Post by Wethersfield.com on Mar 27, 2004 6:07:20 GMT -5
TO: The Honorable Mayor and Town Council Members
FROM: Bonnie L. Therrien, Town Manager
DATE: March 27, 2004
A. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Manager: I will be away from the State from April 3rd and returning on April 8th. Chief Cetran will be in charge. If you need me to complete any assignments before that time, please let me know. I have also included in your packet a two part article on funding sources that other municipalities are using throughout the country. You will note the number of different revenue raising options that other communities in other States have at their disposal. It is imperative that we have our State representatives begin looking at other options for us, so we do not have to continue to rely on property taxes as our only source of revenue.
2. Upcoming Events:
• There will be a free Coffee House at the Griswoldville Chapel on Saturday, March 27, 2004 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
• A Training Session for Business Visitation Volunteers will be held on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 at 5:00 p.m. at the Wethersfield Police Department Community Room. If you are going to take part in this program, this is mandatory training. Please let Gale or I know if you will be attending.
• The pre-bid conference for all bidders for the Football Field project will be held Wednesday, March 31, 2004, at 10:00 am in Council Chambers.
• Congressman John Larson and a representative from the Center for Medicare Advocacy will speak with seniors at the Wethersfield Senior Center on Wed. April 7, 2004 at 2:45 p.m.
• The Capitol Region Partnership is hosting a Special Legislative Reception on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at the State Capital. Please RSVP Kathy Dube at 522-2217.
• The Dept. of Economic and Community Development will sponsor two (2) days of training on Federal acquisition and relocation requirements at the Rensselaer at Hartford Center, 275 Windsor Street in Hartford, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wed. April 28th and Thursday, April 29th.
• On Tuesday, May 11th at the Pitkin Community Center, two presentations will be made on topics of interest to seniors and their caregivers. At 1:00 p.m. the topic will be Changes in Medicare, and at 2:00 p.m. the topic will be Fall Prevention. Both presentations are free and open to the public.
2. Council Committee Dates: Public Works Committee, Monday, March 29th, at 6:00 pm in the Manager’s Conference Room.
3. Department/Division News:
• Planning & Economic Development: Director Peter Gillespie sent out the attached press release announcing the initiation of an expanded business visitation program. Starting in April teams of volunteers will begin to contact local businesses to schedule a “visit” and to conduct a brief questionnaire. There will be a mandatory training session for volunteers on Tuesday, March 30th at 5:00 p.m.
• Assessor: Assessor Jan Neumuth discusses the deadline for Board of Assessment Appeals applications in the attached memo in response to a complaint from a Town resident.
• Town Clerk: Sandi Wieleba and Dolores Sassano attended a Surviving a Disaster Workshop. It was hands on, complete with the Hartford Fire Department Company 1 responding to the Connecticut State Library, Van Block Facility. It brought out the importance of not only having a Disaster Recovery Plan in place but the dangers of mold and how little it takes to grow on and destroy important documents, slides, microfilm, etc. A Disaster Recovery plan has to coordinate with off site facilities, such as the Library, Police Facility, Fire Houses, and the Community Center to expand to include the entire Town. This year's targeted Historic Preservation Grant of $12,000 will be used to obtain a municipal wide plan Disaster Preparedness Survey. This survey will include a business recovery plan. We will also have a Records Management survey done for a municipal wide plan for active records management. The Clerk's office has already made contact with Derrick Watson, the District Manager, Connecticut, for the Munters Corporation. Ms. Wieleba has started to inventory the glass enclosed locked bookcase in the vault. Inventories are important to keep current.
4. Board/Commission News:
5. Council Questions/Answers:
6. CRCOG: Policy Board Recommended Action on Homeland Security Funding
CCM: The Freedom of Information Act and Ethics & Conflicts of Interest, March 29, 2004 in Bristol City Hall
CCM Legislative Committee Meeting, 4/13/04, 9:00 a.m.
Legislative Update: Mid-Session Report
7. Miscellaneous:
• CRCOG has received 35 applications for STP Urban funds. No schedule has been set for awards. I have attached the list of applications from member Towns.
• Construction on the water fountain at Mikey’s Place began on Wednesday, March 24th.
• The Information & Technology Committee will tour the Town Hall and Library and review the renovation plans for this building on Friday, April 2, 2004 at 9:00 a.m.
• I am putting a hold on the Assistant to the Town Manager position due to budget difficulties.
• We will be going out to bid for Auditing Services as the contract with the present company ends this year.
• The State Office of Policy and Management has completed the Recommended Conservation and Development Policies Plan for Connecticut, 2004-2009, and it is available on their website at www.opm.state.ct.us/.
• The Town and Cedar Hill Cemetery have agreed on a curb cut to allow a new ingress and egress along Jordan Lane.
• The meeting with the DOT on the Nott Street project will be held next Thursday at 1 pm at the District office.
B. PROJECT UPDATES:
• Middletown Ave./Spring Street – Town Engineer Mike Turner sent the attached letter to the DOT requesting that Empire Paving begin and finish this project as soon as possible.
• The Moeller Home Building Committee reviewed the preliminary design plans for the Moeller Home at their March 3, 2004 meeting.
C. CALENDAR REMINDERS:
D. ATTACHMENTS:
• Magazine Article “Creative Financing Tools for Local Government”<br>• Press Release
• Assessor’s Memo
• CRCOG Correspondence
• CCM Correspondence
• STP Urban Fund Application List
• OPM Letter
• Cedar Hill Cemetery Letter
• Letter to DOT from Mike Turner
• Moeller Home Building Committee Minutes
FROM: Bonnie L. Therrien, Town Manager
DATE: March 27, 2004
A. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Manager: I will be away from the State from April 3rd and returning on April 8th. Chief Cetran will be in charge. If you need me to complete any assignments before that time, please let me know. I have also included in your packet a two part article on funding sources that other municipalities are using throughout the country. You will note the number of different revenue raising options that other communities in other States have at their disposal. It is imperative that we have our State representatives begin looking at other options for us, so we do not have to continue to rely on property taxes as our only source of revenue.
2. Upcoming Events:
• There will be a free Coffee House at the Griswoldville Chapel on Saturday, March 27, 2004 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
• A Training Session for Business Visitation Volunteers will be held on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 at 5:00 p.m. at the Wethersfield Police Department Community Room. If you are going to take part in this program, this is mandatory training. Please let Gale or I know if you will be attending.
• The pre-bid conference for all bidders for the Football Field project will be held Wednesday, March 31, 2004, at 10:00 am in Council Chambers.
• Congressman John Larson and a representative from the Center for Medicare Advocacy will speak with seniors at the Wethersfield Senior Center on Wed. April 7, 2004 at 2:45 p.m.
• The Capitol Region Partnership is hosting a Special Legislative Reception on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at the State Capital. Please RSVP Kathy Dube at 522-2217.
• The Dept. of Economic and Community Development will sponsor two (2) days of training on Federal acquisition and relocation requirements at the Rensselaer at Hartford Center, 275 Windsor Street in Hartford, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wed. April 28th and Thursday, April 29th.
• On Tuesday, May 11th at the Pitkin Community Center, two presentations will be made on topics of interest to seniors and their caregivers. At 1:00 p.m. the topic will be Changes in Medicare, and at 2:00 p.m. the topic will be Fall Prevention. Both presentations are free and open to the public.
2. Council Committee Dates: Public Works Committee, Monday, March 29th, at 6:00 pm in the Manager’s Conference Room.
3. Department/Division News:
• Planning & Economic Development: Director Peter Gillespie sent out the attached press release announcing the initiation of an expanded business visitation program. Starting in April teams of volunteers will begin to contact local businesses to schedule a “visit” and to conduct a brief questionnaire. There will be a mandatory training session for volunteers on Tuesday, March 30th at 5:00 p.m.
• Assessor: Assessor Jan Neumuth discusses the deadline for Board of Assessment Appeals applications in the attached memo in response to a complaint from a Town resident.
• Town Clerk: Sandi Wieleba and Dolores Sassano attended a Surviving a Disaster Workshop. It was hands on, complete with the Hartford Fire Department Company 1 responding to the Connecticut State Library, Van Block Facility. It brought out the importance of not only having a Disaster Recovery Plan in place but the dangers of mold and how little it takes to grow on and destroy important documents, slides, microfilm, etc. A Disaster Recovery plan has to coordinate with off site facilities, such as the Library, Police Facility, Fire Houses, and the Community Center to expand to include the entire Town. This year's targeted Historic Preservation Grant of $12,000 will be used to obtain a municipal wide plan Disaster Preparedness Survey. This survey will include a business recovery plan. We will also have a Records Management survey done for a municipal wide plan for active records management. The Clerk's office has already made contact with Derrick Watson, the District Manager, Connecticut, for the Munters Corporation. Ms. Wieleba has started to inventory the glass enclosed locked bookcase in the vault. Inventories are important to keep current.
4. Board/Commission News:
5. Council Questions/Answers:
6. CRCOG: Policy Board Recommended Action on Homeland Security Funding
CCM: The Freedom of Information Act and Ethics & Conflicts of Interest, March 29, 2004 in Bristol City Hall
CCM Legislative Committee Meeting, 4/13/04, 9:00 a.m.
Legislative Update: Mid-Session Report
7. Miscellaneous:
• CRCOG has received 35 applications for STP Urban funds. No schedule has been set for awards. I have attached the list of applications from member Towns.
• Construction on the water fountain at Mikey’s Place began on Wednesday, March 24th.
• The Information & Technology Committee will tour the Town Hall and Library and review the renovation plans for this building on Friday, April 2, 2004 at 9:00 a.m.
• I am putting a hold on the Assistant to the Town Manager position due to budget difficulties.
• We will be going out to bid for Auditing Services as the contract with the present company ends this year.
• The State Office of Policy and Management has completed the Recommended Conservation and Development Policies Plan for Connecticut, 2004-2009, and it is available on their website at www.opm.state.ct.us/.
• The Town and Cedar Hill Cemetery have agreed on a curb cut to allow a new ingress and egress along Jordan Lane.
• The meeting with the DOT on the Nott Street project will be held next Thursday at 1 pm at the District office.
B. PROJECT UPDATES:
• Middletown Ave./Spring Street – Town Engineer Mike Turner sent the attached letter to the DOT requesting that Empire Paving begin and finish this project as soon as possible.
• The Moeller Home Building Committee reviewed the preliminary design plans for the Moeller Home at their March 3, 2004 meeting.
C. CALENDAR REMINDERS:
D. ATTACHMENTS:
• Magazine Article “Creative Financing Tools for Local Government”<br>• Press Release
• Assessor’s Memo
• CRCOG Correspondence
• CCM Correspondence
• STP Urban Fund Application List
• OPM Letter
• Cedar Hill Cemetery Letter
• Letter to DOT from Mike Turner
• Moeller Home Building Committee Minutes