Town Clerk Dolly Bean To Step Down After 10 Years On The Job

Madison Town Clerk Dolly Bean will be stepping down after 10 years in that job, and after 24 years as a town employee, First Selectman Fillmore McPherson announced at the Board of Selectmen meeting Monday night.

"She will be retiring at the end of August," he said. "We will miss her good steady performance as town clerk."

McPherson said the town is "actively" seeking Bean's replacement.

Also at the Board of Selectmen meeting Monday, the board

• approved a proposed donation recognition schedule for the new senior center
• approved a grants for the Youth Service bureau for $28,519 and $6,250 from the state Department of Education
• approved a request from the Police Department to apply for a traffic safety equipment grant of $3070.50
• awarded the town refuse and recycling bid to the low bidder John's Refuse and Recycling of Guilford, and the Board of Education refuse and recycling bid to Sweitzer Waste Removal of Madison for $50,000
• agreed to enter into a lease agreement for town photocopiers for about $6,700
• appointed Bruce Wilson as an alternate member on the Rockland Preserve Committee with a term to expire Jan. 1, 2015
• recognized the resignation of Nancy Lockwood, who will be moving away, from the Historic District Study Committee for Liberty Street and appointed Lindalea Ludwick to replace Lockwood on that committee

The board also discussed ongoing issues relating to West Wharf beach and the Madison Beach Hotel construction project, which is creating parking problems, lots of dust, and other havoc along that stretch of West Wharf Road and Parker Avenue. First Selectman Fillmore McPherson said the town's police officers are monitoring the area for parking violations and that the town's building officials will ensure that the building is safe and up to code before any certificates of occupancy are issued.

McPherson also said the town is close to hiring a supervisor for the new senior center. He declined to provide the name of the potential hire, saying that a job offer had not yet been made.

Also at the board meeting, the town's Master Alliance for Senior Tax Relief (MASTR) provided a presentation on senior housing in town. The organization is dedicated to providing the town's older residents with the ability to "enjoy their senior years in Madison within their budgets and within their capabilities." They said seniors in town have expressed a desire for housing that is suitable (single story, about 1,500 square feet, attached garage, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 to 2 baths, energy efficient, and aobut $225,000 to $350,000) and for adequate transportation.