The first day of Spring is March 20, but it certainly feels as though it started in February. Certainly, no complaints here, and while the Town’s DPW Department hasn’t had much to do in the way of snow, they continue to do an excellent job overall keeping our Town in good order. Thanks guys, keep up the great work.
Recently, two members of the Board of Finance resigned, Ryan Anderson and Michael Stevens. Both have played such an important role in the Town’s finances and have provided us with so much knowledge and expertise. Personally, I can’t say enough how great it was to work with both, and I wish them both the best. Thank you, Ryan and Michael, for all that you’ve done. Congrats to Eric Harrington who is the new Chair for the Board of Finance. I know you’ll do a great job, and I look forward to working with you.
In my last article I let everybody know how a portion of our American Rescue Plan funds were appropriated. Both the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance approved in February, so the final step is Town Meeting approval. Be on the lookout for a March Town Meeting as I bring this forward along with a few other items.
Our Youth Services Director, Kate Powers, recently resigned. We have posted for the position and hope to be able to hire somebody soon. Thank you, Kate, for everything you’ve done and good luck with your future endeavors.
The recently revived Environmental and Sustainability Task Force met to start making decisions on how best to use our mini liquor bottle deposit money. One event we will be doing is a Spring Clean Up Day on April 29. We hope for town wide participation and are happy to have USA Recycling partnering with the Town. Check out the Town website for details and sign-up information under the “Volunteer” section.
The Joint Facilities Committee met last month to look at potential bonding projections and how upgrades or new buildings could affect taxes. The group hopes to finish their work on the Facilities Master Plan and any recommendations to the Boards in the next three to four months.
The hiring process for the Chief and Captain positions for the Fire Department is in full motion. Posting for the Chief has happened, and we are in the process of reviewing all resumes.
Our Veterans’ Breakfast has just started to receive donations to support the costs for breakfasts. Thank you to Suffield Hardware and the Republican Town Committee for supporting a breakfast and thank you to all the volunteers who continue to come out and help. If you wish to make a donation, please reach out to our Veteran’s Representative, Fritz King.
The Budget season is underway. Meetings with Department Heads are complete and presentation of the Selectman’s Budget to the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance is underway. Inflationary costs including general wage increases and increased operating costs are the main drivers in this year’s budget. More detailed information to come in next month’s article.
Enjoy the early Spring and as always, my door is always open.