First Selectman's Report - 3/11/2022

Enjoy the Weekend - But Be Careful!!

March is such a funny month as the weather fluctuates from day-to-day. Latest forecast includes a mix of snow, rain, and strong winds this Saturday. Please be careful if you venture out this Saturday for a night on the town. I’ll be headed out to celebrate a birthday or two!! But if you stay in, consider getting caught up on Cobra Kai, The Ozarks, or The Book of Boba Fett. With that said, I leave you with the First Selectman’s report and the latest from the desk of Chatham Health.

 

First Selectman’s Report: 3/7 – 3/11

1. On Sunday, March 6^th I had the honor to spend time with Walter Clark and his family to celebrate his 100^th birthday. As a community we are also eternally grateful for his service in World War II. God bless you, Walter!!
2. On Monday, March 7th, the Recreation Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of Selectmen approve naming R-4 in honor of Norm Kaplan.  According to the Town policy, we need a petition signed by 3% (347) of the registered voters in the Town of Colchester.  Once the Town Clerk has verified the signatures, the recommendation will be sent to the Board of Selectmen’s for a vote to send the proposal to a Town meeting for approval by the townspeople. On a personal note, Norm Kaplan was an excellent all-around guy, and I was fortunate enough to have him as my Youth Soccer Coach. Collaborating with him on the Park & Rec Commission via the Board of Finance was always a pleasure. I strongly endorse this proposal to honor Norm. If a citizen is interested in obtaining a petition for signatures, please contact me or Tiffany Quinn, our Park & Rec Director.
3. The 2022 Colchester Budget Survey results are available! For the results, follow the link: https://www.colchesterct.gov/board-finance/pages/2022-budget-survey-results
4. The ARPA Committee is still accepting small business applications. As a reminder, there is $1M in ARPA funds specifically earmarked for our local businesses. A business may receive up to $25K in federal funds. Please apply and complete your ARPA application here:  https://www.colchesterct.gov/your-government/arpa-ad-hoc-committee  You may reach out to [email protected]  if you have any further questions. Deadlines for local businesses are April 30th.
5. On March 17^th the Board of Selectmen will vote on whether to utilize ARPA funds to establish a state-of-the-art Hybrid Meeting Room, following a public demonstration. While I can’t speak for the rest of the BOS, I am 110% committed to this project and bringing our community into the 21st century. With the conception of a state-of-the-art Hybrid Meeting Room, the community will have unparalleled access to town meetings while simultaneously meeting all FOI standards. It is time our elected officials embrace the future.
6. The Colchester Business Association will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony for The Colchester Urgent Care Center on Saturday, March 19^th at 2 pm at their 179 Linwood Ave location. We hope you all can make it.
7. The Board of Selectmen recently approved of the C-TIP application for ARK Distillery. ARK Distillery (Acts of Random Kindness) is a vision by two women to start a whiskey infusion business which is fun, socially responsible, environmentally friendly and produces an enjoyable product. They will be partnering with an established distiller in Kentucky, with a 6-year goal of distilling bourbon and whiskey at their Colchester location. The property C-TIP tax abatement to ARK Station, LLC proposed in the amounts of 100% in year one, 100% in year two, 100% in year three of the increase in real property tax for proposed improvements to the existing building at 200 Lebanon Avenue. The C-TIP will be brought to a Town Meeting on March 17^th at 6:30 pm at Town Hall, Meeting Room 1.
8. Concerned citizens have requested that the Board of Selectmen consider adopting a new ordinance regarding dog litter. Should we fine individuals who don’t clean up after their dogs? Take the poll here: https://www.allcounted.com/s?did=cflb44thob8d7&lang=en_US . The deadline is Tuesday, March 15^th.

The Youth First Coalition is rolling out their 2022 Youth and Community Survey.  The Community Survey collects the valued opinions of Colchester Parents and Community Members related to issues that affect Colchester Youth.  They will use the feedback to develop programs and initiatives to benefit the health & wellness of Colchester Youth.  Due to COVID, this is their first time administering the survey since 2019. They are looking forward to hearing from the community! The survey is open for community members and parents until April 8th and is accessed through this Survey Monkey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ColComm2022

 

 

 

As of March 11, all counties in CT have a LOW COVID-19 community level. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels-count...

 

Overall, the District had 52 cases during this reporting period – a decrease of 33 cases (or 39%) compared to the last reporting period.​

Hospitalizations have continued to decline, with 155 patients currently hospitalized in Connecticut. Weekly statewide fatalities increased, with 100 fatalities reported in the last week. DPH data show that approximately 75.9% of Chatham Health District residents are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and 46.5% have received an additional dose. Though the Omicron variant has shown an ability to infect people who are fully vaccinated, vaccination continues to provide significant protection from severe disease, hospitalization, and death.

 

In order to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

 

Chatham Health District is coordinating testing and vaccine clinics, and vaccinating homebound residents.

To see upcoming scheduled vaccine and testing clinics in the district, visit our website:

https://www.chathamhealth.org/services-2, or call 2-1-1.

Russell S. Melmed, MPH

Director of Health

Chatham Health District

 

Click here for the weekly COVID-19 Status Report charts.