The Town of Washington, Connecticut
Town Meeting
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www.WashingtonCT.org The Town of Washington, Connecticut Town Meeting |
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WARNING The voters and electors of the Town of Washington are hereby warned that the Annual Town Meeting will be held at Bryan Memorial Town Hall, Washington, Connecticut on Monday, October 3, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. to consider and act upon the following agenda:TOWN OF WASHINGTON, CONNECTICUT
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
To set the dates for the annual town budget hearing and meeting in May of 2006.
To approve an amendment to the Ordinance Establishing Fees for the Land Use Commissions.
To approve an amendment to the Ordinance Establishing Fees for the Transfer Station.
To discuss and consider, for a vote on the June 2006 Referendum, a resolution amending the Town Ordinances to provide for four year terms of office for the offices of First Selectman, members of the Board of Selectmen, Tax Collector and Treasurer, commencing with the next regular election after this ordinance is adopted.
To establish an Ordinance authorizing tax exemption for farm machinery and farm buildings.
Dated at Washington, Connecticut this 26th day of September 2005.
Richard C. Sears
Nicholas N. Solley
Harry H. Wyant
Board of Selectmen
2.
TOWN OF WASHINGTON IT IS HEREBY ORDAINED:ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING FEES FOR
LAND USE APPLICATIONS
1. Washington Town Ordinances #703B, entitled "Zoning Board of Appeals Fees," #704D, entitled "Subdivision Fees", and #710, entitled "An Ordinance to Charge Fees for Consultant Services and/or Legal Opinions Required in the Processing of Land Use or Road Construction Applications," are rescinded.
2. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 8-1c of the Connecticut General Statutes, the Town of Washington adopts the following fee schedules for applications to the Zoning Commission or its official agent, the Planning Commission, or the Zoning Board of Appeals.
A. Fees that Must Be Submitted With the Application
The following fees shall be due at the time the application is filed. The failure to submit any such fee shall render the application incomplete and shall be grounds for the relevant commission, board or agent to refuse to process the application or to deny the application.
i. Applications to the Zoning Commission or its Agent:
Zoning Permit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25
Special Permit or Special Exception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 150
Modification or renewal of Special Permit or Special Exception. . . . . . . $ 50
Site plan review or modification, when no Special Permit
or Special Exception is required. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100
Petition for amendment to zoning regulations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 250
Petition for amendment to zoning district or boundary. . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 250
ii. Applications to the Planning Commission:
Subdivision or resubdivision application, per lot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 300
Modification (other than resubdivision) of approved subdivision or
resubdivision plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 100
iii. Applications to the Zoning Board of Appeals:
Variance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 100
Appeal from action of enforcement agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 100
Appeal from Zoning Commission decision (when
allowed by Zoning Regulations) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 100
Special Permit or Special Exception (when Board is required
to decide application pursuant to the Zoning Regulations) . . . .$ 150
iv. Statutory Fees:
Fee required by Public Act 92-235, Section 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.00
(fee may be adjusted if required by amendment to Public Act)
B. Consultants' Fees and Expenses
Following the submission of any of the foregoing applications, the relevant commission, board or agent may determine that it, he or she will require the assistance of professional consultants, including but not necessarily limited to scientific, engineering, and legal consultants, to review the application or to provide monitoring services. Issues for which such review or monitoring may be needed may include, but are not limited to, compliance with existing laws and regulations; the potential for environmental or other impacts; the need for public improvements, drainage improvements, sediment and erosion-control measures, and other environmental safety measures; and the provision of adequate legal conveyances and financial performance security. It is the purpose of this Ordinance to ensure that any fees and expenses reasonably incurred by the commission, board or agent in procuring such services be reimbursed by the applicant.
If the assistance of professional consultants is found to be necessary or appropriate at any time after the submission of an application, the respective commission, board or agent may estimate the fees and expenses that such consulting services are likely to entail. The estimate, which shall not be binding on the commission, board or agent, may be derived in any reasonable manner, including but not limited to (1) a good-faith estimate of the hours that the consultants are likely to require based upon the specific nature of the application, or (2) a schedule of estimated unit fees (e.g., a standard, per-lot fee or per-acre fee) adopted for general use on the basis of the commission's, board's or agent's prior experience with similar applications. Any estimate provided under this Ordinance shall be for the purpose of establishing an escrow account, as described below, and shall not prohibit the commission, board or agent from seeking additional consultants' services if the need or desirability of such services is determined after the nonbinding estimate has been provided.
If the likely amount of consulting fees is estimated on the basis of the hours the consultants are likely to require to perform the needed services, but the commission, board or agent does not have specific knowledge of the fees the consultants may charge, the estimate of fees may be calculated in accordance with the following schedule:
i. Technical (including Engineering or Scientific) Consultants . . . . . . . . .$150 per hour
ii. Legal Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$250 per hour
iii. Review by Town Staff (not including any agent issuing a permit) . . . . . . $50 per hour
iv. Other Consultants' Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As may reasonably be estimated
In the event the commission, board or agent, at the time of estimating the consultants' fees, has already secured the services of one or more consultants whose hourly rates differ from those in the foregoing schedule, the hourly rates actually charged by the consultants shall be used for the estimate in lieu of those set forth in the foregoing schedule.
Within ten (10) days after a commission, board or agent notifies an applicant of any estimate of fees and expenses made pursuant to this Ordinance, the applicant shall provide a sum equivalent to 150 percent of the estimated amount, except as provided in section 4 of this Ordinance. All such funds received from the applicant shall be deposited into an escrow account to be held by the Town. Wherever possible, the amount required pursuant to the foregoing provisions must be paid before the commission, board or agent holds any required public hearing or makes any decision on the application. If the amount required is not timely paid and the commission, board or agent is obliged by the provisions of state law to commence a public hearing or render a decision, the commission, board or agent may deny the application as incomplete.
The amount paid into the escrow account pursuant to the foregoing provisions shall be applied as needed to offset the actual consultants' fees and expenses incurred by the relevant commission, board or agent. In the event the amount paid by the applicant exceeds the amount actually needed to reimburse the fees and expenses incurred by the commission, board or agent, the balance remaining in the escrow account shall be promptly returned to the applicant. In the event the amount paid into the escrow fund is less than required to reimburse all applicable consultants' fees and expenses, the applicant shall be required to pay the balance due as a prerequisite to the issuance or maintenance of any final permit or the final approval of any application or petition. If a permit or approval has been issued before the required additional fees are incurred or become due, the applicant shall be obliged to pay the additional fees within 30 days after billing. The failure to pay such fees when due shall be grounds for revocation of the permit or approval.
3. The foregoing fees shall supersede any fees previously established by the Zoning Commission, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals.
4. In the event that any applicant, at the time a nonbinding estimate of consultants' fees is being made pursuant to subsection B, has failed to pay any portion of the fees due under this Ordinance with respect to a prior application, the applicant will be required to provide a sum equivalent to 200 percent, rather than 150 percent, of the estimated fees and expenses.
This Ordinance shall become effective November 1, 2003.
Proposed: Amendment: Zoning Permit Fees shall be increased from $25 to $45 for projects 500 square feet and under and from $25 to $90 for projects over 500 square feet. Applications to Change Zoning Map fees shall be increased from $175 to $200. Zoning fees for signs shall be $25.
If this Amendment is passed at the October 3, 2005 Town Meeting, it will take effect fifteen days after publication in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Section 7-157.
3.
TOWN ORDINANCE 306D, AS AMENDED
TRANSFER STATION REGULATIONS
EFFECTIVE 11-12-2003The Town of Washington has established a transfer station on the site of the former landfill at Clark Road. This facility is designed to expedite the handling of municipal solid waste, bulky waste, white goods, tire, batteries, scrap metal, residential demolition materials, and recyclable containers for newsprint, corrugated board, glass, metal and #1 and #2 plastics for a fee as set by the Board of Selectmen.
The following rules and regulations will apply:
All materials deposited at the transfer station must originate within the Town of Washington and be from residential properties.
Windshield stickers will be required on all vehicles. Stickers must be affixed on the lower right portion of the windshield or on the small right-hand window. If the stickers are not so placed, the driver will be denied use of the transfer station. Stickers are available at the tax collectors office.
Special permits for out-of-town contractors may be obtained from the First Selectmans Office.
The following will not be accepted at the transfer station:
Grass (lawn) clippings
Leaves (foliage of trees or shrubs)
Tree stumps or logs
Hazardous Waste
Septic waste
Closed lid paint cans. All paint cans must be clear of liquid paint and be dried out.
Brush smaller than 6 in diameter will be accepted at the discretion of the Selectmen. Weather conditions, capacity and the time of year will be limiting factors.
Children under the age of 12 must remain inside vehicles at all times.
The Board of Selectmen will determine the disposal fees for bulky waste at the transfer station. A fee schedule will be posted at the transfer station and will be based upon the current cost to the Town for disposal for bulky waste. Fees will be payable upon delivery. Payment by check will be required for amounts in excess of five dollars. Receipts for cash or check will be issued prior to leaving the facility. Fees will be determined at the discretion of the attendant for amounts exceeding those posted on the fee schedule.CURRENT DISPOSAL FEES
RESIDENTIAL BULKY WASTE AND RECYCLABLES
Effective 10-15-05TIRES: MOTORCYCLE: $3/EACH
CAR: $3/EACHCAR W/ RIM: $5/EACH
LIGHT TRUCK: $4/EACH
LARGE TRUCK: $12/EACH
EXTRA LARGE TRUCK/TRACTOR/LOADER: $25-$150/EACH*
*SEE ATTENDANTBATTERIES: CAR & TRUCK: $2/EACH
APPLIANCES: REFRIGERATORS/DEEP FREEZE UNITS: $50/EACH
COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATORS: $60/EACH
ALL OTHERS, IN GENERAL: $10/EACH
AIR CONDITIONERS $50/EACH
DEHUMIDIFIERS: $50/EACHPROPANE TANKS: SMALL/OUTDOOR GRILLS: $5/EACH
LARGE/CYLINDERS: $10/EACHBULKY WASTE: FURNITURE CONTAINING METAL
FRAMES, BOX SPRINGS: $5/MINIMUMDEMOLITION/CONSTRUCTION/CARPETING/METALS: $5/MINIMUM
COMPACT PICKUPS/MINI-VANS: $25
FULL-SIZED PICKUPS & VANS: $50
1-3 TON DUMP TRUCKS: $100ALL FEES ARE PAYABLE UPON DELIVERY. LOADS IN EXCESS OF STATED LIMITATIONS MAY BE SUBJECT TO AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE ATTENDANT. PAYMENT BY CHECK REQUIRED FOR ALL FEES IN EXCESS OF $5. RECEIPTS WILL BE ISSUED IN EITHER CASE PRIOR TO LEAVING FACILITY.
BOARD OF SELECTMENFees effective 10-15-05
4.
RESOLVED: To submit to a referendum vote, to be held on the same ballot as the Regional School District No. 12's Budget Referendum in June 2006, a resolution amending the Town Ordinances to provide for four year terms of office for the offices of First Selectman, members of the Board of Selectmen, Tax Collector and Treasurer, commencing with the next regular election after this ordinance is adopted. The Town Clerk shall publish a notice of this referendum not less than thirty (30) days prior to the referendum.
5.
BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED BY THE TOWN OF WASHINGTON AN ORDINANCE
AUTHORIZING TAX EXEMPTIONS FOR
FARM MACINERY AND FARM BUILDINGS
Section 1. Pursuant to the authority of General Statutes Section 12-91(b), the Town of Washington hereby provides an additional exemption from property tax for all farm machinery qualified for exemption under Gen. Stat. Section 12-91(a) to the extent of an additional assessed value of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($100,000.00). Any such exemption shall be subject to the same limitations as the exemptions provided under Gen. Stat. Section 12-91(a) and the application and qualification process provided in Gen. Stat. Section 12-91(d). Section 2. Pursuant to the authority of General Statutes Section 12-91(c), the Town of Washington hereby provides an exemption from property tax for any building, to the extent of an assessed value of $100,000 used, actually and exclusively in farming, as defined in General Statutes Section 1-1. Such exemption shall not apply to any residence of such farmer and shall be subject to the application and qualification process provided in General Statutes Section 12-91(d).
Dated at Washington, Connecticut, this 3rd day of October, 2005.
This ordinance shall become effective , 2005.