Post by Wethersfield.com on Oct 16, 2004 12:24:04 GMT -5
TO: The Honorable Mayor and Town Council Members
FROM: Bonnie L. Therrien, Town Manager
DATE: October 15, 2004
A. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Manager: I will also be away from October 15th to the 25th. The Chief will be in charge at that time and Rae Ann Palmer, Assistant to the Town Manager, will be taking my place at your October 18th Council meeting. Please call Rae Ann on Monday if you have questions on agenda items, so she has time to call me and try to get responses to your questions for Monday’s meeting. There will be no Management Report next week.
• Upcoming Events:
• All Flu Clinics are cancelled due to a shortage in the vaccine. The Central CT Health District does not anticipate receiving any vaccine. The attached email provides an outline for who should seek a vaccine.
• In cooperation with the Red Lobster, the Police Department is holding two fundraisers for Special Olympics. On Friday, October 15, 2004 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, WPD Officers and Explorers will be assisting the wait staff and collecting tips for Special Olympics. On Sunday, October 17, WPD Officers and Explorers will be cooking and serving pancake breakfasts at Red Lobster. Tickets are $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and children under 12, children under 3 are free. Contact Sgt. Don Crabtree, 721-2725, for tickets. Special Olympics merchandise will also be for sale.
2. Council Committee Dates:
• Shared Services – The November meeting has been changed from November 1, 2004 to November 23, 2004 at 6 pm.
3. Department/Division News:
• Economic Development: Attached is the available property list for Wethersfield which was put together by Joe Cornelio, EDIC Commission member. This will be updated frequently and listed on our web site. It will also be given to all realtors.
• Library: On September 29 four members of the circulation staff met with members of the Berlin, Rocky Hill and Newington Libraries to learn from each other and to discuss common problems and solutions. It was a very successful meeting.
• Building Inspection Division: Attached is the monthly report for September from Chief Building Official O’Connor. $39,246 in fees was collected for the month of September, and a total of $98,984 for July – September this year as compared to $74,991 collected for the same time period last fiscal year.
• Physical Services: After participating in two surplus materials auctions, the Town netted a profit of $13,770. The vehicles scheduled for auction will be sold in November. The September Tonnage Report from CRRA is attached for your review.
4. Board/Commission News:
• Attached is a summary of action taken by the Zoning Board of Appeals on September 27, 2004.
• Tuesday, October 19, 2004 Meetings: Planning & Zoning Commission; Friends of the Nature Center
• Wednesday, October 20, 2004 Meetings: Inland Wetlands Commission; WACPD
• Thursday, October 21, 2004 Meetings: Insurance Committee; Senior Citizen Advisory Committee
• Jon Vining resigned from the Economic Development and Improvement Commission. His term will be completed by Ron Angelo of Robbins Drive.
5. Council Questions/Answers:
• The Leaf Collection map can be found on the Town’s web site at wethersfieldct.com/physical/leaf_collection.html.
• Regarding the question about the Town’s share of funds to complete the cleaning of the drainage area on Ivy Lane, Public Works Director Turner informed that the work was part of the Tanglewood Open space project and not separated out. He estimates that the total project costs were about $84,480 of local money for the total project amount of $256,000. The remainder is State funds.
6. CRCOG: The Connecticut Capitol Region Home Sales Price Report for FY2004 is available on line at www.crcog.org/newsflashes.htm. Prepared with the help of municipal assessors’ offices throughout the region, it presents data and analysis on the price of homes sold in the 29 Capitol Region communities.
7. COST: Nothing this week.
8. ICMA: I will be at the International City and County Managers’ Conference from October 15th until October 20th. I will be a speaker at one of the sessions.
9. Miscellaneous:
• I am attaching correspondence from the CT Conference of Municipalities regarding the participation of private interest groups in town budget hearings. I received this information from the Town of Avon.
B. PROJECT UPDATES:
Cottone Field: Last Thursday Physical Services staff received an informal seminar on the grooming and upkeep required for the new Cottone field artificial turf from Field Turf. We were given a single piece of equipment as part of the construction bid, specifically a Model RT groomer. This is a tow behind apparatus about 42" wide which has aeration spikes and spring tines to fluff the infill material. It was suggested that staff groom the field every 4-6 weeks depending on amount of play. Staff used our infield groomer to tow the unit as a demo, however, Public Works Director Turner feels there is a risk of the steel grading box dropping and gouging, cutting or otherwise damaging the turf or the groomer. Field turf recommended a unit such as a John Deere Gator to tow the unit. They should be grooming at about twice the speed the infield groomer was able to pull. The Town’s larger tractor can pull the unit but has oil and hydraulic leaks.
Staff was also given instructions about leaf removal (it is important that the leaves be removed before grooming so they don't break down into small pieces). Filed turf uses a pull behind sweeper with a mesh screen which would pick up leaves, litter etc and lets infill material fall back onto the field. We did not get this equipment (estimated cost $3000). Additionally, the technician suggested almost daily inspections of the turf for areas where infill is displaced by heavy play (needs manual broom sweeping) and torn or loose fabric. From staff’s viewpoint, the field is not maintenance free and in fact may require more labor than the grass field previous.
Lastly is the line stripe painting. Our current equipment is old and occasionally leaks or dribbles paint. This has not been a problem on natural grass as we jus cut the spills out. The equipment RAD used was specific for the type of acrylic paint used. We also do not have the same number and hash mark templates. A new compressor would be about $ 4000. The installer felt we would need to line stripe one time per year at a cost of about $1300. It may be more advantageous to have them stripe the field every year.
Based on Field Turf experience Physical Services staff recommends the acquisition of the following equipment to keep up with the field maintenance. They also recommend a small garden type shed to store the equipment on site to prevent damage during transit or storage.
Pull behind sweeper $ 3000
John Deere Gator $ 8300
Carefree Garden shed $ 2000
Total $13300
Nott Street – The water lines have been approved by the MDC, so road work can now proceed. We expect General Paving to be on to the site next week to begin the paving work so the road can be buttoned up for winter.
FROM: Bonnie L. Therrien, Town Manager
DATE: October 15, 2004
A. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Manager: I will also be away from October 15th to the 25th. The Chief will be in charge at that time and Rae Ann Palmer, Assistant to the Town Manager, will be taking my place at your October 18th Council meeting. Please call Rae Ann on Monday if you have questions on agenda items, so she has time to call me and try to get responses to your questions for Monday’s meeting. There will be no Management Report next week.
• Upcoming Events:
• All Flu Clinics are cancelled due to a shortage in the vaccine. The Central CT Health District does not anticipate receiving any vaccine. The attached email provides an outline for who should seek a vaccine.
• In cooperation with the Red Lobster, the Police Department is holding two fundraisers for Special Olympics. On Friday, October 15, 2004 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, WPD Officers and Explorers will be assisting the wait staff and collecting tips for Special Olympics. On Sunday, October 17, WPD Officers and Explorers will be cooking and serving pancake breakfasts at Red Lobster. Tickets are $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and children under 12, children under 3 are free. Contact Sgt. Don Crabtree, 721-2725, for tickets. Special Olympics merchandise will also be for sale.
2. Council Committee Dates:
• Shared Services – The November meeting has been changed from November 1, 2004 to November 23, 2004 at 6 pm.
3. Department/Division News:
• Economic Development: Attached is the available property list for Wethersfield which was put together by Joe Cornelio, EDIC Commission member. This will be updated frequently and listed on our web site. It will also be given to all realtors.
• Library: On September 29 four members of the circulation staff met with members of the Berlin, Rocky Hill and Newington Libraries to learn from each other and to discuss common problems and solutions. It was a very successful meeting.
• Building Inspection Division: Attached is the monthly report for September from Chief Building Official O’Connor. $39,246 in fees was collected for the month of September, and a total of $98,984 for July – September this year as compared to $74,991 collected for the same time period last fiscal year.
• Physical Services: After participating in two surplus materials auctions, the Town netted a profit of $13,770. The vehicles scheduled for auction will be sold in November. The September Tonnage Report from CRRA is attached for your review.
4. Board/Commission News:
• Attached is a summary of action taken by the Zoning Board of Appeals on September 27, 2004.
• Tuesday, October 19, 2004 Meetings: Planning & Zoning Commission; Friends of the Nature Center
• Wednesday, October 20, 2004 Meetings: Inland Wetlands Commission; WACPD
• Thursday, October 21, 2004 Meetings: Insurance Committee; Senior Citizen Advisory Committee
• Jon Vining resigned from the Economic Development and Improvement Commission. His term will be completed by Ron Angelo of Robbins Drive.
5. Council Questions/Answers:
• The Leaf Collection map can be found on the Town’s web site at wethersfieldct.com/physical/leaf_collection.html.
• Regarding the question about the Town’s share of funds to complete the cleaning of the drainage area on Ivy Lane, Public Works Director Turner informed that the work was part of the Tanglewood Open space project and not separated out. He estimates that the total project costs were about $84,480 of local money for the total project amount of $256,000. The remainder is State funds.
6. CRCOG: The Connecticut Capitol Region Home Sales Price Report for FY2004 is available on line at www.crcog.org/newsflashes.htm. Prepared with the help of municipal assessors’ offices throughout the region, it presents data and analysis on the price of homes sold in the 29 Capitol Region communities.
7. COST: Nothing this week.
8. ICMA: I will be at the International City and County Managers’ Conference from October 15th until October 20th. I will be a speaker at one of the sessions.
9. Miscellaneous:
• I am attaching correspondence from the CT Conference of Municipalities regarding the participation of private interest groups in town budget hearings. I received this information from the Town of Avon.
B. PROJECT UPDATES:
Cottone Field: Last Thursday Physical Services staff received an informal seminar on the grooming and upkeep required for the new Cottone field artificial turf from Field Turf. We were given a single piece of equipment as part of the construction bid, specifically a Model RT groomer. This is a tow behind apparatus about 42" wide which has aeration spikes and spring tines to fluff the infill material. It was suggested that staff groom the field every 4-6 weeks depending on amount of play. Staff used our infield groomer to tow the unit as a demo, however, Public Works Director Turner feels there is a risk of the steel grading box dropping and gouging, cutting or otherwise damaging the turf or the groomer. Field turf recommended a unit such as a John Deere Gator to tow the unit. They should be grooming at about twice the speed the infield groomer was able to pull. The Town’s larger tractor can pull the unit but has oil and hydraulic leaks.
Staff was also given instructions about leaf removal (it is important that the leaves be removed before grooming so they don't break down into small pieces). Filed turf uses a pull behind sweeper with a mesh screen which would pick up leaves, litter etc and lets infill material fall back onto the field. We did not get this equipment (estimated cost $3000). Additionally, the technician suggested almost daily inspections of the turf for areas where infill is displaced by heavy play (needs manual broom sweeping) and torn or loose fabric. From staff’s viewpoint, the field is not maintenance free and in fact may require more labor than the grass field previous.
Lastly is the line stripe painting. Our current equipment is old and occasionally leaks or dribbles paint. This has not been a problem on natural grass as we jus cut the spills out. The equipment RAD used was specific for the type of acrylic paint used. We also do not have the same number and hash mark templates. A new compressor would be about $ 4000. The installer felt we would need to line stripe one time per year at a cost of about $1300. It may be more advantageous to have them stripe the field every year.
Based on Field Turf experience Physical Services staff recommends the acquisition of the following equipment to keep up with the field maintenance. They also recommend a small garden type shed to store the equipment on site to prevent damage during transit or storage.
Pull behind sweeper $ 3000
John Deere Gator $ 8300
Carefree Garden shed $ 2000
Total $13300
Nott Street – The water lines have been approved by the MDC, so road work can now proceed. We expect General Paving to be on to the site next week to begin the paving work so the road can be buttoned up for winter.