First Selectman Community Update- September 25, 2020

Dear Stonington Residents,

As we experiment with different modes of communication with residents, please do share feedback with us. Today, we are sharing updates highlighting the work of various Town Departments. This update includes Human Services, Tax, Assessment, Administrative Services, Solid Waste and WPCA. Before sharing the department updates, we wanted to share some additional positive updates from our office.

As a reminder, please check our newsfeed for COVID-19 related updates.

We are excited to share that we have officially appointed members to our new Communications Ad Hoc Committee. These members will serve out a one-year term with the objective to help us improve communication with residents. They will hold their first meeting in October and will be sharing regular updates, as they will be seeking community input on communication improvement options. Related to the topic of communication, we have launched a new pilot video series- Community Connections. The goal is to showcase different people, places, organizations and businesses throughout Stonington. Please know we are eager for your feedback on other areas to feature, as well as input on the format- keeping in mind it’s just two of us pulling it together!

Second, we are very excited to announce that plans are underway to expand the Stonington Human Services Community Garden program to a secondary location at Town Hall. Since 2010, over 100 Stonington residents have enjoyed harvesting their own organically-grown produce thanks to the efforts of our team at Stonington Human Services. As we see the increased importance of having access to sustainable, local food sources, the Town of Stonington would like to expand our Community Garden program to include a second location at Stonington Town Hall, which will offer increased accessibility through the addition of a number of raised garden beds for those in wheelchairs or who may have trouble accessing lower beds. Thanks to local Eagle Scout volunteers, our Departments of Public Works, Planning and Human Services we will be able to offset a large portion of the cost of the project, but are looking to cover material costs. As part of this effort we have launched our first community crowdfunding effort to help fund this project. With the help of the Sustainable CT program, every dollar raised will be matched. If you are able, please consider making a donation to help us reach our fundraising goal. If not, you can still help by sharing information on this project. More details can be found here. Thank you!

Stonington Human Services

The team is here to help residents in many ways. Ranging from providing assistance to residents in applying for critical supportive services during this challenging time to offering recreation opportunities for all ages. Please remember that case management services are mainly being conducted remotely, but in-person appointments are available as needed.  While today may be warm, cold temperatures are coming and the team is taking applications for energy assistance. In partnership with the United Way, Human Services will distribute ALICE Relief Fund benefits to qualified Stonington Households. While the Annual Benefit Golf Classic is SOLD OUT, there are still ways to help support our program scholarships. Please consider buying tickets to our raffle! Stonington Feeds Stonington is still actively working to support local establishments, while simultaneously giving back to our neighbors in need.  If you, or someone you know, would benefit from a bit of sunshine at this time, please reach out. To read more details related this update visit a related post in the First Selectman blog page.

Tax Collector

The tax collector’s office has been hard at work to ensure we are collecting the funds needed to support all the facets of local government. The second installments of real estate tax may be paid any time between now and February 1, 2021. Also, beginning in January of 2021, the tax office will begin collecting for Pawcatuck Fire District. The town tax and fire district tax bills will be combined. No more yellow bills!

Department of Assessment

Over the next several months the team will be processing transfers; 1,332 building permits; valuing regular and supplemental registered motor vehicles; personal and property exemptions; farm and forest land use assessments; and personal property for the 2020 Grand List. Personal property declarations for businesses owners are being mailed prior to the end of October. Future objectives are the preparation of the tax-exempt quadrennial filings for the non-profit organizations for the 2021 Grand List and the contract preparation for the 2022 Revaluation.

Our Director of Assessment will also be retiring at the end of this month, after 24 years of service to the Town. She will be greatly missed. We are please to welcome Jennifer Lineweaver as our new Director. A number of Towns have not been able to fill their Director role and so we are particularly grateful to have found such a qualified candidate.

Solid Waste

The Transfer Station on Greenhaven Rd. is fully open for regular business.  Appointments are no longer necessary and the “Reuse Shed” is back in operation.  Items that have been gently used, such as wooden furniture, small household appliance in working order and housewares are acceptable for drop off or take away.  Additionally, Stonington residents can dispose of leaves for composting at the Transfer Station free of charge. There is also supply of compost and wood chips available to Stonington residents for home use, also free of charge.

WPCA

Currently the WPCA and the Director’s office is focused on many fronts. Highlights include work moving forward on the Mystic to Borough Transmission Line project. The Pawcatuck Treatment Facility Final Clarifier Rebuild project is out for bid with bids due by October 21st,.  This will be the first project to use the recent Bond Fund approval. Meeting are ongoing to discuss projects that include improvements to the River Road, Extrusion Drive, and Spellman Drive pumping stations. They are also discussing the plant water system repairs at the Borough Treatment Facility as well as replenishment of the soil filter at Pawcatuck.

On the more challenging fronts, work had started on the Inflow and Infiltration study, work had to be put on hold due to near drought conditions. The WPCA is currently working with its contract operator (Suez) on some process issues experienced at the Borough Facility.  This facility was recently reseeded with bio-mass from the Pawcatuck Facility in an effort to bring the biological system back to a healthy condition. The team is also working to understand and correct the flow discrepancy between flows received at the Mystic Facility and billable flows. This is a complex issue involving information from water meter reads (Aquarian Water), information from the I&I study (CDM, currently on hold), and the installation of flow meters at all the pump stations with in the Mystic sewer shed.

This is all in addition to the normal activity of the WPCA office, including billing, processing, answering existing and potential customer questions, inspections, review of P&Z applications, review and processing of payments to Suez, meetings and daily correspondence with Suez, and correspondence with DEEP.

Department of Administrative Services

This department is responsible for attracting and retaining talented staff to serve the residents of Stonington, as well as providing services for our Town employees.  Recently, the team has revised and streamlined the recruitment process, while also recruiting and onboarding four new full-time staff and one part-time staff over the past two months. Facing a number of retirements, the team is working across different departments to ensure a smooth transition for all retiring and new employees. 

The team is now working on updating key policies, such as the Employee Handbook. Working with the First Selectman, planning is also underway on employee training and development. Employees have recently completed Sexual Harassment and evaluations are underway to finalize training options for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to be delivered to Town staff, Boards and Committees. New training will also take place shortly on further developing project management skills for Department Heads and Town staff. 

Responsibility for coordination of the Town’s Capital Improvement Program sits with this department and work is underway to help improve the process. Working with both the Board of Selectman and Board of Finance, a new CIP calendar was established and a CIP team has been finalized, representing all areas of local government including the schools. The first round of CIP requests has been submitted and work is now underway for the next fiscal year.

If you have questions, ideas or concerns please call or email. 

Warm regards,

Danielle Chesebrough, Stonington First Selectman