Don Lowe First Selectman Column 07/29/24
The Board of Selectmen (BOS) met last Thursday and discussed several agenda items but center stage was taken by the financing, long-term bonding, for the proposed Sherman School renovation/repair project. Barry Bernabe of Phoenix Advisors took us through several scenarios and clearly described the options and the process. The dollar amount that is proposed is about $29.5 million dollars and that debt will be for a term of 20 to 25 years. Borrowing money (bonding) is not an uncommon practice for municipalities and not foreign to Sherman either. All of the previous school renovations, the library, the firehouse, and other capital items/projects have been paid for through bonding in Sherman.
We will be holding a Special BOS Meeting on Tuesday evening August 6 at 7pm in Charter Hall. At that meeting we will be discussing and deciding on the terms of our bonding for the Sherman School project. After the completion of that, we will be able to put out to the public the bonding’s effect on an individual’s tax bill. All of this is in anticipation of an October 5 referendum. Leading up to that referendum will be Town forums and other instruments of communication to answer as many questions as possible about this renovation/repair of the Sherman School.
I enjoyed meeting with the Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (NCLC) leaders on Friday. This meeting was set up by Bill McCann of our Sherman Conservation Commission and I thank him for that and also thank him for how proactive his commission is under his leadership. The NCLC, as you may know, now manages our Naromi Land Trust and is Connecticut’s largest land trust, controlling more than 13,000 acres of open land. These lands, protected from development and mostly open to the public for passive enjoyment, are critical for natural habitat to thrive. Also, and this is a national issue, preserving land is essential for establishing and maintaining a clean freshwater supply – something we never want to take for granted.
On last report, there are still tickets available for the Fireman’s Ball which will be held on this Saturday, August 3. Doors open at 5. The Ball will be held on the Town property by the Town Green and features live music, dancing, an incredible roast beef dinner, door prizes, raffles, and just a nice old fashioned good time! All proceeds go towards our amazing Sherman Volunteer Fire Department who does so much for the Sherman community.
Construction on our new pickleball courts is slated to begin in mid-August. These courts are up at Volunteer Field and are the result of a STEAP Grant application ($240,000) that we successfully applied for from my office. Sherman doesn’t receive much in the way of financial help from the State, so this is a nice boost to our local capital efforts. I may have to start playing pickle ball!
