First Selectman Community Update- July 17, 2020

Dear Stonington Residents,

The past few weeks have been challenging, but I believe we are on a positive path forward. This morning, a very kind and engaged resident reminded me that many in our community want to be involved in our local government, but it can be hard to know how or where to engage. Therefore, in addition to sharing a few positive updates, some of which will be shared for the first time in this update, I wanted to offer an overview of our local government.  

The graphic attached provides a high-level, visual overview of our local government (apologies for the small font). The Town Charter offers more detailed insights on the inner workings of municipal functions.

In Stonington, we have robust checks and balances in our local government. For example, while the State requires all communities to have either a local or regional Board of Education, not all town’s have a Police Commission to oversee the Police Department. We have more than 30 Boards, Commissions, Task Forces and Authorities that help us manage the activities of the town and can have significant impact on the Town’s daily workings as well as future outcomes.

The Board of Education, Board of Finance and Board of Selectman are all elected positions, as are the Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Registrar of Voters, Judge of Probate, Treasurer and Constables. The Board of Selectman are responsible for appointing members for all other Boards, Agencies, Commissions, Task Forces, Authorities and Offices.

I would encourage members of the public to look at our Town calendar and view one of our upcoming meetings. You can dial in on a phone, view on Facebook live (follow the Town’s Facebook page) or watch previous meetings on our YouTube channel. You can also read past meeting minutes or check out upcoming agendas. With the onset of COVID-19 our meetings are being streamed and recorded for the first time, so it is more accessible than ever before to be able to learn more about the different issues being worked on in your local government.

Our community relies on over 100 volunteers who serve on these Boards, Commissions, Task Forces and Authorities that help us manage the activities of the town. Their role is a critical contribution of time and talent. We have thankfully filled many of the vacancies; however, there are still a few different openings. To learn more about the different focus areas, as well as vacancies please visit here. Please note, in the Directory link you can see when terms expire so even if there is not a current vacancy you may see a spot that could be open in the coming weeks/months. Anyone is also welcome to call or email my office anytime.   

Local residents also benefit from the services provided by more than 40 nonprofits in our areas. For further information on volunteer opportunities with local non-profits please visit stoningtonnonprofits.org or again my office is happy to talk in more detail on opportunities in our town and region.

Positive Town Updates

• We are very likely to receive $600,000 from the state to help fund sidewalks on South Broad Street. We are extremely grateful for the many people who helped make this happen, long before I took office. In May we completed the initial engineering work required, which helped us establish a construction cost to compete the project. This number came in at $778,500; however, it did not include final engineering work required for items like creating a retaining wall in one section, surveying, possible right of way payments or cost to move utility poles. We have shifted projects to make this a priority area for myself, our Director of Economic and Community Development, Town Planner, and our Town Engineer, which brings me to the second update.
• We have hired a Town Engineer! A press release will come out next week with details, but I am delighted to share the news that we found a highly experienced person to take on this role, which has been challenging to fill. In addition to this role, we have also hired a new Director of Administrative Services and Director of Economic and Community Development, both of which have only been with the town a few weeks, but are already making a tremendously positive impact.
• We maintained our AAA Bond rating. A press release will be forthcoming, but we were so delighted this week to receive confirmation from S&P that Stonington has maintained our AAA rating. During our ratings call last week, they set the tone that it would be highly difficult considering the impact of COVID-19 on both state and local economies; however, again thanks to the work of many in our community, we were able to present an excellent overview of how new development, existing business, and prudent fiscal policies have all contributed to a sustainable financial outlook.
• The school Reopening Task Force meetings, held on July 8 and 15, have been productive. Many within the school system have been working hard to come up with different scenario plans for school repopening. To share ideas or concerns please email reopeningtaskforce@stoningtonschools.org. For informational documents shared at the committee meeting please visit www.stoningtonschools.org/district/reopening-task-force.  

If you have questions, ideas or concerns please call or email my office. Hope you all have a safe and happy weekend. Please help us remind people to wear masks whenever inside, or when 6 feet is not possible outside. Our numbers in CT remain low and we need your help to keep them this way.

Warm regards,

Danielle Chesebrough, Stonington First Selectman