Chair Report: May 23rd Meeting Review

Good Afternoon neighbors. I hope you are enjoying the beautiful start to the Memorial Day weekend and join us at the Memorial Day parade this Sunday on the Tolland Green to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Below is the chairperson’s report summarizing our May 23rd Town Council meeting

On Tuesday, May 23rd, the Town Council completed two public hearings with unanimous support on both measures. The first public measure was a resolution for a supplemental appropriation for one bridge improvement project over the Willimantic River at South River Road, which is to be funded 100% by state and federal funding. The town provides the funding upfront and will then receive reimbursement for the project, which will commence work within the next year.

The second public hearing item was a review and revision of Ordinance 60, the Local Tax Relief Program for Permanently Disabled and Senior Residents. The program will be revised from a general tax freeze to a stepped benefit program which provides a proposed $300 in the initial year of joining the program, and then $100 for every subsequent year that they enroll in the program. All program participants will be grandfathered in to ensure they do not lose any benefits from this change.

Following these the Town Council unanimously declared a 2005 Ford Crown Vic as obsolete and may be disposed of as obsolete/surplus equipment or materials after it was unanimously approved by the Board of Education. This vehicle is for their Student Resource Officer and was replaced by a newer vehicle of similar value.

The second new item was a resolution for two ARPA Subcommittee Funding items, which were both unanimously approved by Town Council. The first is an appropriation of up to $1,500 to support the Tolland Boy Scouts ongoing renovation project of the gazebo at Crandall Park. If funds are available from the general fund budget for fiscal year 2022-2023, the ARPA funding will be cancelled.

The second funding item is for up to $400,000 for the use on the ADA sidewalks on the Town Green and improvements for the veteran’s area project located at the end of the Green near Old Post Road. Both projects are included with an engineering design by our contracted engineering firm as a rough concept to be finalized by staff at a later date.

The third new item of business was a unanimous approval to reappointment five members to the Technology Advisory Board for a term to start 5/28/2023 through 5/28/2025.

To review the minutes and packet, please visit:

May 9th Meeting Minutes – https://ecode360.com/TO1208/document/728722933.pdf

May 9th Regular Meeting Packet – https://www.tollandct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3921/f/uploads/2023-05-23_regular_meeting_packet.pdf

Town Manager’s May Report - https://www.tollandct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3921/f/uploads/2023-05-09_mnanger_report_with_attachments.pdf

Thank you for taking the time to review this report and the attached links above. If you would like to submit any questions or comments to the Town Council regarding town-related topics, please email us at towncouncil@tollandct.gov.

I hope you will join multiple elected officials for our rescheduled ‘Open House’ on Wednesday, May 31st from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the Tolland Fire Training Center - https://www.tollandct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3921/f/uploads/town_open_house-may_31_2023.png .