First Selectman's Report - January 12, 2015
First Selectman's Report – January 12, 2015
I thank the community for their support and confidence in me. I am honored to have been sworn is as Simsbury's First Selectman by my husband Jim with my sons, Rob and Mike by my side. Although I did not seek or run for the office of First Selectman, I willingly and respectfully take on this responsibility and I will do my very best for the people of Simsbury.
Since I have been sworn in, I have been very busy. First, I have met with Department Heads to review the budget process and have begun preparing the Town's FY 15-16 budget. The Board of Selectmen will receive the First Selectman's budget no later than March 1. Budget workshops and discussions with the Board of Selectmen will be held through March and are open to the public. On March 31, the Board of Selectmen will present to the Board of Finance. I want to thank all Town staff for their continued efforts to provide excellent services to the residents of our town.
Second, I have reviewed the town's storm preparations with Tom Roy, Director of Public Works, and am happy to report that the Town is ready to respond efficiently and has sufficient resources to handle this winter's anticipated storms. I thank the entire staff at Public Works for their commitment and efforts. I want to remind residents to sign up for emergency alerts on our Town website.
Third, I have focused on continuing Simsbury's economic development efforts. I will continue to reach out to local business leaders, the Chamber and Main Street over the next several weeks to discuss how the town can help encourage a vibrant and successful local economy. I have invited Oz Griebel of the Metro Hartford Alliance to attend the next Board of Selectmen meeting to discuss how Simsbury might benefit from regional efforts at economic development and marketing. This was a recommendation from our marketing study. I am also in a position to confirm that the Big Y purchase has closed, and we are currently waiting for information from Big Y on their timetable for moving forward.
Fourth, I have reviewed all town-union contracts and will update the Board of Selectmen on ongoing Police negotiations in executive session tonight. I thank the Chief, Town staff and police members for their professionalism and civil discussions about priorities, needs and costs as this progresses.
Fifth, I have met with neighboring town managers and governmental leaders in the Farmington Valley Collaborative and look forward to working with them on issues of regional concern.
Most importantly, I want to hear from you - the residents of Simsbury. I am hosting a First Selectman's Open House on January 26th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and invite the community to stop by and let me know what issues are important to you.
We have some exciting initiatives and projects coming up this year and will be looking for and inviting public comment on:
Senior Center location
Ethel Walker Study and stewardship
Betty Hudson property at 1 Old Bridge Road
Dewey Farm considerations
Tariffville Park Study and East Coast Greenway plans
Simsbury Meadows study
During the month of December we heard many comments from the public on the First Selectman's salary and I have assigned to the Personnel Sub-Committee the task of holding at least two public hearings on this issue to give the public an opportunity to more fully discuss and give input. Salary considerations may impact who will run for the office and reflect on how much the public is willing to pay for the town's management and leadership. I thank Chris Kelly, the new Chairman for Personnel, for his willingness to engage the public in these important discussions.