Area farmers can get federal assistance for snow costs

Photo: Charles Farrow. Copyright HTNP.com

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, Monday announced that resources are available for eastern Connecticut livestock produc­ers and farmers who have been affected by recent winter storms and snow accumulation.

According to the U.S. Depart­ment of Agriculture, farmers may be eligible for Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs that help producers recover from livestock deaths and other losses.

“Over the past few days, I have seen first-hand the tremendous toll these storms have taken on farms across our region,” said Courtney, who Saturday visited a Hampton farm that lost dairy cows in a barn collapse. “As we continue to dig out and work to recover, it is important for farmers and small businessmen and women to know there are resources available to help. If they have not already, they should document their expenses, and contact FSA and my office as soon as possible.”

FSA administers several pro­grams that help producers recover from livestock deaths that are beyond normal mortality rates; losses of purchased and/or har­vested forage and with the addi­tional costs of providing or trans­porting feed. Key programs include the Live­stock Indemnity Program (LIP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP).

For livestock death losses to be eligible under LIP, producers must file a notice of loss with their local FSA office within 30 calendar days from when the loss is apparent to the producer.

Farmers can contact their county FSA office at:

• Middlesex and New Haven County – (203) 269-6665

• New London County – (860) 859-5218

• Hartford County – ( 860) 688-7725

• Tolland County – (860) 871-4090

• Windham County – (860) 774-0224 Fact sheets for these two pro­grams can be found at http:// www.fsa.usda.gov.

Just click on “Newsroom,” then “Fact Sheets.”
Posted 2-9-2011

Business owner grateful to escape safely when roof collapsed

The top floor of this building at 505 Main St. in Middletown, CT collapsed the morning of Feb. 2, 2011. Courtesy photo

The three story brick building at 505 Main St. in Middletown that collapsed under the weight of successive snow and ice storms was home to Guilmartin, DiPiro & Sokolowski, LLC, a certified public accounting firm. It is owned by two partners of the firm, Mike DiPiro and Mike Sokolowski.

Two members of the firm were in the 120-year-old, flat-roofed building at the time of the collapse which was at about 10:30 a.m.

Both escaped without injuries. “Everyone is okay,” Dipiro said.

“We would like to assure our clients that all systems are backed up and that no data has been lost. All of our files are intact and the computers were not damaged,” he added.

The computers were housed in the building’s basement.

Dipiro told news reporters that he heard a cracking sound and he shouted “Run, Chris,” as he and his co-worker escaped from the building.

Shortly after that, the third floor of the building collapsed, sending bricks flying below and across Main Street in what witnesses said sounded like an explosion.

Acting Fire Marshal Al Santostefano told The Associated Press the entire third floor of the building was destroyed.

Connecticut Light & Power and Yankee Gas were called to the scene to shut off power and gas.

Main Street (Route 66) was closed from Washington Street to Liberty Street while emergency crews checked nearby buildings. An apartment building was evacuated when cracks in that structure were discovered.

The New Haven Advocate reports that 100 people were evacuated from a three-block section of Main Street at about 12:30 p.m. and were given temporary shelter at the Middletown High School.

The building’s collapse – and closing Main Street – meant businesses were closed in that area today, but Dipiro said his company at least has a “disaster recovery plan.”

That plan is to relocate to new offices in downtown Middletown within the next week and the company “will resume business as usual as quickly as possible,” he said.

“Thankfully, this was not a tragedy,” said Dipiro. “We are grateful for the outpouring of support from the Middletown Fire Department and business community.”

Guilmartin, DiPiro & Sokolowski, LLC was founded in 1972.

Posted Feb. 2, 2011

Related link:

NECN video http://www.necn.com/02/02/11/Roofs-are-collapsing-across-Connecticut-/landing_weather.html?blockID=402700&feedID=4211

Coventry bar cited by state liquor commission

A bar in Coven­try faces a suspension and has received a fine for violating state liquor control laws.

Michael’s Penalty Box on 11 Daly Road was recently issued the violation by the state Department of Consumer Protection Liquor Control Commission.

According to state officials, the bar was cited for selling to minors and violations regarding conduct of permit prem­ises. The conduct of permit prem­ises violation was issued because at least one or more patrons was found to be smoking in the busi­ness, a violation of smoking laws.

The business has been fined $250. It will be suspended Feb. 14, according to a state news release.

Posted 2-2-2011

Connecticut highway tolls could raise $600 million annually

The proposed locations for a new highway toll system - one that wouldn't necessarily require toll booths, or human beings to staff them. Connecticut Office of Policy and Management map, January 2011

It’s time to bring back highway tolls at Connecticut’s borders, says Rep. Anthony Guerrera, D-29 (Newington, Rocky Hill and Wethersfield), who chairs the Legislature’s Transportation Committee.

No one has had to pay at a toll booth in Connecticut since 1986.

Once the tolls were closed, partly because of safety issues, the state became heavily dependent on federal funds for transportation projects.

In a recent published statement, Rep. Guerrera says, “You put up border tolls for $5 a trip, you’re talking $600 million a year in revenue. That’s $18 billion over 30 years. You can’t argue with that.”

The proposal also calls for earmarking these funds for repairing highways and bridges and other transportation incentives, and not putting them into the general budget.

“We know we have more than $3 billion in infrastructure needs in this state, just to repair what we have,” Rep. Guerrera says.

“We know that raising the gas tax won’t do it — cars are getting more mileage, we’re hearing gas could cost $5 by next year, people are driving less. So that’s not going to work. The federal government doesn’t have the money. They’ve said they can’t keep up with all the work that America’s infrastructure needs. Tolls are a way to bring in $600 million a year for 30 years,” he argues.

Some of the transportation projects the tolls could help pay for include improving traffic flow on I-95, and expanding mass transit.

A bill is expected to be introduced to the Transportation Committee within the next couple of months.

A similar bill was introduced last March. At that time, Rep. Guerrera said that he wanted to see the gas tax cut in half if border tolls are installed.

Opponents to the proposal argued that the tolls would create an unfair financial burden for people living in towns along the border near the proposed toll locations.

Rep. Guerrera suggested that these residents, particularly if they cross the state line on a regular basis – i.e. to go to work – could be given a tax credit.

The tolls would be on interstates including I-95, I-91, I-84 and I-395 and the Merritt Parkway and Route 6 into Rhode Island.

Others who object to bringing back highway tolls, including the Department of Transportation, worry that Connecticut could lose federal highway money because of certain federal regulations.

In 2005, federal legislation was enacted known as SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act) that provided a number of waivers regarding toll roads and other projects that met certain requirements. However, that bill expired Sept. 30, 2009. In March 2010, President Obama signed the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, which extended the SAFETEA-LU only until the end of 2010.

Another concern about bringing back tolls is that local roads could become congested as drivers take alternate routes to avoid the tolls. A driver might, for example, read the “last exit before toll” sign and follow signs back to the highway past the toll.

State Rep. Anthony Guerrera, who chairs the Transportation Committee, is renewing his efforts to bring back highway tolls in Connecticut. Courtesy photo.

The proposal would not bring back the original toll booth system. In fact, there might not be any booths at all.

The plan calls for tolls to be paid electronically with an EZPass scanned by a device instead of paying cash.

Or for those who infrequently drive through these gateways, a high-tech camera system would be used that would photograph license plates and send a monthly bill to the registered owner, an idea based on a system used in Toronto.

Rep. Guerrera has even suggested that new cars come equipped with a device – a “fast lane transponder” – that would trigger when passing a toll, same as the EZPass. This electronic data would be used to bill the driver.

The talk of tolls is not a new topic. Legislators, and then-Gov. John Rowland, were debating the pro’s and con’s in 2003.

A New York Times story from April 27, 2003 (“Paying the toll may become part of the ride again”) discusses “new” technology that would allow drivers to maintain highway speeds while passing under devices hung from overhead stanchions.

This story also notes that while the Toronto system was collecting $250 million Canadian dollars a year in 2003, they also got stuck with about a half million accounts that owed $2 each.

Posted Jan. 25, 2011

Related links:

Sunlight Foundation, “Disappearmarks: Millions in SAFETEA-LU Transit Earmarks are Unspent,” June 22, 2010 http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/2010/disappearmarks-millions-safetea-lu-transit-earmarks-are-unspent/

Connecticut Mirror, “Tolls on the table again,” March 12, 2010 http://www.ctmirror.org/story/5150/tolls-table-again

Connecticut Roads – a history of I-95, http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/i95.html

The preservation of a Merritt Parkway Toll Booth Plaza http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=25903

Insurance Journal, “Toll plazas present serious highway dangers, feds warn,” April 20, 2006 http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2006/04/20/67441.htm

Atty. Gen. Jepsen says CT interests need protecting in NU merger with Boston company

Attorney General George Jepsen Monday (Jan. 24) called on state utility regulators to exercise their “clear authority” to review the proposed merger of Northeast Utilities with Boston-based NSTAR, to ensure that Connecticut utility customers are protected.

“This merger has enormous potential ramifications in Connecticut. It is important that any impact on consumers be considered and weighed and any necessary conditions to protect them be imposed before this merger goes through,” Jepsen said.

In October, NU and NSTAR, a gas-electric utility, announced a stock-for-stock merger that would result in a $17.5 billion corporation called Northeast Utilities.

It would have headquarters in Boston and Hartford and would be one of the nation’s largest utilities.

In written exceptions filed Monday, Jepsen urged the state Department of Public Utility Control to reconsider its draft decision of Jan. 19, in which the department said it had no authority to review the merger because there was no clear change in corporate control.

Jepsen disagreed. “The NU that will exist, if the merger is consummated as proposed, is a vastly different corporate entity from the NU that currently operates in the state of Connecticut,” he wrote. “The only thing remaining constant after this merger will be the name of the surviving entity – NU.”

Jepsen noted that as proposed, after the merger, “NU will be lead by an NSTAR executive from an out-of-state headquarters and overseen by boards of directors and trustees that have as many NSTAR-controlled seats as they do NU seats. Moreover, 44 percent of the stock in the post-merger NU will be held by NSTAR investors.”

Jepsen said the proposed management changes were significant enough to require the department’s review.

“These changes are fundamental and indicate that a new entity will have the power to exercise control over Connecticut public service companies CL&P and Yankee Gas,” he said.

Assistant Attorneys General Michael C. Wertheimer and John S. Wright are representing Jepsen before the DPUC.

Posted Jan. 25, 2011

Ouch – we're paying 40 cents more per gal than last year

Average retail gasoline prices in Connecticut have risen 2.7 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.29/g as of Jan. 16, 2011.

Connecticut’s increase is considerably lower than the national average increase of 9 cents per gallon in the last week.

But our at-the-pump prices on average are much higher than the national average of $3.07/g, according to ConnecticutGasPrices.com.

In Bozeman, Montana, they’re complaining about gas prices almost reaching $3. According to NBC Montana.com, the Rocky Mountain states are enjoying the lowest prices at the pump in the country. Utah, Colorado and Wyoming drivers have it best, their story states.

Some other (random) comparisons from GasBuddy.com:

• in Londonderry, New Hampshire, prices ranged from $3.03 to $3.15 as of Jan. 17

• in Hicksville, NY (really!) regular gas was $2.83 a gallon as of Jan. 16.

• in Dover, Delaware, the range was $3.08 to $3.13 as of Jan. 17

• in Veneta, Oregon gas prices ranged from $3.15 to $3.29 as of Jan. 17

• in Phoenix, Arizona, the range was $2.85 to $2.99 as of Jan. 17

For Connecticut, gas prices are now 8.1 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and 40.4 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago, Jan. 17 2010.

The national average has increased 10.4 cents per gallon during the last month, and is 33.8 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago.

At the pump in HTNP.com areas

In the Willimantic area, gas prices ranged from $3.23 to $3.29 as of Sunday, Jan. 16.

In East Hampton, gas was $3.19 at Food Bag, as of Jan. 17.

In Coventry, prices ranged from $3.19 to $3.25

There were no gas prices available online for Columbia, Hebron, Mansfield/Storrs, East Haddam or Moodus, or Willington.

Volunteers are invited to submit their local gas prices at http://www.connecticutgasprices.com

Below, gas prices have had quite a roller coaster ride, but the general direction seems to be up. This graph tracking weekly automobile gas prices is from U.S. Energy Information Administration.

From U.S. Energy Information Administration

Posted Jan. 18, 2011

Related links: “Gas prices nearing $3.00 across the state,” http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/26521700/detail.html

US Energy Information Administration – weekly gas prices and a history of gas prices from 1993 to present http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_gnd_dcus_nus_w.htm

U.S. Department of Energy re: gas and oil prices http://www.energy.gov/pricestrends/index.htm

IRS changes 2011 filing date thanks to Emancipation Day

You may not be familiar with the holiday, but because it falls on Friday, April 15 this year, we procrastinators have a few extra days to file our 2010 tax returns.

Earlier this week, the Internal Revenue Service announced that in 2011, taxpayers will have until Monday, April 18 to file tax returns because of Emancipation Day, which is celebrated in the District of Columbia (and elsewhere in the U.S.).

Did you know that by law, District of Columbia holidays affect tax deadlines the same way that federal holidays do?

So, taxpayers will have a little more time to file this year.

And if you request an extension to file, you will have until Oct. 17, 2011 to file.

The IRS expects to receive more than 140 million individual tax returns this year, with most of those filed by the April 18 deadline.

Have you tried e-file?

The IRS also continues to encourage taxpayers to use e-file as “the best way to ensure accurate tax returns and get faster refunds.”

Recently, the IRS also reminded taxpayers that this year, it is no longer mailing tax forms. And in December 2010, the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services made the same decision.

According to the CT Department of Revenue Service, this last filing season only 8 percent of individual returns were from the booklets that were mailed. In other words, only 125,000 of the 1.6 million returns came from the mailed booklets.

Of those 1.6 million, 1.2 million filed their taxes online. The others used forms they downloaded or picked up at the library, town hall or other locations.

Are you a tax preparer?

The IRS also reminds tax professionals preparing returns for a fee that this is the first year that they must have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN).

Tax return preparers should register immediately using the new PTIN sign-up system available through www.IRS.gov/taxpros.

Who must wait to file?

With some exceptions, the IRS began accepting e-file and Free File returns Friday (Jan. 14, 2011).

Some taxpayers, however, will have to hold off submitting their return because of tax law changes made only weeks ago.

Tax law changes enacted by Congress and signed by President Obama in December 2010 mean some people need to wait until mid- to late February to file their tax returns, in order to give the IRS time to reprogram its processing systems.

Some taxpayers – including those who itemize deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A – will need to wait (whether you’re filing online or sending the paperwork in the mail).

This includes taxpayers affected by any of three tax provisions that expired at the end of 2009 and were renewed by the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 enacted Dec. 17, 2010.

Those who need to wait to file until late February include:

• Taxpayers claiming itemized deductions on Schedule A. Itemized deductions include mortgage interest, charitable deductions, medical and dental expenses, as well as state and local taxes. In addition, itemized deductions include the state and local general sales tax deduction that was also extended and which primarily benefits people living in areas without state and local income taxes.

• Taxpayers claiming the Higher Education Tuition and Fees Deduction. This deduction for parents and students – covering up to $4,000 of tuition and fees paid to a post-secondary institution – is claimed on Form 8917. However, the IRS emphasized that there will be no delays for millions of parents and students who claim other education credits, including the American Opportunity Tax Credit extended last month and the Lifetime Learning Credit.

• Taxpayers claiming the Educator Expense Deduction. This deduction is for kindergarten through grade 12 educators with out-of-pocket classroom expenses of up to $250. The educator expense deduction is claimed on Form 1040, Line 23 and Form 1040A, Line 16.

Unemployment and Job Creation

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act also extend those deductions for 2011 and a number of other tax deductions and credits for 2011 and 2012 such as:

• the American Opportunity Tax Credit and

• the modified Child Tax Credit, which help families pay for college and other child-related expenses.

The Act also provides various job creation and investment incentives including 100 percent expensing and a two-percent payroll tax reduction for 2011. However, those changes have no effect on when to file.

The IRS will announce a specific date in the near future when it can start processing tax returns affected by the recent tax law changes. (Look for updates at www.IRS.gov )

In the meantime, the IRS says, there’s no reason why you cannot get those returns ready. Just don’t send them, yet.

Get help filing your tax forms

Taxpayers with questions can look for answers on the IRS website at www.IRS.gov, call the toll-free number or visit a taxpayer assistance center.

If your income is $49,000 or less, you probably can use the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for free tax preparation and, in many cases, free electronic filing.

Individuals age 60 and older can take advantage of free tax counseling and basic income tax preparation through Tax Counseling for the Elderly (check with your senior center or local social services office).

IRS Free File provides options for free brand-name tax software or forms that can be completed online, plus free electronic filing.

Everyone can use Free File to prepare a federal tax return. There’s no income limit for Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms, which also includes free e-filing.

Taxpayers who make $58,000 or less can choose from approximately 20 commercial software providers.

Check for a refund

You can track the status of your refund by using the “Where’s My Refund?” tool, located on the front page of www.IRS.gov.

Taxpayers can generally get information about their refunds 72 hours after the IRS acknowledges receipt of their e-filed returns, or three to four weeks after mailing a paper return.

Taxpayers need to provide the following information from their tax returns: Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, and filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your anticipated refund.

If the U.S. Postal Service returns the taxpayer’s refund to the IRS, the individual may be able to use “Where’s My Refund?” online to change the address the IRS has on file.

Also, taxpayers may complete a Form 8822, Change of Address, and send it to the address shown on the form. You can download Form 8822 from www.IRS.gov or order it by calling 800-TAX-FORM.

Generally, taxpayers whose refunds somehow got lost in the shuffle can file an online claim for a replacement check, if more than 28 days have passed since the IRS confirms it was mailed.

Oh, and if you happen to have an overseas account, the IRS cautions you to report that information in an honest and timely fashion. “The IRS has made important strides at stopping tax avoidance using offshore accounts,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

Posted Jan. 15, 2011

Coventry and neighboring towns to benefit from energy-buying consortium

An easy-to-read thermostat designed for seniors offered by www.transgenerational.org

Coventry is one of seven local towns whose citizens are expected to save on energy costs, by buying into a program called Direct Choice, launched in September by Direct Energy.

Also signing on are the towns of Columbia, Bolton, Hebron, Hampton, Marlborough and Windham.

Under the Direct Choice program, Direct Energy agrees to a fixed price for electricity for a mutually-agreed upon time.

That means thatCoventry residents who choose to enroll in Direct Choice will pay a fixed price of 9.29 cents per kilowatt hour beginning February 2011 and through July 2011. There is no penalty for canceling before July.

Senior citizens are charged a discounted rate of 8.99 cents per kilowatt hour.

Direct Energy is one of a growing number of alternative energy companies. It has been selling electricity to Connecticut residential customers since 2007 in both the United Illuminating and Connecticut Light and Power service territories.

The company also sells natural gas and electricity to large commercial and industrial customers in Connecticut.

You can learn more about Direct Energy’s Direct Choice offer by visiting the Web site at  www.directenergy.com or call Direct Energy’s Customer Service Department toll free between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, or from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at 1-866-803-4618.

Posted Jan. 8, 2011

Have an event or news item you’d like to see posted on Coventry Today? Simply send your information to eheditor@htnp.com and be sure to include Coventry Today in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions.

Coventry Volunteer Fire Association to get CO devices

With cold weather upon us, carbon monoxide poisoning is a concern for local fire department officials as furnaces burn and fires blaze in wood stoves.

The Coventry Volunteer Fire Association recently acquired devices to measure levels of carbon monoxide poisoning in the blood stream of patients and have used them at some recent fires.

The purchase of three RAD 57s was made last month using a $1,250 grant from the Rockville Bank Foundation and $11,500 in insurance recov­ery money from the department.

No taxpayer money was used for the purchase.

Fire officials said the CO measuring devices are especially useful for ambulance personnel because they allow responders to determine the level of CO poisoning.

“We can make a better determination whether we need to bring them to a specialty hospital or not,” CVFA Chief Joe Carilli said.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless dead­ly gas produced by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels.

According to the Department of Public Health, carbon monoxide is produced by all fuel- burning appliances, including gas and oil furnaces, wood, kerosene and pellet stoves as well as automobile exhaust.

The three instruments, placed in each of the CVFA’s ambu­lances, enable emergency medi­cal services staff to measure the level of carbon monoxide in an individual’s bloodstream.

So far, they have been used in some recent fires, including the fire on Standish Road last month. An unidentified female was treated at this property, owned by Timothy Bernache, and trans­ported by CVFA ambulance to Windham Community Memorial Hospital for possible smoke inha­lation.

Carilli was unsure whether this person inhaled smoke, but said she was treated and released.

Some physical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning in­clude headache, fatigue, nausea and dizziness.

CVFA Capt. Mary Engler, who was in charge of purchasing the RADs, said these symptoms often mimic cold or flu symptoms and can be overlooked.

Engler said one way to tell the difference is by looking at a car­bon monoxide detector’s readings if there is one in the house.

Brian Toal, an epidemiologist at the state Department of Public Health, noted if everyone in the house gets tired or sick at the same time, it is a good sign they have carbon monoxide poisoning. Engler said if people suspect there is carbon monoxide in the home, they should leave imme­diately with their cell phone and call 911.

Carilli added windows or doors should not be opened. At that point, the local fire department should be called.

“We want to make people aware of the dangers of carbon mon­oxide and how it can be a silent killer,” Engler said.

Engler said she is working to purchase an educational DVD about this topic entitled “Silent Killer” that the CVFA will show to its members.

North Coventry Volunteer Fire Department Chief Scott Morris said his department has meters measuring the carbon monoxide levels in homes, but they don’t measure it in the human blood stream.

Morris said the department will not be purchasing the RADs because unlike CVFA, they do not have ambulatory units. The CVFA ambulance covers the entire town.

Both Morris and Carilli offered safety tips for homeowners, including inspecting chimneys, furnaces and wood stoves on an annual basis.

Toal said 80 percent of carbon monoxide poisoning cases occur when people do not clean their chimneys often enough.

Carilli also advised people to buy a “hard-wired” CO detector. He recommended the hard-wired one so people don’t have to worry about charging batteries.

Free batteries are available for residents at the CVFA station for those who can’t afford them.

Toal added that people should not run the car in the garage, mentioning a couple in Hamden who were killed after doing so a month ago.

He also advised people not to run a generator closer than 15 or 20 feet from the home.

“It’s a good time of year to get the word out,” Toal said.

Carilli advised anyone with questions about CO detectors to contact the fire department at (860) 742-3510.

“All we’re trying to do is help people,” Carilli said.

Posted 1-5-2011

Related Article:

Is your home safe from carbon dioxide poisoning?

Coventry looks to save cash on trash contract

Coventry recently received a proposal from the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority (CRRA) to renew a contract that expires in November 2012, a contract that quotes a significantly-reduced rate for solid waste disposal.

The contract was discussed, but not acted on, at the Jan. 3 Coventry Town Council meeting.

Coventry Public Works Director Tim Webb said CRRA has proposed dropping Coventry’s rate from $68 per ton to $61 per ton – initially – under a five-year contract, or to $59 per ton under a 15-year contract.

Public Affairs Director Paul Nonenmacher said CRRA can only quote prices for the first year of the contracts. “It’s difficult to predict with any certainty what the costs might be for 1, 2, 3 or 4 years out,” he said.

He added that CRRA has a “pretty good record” of keeping the prices stable from year to year. “People can be reasonably certain the prices won’t wildly fluctuate,” Nonenmacher said.

Nonenmacher said CRRA can offer reduced rates because of a change in another contract.

The CRRA has dropped its agreement with Metropolitan District Commission, the company that used to run the CRRA trash-to-energy plant in Hartford, in order to have more control over costs.

Metropolitan District Commission would spend whatever they needed to and then bill CRRA, but the new company, North American Energy Services of Seattle, does things differently, Nonenmacher said.

CRRA will pay a set fee for North American’s services, he said. “It gives us the opportunity for long-term stability,” he said.

Elsesser said he was pleased with the proposed contract. “It’s reassuring that the price is going down,” he said at Monday’s meeting.

Looking at alternatives

In an interview on Tuesday, Webb said that while the prices “look good,” there’s plenty of time to review the offer. Coventry has until June 30 to make a decision.

“We still have to keep our options open,” Webb said.

The town has three options, he added -

• renew its contract with CRRA,

• consider options presented by the Connecticut Solid Waste Authority, which is run by the Capital Region Council of Governments that is composed of 20 towns,

• seek bids from other vendors

Looming lawsuit

However, town leaders are concerned about a lawsuit recently filed by the MDC against the CRRA that claims that during the bidding process, CRRA violated a 60-day rule that enabled MDC to protest changes made to services.

CRRA claims it made every effort to include MDC in its bidding process.

MDC also claims CRRA is trying to privatize services, which the company denies.

Webb said one reason Coventry should be concerned is because legal expenses are covered by funding received by CRRA from member towns’ taxpayers, including Coventry.

This concern also has been commented on by both CRRA and MDC, although Nonenmacher said these costs are unavoidable. “We have to defend ourselves,” he said.

Waiting for bids

Senior Program Manager at the Capital Region Council of Governments, Jennifer March-Wackers, said Tuesday (Jan. 4) CSWA members are in the process of going out to bid for solid waste disposal and recycling services, and so there is no estimate of cost per ton at this time.

She said a Request for Qualifications (a bid request) was sent out via e-mail last Wednesday (Dec. 29) to 50 vendors who expressed interest.

Responses are due by Friday, Feb. 4, after which CSWA will evaluate the bids and vote on one.

She added that there will be a pre-proposal meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 18, when vendors are invited to ask CSWA questions about the bidding process.

Posted Jan. 4, 2011 as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

See related story, “Coventry officials keep close eye on CRRA lawsuit,” published Dec. 22, 2010 in Coventry Today http://coventry.htnp.com/2010/12/22/coventry-officials-keep-close-eye-on-crra-lawsuit/