Seymour Board Allocates Funding

SEYMOUR — The Board of Selectpersons, meeting Tuesday, February 7, voted to allocate $125,000 in ARPA funds for the Seymour High School HVAC project, $226,290 in ARPA funds for Fire Department air packs, and $56,480 for repairs to the body of a DPW truck.

It was explained that the body of the 2006 truck was deteriorating, as evidenced during a recent DOT inspection. While the truck is still road-worthy and can be used for plowing, it is no longer recommended for carrying loads.

With the cost of a new truck estimated at $250,000, the repair to a vehicle with just 43,000 miles on it seemed prudent. The department will likely get another 10 to 12 years of service life out of the truck following the repair, during which the entire body will be removed, inspected, fixed as needed or parts replaced to make it once again a useful vehicle.

The board approved Fire Department tax abatements and went into executive session to discuss a settlement regarding opioid litigation with CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Teva. The board later voted to opt in to this settlement.

During her report, First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis warned that this will be a "tough budget year." There is a possibility of an insurance increase of up to 22%, with other increases coming in utilities, maintenance parts and the like due to inflation.

She said that there was "not a lot of wants; it's a whole lot of needs."