Letter to the Editor: Writer Disagrees With Town Cleaning Catch Basins on Private Property

To my fellow Oxford Residents, before you vote on the municipal budget on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, I want to make you aware that the proposed municipal budget, if passed, is violating the Town of Oxford Planning & Zoning Regulations conditions of approval given to the 55 and over housing projects in the Town of Oxford. Let me clarify. The following two line items in the proposed Municipal Budget include this violation:

1. Under the Highway Maintenance,  line item :  “Equipment – Rental of”  Actual was $35,136 and it is now proposed to $101,000 an increase of $65,864.
2. Under the Water Hydrant Charges, line item :  “Water Hydrant Charges” Actual was $43,240 and it is now proposed to $82,874 an increase of $39,634.

During  the Town Meeting on Monday, May 7, 2012, I questioned the increase on both of these line items, and I was told by two members of the Board of Finance that 1) the “Equipment  - Rental of” increase now included the clean out of the catch basis on 55 and over housing projects in particularly Oxford Greens; and that 2) the increase in the “Water Hydrant Charges” now included the maintenance of the water hydrant’s for the 55 and over housing project in Oxford, again in particular Oxford Greens. It is now my understanding that $20,000 is being allocated to clean the catch basins and maintain the water hydrants at Oxford Greens and Meadow Brook. I was also told by the Board of Finance Members that this allocation of moneys was insisted on by First Selectman George Temple.

Although First Selectman George Temple’s intentions may have been good, as I stated earlier, if the proposed Municipal Budget is approved on May 15, 2012, is in violation of the Town of Oxford Zoning Regulations ARTICLE 5A, SECTION 4, SUBSECTION 4.2 B) which states “Ownership and Maintenance.  All interior roads shall remain private ownership in perpetuity and all Town road maintenance services shall cease at the perimeter property line of the development parcel.”

My suggestion is for the Town of Oxford to vote NO to the proposed Municipal Budget, send it back to a public hearing so that we can at least reduce these two line items, and bring the Municipal Budget back in conformance, and not violate the Town of Oxford Planning & Zoning and State of Connecticut Section  8-g which state only the Land Use Commission can put conditions on applications for Town Use, not a selectman or the Board of Selectman.

- David A. Robinson, Sr. - 226 Christian Street, Oxford