Post by Wethersfield.com on Feb 28, 2004 10:47:01 GMT -5
TO: The Honorable Mayor and Town Council Members
FROM: Bonnie L. Therrien, Town Manager
DATE: February 28, 2004
A. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Manager: The Grand List will be released on Monday. I will call each of you with the results by the end of the day.
2. Upcoming Events:
• There will be a hearing of the Committee on Planning and Development on Monday, March 1st at 1:00 p.m. in Room 2A of the LOB on Raised Bill No. 5519 – An Act Concerning Firefighters. Attached are letters from Senator John Fonfara and Representative Paul Doyle concerning this hearing. I have also enclosed a copy of the testimony of Philip Stittleburg, Chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council on this subject.
• Representatives from EDIC, the Silas Deane Revitalization Committee and P&Z will meet at the Police Station on Tuesday at 5:30 pm to begin working on a plan to refresh the Silas Deane Master Plan.
• The Capital Region Partnership of Metro Hartford will be hosting an event entitled “Celebrate the Region 2004” on March 8th at the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts. If you are interested in attending, the tickets are $100.
• The American Society for Public Administration is hosting a Breakfast Roundtable on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 at 8:15 a.m. The topic will be “Ethics in Government”. A copy of the flyer is attached for your information.
• WCTV-14 will hold a 20th Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser on Saturday, March 20, 2004 at the Community Center. Tickets are $25/person.
• Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours – Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at Connecticut River Community Bank, Tuesday, March 23, 2004 at Bennigan’s, and Wednesday, April 14, 2004 at Absolute Mortgage.
• The 2004 Annual Congressional City Conference of the National League of Cities will be held March 5-9, 2004 in Washington, D.C. If you are interested in attending, please let me know.
• The Connecticut Foundation for Open Government is sponsoring a 2004 Freedom of Information Conference, featured topic “Uncovering Government Malfeasance: Is the Freedom of Information Act an Effective Tool”, on Monday March 22, 224 at 7:30 a.m. at the Water’s Edge Resort in Westbrook, CT.
3. Council Committee Dates:
• Rules and Procedures – Thursday, March 4th, 5:30 pm, my office
4. Department/Division News:
• Tax Department: Tax Collector Nancy DiGirolamo sent a letter to CCM with printouts of outstanding motor vehicle taxes due to be submitted for collection through MRCP, on February 24, 2004.
• Town Clerk: Town Clerk Dolores Sassano is hosting a workshop presented by General Code on the newest LaserFiche product, Agenda Builder, to demonstrate how this product can streamline the agenda approval and preparation process on Wednesday, March 4, 2003 at 3:00 p.m. in the Conference Room at Wethersfield Town Hall. Please join us if you wish to see this demo.
• Health District: The Central CT Health District adopted their FY 04/05 budget on Thursday, February 19, 2004. The adopted budget includes an increase in the membership fee from $3.69/capita to $3.90/capita due to a proposed 25% reduction in State funding. The Board chose to split this $26,801 loss in State funding 50/50 between raising the membership fee and the District reserve account.
FY 04/05 membership fees are as follows:
Pop. as of 7/1/02
Berlin 19,116 x $3.90 = $74,552.40
Rocky Hill 18,305 x $3.90 = $71,389.50
Wethersfield 26,390 x $3.90 = $102,921.00
Totals 63,811 x $3.90 = $248,862.90
5. Board/Commission News:
6. Council Questions/Answers:
7. CCM: MLR Data Reporter, February 2004
Legislative Update – Public Hearing: Binding Arbitration Reform
CRCOG: Will host a Legislative Reception with State Legislators on April 13, 2004 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the State Capitol.
8. Miscellaneous:
• The interviews for Director of Finance will be held on Wednesday, March 4th and for Assistant to the Town Manager on March 17th.
• Attached are copies of the Town Council meeting minutes of April 29, 2002, June 30, 2003, July 7, 2003 and September 2, 2003 which reference Automated Refuse Collection.
• Town Attorney Jack Bradley has reviewed and approved the proposed Rules of Practice for the Town of Wethersfield’s Board of Ethics.
• The Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce submitted scholarship applications to Wethersfield High School this week. These will be distributed to eligible high school candidates.
• I met with union representatives on Friday, February 27, 2004, and Chris Munroe, our Health Agent of Record, to discuss ways that together we can cut our health care costs. It was an excellent discussion and the union representatives came up with some great ideas for containing health care costs, which we will be pursuing with Chris. I’ll keep you posted on this.
• Attached is a Customer Service Survey regarding the Town Clerk’s Office. These surveys are available for our “customers” to fill out and provide input to help us provide the best possible service.
• Attached is a memorandum from the State Office of Policy and Management regarding additional Veterans Exemption and other grant programs, which points out that although the law does still require that the exemption be provided by municipalities, Section 59 of Public Act 03-6 removed the reimbursement to municipalities for certain exemptions.
• Attached is a report prepared by Administrative Analyst Tony Martino based on a Municipal Asset Management Seminar he attended, and some strategies for managing municipal infrastructure assets.
• Attached is a chart from the February 2004 edition of American City and County magazine titled “City council workload”.
• Hanmer School Principal Joanne D. Beekley sent the attached letter to parents regarding the long-standing problem with the flow of traffic into and out of the Hanmer school site and new procedures to alleviate the problem.
• Attached is an article that appeared in the New Britain Herald on 2/22/04 entitled “Firefighter Crisis Looms”.
• A Call for Action, The Blue Ribbon Report, Preserving and Improving the Future of the Volunteer Fire Service is available online at www.iafc.org/downloads/VCOS_whitepaper.pdf.
B. PROJECT UPDATES:
• The Old Wethersfield Shopkeepers Association will participate in a “Wethersfield Skate Park Week” from March 7-13, 2004. Businesses participating in this fundraiser will offer incentive discounts to encourage shoppers, and then contribute portions of their total sales for the week to the Skate Park.
• Attached is a report prepared by Artificial Surface Football Field Advisory Committee member Ron Rodd on the preliminary estimate of probable constructions costs for the athletic field improvements.
C. CALENDAR REMINDERS:
D. ATTACHMENTS:
a. Correspondence re March 1st Hearing
b. ASPA-CT Breakfast Roundtable
c. Business After Hours
d. FOI Conference
e. Letter from Tax Office
f. CCM Correspondence
g. Council Minutes
h. Town Attorney Opinion
i. Customer Service Survey
j. CT OPM Letter
k. Municipal Asset Management Memo
l. Council Workload
m. Hanmer Parent Letter
n. Newspaper Article
o. Skate Park Week
p. Preliminary Estimate – Athletic Field Improvements
FROM: Bonnie L. Therrien, Town Manager
DATE: February 28, 2004
A. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Manager: The Grand List will be released on Monday. I will call each of you with the results by the end of the day.
2. Upcoming Events:
• There will be a hearing of the Committee on Planning and Development on Monday, March 1st at 1:00 p.m. in Room 2A of the LOB on Raised Bill No. 5519 – An Act Concerning Firefighters. Attached are letters from Senator John Fonfara and Representative Paul Doyle concerning this hearing. I have also enclosed a copy of the testimony of Philip Stittleburg, Chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council on this subject.
• Representatives from EDIC, the Silas Deane Revitalization Committee and P&Z will meet at the Police Station on Tuesday at 5:30 pm to begin working on a plan to refresh the Silas Deane Master Plan.
• The Capital Region Partnership of Metro Hartford will be hosting an event entitled “Celebrate the Region 2004” on March 8th at the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts. If you are interested in attending, the tickets are $100.
• The American Society for Public Administration is hosting a Breakfast Roundtable on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 at 8:15 a.m. The topic will be “Ethics in Government”. A copy of the flyer is attached for your information.
• WCTV-14 will hold a 20th Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser on Saturday, March 20, 2004 at the Community Center. Tickets are $25/person.
• Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours – Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at Connecticut River Community Bank, Tuesday, March 23, 2004 at Bennigan’s, and Wednesday, April 14, 2004 at Absolute Mortgage.
• The 2004 Annual Congressional City Conference of the National League of Cities will be held March 5-9, 2004 in Washington, D.C. If you are interested in attending, please let me know.
• The Connecticut Foundation for Open Government is sponsoring a 2004 Freedom of Information Conference, featured topic “Uncovering Government Malfeasance: Is the Freedom of Information Act an Effective Tool”, on Monday March 22, 224 at 7:30 a.m. at the Water’s Edge Resort in Westbrook, CT.
3. Council Committee Dates:
• Rules and Procedures – Thursday, March 4th, 5:30 pm, my office
4. Department/Division News:
• Tax Department: Tax Collector Nancy DiGirolamo sent a letter to CCM with printouts of outstanding motor vehicle taxes due to be submitted for collection through MRCP, on February 24, 2004.
• Town Clerk: Town Clerk Dolores Sassano is hosting a workshop presented by General Code on the newest LaserFiche product, Agenda Builder, to demonstrate how this product can streamline the agenda approval and preparation process on Wednesday, March 4, 2003 at 3:00 p.m. in the Conference Room at Wethersfield Town Hall. Please join us if you wish to see this demo.
• Health District: The Central CT Health District adopted their FY 04/05 budget on Thursday, February 19, 2004. The adopted budget includes an increase in the membership fee from $3.69/capita to $3.90/capita due to a proposed 25% reduction in State funding. The Board chose to split this $26,801 loss in State funding 50/50 between raising the membership fee and the District reserve account.
FY 04/05 membership fees are as follows:
Pop. as of 7/1/02
Berlin 19,116 x $3.90 = $74,552.40
Rocky Hill 18,305 x $3.90 = $71,389.50
Wethersfield 26,390 x $3.90 = $102,921.00
Totals 63,811 x $3.90 = $248,862.90
5. Board/Commission News:
6. Council Questions/Answers:
7. CCM: MLR Data Reporter, February 2004
Legislative Update – Public Hearing: Binding Arbitration Reform
CRCOG: Will host a Legislative Reception with State Legislators on April 13, 2004 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the State Capitol.
8. Miscellaneous:
• The interviews for Director of Finance will be held on Wednesday, March 4th and for Assistant to the Town Manager on March 17th.
• Attached are copies of the Town Council meeting minutes of April 29, 2002, June 30, 2003, July 7, 2003 and September 2, 2003 which reference Automated Refuse Collection.
• Town Attorney Jack Bradley has reviewed and approved the proposed Rules of Practice for the Town of Wethersfield’s Board of Ethics.
• The Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce submitted scholarship applications to Wethersfield High School this week. These will be distributed to eligible high school candidates.
• I met with union representatives on Friday, February 27, 2004, and Chris Munroe, our Health Agent of Record, to discuss ways that together we can cut our health care costs. It was an excellent discussion and the union representatives came up with some great ideas for containing health care costs, which we will be pursuing with Chris. I’ll keep you posted on this.
• Attached is a Customer Service Survey regarding the Town Clerk’s Office. These surveys are available for our “customers” to fill out and provide input to help us provide the best possible service.
• Attached is a memorandum from the State Office of Policy and Management regarding additional Veterans Exemption and other grant programs, which points out that although the law does still require that the exemption be provided by municipalities, Section 59 of Public Act 03-6 removed the reimbursement to municipalities for certain exemptions.
• Attached is a report prepared by Administrative Analyst Tony Martino based on a Municipal Asset Management Seminar he attended, and some strategies for managing municipal infrastructure assets.
• Attached is a chart from the February 2004 edition of American City and County magazine titled “City council workload”.
• Hanmer School Principal Joanne D. Beekley sent the attached letter to parents regarding the long-standing problem with the flow of traffic into and out of the Hanmer school site and new procedures to alleviate the problem.
• Attached is an article that appeared in the New Britain Herald on 2/22/04 entitled “Firefighter Crisis Looms”.
• A Call for Action, The Blue Ribbon Report, Preserving and Improving the Future of the Volunteer Fire Service is available online at www.iafc.org/downloads/VCOS_whitepaper.pdf.
B. PROJECT UPDATES:
• The Old Wethersfield Shopkeepers Association will participate in a “Wethersfield Skate Park Week” from March 7-13, 2004. Businesses participating in this fundraiser will offer incentive discounts to encourage shoppers, and then contribute portions of their total sales for the week to the Skate Park.
• Attached is a report prepared by Artificial Surface Football Field Advisory Committee member Ron Rodd on the preliminary estimate of probable constructions costs for the athletic field improvements.
C. CALENDAR REMINDERS:
D. ATTACHMENTS:
a. Correspondence re March 1st Hearing
b. ASPA-CT Breakfast Roundtable
c. Business After Hours
d. FOI Conference
e. Letter from Tax Office
f. CCM Correspondence
g. Council Minutes
h. Town Attorney Opinion
i. Customer Service Survey
j. CT OPM Letter
k. Municipal Asset Management Memo
l. Council Workload
m. Hanmer Parent Letter
n. Newspaper Article
o. Skate Park Week
p. Preliminary Estimate – Athletic Field Improvements