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First Selectman's Report:4/11-4/14/2022

Posted on: April 14, 2022 - 5:22pm
Blessings!
Many Christians in our community will celebrate Easter this Sunday, while our Orthodox Christian community members will celebrate Palm Sunday. Happy Passover to our Jewish friends. I wish them and everyone in our community a wonderful and joyous weekend. Please also enjoy the fantastic weather.
Andreas Bisbikos
First Selectman
 

Current Updates:

First Selectman’s Report: 4/11-4/14

  1. The ARPA Ad-Hoc Committee is still accepting small business applications. $1M in ARPA funds has been specifically earmarked for our local businesses. A business may receive up to $25K in federal funds. The ARPA Committee is also accepting non-profit applications. There is $250K specifically earmarked for non-profits. Please apply and complete your ARPA application here:  https://www.colchesterct.gov/your-government/arpa-ad-hoc-committee
You may reach out to ARPA@colchesterct.gov if you have any further questions. Deadlines for local businesses and non-profits are April 30th, 2022. The Board of Selectmen unanimously decided to review all applications after the April 30th  deadline to ensure funding fairness for all applicants.
 

2. Beginning April 19,  Eversource will be installing approximately six miles of gas pipeline to improve system resiliency between Middletown and Montville and increase the availability of gas supply options from one to three transmission companies. This connection allows natural gas to flow between the communities, ensuring that gas is always there when customers need it. The project provides a link to potential access to natural gas in areas where clean, efficient natural gas has not been an option. The pipeline is to be constructed in the state or town rights-of-way, and most will occur in the road – resulting in minimal impacts to private property. Eversource and its contractors will coordinate work with town officials and individual customers. Construction hours will occur Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM on Route 16 West of Route 2 and on Route 149. Night working hours will occur Sunday through Thursday from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM on Route 85 and Route 16.

 
Eversource is expected to invest $20M into the project. The project could generate up to $650K in additional revenue for next year’s grand list. Natural gas will become available in the coming years as a result. This is a big win for our community.
 
3. In speaking with Tiffany Quinn, our Parks & Recreation Director, the contractor will begin paving the basketball courts next week.
 
4. The Senior Center Logo Contest: As we design and build a brand-new senior center, we are looking to establish a new logo. We are conducting a community-wide contest to design this logo, which we envision using in the new building and in promotional materials such as our monthly newsletter, on business cards, and on letterhead. If you are interested in creating a design and entering it into the contest, please click here: https://www.colchesterct.gov/home/news/community-wide-new-senior-center-logo-contest
 

5. As the Russian war on Ukraine enters its third month, many Connecticut citizens are asking how they can help. CCM has developed a landing page in partnership with the National League of Cities (NLC) that directs to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund at the United Nations, where you can donate funds and necessities to the people of Ukraine. Click here to access that page https://www.ccm-ct.org/Resources/How-You-and-Your-Community-Can-Support-Ukraine

 
 
6. The Colchester “Annual Spring Clean Up” is Saturday, April 30th , from 8 AM-12 noon.
People (groups, families, organizations) can register online to clean up a specific area in town. Colchester Parks and Recreation will provide garbage bags that can be left on site for the Public Works crew to pick up. If you are interested in cleaning a neighborhood, we can help arrange this as well. Clean-up areas in the town include the schools, the RecPlex, the Town Green, the Town Hall, and Ruby Cohen Woodlands.
 
All registered participants will meet at noon at the Town Green baseball field for a group picture- then we will all head over to Mel’s Downtown Creamery for a free ice cream cone on us as a “thank you”! When you register, you will be able to specify a location, and then you will receive an email with all of the details on Monday, April 25th . If you have any questions, please call the Recreation Office at (860) 537-7297. If you are interested in participating, please register online at  https://colchesterctrec.recdesk.com/Community/Home. 
 
7. Radio City, Rockefeller Center, Met Museum of Art, Times Square, 34th  Street, and the 9/11 Memorial- it’s all up to you! The day is yours to explore, and there is bound to be something for the whole family to enjoy! The deluxe motor coach will depart from the Colchester Town Hall at 7:00 AM on Sunday, May 1, and transport passengers to New York City. The bus will drop you off in the area of Times Square or the Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center). At 7:00 PM, the bus will meet everyone at Bryant Park, on 42nd St., to head back to Colchester. The cost is $60 per resident and $65 per non-resident. An adult must accompany anyone under the age of 16. The registration deadline is April 25th , 2022, and we require a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 54 passengers. If interested, you can register online at https://colchesterctrec.recdesk.com/Community/Home . If you have any questions, please call the Recreation Office at (860) 537-7297. 
 
8. The Public Safety Subcommittee is looking for two members of the public to serve on it. You can get your application to join the subcommittee here: https://www.colchesterct.gov/first-selectmans-office/pages/forms-documents
 
9. Colchester Garden Club Fundraiser with plants for Pollinators
Order online through April 25, 2022, with direct shipment in early May.
 
Gardening is a healthy activity for a lifetime - it offers many benefits for children’s development, provides a source of exercise/stretching as we age, and has been shown to relieve stress, boost one’s mood, and more.  Consider creating or enhancing your home landscape or garden in support of pollinators this year while supporting the Colchester Garden Club’s fundraiser.
 
 
The Colchester Garden Club is holding a fundraiser to order plants for pollinators and flowers to cut for arrangements.  The proceeds will go towards community service projects, public programs, and activities.  To see offerings and order online, go to:  https://threeriversfundraising.com/fundraiser/clcgc-sp22