First Selectman's Report - 12/12/2011

DAVE ROBERTS FROM SIMSBURY’S OWN “INTERNATIONAL SKATING CENTER” WAS SCHEDULED TO BE HERE THIS EVENING TO TALK ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL EVENT BUT UNFORTUNATELY HE HAD A LAST MINUTE CONFLICT.

SO HERE IS SOME QUICK INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS SURE TO BE AN INCREDIBLE EVENT.  HARTFORDSKATES.COM IS PRESENTING “WINTER FANTASY ON ICE” AT THE INTERNATIONAL SKATING CENTER ON DECEMBER 31^ST AND JANUARY 1^ST.  BOTH SHOWS WILL BE AT 2:30 P.M.

THE SHOW FEATURES TWO-TIME OLYMPIC CHAMPION KATERINA GORDEEVA, AND OLYMPIC AND WORLD CHAMPION ILIA KULIK.  TICKETS ARE $10 FOR GENERAL SEATING AND $20 FOR RESERVED ON-ICE SEATING.  TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE INTERNATIONAL SKATING CENTER IN SIMSBURY; THE CHAMPIONS SKATING CENTER IN CROMWELL; OR THE ICE PALACE IN BOLTON.

THE BRUSH REMOVAL TRUCKS ARE LEAVING TOWN – WE FINISHED OUR MAJOR DEBRIS REMOVAL OPERATIONS LAST WEEK, AND OVER THE WEEKEND, 25 TREE TRUCKS CONTINUED TO REMOVE HANGARS.  WE’RE DOWN TO THE “PUNCH LIST” – WE’VE GOT ONE BIG DEBRIS TRUCK AND ONE TREE TRUCK AS WE WORK THROUGH THE LAST OF THE DEBRIS ISSUES.  WE WILL BE DONE – AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, AND BEFORE ANOTHER MAJOR SNOWFALL!

THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT WAS ENORMOUS – WE ENDED UP PICKING UP MORE THAN 270,000 CUBIC YARDS OF DEBRIS.  IF WE HAD USED PICK-UP TRUCKS TO PICK UP THE DEBRIS, IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN 50,500 TRUCKS!  IF YOU PUT THAT MANY TRUCKS TOGETHER END TO END, THE LINE WOULD STRETCH FROM SIMSBURY TO MAINE!

WE KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A LONG AND FRUSTRATING PROCESS FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.  IF YOU STILL HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT DEBRIS REMOVAL, PLEASE CALL OUR DEBRIS HOTLINE AT 860-264-5581.  WE ANTICIPATE THAT WEDNESDAY WILL BE OUR LAST DAY FOR THE HOTLINE.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VERY OWN JENNIFER KEOHANE, WHO WAS CHOSEN AS ONE OF ONLY 10 LIBRARIANS TO RECEIVE THE PRESTIGOUS  “I LOVE MY LIBRARIAN AWARD” FOR 2011.  JENNIFER, WHO RUNS OUR TOWN LIBRARY’S BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER, WENT TO NEW YORK LAST WEEK TO RECEIVE THE AWARD, WHICH IS SPONSORED BY THE CARNEGIE CORPORATION AND THE NEW YORK TIMES.

THE AWARD IS GIVEN TO THOSE WHO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.  JENNIFER’S BUSINESS PROGRAMMING, HER ONE-ON-ONE PLANNING WITH ENTREPRENEURS, HER MARKETING AND RESEARCH ASSISTANCE TO THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEIR BUSINESSES TAKE OFF, FIGURED PROMINENTLY IN HER NOMINATION AND RECEIPT OF THIS AWARD.

I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY AND PUBLICALLY CONGRATULATE JENNIFER AND URGE ALL OF YOU TO STOP BY THE LIBRARY AND ADD YOUR CONGRATULATIONS AS WELL.

TOWN STAFF ARE TURNING THEIR ATTENTION TO THE BUDGETING PROCESS FOR FY 2013.  DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET ESTIMATES ARE DUE FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS TO THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE BY JANUARY 13, 2012 AND WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN BY THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE ONE MONTH LATER – ON FEBRUARY 13, 2012.

LAST YEAR WE STARTED THE PRACTICE OF POSTING BUDGET MATERIALS ON OUR WEBSITE TO ENSURE THAT THE BUDGETING PROCESS WAS TRANSPARENT AND AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.  WE WILL BE DOING THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR.  TO GET TO THE SITE, GO TO WWW.SIMSBURY-CT.GOV/BUDGET AND YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO OUR BUDGET PAGE.  RIGHT NOW, IT STILL HAS INFORMATION FROM FY 2012 – BUT AS THE NEW BUDGET IS PREPARED, THAT IS WHAT YOU WILL SEE.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE A COPY OF THE FULL BUDGET AND CAPITAL PLAN SCHEDULE, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT THE FIRST SELECTMAN’S OFFICE AT 860-658-3230.