Reimbursement Deal Receives Bi-Partisan
Support from State and Local Officials
State Senator John
A. Kissel (R-Enfield) joined several state and local officials
at a meeting yesterday in order to settle a disagreement
over a $2.8 million state reimbursement due to the town
of Enfield to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant.
The meeting was held at the office of OPM Secretary Robert
Genuario, who played a major role in seeing that the money
was released to the town. Also in attendance were State
Representatives Steven M. Jarmoc (D-59th) and Kathleen
M. Tallarita (D-58th), Acting Town Manager Christopher
Bromson, and several State Department of Correction (DOC)
officials.
Back in 2004, the Town of Enfield asserted
that State DOC facilities had excess sewage flows from July
2002 to February 2003. But the state disputed the meter
readings as well as a surcharge of $135,000,000 the Town
said it was owed due to a 1990 agreement with the DOC. If
a court agreed with the state Enfield would be left with
little or no compensation. In 2004, state and local officials
including Senator Kissel and Representatives Tallarita and
Jarmoc met in an effort to achieve a compromise short of
court action and settled on $2.8 million as an agreeable
amount for the state to pay the town. In return, the Town
would reduce the surcharge on excess sewage flows going
forward.
However, after the funding was put into
the 2005 Bond Bill and subsequently released by the State
Bond Commission on December 9th, 2005, the State Department
of Corrections refused to release the funds, claiming a
formal signed agreement had not been reached. Yesterday’s
meeting helped compel the DOC to live by the terms of the
settlement.
“I would like to thank Secretary
Genuario, Rep. Tallarita, Rep. Jarmoc, Mayor Patrick Tallarita,
Minority Leader Scott Kaupin, and Acting Town Manager Bromson
who worked together to see that Enfield received the money
they were owed,” said Senator Kissel. “This
demonstrates what can be accomplished when elected officials
work together in the best interests of the town.”
Senator Kissel is a Deputy Minority
Leader and represents the citizens of Granby, East Granby,
Enfield, Somers, Suffield, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.
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