By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Sept. 6, 2018) The Berlin Mayor and Council discussed the following items during an Aug. 27 public meeting at Town Hall:

Appointments

Mayor Gee Williams swore in several new and returning appointees to town boards and commissions.

They were: Robert Palladino, board of appeals; Preston Whaley, board of supervisors of elections; Jane Briddell, Bill Burke and Milt Warren, ethics commission; and Leslie Gebhart, Mary Moore and Jeff Ricks, housing board of review.

“I want to thank you very much for continued service to the Town of Berlin. These jobs are essential to making sure [there are] meetings run by people who live in it, not just by the Mayor and Council,” Williams said.

Fee waiver

The council unanimously approved a Berlin Fire Company request to wave a $940 building permit fee.

The fee was for renovations to the Station 1 fire company building on 214 North Main Street.

No fire company members were present during the meeting. The request was approved without comment.

Tennis update

Administrative Services Director Mary Bohlen said of renovations to the Stephen Decatur Park tennis courts, “I can’t exactly say [it’s] proceeding as scheduled, but it is on its way and, as far as I know, they are still anticipating wrapping up this week.”

Electric updates

Electric Utilities Director Tim Lawrence said about 75 percent of the lighting in a town substation on Schoolfield Street was converted to LEDs and the remainder would likely be finished within the next few weeks. He said a grant helped pay for the transition.

Also in LED news, Lawrence said feeder cables were installed and new LED lights were energized for streetlamps on Schooner Lane and Intrepid Lane.

“They’ve been trying to get lights for about … 11 years,” he said. “So far, everybody’s had good things [to say] about it. I haven’t heard anything negative about the lighting and everybody seems very happy with it.”

Additionally, Lawrence said transformers were installed for seven new lots on Purnell Crossing South.

Police updates

Police Chief Arnold Downing thanked Delmar Pizza for its contribution to a recent trip there that included 40 participants of Berlin Youth Club, a program of Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services.

Police assisted in taking the youth to the Delmar trampoline park and then to Delmar Pizza, Downing said. The restaurant only charged Worcester Youth $1.90 for 18 pizzas.

“We want to really go ahead and say thank you to Delmar Pizza. We don’t only have partners in the Town of Berlin,” Downing said. “Thank you very much to George and the staff there at Delmar Pizza for putting the finish touch on a day [that included] the kids just bouncing around and having a great time.”

Downing said police also assisted several local organizations with back-to-school supply drives, including the Buckingham Elementary School Teacher’s Closest, Brave, the Shriners and the Taylorville United Methodist Church.

“The community of Berlin is getting bigger every day and we really appreciate all the hard work and … the partnerships that we actually do have,” he said.