First Selectman's Report - January 5, 2024

Winter Storm Preparation

The Department of Public Works and Colchester Fire & EMS are preparing for the storm expected this weekend.

Here is what you can do to help us provide you with the best service this winter:

• Please be patient if things aren’t happening as quickly as they have in the past. Due to a high turnover this year, we have several new snowplow drivers. To prepare for this storm, the Highway department has calibrated the trucks and the drivers have been trained several times on their route under full load.
• Any parking ban information will be posted to the Town News section on the front page of the Town of Colchester Website.
• To avoid strikes by the plow, please ensure all garbage cans or any other items are moved at least 3 feet away from the road.
• Please check your mailbox and make sure it is secure. If the mailbox is installed and physically hit by the plow, the town will replace the mailbox. For more information visit our Mailbox Placement/Replacement Page.
• For your safety, if it’s not necessary to drive during the storm, please stay off the roads. Enjoy the weather from the comfort of your home.
• There is free sand available to residents at the Town Garage located at 300 Old Hartford Road.
• During clean up after the storm residents are reminded not to shovel snow back out into the road.
• Please make sure all fire hydrants are cleared of snow within a 3-4 foot perimeter.
• Per Town ordinance, owners of property with public sidewalks must clean them within 24 hours of the end of the storm.

We are all looking forward to the first snow of the season, but the first priority is residents’ safety. Should you have any questions please reach out to the Public Works Department at 860-537-7288.

More detailed information can be found on the Public Works Winter Weather Reminder web page.

Temporary Budget Freeze and Finance Department

Since taking office six weeks ago, I have identified some concerning trends in both accounting and spending. Last night, the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance held a joint meeting at my request to discuss this situation.

Ensuring the financial stability and sustainability of the Town government you have entrusted me to manage as First Selectman is my top priority – one I believe I share with every member of the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance. To ensure the Town is able to deliver accurate reporting and management of our Town finances, I will be reorganizing the management of the Town Finance Department. This will include changes to our internal procedures. I will be assisted by Colchester’s former chief financial officer Maggie Cosgrove who is currently serving as the Town’s finance advisor.

The Board of Selectmen also voted last night to create the position of Deputy Director of Town Finance. I am happy to announce that Michelle Marceau, accountant for Colchester Public Schools and a former employee of the Colchester Town/Board of Education joint finance office will be taking over this role effective Monday, January 8. This means that Michelle will also be serving as the Acting Director of Town Finance until further notice.

In the meantime, as a result of the many unknowns in our financial reporting, I am implementing a soft spending freeze, effective immediately. All purchases will need to be approved by the First Selectman until further notice.

My full statement on the subject is available here.

Norton Park

The brush clearing being performed by our Public Works crew is nearly complete. Just before the Christmas holiday, the Town received responses to an RFP seeking consultants for Civil Design Services for Phase 1 of Norton Park, which will include surveying the newly cleared area, working closely with the Norton Park Committee to design proposed improvements, preparing site development plans, construction documents and bid specifications for construction bidding, and assisting in hiring a qualified construction contractor. These services will be paid for with a grant provided by the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut. We expect that the Board of Selectmen will award this contract in the coming weeks and that design of Phase 1 of Norton Park will commence this winter, in hopes that construction of Phase 1 can be put out to bid in spring or early summer.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Colchester’s CORE Commission will host a community reading to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Saturday, January 13 at Cragin Memorial Library in Norton Rooms A & B from 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM. Local leaders and residents will read excerpts from MLKs materials with a focus on “Service to Others.” Please join us for this special event.