First Selectman's Report - April 8, 2013

FIRST SELECTMAN’S REPORT

April 8, 2013

Town of Simsbury, The Hartford Work Towards Creation of Public-Private Partnership on Sale of The Hartford Property on Hopmeadow

Tonight the Board of Selectmen will consider adoption of a public-private partnership with The Hartford designed to ensure that the Town has the opportunity to consider every possible option for the sale and use of The Hartford’s property in Simsbury, and that our residents have the opportunity to participate in this important process.  Simsbury has been a leader in the use of the charrette process for land use planning.  In cooperation with The Hartford, we propose to commission a charrette to identify the best possible uses for The Hartford’s extensive property in Simsbury, which consists of 172 acres and a 640,000 square foot building. 

The charrette will be a valuable tool to make The Hartford’s property more marketable to a broader group of potential buyers.  It will help us to obtain input from a wide range of stakeholders and to build consensus on the best available options.  The cost of the charrette is estimated to be about $175,000. The Town has budgeted $30,000 for consultant services, and The Hartford will contribute the remainder of the expense.  The proposed collaboration has already been considered and endorsed by The Hartford Land Use Study Committee, which the Board of Selectmen created to work directly with The Hartford on its sale of the property.  I am grateful to the members of the Land Use Study Committee for their willingness to work on a project that is critical to the Town’s future.

If the Board of Selectmen approves the partnership this evening, Town staff can proceed immediately with issuance of requests for proposals to hire professional consultants to oversee the charrette process. Once consultants have been selected, a review of the site, including economic and traffic impacts, will be conducted.

The Hartford has long been a valued corporate citizen and I am appreciative of the company’s commitment to participating in a plan that benefits both The Hartford and the Town. 

Budget Process Next Steps:  Board of Finance Public Hearings Tomorrow Night

On Tuesday the Board of Finance will hold public hearings on the Town of Simsbury’s proposed capital improvement projects and on the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Education proposed budgets.  The hearings will begin with the capital improvement projects at 7:30 p.m. in the Amphitheatre at Simsbury High School located at 34 Farms Village Road.  The hearing on the Town budget will immediately follow the capital improvement projects hearing.

I am grateful to the Board of Selectmen and to Town Staff for the hours spent in preparing the capital improvement plan and the Town’s recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2014.  We have worked hard to craft a very conservative budget increase of 0.65% and additions to the pension plan bringing the total budget to 1.71%.

I encourage the public to stay involved in this important process.  Don’t forget to attend tomorrow night’s hearings at Simsbury High School.