Manager's Weekly Report: 4/29/2005

[Dr.Ken Sokolowski]

TO: The Honorable Mayor and Town Council Members
FROM: Bonnie L. Therrien, Town Manager
DATE: April 29, 2005

COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS

Manager

The Town Hall/Library Building Committee will be meeting at 5 p.m. today to decide on a design for the outside of the Town Hall and Library façade. If they make a final decision, they have asked that you add this to your agenda on Monday so you can refer one design to the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Design Review Committee for their input. The renderings will be on display in Town Hall on Monday for people to look at if the Building Committee makes a final decision tonight. I have also enclosed the cover street for the Resolution Concerning the Establishment of a Permanent Inflow and Infiltration Study Committee, which was omitted from your agenda packet.

Upcoming Events

• The Arbor Day Tree Planting on the Broad Street
• Green will take place Saturday, April 30, at 9:30 a.m.
  
• Save April 30, 2005 from 7:00 p.m. 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 at the door.
  
• Community Conversation - Tuesday, May 3rd, 6:15 p.m. - Silas Deane Middle School - Sponsored by the Wethersfield Early Readiness Council. Share your thoughts on early care education of children. Council members are encouraged to attend this event.
  
• 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 a.m. Please mark your calendars to attend this important event. The fee is $15.00 per person for Chamber members, $20.00 for non-members.
  
• NEW The MetroHartford Alliance newsletter is attached announcing several upcoming events sponsored by the Alliance including Business After Hours at the Hilton Harford Hotel, Rising Star Breakfast and a new panel series partnered event.
  
• NEW The American Society for Public Administration CT Chapter will be hosting a Breakfast Roundtable on Wednesday May 11, 2005. The topic will be "The Connecticut convention Center and its impact on the State." Enclosed is the flyer and the registration form for your consideration.
  
• The Chamber of Commerce will hold their Annual Dinner Meeting on May 18, 2005. Details to follow.
  
• The New England Economic Partnership is hosting an Economic Outlook Conference on May 19, 2005 in Westborough, MA. For more information visit their website at www.neepecon.org.
  
• On Friday, May 20th, the 56th Connecticut Armed Forces Day Luncheon will be held at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Social hour begins at 11:00 a.m. and lunch is served at noon. The cost is $25.00 per person.
  
• 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 p.m. in the UConn Greater Hartford Building Auditorium. The topics are very close to monetary issues we have been discussing in Wethersfield.
  
• 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.
  
• CRCOG will hold their annual dinner on June 21 at Manchester Country Club. More details to follow.

Council and Board/Committee Dates

• Planning & Zoning Commission - Tuesday May 3, 2005, 7:30 p.m.
  
• Shade Tree Commission - Wednesday, May 4, 2005, 7:00 p.m.
  
• Youth Advisory Board - Thursday, May 5, 2005, 7:00 p.m.
  
• Shared Services - Tuesday, May 10th, 6:00 p.m.

Department/Division News

• Social & Youth Services: In response to a Council question regarding use of outside mental health agencies, Director Nancy Stilwell provided the attached memo which summarizes a list of agencies used for referrals. Also enclosed you will find information requested regarding ROPE and Crossroads.
  
• Physical Services: Attached is a chart that summarizes the snow budget totals for FYs 2001 through FY 2005. I have also attached a report from Joe Hart on leaf blowing totals from previous years.

Board/Commission News

• The Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission approved the Erosion & Sedimentation Control Plan Certification for parking lot reconstruction and enlargement at Charles Wright School.
  
• The Historic District Commission denied the request recommended by the Shared Services Committee and approved by Planning & Zoning to install the Jersey barriers and replace the bollards with gates at Hanmer School. Although Director of Public Works Mike Turner offered to work with the Commission to find an agreeable solution to the traffic safety and circulation issue, a compromise was not reached.

Council Questions/Answers:

• In response to a question regarding whether there is an optimal number of firefighters for our Volunteer Fire Department, Acting Chief Mark Mahder responded "There is a maximum number of people that any department could have, after which the value added by exceeding this number is less than the cost of having these people. The problem is that with any organization, 20% of the people do 80% of the work. We do call in people who fall below the minimum requirements and work with them to bring up their level of participation. In order to move forward, people need to do more than the minimum required fire, meeting and drill attendance. New programs require people to design and implement them. In my estimation, having 35 to 40 members in each company would give us enough manpower to cover both daytime and nighttime calls. With most having daytime jobs our greatest exposure is during the day so we always are happy to get somebody who works nights or has some weekdays off. Our current level of about 100 is the highest in 20 years and given the fact that many of our members are long time members and beginning to reach the point of cutting back their level of participation or retiring, we need to continue to recruit younger members."
  
• The Newington Emergency Operations Center will be a dedicated room in the new Police Facility. It will have all necessary telecommunications components. At present, the EOC is located in the training room of the Police Department. Newington uses the Senior and Disabled Center as a "shelter," because it has a generator, cots and personnel, but it has no showering facilities, so it is not a true shelter. Nor does it have any dedicated food or other supplies that a shelter would typically need.
  
• The HVAC system in the Police Department has been fixed internally. They have reset the controls to 70 degrees and then the personnel can move the temperature up or down 4 degrees. We will monitor this to see if this fixes the problem.
  
• I have attached the list of items that thingy Fippinger put together for an EOC. He is working on putting together the list for a shelter and I will have this to you next week.
  
• I spoke to Paul Hutcheon about the mosquito control program. We should be starting the larviciding in late May. He is going to get a quote from the contractor as to how much we would need this year to begin the program early. I have also learned there may be money in this year's account that was not spent to spend for this May start date.

CRCOG: The CRCOG Legislative Update for April 22, 2005 is attached.
COST: Nothing this week.
ICMA: Nothing this week.
Miscellaneous

• The State of CT Secretary of State's Office is asking each municipality in Conn. To provide them with the names of 10 individuals who hold or have held positions as either coaches or assistant coaches that have contributed to their community on a volunteer basis in youth sport leadership. Attached is a copy of the letter and nomination sheet from the Secretary of State's Office for your information. Anyone wishing to nominate a coach or assistant coach should fill in the nomination sheet and return it to my office before May 20th, and we'll consolidate the nominations for submission.
  
• We received notification from the State of CT Dept. of Emergency Mgmt. that our FEMA Reimbursement for costs incurred during the snowstorm and blizzard conditions of January 22-23, 2005 has been approved. We will be receiving a check for $75, 441.27 as soon as the FEMA funds are released.
  
• Attached are two letters from recipients of donations from the Mayors' Recognition Fund thanking the Town and former Mayor Betty Rosania for their generosity.
  
• The Town of Wethersfield has been named as 2004 Tree City USA and Growth Award Recipient by the National Arbor Day Foundation. We would like to congratulate our Tree Warden, John Lepper, and the staff of Physical Services for all of their hard work in attaining this high award.
  
• I've enclosed some comments we received on the language of the Explanatory Text for the May referendum. A copy of the proposed text is included in your packets.
  
• I have included information on the proposed State Ethics laws that was distributed at a Hartford County Bar Association seminar.

PROJECT UPDATES: None this week.
ATTACHMENTS

• Resolution Cover Sheet
  
• CT ASPA - Breakfast Roundtable
  
• MetroHartford Flyer
  
• Social & Youth Services Memos
  
• Snow Budget Chart
  
• Leaf collection memo
  
• IWWC Certification Letter
  
• List of items for the EOC
  
• CRCOG Correspondence
  
• Public Service Awards
  
• FEMA Reimbursement
  
• Thank you letters
  
• National Arbor Day Foundation Letter
  
• Explanatory Text & Comments
  
• Municipal Ethics Regulation

Inserted bullets for lists