The Southbury Board of Selectmen convened Thursday night to tackle some unfinished business from their previous meeting and to hear a presentation from the Housatonic Valley Health Department (HVHD).
Health Department Presentation
Amy Bethge, HVHD’s Director of Public Health, presented the board with updates and statistics relevant to locals in Southbury and surrounding communities. The HVHD encompasses the towns of Southbury, New Milford, Oxford, Sharon, Washington, and Woodbury, serving as the public health agency for over 77,000 people.
In her presentation, Bethge outlined some of the in-house improvements made such as the transition to an online system for permits, licenses, and applications, as well as a successful implementation of a digitalized street file system.
An online dashboard with data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is also available on their website, giving insight into local health outcome measures, such as heart disease and high blood pressure, among other health issues.
The comprehensive snapshot of the health profiles across the six towns shows that Southbury has some of the higher statistically expected prevalence rates of certain risk factors like high blood pressure (36.1%) and high cholesterol (39.5%) among adults.
The online interactive dashboard is available to view here.
Following the presentation, First Selectman Tim O’Neil asked how residents can help prevent some of the negative health outcomes discussed.
Bethge responded that part of HVHD’s role is to educate, provide resources and encourage exercise. She also encouraged locals to sign up for the district’s walking challenge, usually held in April, aligning with Physical Wellness Month.
While Southbury held the highest physical inactivity rate among HVHD towns in 2023 (21.6%), it was the only district town to see that figure decrease in the following year’s data set – down to 21.3%. Meanwhile, the remaining five towns all saw increases of at least 1.5% over that same span, as Southbury’s decrease meant it went from the highest physical inactivity rate among the towns to the second-lowest in just one year.
Selectwoman Wendy Bernard asked for further clarification into why there are increased prevalence rates among certain risk factors for adults in Southbury, to which Bethge replied that a deeper dive into the local data would be reported back to the board.
Selectman Jason Van Stone was not present for Thursday’s meeting.
Economic Development Director
O’Neil also gave a brief update on the town’s potential search for an Economic Development Director.
“It was the recommendation of the Board of Finance … to do this role for 10-15 hours [per week],” O’Neil said. “We are reviewing that and hopefully it will be posted soon.”
The town’s first and only Economic Development Director, Kevin Bielmeier, left his full-time role last May when his position was effectively defunded by $95,000 and reduced to 10 hours per week.
O’Neil did not go into further detail about what the revived position would look like, but his comments reflect a shift in how the position is being discussed, as during the campaign season last fall, he stated that Bielmeier’s position was cut back “to an unsustainable level.”
Members of the town’s Economic Development Commission had previously come to the board calling for a restoration of a full-time Economic Development Director. Members of the Board of Selectmen also have called the restoration of the position in some form as a “top priority”, saying that the move to defund the position was a Board of Finance decision.
However, no official action was taken by the Board of Selectmen at Thursday night’s meeting regarding the position. The specific agenda item took less than 30 seconds to discuss, drawing no response from any other board member.
ARPA Funds
The First Selectman also gave an update on how the Parks and Recreation Commission wishes to move forward with a remaining $183,000 left in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
He relayed that the commission took the idea of a splash pad “off the table”. Instead, accessible, refurbished playgrounds in existing town parks were recommended, and subsequently, a playground sub-committee meeting was held on Friday, January 16, and another scheduled for the morning of Friday, February 6.
Meeting minutes from the latest Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on January 8 say that it was relayed to the commission that the Board of Selectmen wants “a better scope of our playground intentions first before the splash pad is vetoed.”
In a continued effort to try and bring both a splash pad and an accessible playground to the community with the remaining ARPA funds, Selectman Holly Sullivan asked how feasible it would be to do both.
While O’Neil did not have specific price ranges, he cited public health concerns tied to splash pads.
According to the CDC, public health officials in Texas and Arkansas found problems with how splash pads were operated and disinfected, resulting in the deaths of three young children between 2020 and 2023.
A germ called Naegleria fowleri was found in each of the splash pads, resulting in the fatal brain infections. There is no evidence, however, of the germ spreading in properly disinfected splash pads, according to the CDC.
No official action was taken by the board on Thursday night regarding the ARPA funds.
Larkin Bridle Path
O’Neil said that he had been in contact with the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG), as well as the state’s Department of Transportation and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection regarding the Larkin Bridle Path’s crossing along Route 67.
“It was a major concern for a number of people,” said O’Neil. “There was a recommendation in 2023 to put in the flashing beacon light there. Hopefully, we’re going to go through with that once the weather cooperates.”
O’Neil added that a warning light about 1,000 feet from the planned flashing beacon sign was recommended by former board member Anne Armeno.
Strategic Plan
Board members continued discussion about the creation of a Strategic Plan Task Force, following feedback from residents and former members of the former Strategic Plan Commission.
At their previous meeting, the board debated about whether any revived group should take the form of a permanent commission or a more short-term task force.
First created as a task force in March 2017 before being elevated to a full commission in February 2019, the former Strategic Plan Commission essentially dissolved due to a lack of membership and reported overlap and disagreements with other town boards.
In talks with former members, like residents Joe Ruggiero and Fred Sell, O’Neil said that the town has come up with a limited scope of a potential task force.
“Hopefully we’ll have a resolution on that in our next meeting to establish that task force,” O’Neil stated.
“I really think it’s needed for the Town of Southbury, and for me to have input from people that are more in tune with strategic planning. I welcome any help I can get. I appreciate all the feedback I got on it,” said O’Neil.
Sustainable Material Management Grant
The previous Board of Selectmen meeting saw the board accept a Sustainable Material Management (SMM) grant in the sum of $157,160 that would study, in its first phase, whether implementing unit-based pricing at the town’s transfer station would work for Southbury.
On Thursday, O’Neil said that a committee – complete with a mission statement and scope – would be sought to take a closer look during the first phase of the program.
He invited interested members of the public to reach out for the forming of the future committee.
Appointments, Hirings and Resignations
Among Thursday’s consent agenda were a number of formalities including the acceptance of a resignation from Public Works employee Josh Labrecque, with a final day of work listed as Friday, February 6.
The board also accepted the resignation of Susan Monteleone from the town’s Zoning Commission.
The town’s Economic Development Commission saw its membership change slightly, with the appointment of Bob DeMallie as an alternate member, and Robert Engle moving from alternate to regular member status.
On recommendation of the town’s Fire Chief, the reappointments of Kenneth Anderson, Terry Brenn, Kevin Grabowski and David Heiden as Fire Police were made, with terms to expire on January 15, 2028.
The town’s Historic District Commission also saw the reappointment of James Carter as a regular member, John Geheran from a regular member to an alternate member, and Steven Ulc from alternate member to regular member.
Zoning Commission member Jay Hine was also shifted from an alternate member to a full member.
The Board of Selectmen also reappointed Joseph R. Jones for a term on the Conservation Commission, and reappointed Tim Baldwin to the town’s Emergency Medical Services Committee.
Among recent town hires are a pair of Library Assistant Substitutes, as well as a new Director of Information Technology.
The next scheduled Board of Selectmen meeting is Thursday, February 19.
The Southbury Record 
