Post by Dr.Ken Sokolowski on Apr 8, 2005 16:31:53 GMT -5
TO: The Honorable Mayor and Town Council Members
FROM: Bonnie L. Therrien, Town Manager
DATE: April 8, 2005
A. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Manager: The Central CT. Regional Health Department will not be meeting with you next week on their budget as their Board is meeting next Thursday to officially vote on the budget. They have been rescheduled to April 27th.
2. Upcoming Events:
* The MetroHartford Alliance is hosting a Rising Star Breakfast on Tuesday, April 12 at The Bushnell. Maurice Hines, star of stage, screen and television will be the guest speaker. The event will be held from 7:30 to 9:00 AM and costs $15.00, including a continental breakfast. To register call (203) 562-6312 or Breakfast@cttrust.org.
* NEW – A ribbon cutting for the Main Street Creamery in Old Wethersfield will be held Tuesday, April 12, at noon.
* Youth Volunteer Recognition Event, Community Center, April 12th at 7:00 PM.
* The Wethersfield Volunteer Ambulance Explorer Post # 855 will hold fundraising car washes at the Ambulance Facility on April 9, 16 and 23.
* On Monday, April 11 from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM, there will be a mini-conference on Education Adequacy and Equity in Connecticut. This conference will be held at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Room 2C and is sponsored by the CT Coalition for Justice in Education Funding. For additional information: infor@ccjef.org or (860) 461-0320.
* The workforce board for North Central Connecticut, invites you to join its Board Members, Chief Elected Officials from the region, and economic development professionals for Partnering with Economic Development: Creating the Workforce Advantage, a national teleconference co-sponsored by CWP, the Workforce Development Network and the National Association of Workforce Boards, and presented by Greg Newton of Greg Newton Associates, on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Capitol Region Education Council 111 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford. Please RSVP to Suzanne Dutilly at 522-1111, ext 228. Lunch will be provided at $5.00 per person.
* Senior Volunteer Recognition, Community Center, April 28th at 2:00 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 at the Wethersfield Country Club. Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased from Peter Gillespie or John Cascio.
* On Saturday, April 30th, the Christian Conference of Connecticut will hold its 23rd Annual Peace and Justice Convocation at the Mercy Center in Madison. Myron Oldfield will be the main speaker who worked on the Metropatterns Report. For more information call 236-4281.
* The Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Town Breakfast will be held Thursday, May 5, 2005 at the Wethersfield Country Club. Registration is at 7:30 am. Please mark your calendars to attend this important event. The fee is $15.00 per person for Chamber members, $20.00 for non-members.
* The Chamber of Commerce will hold their Annual Dinner/Meeting on May 18, 2005. Details to follow.
* Center Edge informs us that there will be a West Hartford Community Forum on how we are going to reduce property tax reliance in the future on May 25 from 7-9 PM in the UCONN Greater Hartford Building Auditorium. The topics are very close to monetary issues we have been discussing in Wethersfield.
* NEW – On June 5, 2005 a state-wide Open House is planned at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Governor Jodi Rell is inviting all cities and towns to attend this first ever public event, and participate by donating an official town flag for display in the building during the entire month of June. Letter attached.
* CRCOG will hold their annual dinner on June 21 at Manchester Country Club. More details to follow.
3. Council and Board/Committee Dates:
* Tuesday, April 12, 2005 – Shared Services Meeting (NOTE – April 4th meeting is cancelled)
* Budget Workshops - Monday, April 11th; Wednesday, April 13th.
* EDIC – April 14, 2005 – 11:30 am – Bond Counsel will be in attendance to discuss different types of revenue bonds available for economic development initiatives.
4. Department/Division News:
* Nature Center: A Photography Exhibit to benefit the Nature Center will be held at the Main Street Creamery & Café in Old Wethersfield entitled “Bird Moments”, daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. through April. Wethersfield resident Philip Tulin has photographed bald eagles, white pelicans, red-shouldered hawks, and many more during his outdoor adventures. A portion of sales will benefit the Wethersfield Nature Center.
* Tax Collection: Attached is the Tax Collector’s report for collections for fiscal year April 05 through March 2005.
* Police Department: Attached is the March monthly report for the Police Department for your information, and a flyer for the Wethersfield Canine Fund. Also, the Police dog is not available for use now by our Police Department. He started his first tour of duty today with training to be ongoing. So far $4,000 has been raised.
* Physical Services: Attached is the January 2005 Tonnage Report for refuse and recycling.
* Economic Development/Planning – Interviews for the Assistant Town Planner will be held next Wednesday by the outside panel.
5. Board/Commission News:
* Zoning Board of Appeals: Attached is the notice of the ZBA regarding their meeting of March 28, 2005.
* Historic District Commission: The agenda for the HDC meeting of April 12, 2005 is attached for your information.
* Planning & Zoning Commission: The Commission approved the application seeking Site Plan and Design Review for the Charles Wright School parking lot at 186 Nott Street.
6. Council Questions/Answers:
* Attached is a memo from Director of Health Paul Hutcheon regarding the plans to transfer enforcement of the Property Maintenance Code from the Central CT Health District to the Town’s Building department starting July 1, 2005, and the role of CCHD in that transfer.
* To reduce traffic speed and increase safety on Wells Road by Emerson Williams School, flashing lights and school zone ahead signs were installed in 1999. The Town paid for the control box and flashing lights ($4308), and did the trenching between signs and existing signal, and provided power (electrician, conduits, wiring, bedding, etc.). DOT provided the warning signs and the advanced warning signs. A similar installation of flashing lights and signs in front of Webb School would cost approximately $8000 - $10,000 today. The speed limit on Wells Road is normally 40 mph. The 25 mph sign is only in effective during school hours.
7. CRCOG: Nothing this week.
8. COST: Nothing this week.
9. ICMA: Nothing this week.
10. Miscellaneous:
* The National Volunteer Firefighter’s Council is urging Connecticut municipal leaders to contact State Legislators and ask them to support House Bill 5986 which will protect the rights of career firefighters to volunteer in their hometowns during off-duty hours. Attached is an e-mail regarding this issue.
* Attached is an e-mail regarding the State Legislature’s Appropriation Committee’s consideration of a bill to fund a $5 Million grant approved in 1999, but not paid, to expand much needed Dial-A-Ride services.
* Attached is a flyer from the MDC with interesting facts about rainfall, downspouts and sewers which we will be posting throughout Town Buildings.
* Attached is a letter from the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF) regarding the current school finding crisis in Connecticut, and their efforts to revamp the system. A half-day conference at the LOB on Monday April 11th from 9:00a.m. to 12:30 p.m. will highlight the results of a recently completed adequacy cost study.
* Attached is an article from the Sunday, March 20, 2005 New York Times, regarding preservation of older homes which mentions a home in Old Wethersfield owned by Mr. & Mrs. Paul Courchaine.
* The January 2005 unemployment rate for the Town of Wethersfield was 5.0% compared to the State unemployment rate of 5.3%
* Attached is an email regarding CT Clean Energy Options where citizens will be able to choose clean energy to power their homes.
* I had given to you a copy of the draft Information Technology Plan developed by our Citizens Committee. The members are again asking for you to review it and give them any comments back before they finalize the document.
* I have attached the substitute bill from the City of Hartford so that they will no longer have to pay taxes to Windsor or our community for the golf course. Please note Section 3. I have already sent this on to Attorney Bradley for his review.
B. PROJECT UPDATES:
* General Paving has advised the Town that construction work on the Church Street Reconstruction Project will commence on Monday, April 11th in the portion between Silas Deane Highway and Garden Street. The work is expected to last about 3 months.
C. ATTACHMENTS:
* Letter from Governor Rell
* Tax Collector’s Report
* Police Department Report & Flyer
* Tonnage Report
* ZBA Notice
* HDC Agenda
* Memo from Health Director Paul Hutcheon
* NVFC Emails
* Dial-a-Ride Email
* MDC Flyer
* CCJEF Letter/Flyer
* New York Times Article
* CT Clean Energy Options
* SB No. 5304
FROM: Bonnie L. Therrien, Town Manager
DATE: April 8, 2005
A. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Manager: The Central CT. Regional Health Department will not be meeting with you next week on their budget as their Board is meeting next Thursday to officially vote on the budget. They have been rescheduled to April 27th.
2. Upcoming Events:
* The MetroHartford Alliance is hosting a Rising Star Breakfast on Tuesday, April 12 at The Bushnell. Maurice Hines, star of stage, screen and television will be the guest speaker. The event will be held from 7:30 to 9:00 AM and costs $15.00, including a continental breakfast. To register call (203) 562-6312 or Breakfast@cttrust.org.
* NEW – A ribbon cutting for the Main Street Creamery in Old Wethersfield will be held Tuesday, April 12, at noon.
* Youth Volunteer Recognition Event, Community Center, April 12th at 7:00 PM.
* The Wethersfield Volunteer Ambulance Explorer Post # 855 will hold fundraising car washes at the Ambulance Facility on April 9, 16 and 23.
* On Monday, April 11 from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM, there will be a mini-conference on Education Adequacy and Equity in Connecticut. This conference will be held at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Room 2C and is sponsored by the CT Coalition for Justice in Education Funding. For additional information: infor@ccjef.org or (860) 461-0320.
* The workforce board for North Central Connecticut, invites you to join its Board Members, Chief Elected Officials from the region, and economic development professionals for Partnering with Economic Development: Creating the Workforce Advantage, a national teleconference co-sponsored by CWP, the Workforce Development Network and the National Association of Workforce Boards, and presented by Greg Newton of Greg Newton Associates, on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Capitol Region Education Council 111 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford. Please RSVP to Suzanne Dutilly at 522-1111, ext 228. Lunch will be provided at $5.00 per person.
* Senior Volunteer Recognition, Community Center, April 28th at 2:00 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 at the Wethersfield Country Club. Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased from Peter Gillespie or John Cascio.
* On Saturday, April 30th, the Christian Conference of Connecticut will hold its 23rd Annual Peace and Justice Convocation at the Mercy Center in Madison. Myron Oldfield will be the main speaker who worked on the Metropatterns Report. For more information call 236-4281.
* The Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Town Breakfast will be held Thursday, May 5, 2005 at the Wethersfield Country Club. Registration is at 7:30 am. Please mark your calendars to attend this important event. The fee is $15.00 per person for Chamber members, $20.00 for non-members.
* The Chamber of Commerce will hold their Annual Dinner/Meeting on May 18, 2005. Details to follow.
* Center Edge informs us that there will be a West Hartford Community Forum on how we are going to reduce property tax reliance in the future on May 25 from 7-9 PM in the UCONN Greater Hartford Building Auditorium. The topics are very close to monetary issues we have been discussing in Wethersfield.
* NEW – On June 5, 2005 a state-wide Open House is planned at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Governor Jodi Rell is inviting all cities and towns to attend this first ever public event, and participate by donating an official town flag for display in the building during the entire month of June. Letter attached.
* CRCOG will hold their annual dinner on June 21 at Manchester Country Club. More details to follow.
3. Council and Board/Committee Dates:
* Tuesday, April 12, 2005 – Shared Services Meeting (NOTE – April 4th meeting is cancelled)
* Budget Workshops - Monday, April 11th; Wednesday, April 13th.
* EDIC – April 14, 2005 – 11:30 am – Bond Counsel will be in attendance to discuss different types of revenue bonds available for economic development initiatives.
4. Department/Division News:
* Nature Center: A Photography Exhibit to benefit the Nature Center will be held at the Main Street Creamery & Café in Old Wethersfield entitled “Bird Moments”, daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. through April. Wethersfield resident Philip Tulin has photographed bald eagles, white pelicans, red-shouldered hawks, and many more during his outdoor adventures. A portion of sales will benefit the Wethersfield Nature Center.
* Tax Collection: Attached is the Tax Collector’s report for collections for fiscal year April 05 through March 2005.
* Police Department: Attached is the March monthly report for the Police Department for your information, and a flyer for the Wethersfield Canine Fund. Also, the Police dog is not available for use now by our Police Department. He started his first tour of duty today with training to be ongoing. So far $4,000 has been raised.
* Physical Services: Attached is the January 2005 Tonnage Report for refuse and recycling.
* Economic Development/Planning – Interviews for the Assistant Town Planner will be held next Wednesday by the outside panel.
5. Board/Commission News:
* Zoning Board of Appeals: Attached is the notice of the ZBA regarding their meeting of March 28, 2005.
* Historic District Commission: The agenda for the HDC meeting of April 12, 2005 is attached for your information.
* Planning & Zoning Commission: The Commission approved the application seeking Site Plan and Design Review for the Charles Wright School parking lot at 186 Nott Street.
6. Council Questions/Answers:
* Attached is a memo from Director of Health Paul Hutcheon regarding the plans to transfer enforcement of the Property Maintenance Code from the Central CT Health District to the Town’s Building department starting July 1, 2005, and the role of CCHD in that transfer.
* To reduce traffic speed and increase safety on Wells Road by Emerson Williams School, flashing lights and school zone ahead signs were installed in 1999. The Town paid for the control box and flashing lights ($4308), and did the trenching between signs and existing signal, and provided power (electrician, conduits, wiring, bedding, etc.). DOT provided the warning signs and the advanced warning signs. A similar installation of flashing lights and signs in front of Webb School would cost approximately $8000 - $10,000 today. The speed limit on Wells Road is normally 40 mph. The 25 mph sign is only in effective during school hours.
7. CRCOG: Nothing this week.
8. COST: Nothing this week.
9. ICMA: Nothing this week.
10. Miscellaneous:
* The National Volunteer Firefighter’s Council is urging Connecticut municipal leaders to contact State Legislators and ask them to support House Bill 5986 which will protect the rights of career firefighters to volunteer in their hometowns during off-duty hours. Attached is an e-mail regarding this issue.
* Attached is an e-mail regarding the State Legislature’s Appropriation Committee’s consideration of a bill to fund a $5 Million grant approved in 1999, but not paid, to expand much needed Dial-A-Ride services.
* Attached is a flyer from the MDC with interesting facts about rainfall, downspouts and sewers which we will be posting throughout Town Buildings.
* Attached is a letter from the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF) regarding the current school finding crisis in Connecticut, and their efforts to revamp the system. A half-day conference at the LOB on Monday April 11th from 9:00a.m. to 12:30 p.m. will highlight the results of a recently completed adequacy cost study.
* Attached is an article from the Sunday, March 20, 2005 New York Times, regarding preservation of older homes which mentions a home in Old Wethersfield owned by Mr. & Mrs. Paul Courchaine.
* The January 2005 unemployment rate for the Town of Wethersfield was 5.0% compared to the State unemployment rate of 5.3%
* Attached is an email regarding CT Clean Energy Options where citizens will be able to choose clean energy to power their homes.
* I had given to you a copy of the draft Information Technology Plan developed by our Citizens Committee. The members are again asking for you to review it and give them any comments back before they finalize the document.
* I have attached the substitute bill from the City of Hartford so that they will no longer have to pay taxes to Windsor or our community for the golf course. Please note Section 3. I have already sent this on to Attorney Bradley for his review.
B. PROJECT UPDATES:
* General Paving has advised the Town that construction work on the Church Street Reconstruction Project will commence on Monday, April 11th in the portion between Silas Deane Highway and Garden Street. The work is expected to last about 3 months.
C. ATTACHMENTS:
* Letter from Governor Rell
* Tax Collector’s Report
* Police Department Report & Flyer
* Tonnage Report
* ZBA Notice
* HDC Agenda
* Memo from Health Director Paul Hutcheon
* NVFC Emails
* Dial-a-Ride Email
* MDC Flyer
* CCJEF Letter/Flyer
* New York Times Article
* CT Clean Energy Options
* SB No. 5304