On Wednesday morning, February 21, First Selectman Eric Couture held his first coffee chat with Beechwood residents.
Twenty-five residents attended as Couture gave a synopsis of current issues before the Board of Selectmen and the town. His presentation was followed by questions from his audience. Many of those questions centered around septic clean outs, rent increases and taxes.
Couture discussed in detail how the budget process works. He explained how the school budget fits into the picture and the role of both the Board of Finance and the Board of Education. Road safety, a major concern for his audience, was also discussed.
Couture said he recognizes the frustration and pain of increasing costs. He described the balancing act of keeping the town in good shape, its people safe, and its children well educated, with the need to keep costs and taxes as reasonable as possible.
The First Selectman then introduced Joan Gay and Brandon Geraghty representing River Valley Transit. Gay wearing two hats, also represented the Committee on Aging. She thanked the Beechwood Community for their response to the recent Senior Citizens Survey and distributed printed copies of the Survey Report. Gay went over the prioritized areas of concern which, to no one’s surprise, included housing costs and taxes.
Brandon Geraghty addressed the services provided to Killingworth by River Valley Transit which is the new organization formed from combining Nine Town Transit with Middletown Transit. Brochures, “Ride Guide,” were distributed and Geraghty explained the different services provided by the bus line and Dial- a- Ride. Both Gay and Geraghty were happy to announce that a regularly scheduled bus stop would soon be available at the Beechwood Clubhouse so that no one must wait for a bus on Route 81.
(Submitted by KDTC member Kathy Amoia)
Killingworth Democratic Town Committee 