First Selectman's Report - 09/26/2011

FIRST SELECTMAN’S REPORT

Monday, September 26, 2011

IN ITS FIRST SUMMER OF OPERATION, SIMSBURY FREE BIKE IS TURNING OUT TO BE A BIG HIT, ATTRACTING  AN IMPRESSIVE TOTAL OF 100 RIDERS IN THE FIRST 9 WEEKS OF A 16 WEEK SEASON.  RIDERS ARE MAKING USE OF THE BIKES TO EXPLORE TOWN SHOPS AND OUR BEAUTIFUL BIKE TRAILS, REAFFIRMING OUR REPUTATION AS A BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY.  WE OWE A LOT TO THE DEDICATED FOLKS WHO STARTED SIMSBURY FREE BIKE AS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT.  I’D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS NEW INITIATIVE – RIDERSHIP IS GROWING!

WE ALSO HOSTED MORE THAN 400 BICYCLISTS WHO WERE PARTICIPATING IN THE TOUR DAVITA – A 262-MILE CELEBRATION BIKE RIDE FROM GREAT BARRINGTON, MASS. TO HAMMONASSET BEACH IN MADISON DESIGNED TO RAISE AWARENESS OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AND TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE KIDNEY TRUST – A NOT-FOR-PROFIT GROUP DEDICATED TO COMBATTING THE DISEASE.  MANY OF YOU SAW THE TOUR DAVITA’S “TENT CITY,” WHICH WAS SET UP ON SEPTEMBER 19TH BY THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER – THE BICYCLISTS SLEPT THERE IN PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL 60 MILE LEG OF THEIR JOURNEY.  WE WERE GLAD TO HOST THEM AND WISH THE TOUR SUCCESS.

THE SIMSBURY LAND TRUST HELD ITS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP CELEBRATION ON SATURDAY – AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE LAND TRUST’S MEMBERSHIP UNDERSTANDS HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR ALL THAT THEY HAVE DONE – TO PROTECT SIMSBURY’S CHARACTER AND TO PROVIDE HEALTHY HABITATS FOR LOCAL WILDLIFE AND PLANTS.

SATURDAY’S MEMBERSHIP CELEBRATION WAS WONDERFUL AND FEATURED PONY RIDES, HAYRIDES, A BARBEQUE AND OTHER ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN.  IT GAVE THE ORGANIZATION A CHANCE TO THANK THE MANY FAMILIES WHO HAVE HELPED TO PROTECT – OVER TIME – 26 PARCELS OF LAND TOTALING MORE THAN 750 ACRES.  TONIGHT WE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON THEIR WORK BY PASSING A RESOLUTION NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE TULMEADOW WOODLOT PURCHASE – A PROJECT SPEARHEADED BY THE LAND TRUST.

SIMSBURY IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF THE LAND TRUST, AND I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THEM FOR ALL OF THEIR GOOD WORK.

 

THE TOWN OF SIMSBURY’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SIMSBURY MAIN STREET PARTNERSHIP AND THE SIMSBURY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTED “SHOWCASE SIMSBURY” ON FRIDAY THE 23RD.  THE SHOWCASE, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY DEVELOPERS, REALTORS AND PROPERTY OWNERS, PROVIDED US WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO PREVIEW OUR NEW FORM-BASED ZONING CODE – THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE – AND STREAMLINED PROCESSES WHICH ARE CAREFULLY DESIGNED TO MAKE IT EASY TO DO BUSINESS IN SIMSBURY.

I INTRODUCED THE EVENT AND HIRAM PECK – WHO REALLY IS THE ARCHITECT OF OUR NEW CODE – WAS THERE TO DESCRIBE IT AND TO TAKE QUESTIONS FROM ATTENDEES.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, MAIN STREET AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR HELPING US TO GET THE WORD OUT.  SIMSBURY IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE (THANKS TO THE WORK OF FOLKS LIKE THE LAND TRUST) – AND IT IS ALSO A GREAT PLACE TO DO BUSINESS.  THE FORM-BASED CODE SETS OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT BOTH OF THOSE INTERESTS ARE BALANCED, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK HIRAM FOR ALL OF HIS WORK ON ITS DEVELOPMENT.