Board of Selectmen: “Toxic” Library Work Environment, More Over-Budget Legal Fees, The Need to Reduce Speed

First Selectman Todd Carusillo and Selectman Scott Olson were present in-person for all meetings. Selectman Dexter Kinsella participated remotely via Zoom.
11/12/24
First Selectman Todd Carusillo announced that the Goshen Center School will have new exterior LED lighting installed at the front of the school and along the gymnasium walkways. Early voting has cost Goshen $15,805 so far this election season. Selectman Scott Olson reported that over 2,000 Goshen residents participated in the Presidential election this year and half of those participated in early voting, “I know that I was initially not in favor of the early voting for several reasons but what great inclusivity that we were able as a town to enjoy by giving people the extra time to vote.” Carusillo has received numerous calls about black bears entering people’s yards going through trash and bird feeders. Carusillo advised residents to hold off on putting out bird feeders until snowfall begins and bears begin to hibernate. According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Sightings map, 96 bear sightings have been reported in Goshen while 53 were seen in Cornwall, 229 were seen in Litchfield, 44 were seen in Norfolk, and 522 were seen in Torrington. A speed study was conducted at Woodridge Lake, and it was determined that some drivers reach speeds of up to 70 mph on Shelbourne Drive and East Hyerdale Drive. Carusillo is considering installing speed humps and speed digital signs to reduce drivers' speeds.
Selectman Dexter Kinsella motioned to add a discussion on the Region 20 referendum set for Tuesday, December 3rd to the meeting’s agenda. This was unanimously approved. Region 20 Board of Education member Ashley Hall Daddona spoke on the referendum and explained that debt for the school district was generated by both Litchfield and Region 6 schools. “It was already a part of the merger agreement so we at this point we need the language that allows the Region 20 Board of Ed to bond for the debt that was already legally committed to,” Daddona explained. “So the debt came from both schools. Region 6 and Litchfield both had accrued their debt from school renovations…” Daddona later handed out a referendum information form that explained the $1.9 million in Litchfield Public Schools debt and the $1.7 million in Region 6 schools debt will have Region 6 towns pay for 44% of both debts while the Town of Litchfield will pay for 56% of both debts. Voting yes on the referendum will give Region 20 permission to pay for its debt based over a period of 10-years, rather than as one, immediate, lump sum. Region 20 Board of Education member Krista Rizzo added that voting “no” would result in litigation and “fighting within town”. While Goshen households would pay $38.20 per year, Litchfield would pay $48 per year, Morris would pay $41 per year, and Warren would pay $21 per year.
Following the discussion on the Region 20 referendum, Kinsella motioned to adopt the 2025 Board of Selectmen meeting calendar. This was unanimously approved.
11/19/24
The Board of Selectmen received a letter of resignation from Kate Malanca from the Goshen Safety Committee and from Lisa Bequillard from the position as Library Aide at the Goshen Public Library. Due to Bequillard’s resignation, the Goshen Public Library is looking for a new Library Aide who works six-hour shifts. Carusillo planned on contacting Library Director Tabitha Guarnieri if she or other Library staff want to join the Safety Committee. Selectman Scott Olson was unaware Goshen had a Safety Committee and asked what the Committee does. “It tells what’s going on in each department,” Carusillo explained. “Like Barbara [Breor} coming from the Town Clerk’s, Lucy [Hussman] will come down, Kate [Malanca] came over from the Library. I would do the Town Hall. Patrick [Lucas], when he was here, he would do the Fire Department… So they come over and they talk about anything that has to be fixed or that was fixed.”
The Woodridge Lake Property Owners' Association contacted the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance requesting appropriation of $15,000 to install three speed humps to prevent speeding around the lake. (Note: Carusillo, who worked with the Woodridge Lake Safety Committee to develop the proposal, subsequently supported that request at the Board of Finance meeting on November 20th.) Public Works Supervisor Garret Harlow developed a plan to install stop signs on Shelbourne Drive at the intersections with Ashley Drive and Belshyre Court, and on East Hyerdale Drive at the intersections with Marshepaug Road, Brynmor Drive, Sherbrook Drive, and Shelbourne Drive. The plan was sent to the Association for comment. According to Carusillo, drivers have been found driving at speeds ranging from 37 mph to 70 mph.
Carusillo additionally announced that the Town of Goshen is looking to hire new, part-time Commission Clerks for the Board of Finance, Recreation Department, and Planning and Zoning Commission.
For Old Business, Olson spoke on the Region 20 Referendum for Tuesday, December 3rd. He stated that Region 20’s Board of Education is seeking to bond their outstanding debt of $1.8 million and have it paid over the course of 10 years instead of one. Olson clarified that voting yes to this plan does not mean Goshen, Morris, and Warren will have to pay off Litchfield’s debt. “It's not Litchfield's debt,” Olson clarified. “What happened was back when we had a vote to approve the merger between the two districts, incorporated into that was absorbing debt from Region 6 and absorbing debt from Region 20. Both of them came into it with pre-existing debt. The difference was that the debt that was Region 6 debt doesn't show up as glaringly on a balance sheet because that had already been amortization through a bonding.” Carusillo further explained that Goshen will be responsible to cover 21.26% of Region 20’s debt. Olson then motioned to endorse the Region 20 Referendum question. This was unanimously approved.
For New Business, Olson motioned to add appointments to the meeting agenda. This was unanimously approved. Kinsella then motioned to reappoint Danielle Mastrocola as the Agent for the Elderly. This was unanimously approved. Olson then motioned to reappoint Janet Hooper to the Shane Kinsella Memorial Fund Committee for a term ending on November 11th, 2025. This was unanimously approved. Olson also motioned to reappoint Dexter Kinsella to the Shane Kinsella Memorial Fund Committee for a term ending on November 11th, 2025. Carusillo and Olson voted yes while Kinsella abstained. The motion carried. Kinsella then motioned to reappoint Sara Krahla to the Shane Kinsella Memorial Fund Committee for a term ending on November 11th, 2025. This was also unanimously approved. Finally, Kinsella motioned to re-appoint Attorney “Chip” Roraback of Roraback, Roraback Attorneys of Torrington for a 1 year term, ending October 31, 2025.
11/26/24
Carusillo informed attendees that he hosted a meeting on Wednesday, November 20th, of First Selectmen and Mayors from local municipalities to discuss Municipal Solid Waste and the possible acquisition of the Torrington Transfer Station. “This coming February, we’re gonna get that letter in the mail saying that our tipping fee is going up and then our contract with MIRA ends June 30th, 2025 and then Dept. of Administrative Servies is taking over for MIRA on July 1st and I hear they do not want to be in the trash business,” Carusillo explained. “...I’m pushing the NW Council of Governments (COG) to get involved and to take over this because we might be able to get this transfer station for a dollar because all the 21 towns in the COG invested in this transfer station through our payments every month.” The Northwest Hills Council of Governments (COG) is made up of 21 municipalities from the northwest corner of Connecticut. For several months now, members of the COG have been pushing for the acquisition of the Torrington Transfer Station amid the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority’s (MIRA) closure in 2027. This is intended for local municipalities to have better control of their trash removal and prevent price increases for tipping fees. Carusillo explained that, according to Anthony Costa, owner of the Bridgeport-based waste removal company Enviro Express, tipping fees are increasing because Enviro signed a contract to handle 50,000 tons of trash annually for MIRA but Torrington, Litchfield, and Harwinton opted out. That resulted in Enviro only removing 23,000 tons of trash annually, causing tipping fees to be increased for the remaining contracted municipalities. Costa also currently runs the Torrington Transfer Station for MIRA. Carusillo and North Canaan First Selectman Brian Ohler visited the Transfer Station on Monday, November 25th and observed that the facility was well kept and clean. Carusillo hopes that the COG will purchase the Transfer Station and establish their own waste management facility controlled by the COG municipalities.
Goshen Republican Registrar of Voters Dawn Wilkes called for people to work as poll workers at the Region 20 Referendum on Tuesday, December 3rd from 6 am to 8 pm. The Board of Selectmen received a letter of resignation from Goshen Public Library’s Library Director Tabitha Guarnieri. The town is looking to hire a new Library Director and have already received several applications. Guarnieri first started her time as Goshen’s Library Director on Monday, June 19th, 2023. Carusillo advised people who fry turkeys for Thanksgiving to cook with caution to prevent fires.
12/03/24
The Board of Selectmen paid the law firm Carmody and Torrence $7,248 for legal fees incurred as a result of complaints filed against the Town of Goshen regarding the Region 20 Board of Education election on June 17th. Selectman Scott Olson informed attendees that the town is “overdrawn on the amount of legal fees” and that the Selectmen will have to go to the Board of Finance to receive permission to pay these legal fees. The Board of Finance previously authorized the Selectmen to pay two outstanding invoices for other over-budget legal fees this year.
For other business, Selectman Dexter Kinsella motioned to cancel the Board of Selectmen meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Christmas Eve, December 24th and reschedule a special meeting for Monday December 23rd starting at 5 pm in Goshen’s Town Hall conference room. This was unanimously approved. Later. Olson motioned to cancel the regular Board of Selectmen meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 31st at 5 pm and reschedule it for a special meeting at 11 am on the same day. This was also unanimously approved.
In Public Comment, Janet Hooper responded to the recent resignation of Goshen Public Library Director Tabitha Guarnieri, who claimed the Library had become a toxic work environment. “Many people used poor judgment,” said Hooper, connecting Guarnieri’s resignation and the conflict arising from the improper temporary removal of the book Gender Queer: A Memoir from the library. “Some inadvertently, others with an apparent agenda which had little to do with protecting our town. Regrettably, we add other elements to this contention that Goshen is a toxic environment. Elements such as multiple people connected with the library workforce leaving, the question of legal suits brought against the town by employees…and more importantly, the conduct of town staff and commission and board members related to exhibiting a lack of inherent respect for each other and forgetting about fundamental kindness.” Guarneri has pointed to harassment by a Library Board member as a cause of her resignation. (See article: Library Director Resignation, pg. 1). Cynthia Barrett, Maureen Goodhouse, and Charlotte Jones Voiklis expressed agreement with Hooper’s sentiments, with Voiklis noting that Guarnieri is the fourth (Note: it is the 5th ) staff member to leave the library in the past 18 months and reiterating that Guarnieri was subject to harassment and bullying by one particular library board member. Ms.Voiklis called for Goshen to develop a code of conduct for all town employees and board members to ensure harassment never occurs in Goshen again. First Selectman Todd Carusillo claimed he tried to retain Guarnieri, asked her to withdraw her resignation, and asserted that Goshen is not a toxic work environment and that “everybody enjoys working here.”