First Selectman’s Report: 10/17 - 10/21/2022

New Playground
New Playground: Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening!
1. You, and your family, are invited to join us as we proudly open the new Playground at the Colchester RecPlex, located at 215 Old Hebron Road, Colchester, CT. The grand opening will be held on Saturday, October 29th at 11:00 AM, and cake will be served!

2. Trick or Trunk will be held Saturday, October 29th, at the Bacon Academy Parking Lot from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. DJ Montez will be spinning the ghoulish beats. Please register your trunk by Wednesday, October 26th. And, of course, your First Selectman will be there too!
 
3. Congratulations to all the Red Ribbon Week Poster Winners. Red Ribbon Week is the nation's largest and longest-running drug awareness and prevention program, observed annually in October.
 
4. The Hybrid Meeting Room's glorious debut was on Wednesday, October 19th, at the Board of Finance Meeting. With nearly 80 participants, the public had an opportunity to view a solid meeting where the entire board came out united on the budget number. Great job, everyone!!
 
5. The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved sending the Town Budget to a Town Meeting on Wednesday, November 2nd, at 6:30 PM at Town Hall and a Budget Referendum to be held on  Tuesday, November 15th, from 6 AM to 8 PM at Town Hall. An approved town budget would result in a new mill rate of 26.82 mills.
 
6. Brian Marvin and the wonderful folks at Carefree will be donating a bus shelter to the Town Green. Thank you for loving our Town!!
 
7. The Board of Selectmen has applicants for the Human Resources Coordinator and Town Planner positions, and we will be interviewing for the posts on Tuesday.
 
8. Inside Investigator Excerpt: Connecticut is one of 31 states that level a personal property tax on vehicles. It remains unpopular to the point that lawmakers have sought to either ease the burden or eliminate it completely for decades. But a significant number of Connecticut residents have taken it upon themselves to get rid of the vehicle tax burden – by registering their car in another state to avoid the tax completely.
 
It is “One of the largest forms of tax evasion in the state of Connecticut,” according to tax assessor John Chaponis. He says people who move to Connecticut and fail to register their cars with the state make up a growing population who deprive their municipalities of tax revenue.
To read the entire story and watch the video interview with John Chaponis, our Town’s tax assessor, follow this link: https://insideinvestigator.org/driving-force-the-uncertain-future-of-con...
 
9. Colchester is greatly blessed—with wonderful citizens, big-hearted volunteers, and our very own winery, Priam Vineyards, right here in Town at 11 Shailor Hill Road. Newly acquired by the Winiarski Family, the winery has called Colchester home for more than two decades. Last year, Priam marked its twentieth anniversary since first harvesting and bottling their own grapes. As good stewards of the land, they are a solar-powered farm and sit atop 40 acres of prime farmland. Wine tastings and snacks can be enjoyed year-round, every Wednesday through Sunday from 11 AM to 6 PM, with seating choices indoors and out. And, of course, you can buy wine by the glass, by the bottle, or by the case. Priam is on the Connecticut wine trail and easily found right off Route 2, exit 16.
 
Something exciting (and sometimes unexpected!) is always happening at the vineyard—from yoga and live music to food truck events, comedy shows, and paint nights. They also host private weddings (up to 500 guests), bridal and baby shower celebrations, and a variety of charitable galas and events. This month, 10% of profits from sales of their Rosé wines will go to the Susan Komen Foundation to fight breast cancer.
Let’s extend a very warm welcome to the Winiarski Family for continuing this amazing tradition in our Town and allowing us to experience up close a world-class amenity few towns in Connecticut can boast.

 
 
Andreas Bisbikos
First Selectman