It’s hard to believe that June has come and gone, the kids are out of school, and many of our residents are heading off to enjoy exciting summertime adventures with family and friends. Whether you are laying on the beach, hiking or biking, fishing or swimming, camping or kayaking, I hope you get the chance to enjoy the lazy days of summer in New England.
Here are a few things going on in Town:
- A reminder that landfill permits have been reinstated. The cost is $25 per vehicle and can be picked up at the Landfill or Town Clerk’s office. One of the main goals for the permits is to reduce or eliminate the number of people who have been using our landfill that do not live in Town over the last few years.
- The Town has sent, or will be sending out. foreclosure and tax sale notices for anybody who has not paid taxes. This has not been a regular practice but will be moving forward. It’s important to note that if you receive this notice, action is not immediate and there is a process that is followed along with time to pay and possible arrangements that can be made with the Town. Moving forward, anybody whose taxes are past due later than two years will be receiving these notices for action.
- Engineering and design work continues for our Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP) grants on both the Farmington and Windsor Locks Canal Trails. We hope to see the repaving and new fencing work done on the Farmington Canal Trail towards the Fall.
- Expect a Town Meeting towards the end of August or beginning of September to vote on the following items approved by the Board of Selectmen:
- Farm Building Exemption Ordinance
- Blight Ordinance
- Changes to the Building Department Regulations
- Changes to the Zoning Regulations pertaining to making it easier to post changes online
- Right of Way Ordinance that would require contractors to get a permit before doing any work on our roads and have that work inspected.
- Potential revisions to our Charter depending on the recommendations of the Charter Revision Commission.
The Permanent Building Commission continues their work on assessing the Facilities Master Plan and the needs of all of our Town buildings. They hope to bring their assessment and recommendation to the Board of Selectmen in the Fall.
We recently put out an RFP for our radio system that would require a total update to all systems throughout the Town as the useful life of the system has gone well beyond its capabilities. Given the significant costs, the potential to bond this project may be needed and residents should expect more information on this over the next six months.
Don’t forget to check out the programs offered during the summer by our Community Services and Library. The summer concerts series starts on July 10 on the Green and Movie Nights begin July 13. More information can be found on the Town website or Facebook page.
I will not be having Coffee Hours during the summer months but look forward to seeing everybody in September. Enjoy your summer and as always, my door is always open.