming budget crunch.

The final vote was 5 to 4 in favor of the move, with Morelli joining the Democrats in voting no.

Solar Parking Canopies at Police Department and High School

The Council also voted 6 to 3 for the town to sign a contract with solar-energy firm Greenskies to construct parking canopies equipped with solar panels at the Southington Police Department Headquarters and in the parking lot at the high school.

This arrangement would resemble a popular form of residential rooftop solar in that the town would not be required to cover the cost of installation and maintenance for the panels. Instead, the company would make a profit from the energy that the panels generate. The town would also see a significant reduction in the electric bills for the high school and the police station. It was estimated that on sunny days, the canopies would take care of 100% of the police station’s electricity needs, while the high school would save about $200,000 per year on its electric bill.

A secondary benefit of the canopies is that they would offer vehicles parked under them substantial protection from the elements.

The main objection to the proposal was made by Palmieri, who expressed discomfort with the fact that the energy consultant had not yet verified whether the presence of the canopies would create any problems for snow removal from the high school lot.

Slide showing the high school parking lot. Areas marked in blue would have solar parking canopies.

This was not the only solar energy project the Council considered on Monday. Robert Ives from RPI Development came to the podium to urge the Council to take advantage of a ‘free money’ arrangement involving solar energy. The proposal did not involve the town building solar capacity for itself. Instead, this would be a ‘paper’ deal in which the town would assign its usage of the Eversource grid to a firm, Tritec Americas, that would then bundle it with usage from other towns in a way that would allow it to make a successful bid for a solar farm. If and when this solar farm was built, the town would receive a check for $1.3 million.

Council members were not persuaded by the proposal, which was cast in highly abstract terms, and moved to table it until they could learn more.

Sewer Billing Cycle Change

The Council also voted unanimously to approve a recommendation from the Sewer Committee to change the billing cycle for municipal sewer bills from quarterly to twice a year.

Morrison, the Sewer Committee Chair, said that the change had been recommended by the new head of billing and collections, Halaree Monnerat, who had extensive experience with municipal billing systems in other towns. The switch would cut paperwork and mailing expenses by 50% and free up department employees. Those employees could then devote more of their time to collecting on past-due accounts – a growing problem, with bills that are 60 days or more past due now amounting to $1.2 million.

The Sewer Department is also switching its billing system from MUNIS to Gemini Gems, which is currently used by the Tax Department.

Southington Lions Seek Members To Serve Kids And Community

Southington Lions volunteer conducts vision screening at Zion Nursery School PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOU FRIEDMAN

The highlight for most community service organizations are the regular meetings and social outings where members forge ties of friendship. Like many local service groups, the Southington Lions club was hit hard by the COVID pandemic, which made it necessary to limit face-to-face contact. As opportunities for socializing diminished, so did membership.

But these days the local chapter, which is in its 84^th year, is bouncing back, with 30 hard-working and dedicated members. Now, when the Lions hold their meetings at the Manor Inn on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, the tables are full and the conversation flows.

This rebirth is due in part to the resilience of the national organization, which has been around since 1914. But it is also due to the fact that the needs that Lions volunteer to take care of – especially vision screening for young children – never go away.

Helping People See

“When people think of the Lions Club, they tend to think of glasses,” said Larry Cohen, the current club president. “People see the collection boxes with our motto.”

Collection boxes for used eyeglasses (and hearing aids) can be found locally outside Southington’s Town Hall and in the parking lot in Plantsvilee next to Lion’s Den coffee. Each year the Southington club collects about 3,000 pairs of glasses. These donations are sent to state-level centers where specialists evaluate the frames and lenses and prepare them for use by new owners. They are then distributed for free to children and adults in need.

PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTOS

In addition to recycling glasses, the club also does vision screening for preschool and elementary school children. Each year about 2,500 boys and girls sit down with volunteers who perform the screening with the help of a device like the one shown in the photo above. The PlusOptix scanner does not provide a comprehensive eye exam, but can tell from the response of a child’s eyes to light and motion whether they need to be referred to a optometrist for further testing. About one in every 12 children who are screened gets a referral.

Southington Lions give nearly 300 volunteer hours each year to the screenings. The club also helps out when the families of referred children have financial need, providing enough funds to cover one eye-doctor visit and one pair of glasses.

Helping people see is a big part of what the Lions do. Yet they also perform other service work, organizing food drives, for example, for organizations like Southington Community Servcies and Bread for Life, frequently in partnership with Boy Scouts or STEPS volunteers. They assist grown-up students too, offering three $2,000 scholarships each year to graduating seniors.

The Yearly Auction

Residents can help the Lions Club help others by taking part in the upcoming charity auction. The Calendar House will play host to the auction this year, which will be held on Saturday, March 28 starting at 6:15pm. Attendees are advised to come early, since the room can only hold 175 people. Admission is free.

According to club member Lou Friedman, the items going up for bid this year range widely – “dinner gift cards, ski tickets, music shows, theater tickets, sporting event tickets, various gift baskets, and more.” All were donated by state and local businesses that support the Lions’ efforts.

Friedman said that this year, as in the past, there will be a ‘treasure chest’ as well. “This is a very popular feature. Participants can buy one or more keys, and if the key unlocks the treasure chest, they get what is in there. The value of the prize is up to $500.”

“This year we are also doing a special drawing for the generous members of the business community that donates auction items. This is a $250.00 cash prize for the lucky winner.”

“Help the Lions help others,” Friendman added. “Come to the auction, have some fun, and help the community. All the money raised goes back out in the form of charitable donations.”

“Refreshments will be provided. Hint: some of the best bakers in town are Lion’s members!”

Vue Brewing Company Puts a Low-Gluten Spin On Traditional Beers

Justin Dawley before the menu board. PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTOS

Note: this is the second in a three-part series on Southington’s breweries.

Last summer Justin Dawley and his wife Jessica opened up Vue Brewing Company in a 1,500 square-foot space on Triano Drive, which runs off Hart Street not far from the Southington Police Station. The site was the former home of Skygazer Brewing before it rebranded as Transcend Beer Crafters. When Transcend moved to Plainville in search of more room, Justin and Jessica took over the space and the equipment. In January of this year, they received approval from Planning and Zoning to open a taproom and an outdoor patio.

Vue Brewing offers a variety of traditional beer styles with a twist – all are brewed with reduced gluten. The Outsider sat down with Dawley on February 2 to learn more about their operation. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Tell me about your background and the history of this place.

I was at Firefly Hollow before they closed, for about eight years. I was a home brewer before that. When I was at Firefly, I went to school at the American Brewer’s Association school in Vermont and learned the science and engineering of brewing. It wasn’t just a hobby at that point. I loved making more traditional beers that weren’t chasing a trend.

I always wanted to open my own place. It was the natural progression of what my wife and I wanted to do. She still works full time, God bless her, but I’m full time owner, brewer, salesman. I’m the guy you can yell at if you run out of beer!

Justin and Jessica Dawley. PHOTO COURTESY JESSICA DAWLEY

We opened June of last year. We literally just got approved by the Planning and Zoning board in Southington to have a tap room and a patio outside. Now you will be able to come down and get a pint if you want, plus a pack to-go. Outside, we’re going to have a 35’ by 35’ space.

This summer we saw that a good percent of our customers were coming from the bike path. We get a lot of business that is going to the other two breweries [Kinsmen and Witchdoctor]. We’ve had customers come all the way from New Haven. They hit all the places. We’re going to have a bike rack out there and maybe a tool station so you can hang out at the end of your ride.

All the beers you make here are low-gluten, is that correct?

Yes, the technical term that we use for our beer is ‘brewed to reduce gluten.’ It’s an enzyme that wraps up the gluten molecule so it’s easier on your stomach. We’ve had a couple batches tested and they were never over 17 ppm [parts per million]. The maximum that gluten-free bread can be is 23ppm.

It doesn’t affect the taste of the beer, or the haziness. You just won’t get a reaction if you’re gluten sensitive.

As far as I know, no one else in the state is doing reduced gluten as their entire portfolio. We like to focus on traditional styles with a twist. A lot of people haven’t tried anything beside an IPA, and we make everything from lagers to ales. We make a nice nitrostout similar to a Guinness. Not a lot of companies are doing that with a reduced gluten process.

What’s been your best seller in the past month?

It seems like our Pilsner is the beer we’ve made the most so far. We’ve had four batches of it. Second to that is Daily Double, our Double New England IPA. It won a bronze medal at an international beer tournament for a gluten-reduced IPA.

Our nitro stout is a fan favorite. We only sell that at bars and restaurants and in here. We don’t have it in cans because of the widget [that makes the foam]. It’s a good all-around drinking stout; it’s creamy, it’s smooth, it’s chocolatey.

People now aren’t really into the high ABV [alcohol by volume] beers. To this point we’ve been doing lower ABV, no higher than six percent, mostly around four to five. It’s a little more drinkable. You’re not drinking to get that ridiculous buzz. We want you to enjoy the beer and the process of the beer.

If we’re going to make something from a country, we’re going to use the ingredients from that country. We want people to be open to different styles, and know that it’s made to that style, it’s made the traditional way.

My favorite thing is when someone says, I only drink IPA’s, and I say, try this!, and then they try it and order up a glass.

How do you get the word out about this place, given that it’s not very visible?

Mainly we get the word out through our social media. My wife likes to joke that we’re the speakeasy of breweries: you don’t know about us until you know about us. We want to be a nice comfortable spot where you can have a couple beers. No music, no tv’s, just a projector. It’s an old-school type of brewery where you can come and talk to someone you don’t know and have a great conversation. I think a lot of old craft beer drinkers used to go to breweries that were smaller and got used to that kind of experience. Some people are looking for a little quieter space.

It’s amazing to us, my wife and I, that a lot of our customers are from out of state or not from the town. This weekend we had people from Oxford, Connecticut

, from Long Island, from New Jersey, which is mind-blowing. The great thing about Southington is that we are in the middle of a mecca. I never really understood that until I came here. You have Witchdoctor and Kinsmen. Ten minutes from here you have Counter Weight [Brewing Company, in Cheshire]. Ten minutes that way you have Transcend. You have Relic, you have Alvarium. We have a lot of customers who stay in Southington for events like soccer for their kids. They purposely stay in Southington so they can hit all the breweries while their kids are at soccer. I love that!

Have you been affected by tariffs and the rising costs of materials?

We’re pretty small, so we don’t see it as much as the bigger companies. It’s there, especially with grain if we’re getting it from another country. There are tariffs on grain and hops. Most of the hops that we get are from the US, but for the traditional styles we need to get them from overseas. We are still paying it a little, especially for aluminum cans, since aluminum is always fluctuating. Prices always rise, we just have to look at what we’re selling it for.

When it comes to beer do you have any personal preferences?

I like all styles. I couldn’t be a chef because I don’t like fish, but I have never met a beer I didn’t like. I like to get obsessed with styles. One month I get obsessed with IPA’s, and all I want to do is figure out how to make my IPA taste like something I found or do my own take on it. I’ve made a lot of different beers in the past and it’s nice to make them according to my own system.

Another thing is to make styles that haven’t been made for a long time in Connecticut. We’re trying to open things up for people who, say, have been into craft beer for like five years – but ten years ago they could have those ESB’s (Extra Special Bitter) or those browns. Bring them back and have people taste it for the first time. It might turn out to be their favorite style and they just don’t know it. It’s always fun to make different things and open the minds of the craft beer drinkers.