Warren Town Hall Notebook

By Jonathan Cook

Turley Publications Reporter

WARREN – At last week’s Board of Selectmen meeting, the board discussed the possibilities for renovating the Town Hall, promised to get to the bottom of a mystery involving a sign on a telephone pole, and authorized the purchase of a pair of grandstands for the new softball field at Hobo Gendron Park.

Town Hall priority: find grant for elevator

Town Planner Bill Scanlon threw the Town Hall renovation ball into the board’s court, asking them for direction on how to proceed. He reminded them of the recent study which determined the upstairs should be used for community functions such as town meetings, plays and weddings.

Board of Selectmen Chair Bob Downing said, “I think the ball just landed in our court.” He added, “This is kind of tough to sit here today and talk about moving forward with buildings. We have a need list and it goes in many directions right now. We’re going to have to establish priorities. We’re not going to get them all.”

Selectman David Delanski said, “In my opinion, I think the first thing we have to do is make the second floor handicap accessible. We can’t do anything on the second floor before it’s handicap accessible.”

The board authorized Scanlon to seek grant money for an elevator to the second floor of Town Hall as a first step.

Sign leads to mysterious complaints

The board heard from John Fijol, owner of Fijol’s Truck and Auto Salvage on Old West Warren Road concerning a business sign he has posted on a telephone pole.

Fijol told the boar that a representative from National Grid came out to his location and told him that several e-mails had been sent from the town complaining of his sign. Fijol said he was told by National Grid that the messages were signed either by the Town Administrator or the Town Administrator’s Assistant.

“There’s nobody in town that I know of that’s writing letters to National Grid,” said Fijol. “The first instance when the gentleman came from National Grid, he said he had no problem with my sign there. They don’t care. The law’s still in effect (against private businesses posting on telephone poles) because they haven’t taken it off, so to speak.” Fijol explained, “Now they use bucket trucks. They don’t care.”

He went on to say, “The second conversation that I had about a week later was that they are receiving more e-mails from the Town Administrator saying that this should be of concern to National Grid because this sign is there. I‘ve got pictures on my phone of at least 15 signs on telephone poles.” Many of those are road signs, but a few include businesses such as Breezeland Orchards.

Downing said he would personally look into it. “All I can tell you is this; we have complaints from people in town. I do have sincere doubt that there’s been multiple e-mails from anybody in the (selectmen’s office). I guarantee you; I will pursue it to the end and find out what’s what.”

Fijol added that the National Grid representative he spoke with “Told me that this has come down from the top because there have been so many phone calls and so many e-mails written that he has to now come out and make an appearance. What’s the big deal? I could take the sign down. Whatever you want to do.”

Delanski said that he had asked Executive Secretary Jean McCaughey about it and was told that only one phone call asking for information on National Grid’s policy and one follow-up thank you e-mail were sent from her.

Grandstands for Hobo Gendron Park

With $7,000 left in a grant for Hobo Gendron Park improvements, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Robert Lavash said the commissioners would like to buy a pair of grandstands at about $3,000. They would be placed at the new softball field. The board voted to grant his request to spend the funds.