02/26/2005 Manager's Weekly Report

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

The Honorable Mayor and Town Council Members
Bonnie L. Therrien, Town Manager
Feb. 26, 2005

A. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:

1. Manager: Nothing this week.

2. Upcoming Events:

• On February 26, 2005 from 7:00 PM until midnight, the Keane Foundation is throwing “The Snowball”. The fee is $60 per person/$120 per couple. For more information contact Colleen Keane at 563-5573 or Mark Trahan at 721-8702.
  
• The ribbon cutting for Office Depot will be held on Thursday, March 10th, at 2:00 pm. As a part of their opening, Office Depot will be giving a $500 gift card to the Wethersfield Library and Social Services. We are thrilled to have them as a part of our community.
  
• The Friends of the Wethersfield Nature Center will be holding a fundraiser dance on Saturday, March 12th at 7 pm at the Community Center. Tickets can be obtained through the Nature Center.
  
• The March Business After Hours will be held on March 8, 2005 at the CT River Community Bank. More information to follow.
  
• On March 18th at 7:00 PM in the High School Gym, the Silas Deane Middle School “Dream Team” will take on the Harlem Rockets. The “Dream Team” includes teachers, police officers and coaches. Tickets are $7.00 in advance, $8.00 at the door and can be ordered by calling Yolanda Preysner at 721-8854.
  
• <b>NEW</b> – The 2005 E. Bartlett Barnes Freedom of Information Conference will be held on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Water’s Edge Resort in Westbrook. Flyer Attached. Registration fee is $35.00. Please let us know if you wish to attend this informative event.
  
• On March 31, 2005, the Greater Hartford Literacy Council will hold their second annual “Tips for Literacy” fund raiser. This year’s event will include “Leaders for Literacy”. Local celebrities will be hosting tables at participating restaurants. More information will follow.
  
• The April Business After Hours will be held at the D’Esopo Life Center on April 7TH
  
• NEW – Youth Recognition Night, Community Center, April 13th at 7:00 PM.
  
• NEW – Senior Recognition Night, Community Center, April 18th at 7:00 PM.
  
• Riverfront Recapture has announced an opportunity for an exclusive first look at the Connecticut Convention Center on Saturday April 16th. More information is to follow or call Riverfront Recapture at 713-3131.
  
• Save April 30, 2005 from 7:00PM to midnight for the Chamber of Commerce’s 40th Anniversary Dance/Fundraiser. More information will follow.
  
• The Chamber of Commerce will hold their Annual Dinner/Meeting on May 18, 2005. Details to follow.
  

3. Council and Board/Committee Dates:

• Monday, February 28, 2005 – Zoning Board of Appeals
  
• Tuesday, March 1, 2005 – Strategic Plan Committee, 7 PM, Silas Deane Middle School; Planning & Zoning Commission
  
• Wednesday, March 2, 2005 – Shade Tree Commission; Interviews for Landscape Architect – Silas Deane Highway
  
• Thursday, March 3, 2005 – Youth Advisory Board
  
• Wednesday, March 23, 2005 – Quarterly Joint Meeting of Land Use Planning Committees, 6 PM, Fireside Room, Community Center
  

4. Department/Division News:

• Central Connecticut Health District/Building Department: Town Employees will join Health District staff to identify blighted properties along the Silas Deane Highway and the Berlin Turnpike. The canvas will begin on February 28th to compile a list for review by the Town Manager. This is an intensive effort to clean up the properties on both roads before we begin renovations and rehabilitations. See attached Press Release. As a part of this project, staff will also investigate all of the reports of garbage given to us on Tuesday evening and look at the back of all property along both streets.
  
• Data Services: The staff is currently working on bringing all of the Town Council and Board of Education e-mail addresses in house so that you do not have to worry about viruses going into your home computers. We will also put on our web page that the Town Hall e-mail addresses are not currently working. If you wish to still use your Town Hall web address, please let me know ASAP, so we do not disconnect your address. I am sorry for this inconvenience. Please make sure all of your virus software on your home computers is up-to-date, as new viruses are attacking computers every day.
  

5. Board/Commission News:
Nothing this week.
6. Council Questions/Answers:

• At Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, it was mentioned that our computers have no back up systems. This information is incorrect. Our computers have a total back up system. What is missing is a disaster recovery for paper documents, meaning that if the building were to burn or flood, we have no back up plan for retrieval of paper documents. The Town Clerk’s Office has received a Historic Preservation Grant from the Public Records, State Library to begin developing such a plan. It will be used to conduct a survey of records for use in a Town wide disaster recovery plan. We will apply for additional grants to complete the plan Town wide. Our computers are backed up.
  
• We have checked the High School Concession building and have found no burst pipes. The entire building has been shut down correctly for the winter.
  

7. CRCOG:
Attached is information on the new groups that are being formed to receive enhanced school funding from the State. The Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding has prepared a flyer about the school system funding. It is attached for your information.
8. COST:
Nothing this week.
9. ICMA:
Nothing this week.
10. Miscellaneous:

• Attached is a letter from CRRA regarding their finances.
  
• Toll Brothers has agreed to maintain the Hartford Drive In property. See attached letter.
  
• I have attached information on Brainard Airport Operations for the last quarter and a list of noise complaints during that same time period.
  

B. PROJECT UPDATES:

• MDC Sewer Project/Folly Brook Right of Way: The Heritage Way Bike Trail from Nott Street to one quarter mile south of Nott Street, will be closed this week due to work on the sewer repair project. This is being conducted by the MDC.
  
• Physical Services Building: The elevator has received a CO.
  
• Bike Trail, Phase II: We have received all of the paperwork from the State for the bike trail grant. I signed them and returned them to the State for their signature. We are awaiting these documents back from the State.
  
• Skate Park: The architectural firm will present the design to the Youth Committee and the general public on March 3 at 6:30 PM in the Banquet Room at the Community Center. This is the opportunity to make sure the design includes what everyone is looking for. Please feel free to join the group in reviewing the design. They welcome your input.
  
• Cottone Field: The Cottone Field Fund balance as of 2/15/05 is $22,604.70, with the only activity being an interest posting of $9.91.
  

C. ATTACHMENTS:

• Land Use Planning Committee Meeting Notice
  
• FOI Conference flyer
  
• Blighted Property Press Release
  
• CRRA letter
  
• CT Coalition for Justice in Education Funding document
  
• Toll Brothers Letter
  
• Hartford-Brainard Airport Operations and Noise Complaint Information
  

Modified to include insertion of hyperlink above. kes 05226

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

Since I was interested in this, I dug around a little and got the essential information:

Organized by the "Connecticut Foundation for Open Government (CFOG)," the all-day, 2005 "Freedom of Information Conference will be held in Westbrook, CT, on Tuesday, March 15, 2005, from 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM at the 'Water's Edge Resort.'

The conference is open to the public and specifically invited guests from a wide array of municipal and state entities and organizations. It is underwritten by the CT FOIC, CT Bar Assoc'n, Society of Professional Journalists - CT, Center for First Amendment Rights, CT Foundation for Open Government (CFOG) and the CT Council on Freedom of Information.
Among the areas to be discussed are:

• The 'Nuts and Bolts'of the CT FOI Act
  
• A Q&A by the CT FOI Commission staff
  
• Complying with FOI: Some Helpful Hints
  
• FOI at 30 years: Past, Present and Future
  
• Information Technology Update
  
• Keynote Speaker Paul Giguere, President/CEO, CT-N (CT Network - Cable TV channel)
  
• FOI in CT's Minority Communities

The Conference includes a continental breakfast and a full lunch. The fee for the entire program is $35.oo. Registration for the conference and luncheon is on a space available basis. Questions and applications are available from the CFOG c/o the CT FOI Commission:
+ T: (860)-566-5682
+ F: (860)-566-6474
+ E: [e-mail]
+ M: CFOG c/o CT FOI Commission, 18-20 Trinity Street, 1st Floor, Hartford, CT 06106.
Deadline for registration and full payment must be received by Monday, March 7, 2005.

Modified to include hyperlinks above; fix format. kes 05228