Date: Fri 23-May-1997

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

HVEDP-Daley-GIS-maps

Full Text:

with cuts:Maps Provide New Layers Of Information

For Business And Industry

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The Housatonic Valley Economic Development Partnership (HVEDP) has provided

Newtown with a series of maps that will be useful not only to land-use

planners, but also to local businesses and industries, which are important to

the town's economic development.

Peg Daley, HVEDP director, presented the detailed maps to town technical staff

members Monday at the town land use offices in Canaan House at Fairfield

Hills. The maps will be stored there for use by the public. A state grant paid

for the mapping.

Newtown is one of six towns in the 10-town region which is receiving the maps.

The mapping system includes a base map, or general outline map, which contains

basic information about the town, such as the location of streets and bodies

of water. Overlay maps, which contain information about specific features, are

placed over the base map to add layers of cartographic detail to the base map.

The overlay maps are printed on clear plastic sheets through which the base is

visible.

One overlay, for example, contains information about the location of the

town's sewer system now under construction.

Other overlays contain information about the location of natural gas lines,

public water lines, commercial areas, industrial areas, and land contours.

By choosing the proper overlay maps, map users can view the type and level of

detail required for a particular type of land use planning.

The overlay maps are generated by a Geographical Information System (GIS) used

by the HVEDP and the Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials, the

region's land-use planning agency.

The HVEDP will incorporate a digitized aerial photo of the region for help in

land use planning, Ms Daley said.

Also, as the HVEDP's mapping system evolves, individual property lot lines for

some of its member towns will be added to its cartographic database.

The HVEDP also will be able to include financial information about individual

businesses which are depicted on the mapping, Ms Daley said.

"There are tremendous possibilities with all of this information," she said.

To keep the mapping system useful, it must contain updated and accurate

information, she said.

Information about the locations of known hazardous materials used by industry

could be included on the mapping to make it more useful for emergency service

workers.

"It has incredible power," Ms Daley said.

First Selectman Robert Cascella said the town has ordered the $1,200 MapInfo

Professional GIS software. The software will be used on a town computer, Mr

Cascella said.

HVCEO will provide its member towns with basic training in using the GIS

system, Ms Daley said.

The GIS can be used by every department in a municipality that stores

information which can be keyed to geographic locations.

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 23-May-1997

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