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: The secretary of the Suffield Foundation for Excellent Schools (SFES), shared that SFES is an education foundation that provides support, beyond the tax-supported school budget, for innovative and exceptional programs and opportunities that benefit Suffield students. Teachers, students, or staff are welcome to complete a grant application that can be found on the SFES website.
Board of Finance: The mill rate for 2024-2025 was set at 22.63. All automobile taxes regardless of amount, and personal property taxes under $100 will be due in one installment on July 1, 2024.
The list of aged unpaid taxes will no longer be included in the Town’s financial statements and will remain collectible for a period of 15 years. Cars that are considered delinquent on the 2020 General Ledger will go to collections.
The budget is in excellent shape. Finance department expenses are higher than the budget due to turnover in staffing. Higher interest income, an unbudgeted Municipal Sharing Grant, and higher collection of overdue taxes result in a projected $1,810,573 surplus.
Economic Development Commission: The current sign grant verbiage is being updated. There was discussion about looking at the current zoning sign regulations and possibly recommendations for a revised sign policy.
The West Suffield Beautification Project was reviewed. Its center would be similar to Suffield center with the streetlights, plantings, curbs, and signage. Having a plan and a budget associated with it could make this a workable plan for applying for grants and sourcing funding to accomplish it.
An offer has been received for 1148 South Street to develop the land into a recreation facility. Development rights for the 52.97-acre Najaka property on Blossom Street have been purchased and paid for by the State and Federal Departments of Agriculture.
Permanent Building Commission: A review of what the commissioners saw during their site visits to the police station, four fire stations, and the Senior Center was discussed. A method to consolidate that information and Tecton’s information is still under discussion. They also discussed the schools briefly and formulated a plan to address the reviews of the school buildings and the site tours.
Planning & Zoning Commission: A pre-application conference was held to discuss converting the buildings located at 140 and 156 South Main Street into three, three-bedroom, market-rate apartments. The convent has ten bedrooms, and the plan is to convert the building into two separate apartment units. Commission members also asked for the plans for lot 156A; however, the builder hasn’t decided on a plan, but traffic and drainage analysis and a capacity letter indicate 300 one-bedroom affordable housing units are a possibility.
The request for an internally lit sign on the Hangar Pub & Brewery building in the light industrial zone was denied as it would be inconsistent to allow it.
Police Commission: Eight members are due for POSTC recertification by June. Drug testing was completed in March for those due in June. Six members have a license to fly a drone. Webpage updates continue so there will be greater access to Department info, which will include an interactive section for crime/crash/motor vehicle and other operational info from the agency.
WPCA: Three bills proposed by the Connecticut General Assembly failed to pass. They included: the ability to foreclose, penalty interest rate reduction, and payment of prevailing wages for contractors working for the WPCA.
The WPCA will conduct sewer cleaning soon. The Hood sewer line easement is wet and not passable. As a result, a gravel access road will be constructed.
A bid is expected to confirm construction dates, and the permitting process is in progress for the Emergency Stony Brook Project.