Too busy to look up what’s going on in town? This article covers selected information from various Town Boards and Commissions. If you want more detail, it can be found by going to suffieldct.gov, Agendas, Minutes and Recordings.
Board of Education: Increasing or decreasing teaching positions in the various schools was discussed. They also discussed adding a full-time teacher to the budget to help support students, especially those who may wish to enter the trades after high school. Academic support positions at the middle school and the elementary math and reading programs were removed. Next year’s budget was approved at $39,672,389 which is an increase of 2.96% compared to this year.
An extension was filed for the State’s mandate stating that Boards of Education must submit an Increasing Educator Diversity Plan. The Plan was submitted to the Board members for review and comments.
Conservation Commission: Stony Brooke Interceptor damage is being addressed and emergency repairs should be completed in five to six weeks. Recent storms have resulted in numerous trees coming down at Stony Brooke Park and the damage is being assessed. Several hikers lost at Sunrise Park were rescued in February.
Parks & Recreation: They have a wide range of activities planned: camps, Suffield Night at the Yard Goats, Babb’s Beach Opening, Summer Fair, Concerts on the Green, and Outdoor Movie Nights to mention a few.
The program, Standout Small Business Branding On A Budget – Social Media Branding was well-attended and feedback was good. This was an outside-the-box program.
A multi-generation program – A Magic Night – was held at the Senior Center with about 75 people attending.
Bridge Street Park’s design and budget are not finalized and may require a phased approach. Decision delays could result in greater expenses as a result of increasing costs.
The Dancing Stars of Suffield event, a fundraiser for the Bowling Buddies group, will be held April 24. Summer camps start June 24. In addition to the Parks & Recreation Camps, there are horseback riding, tennis, golf, lacrosse, cheerleading, musical theater, field hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball camps.
Fire Commission: The Chief is checking on the amount of insurance needed to cover everyone and is expediting the process. The old “rules and regulations” are being reviewed for changes. Station renovations to replace the floors, update the kitchen, and exterior repairs for Station 1 are $143,000.
Planning & Zoning: A request to waive streetlights for Breezy Way Subdivision Flexible Residential Development (FRD) on Elaine Drive was denied. The request for a special permit/site plan approval for a composting facility located at 654 North Grand Street was reviewed. There has already been a small-scale composting operation at the property for the past nine months under a permit with the DEEP without any problems. The Town would be protected by the DEEP’s rigorous requirements, regulations, and inspections of these facilities and the close monitoring that occurs. The composting facility design meets best management practices and will be limited to horse manure, bedding, and leaves. A lengthy discussion ensued with many voices both for and against; to be continued at the next meeting.
Police Commission: Flock Group shared a presentation on the LPR System/Cameras. Questions were asked and answered.
Six arrests were made last month. Officers responded to several motor vehicle burglaries on multiple streets. A shed was also broken into, and a dirt bike was stolen. For the first time in over a year, there was a reduction in Fraud complaints.
Work continues to expand the instructional areas to widen skill sets and to get more in-house training. They are also reaching out to community members to solicit more interest.
Veterans Expansion: Changing the requirements to include state-activated active-duty veterans, versus only federally-activated active-duty veterans was discussed and tabled for the next meeting. Other considerations such as lighting, how names will fit on the monument, and other wars in addition to the Global War on Terror were discussed and tabled.