Diana Stricker Photo
The Board of Selectmen (BOS) approved the purchase of a dispatch software package for emergency services on Wednesday. In addition, selectmen reappointed nine people to various boards and commissions; and moved two alternates to full membership—one on the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC), and one on the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission.
It was the first meeting of the newly elected board. First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove and Second Selectman Joe Higgins began their second term in office, and retired Branford fire chief Jack Ahern began his first term as third selectman—the sole Democrat on the board. Click here to read about the ceremony Tuesday when they were sworn into office.
The police and fire departments asked the BOS to waive the bidding process for purchasing a dispatch quality assurance software package for a price not exceeding $79,980 from Priority Dispatch Corp. The price includes both installation of equipment and training for police, fire and emergency medical dispatch personnel.
Fire Chief Tom Mahoney said the software will improve dispatching services and will mesh with the existing equipment. He said no other vendors could provide the quality of this software.
Diana Stricker Photo
“I think it’s a great package,” said Ahern (pictured), who is familiar with dispatching matters from his 35 years with the Branford Fire Department.
Higgins, who served with the New York City Fire Department almost 40 years, said he was familiar with company and it has a “good, solid” reputation.
The motion was unanimously approved.
Reappointments
All motions regarding appointments were approved unanimously without comment, except for the Inland Wetlands appointment when Ahern said: “I’m glad we’re using an alternate.”
He was referring to Peter Basserman, who was moved up to full membership Wednesday to fill a vacancy created when long-time IWC commissioner Robert Valley died in September.
The IWC membership became an issue in August when Cosgrove chose not to re-appoint two long-standing IWC commissioners and one alternate, all of whom wished to remain on the commission. He also bypassed the other two alternates and instead appointed two full commissioners and another alternate. One of the alternates he bypassed was Basserman. The IWC is comprised of seven full members and three alternates. The moves came shortly before Costco submitted its first applications to the IWC.
At the BOS meeting in August, IWC chair Daniel Shapiro expressed his displeasure at Cosgrove’s actions, and said it was a “sad moment for the town Branford.” Click here to read about that.
The other alternate who was moved to full membership was Joe Chadwick, who fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Ellsworth MacGuigan, the longtime P&Z chair.
The nine reappointments include; Mark Kirschner, Board of Recreation; Michael McGuiness and Robert Davis, Conservation/ Environmental Commission; Bill O’Brien, John Leonard and Richard Balzano, Economic Development Commission; Marci Palluzzi, P&Z; Mario Ricozzi, Solid Waste Management Commission; and David Laska, Zoning Board of Appeals.
Another Senior Center Presentation
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Cosgrove announced there will be another presentation of the proposed senior center project Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Community House. He said residents in the neighborhood have been invited to come and express their opinions, but that the meeting is open to all the public. Several presentations of the concept plans have been made over the past few weeks.
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