Board of Finance: Ballot Box Cameras & Library Window Repairs

06/26/24

Goshen’s Board of Finance unanimously approved the meeting minutes for May 29th. They then reviewed and received Tax Collector Rebecca Juchert-Derungs’ May 2024 report as well as financial reports submitted by Debbie Franklin for May 2024. Bob Valentine motioned to accept both reports. Both motions were unanimously approved. Town Treasurer Mathhew Sweet reported that Goshen is in the process of transferring the Town's retirement program from the John Hancock Life Insurance Company to the Nationwide Retirement Institute. According to Sweet, the new program will provide residents with better client service and investment selection for matching or lower costs. As a part of the switch, town employees may be charged a $500 closing and transfer fee. Sweet and Valentine recommended First Selectman Todd Carusillo used town funds from employee benefits or other areas to cover these costs.

Carusillo reported that he applied for and received four grants including a $25,000 grant for the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that would cover equipment upgrade costs such as a new laptop, a new generator, new screens, and new air conditioners. The other three grants were all around $1,600 and helped cover Blackboard emergency broadcast costs. Carusillo further reported that the town must purchase a camera to watch the town hall’s voting drop box. According to Connecticut Public Act 24-148, each municipality must provide a video recording device for each secure drop box on and after July 1st, 2025. The camera will begin recording the first day absentee ballots are issued and will stop recording once the last absentee ballot is received and the closure of polls at elections. Each recording will then be made accessible to the public no later than five days after the last ballot retrieval and be retained by municipalities for twelve months. “We’re probably gonna’ have to take the money out of somewhere for the camera system because it has to be done before the election,” said Carusillo. “I kind of want it done before the primary in August… but it has to be done for the presidential election.” Carusillo claimed the town will have to purchase at least 16 of these cameras because that’s the smallest unit available for purchase. He suggested these other cameras could be placed in other parts of Town Hall or the exterior of the library for added security. Valentine clarified the Goshen Center School already has cameras that cover a large area of the town hall building. It’s expected the cameras could cost the town about $6,000.

For an update on Goshen Public Library window upgrades, Carusillo told the Board that that project will now go out to bid. In May, Henrietta Horvay told the board that eight windows need to be repaired in total. Replacement windows were first requested back in 2015 when it would have cost $6,000 for repairs but now they’re expected to cost $10,000.