Dear Neighbor, 

 

In this email, you'll find updates on district resources and news. Please click the links below to read the section that corresponds with the highlighted headline.



A NOTE: If you're having trouble clicking through the following links, open this email in a browser, use a computer, or scroll through this email to the relevant section. 



The topics covered are as follows:

• Legislative Updates
• Today in CT History
• Community Resources
• CT Foodshare: Manchester & East Hartford
• Manchester Community Events 
• East Hartford Community Events

The House of Representatives had a special session to pass legislation on several matters that required timely action, particularly statutory changes scheduled to take effect over the coming months that needed adjustment to protect the public from tax increases.



The bill we passed:

• Prevents a tax increase that would otherwise take effect this fall by continuing to classify commercial vehicles as motor vehicles, and clarifying current law, which allows municipalities to establish mill rates on motor vehicles that are lower than mill rates on real property and personal property other than motor vehicles
• Promotes transparency and competition in municipally administered school construction projects by restoring a ban on construction managers' self-performing subcontracting work
• Makes Connecticut a more attractive place for innovative financial services companies to establish a significant presence by expressly allowing banks holding a certain charter to accept and hold non-retail deposits and secure deposit insurance from the FDIC and by updating the name of that charter
• Provides more certainty to the state’s vibrant insurance industry by establishing that the annual assessment on domestic insurance companies to fund certain insurance-related state offices and programs should be calculated based on those companies’ total taxes, prior to any adjustment for tax credits, from the year immediately preceding the prior calendar year instead of the prior calendar year itself
• Relieves employers, including tax-exempt organizations, that kept employees on payroll throughout the pandemic and received the federal Employee Retention Credit from the burden of interest payments attributable to the timing and complexities of a new federal program rather than any willful underpayment by the taxpayer
• Supports the preservation and redevelopment of historic properties by streamlining the process by which the State Historic Preservation Office reviews those properties
• Amends the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority to permit the Authority to acquire water companies outside its current service area

By passing this bill in special session now, we prevented a tax increase this fall and were able to get other minor and timely adjustments signed into law. 

New laws include mandatory video cameras at absentee drop boxes as part of sweeping legislation to ensure election security, allowing firearm sellers access to the arrest records of potential buyers under 21, prohibiting the selling of a person's health data without their consent, and requiring the departments of Social Services and Public Health to post a reporting tool on their websites that use a five-star system to compare nursing homes.

 

Additional laws include requiring social media companies to comply following a request to unpublish and delete accounts held by minors. The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) will have a mobile crisis-response vehicle available 24-7.

Lastly, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your calls, emails, and testimony at public hearings. They had a direct influence on these new laws. I encourage you to continue sharing your views and make your voice heard during the legislative process.

Early in the morning of June 28th, 1983, at around 1:30 am, a 100-foot span of Interstate 95 in Greenwich collapsed into the Mianus River. It was one of the most infamous American bridge disasters of the 20th century. Three people died and three more were seriously injured, when a car and two tractor-trailers careened over the edge. The death toll would no doubt have been exponentially higher had the collapse happened during rush hour, as that stretch of I-95 was then (and remains now) one of the most heavily traveled highway corridors in the United States.

Subsequent investigations found the immediate cause of the Mianus River bridge collapse was two corroded support pins; however, years of deferred maintenance and systematic neglect were the true culprit. People were shocked to discover that the 25-year-old bridge had passed a routine Department of Transportation (DOT) inspection only nine months before. Moreover, in the days just prior to the collapse, local residents had complained about an ominous increase in strange noises and vibrations coming from the bridge, but no action had been taken.

For months after the disaster, tens of thousands of vehicles that traveled I-95 daily had to be diverted onto Route 1 in Greenwich, clogging local roads throughout the region as crews worked to get the bridge back in service. In July, the temporarily repaired structure was reopened to light vehicle traffic, but buses and trucks had to wait to access the bridge until full repairs were completed in September.

The Mianus River bridge collapse spurred drastic changes in how highway bridges were constructed. Builders were required to incorporate multiple redundancies into their designs so that the failure of a single feature (e.g. a support pin) would not cause a collapse. Still, transportation advocates worried about today’s ongoing budget-related deferred infrastructure maintenance often point to the Mianus bridge collapse as an ominous warning of the potential consequences for America’s roadways.

Town Resources

https://www.easthartfordct.gov/residents

 

Town Newsletters

Pulse of East Hartford     

East Hartford Public Schools

East Hartford Works

Manchester

 

Below is the list of locations in Manchester that are open to the public; Bring a sturdy grocery bag! This program is made possible by Foodshare and Winn Residential - Resident Service Program. For more information call 860-646-1280.

 

Get mobile pantry updates in your area by texting the word Foodshare to 85511. 

 

 Link to the statewide map: https://ctfoodshare.org/get-help/connecticut-food-banks-mobile-pantry-schedule/

 

• Squire Village, 48 Spencer Street, 06040 (1st parking lot off Imperial Drive #78)
• Faith Tabernacle – Manchester 110 Utopia Rd, Manchester, CT 06042
• New River Community Church -314 Woodbridge St, Manchester, CT 06042

 

East Hartford



Below is the list of locations in East Hartford that are open to the public; Bring a sturdy grocery bag! This program is made possible by Foodshare and Winn Residential - Resident Service Program. For more information call (860) 291-7295 or (860) 291-7248

• Hockanum Park- 75 Hamilton Park
• Mayberry Village –St. Isaac Jogues Church Parking Lot (41 Home Terrace East Hartford)
• Summerfield Townhouse (66 Plain Drive East Hartford, CT)
• Veterans Terrace -102 Columbus St, East Hartford, CT 06108

https://www.easthartfordct.gov/social-services/news/mobile-connecticut-foodshare-schedule-january-march-2023

 

Get mobile pantry updates in your area by texting the word Foodshare to 85511.

The Department of Leisure, Family, and Recreation Summer Program and Event Guide is here!

Read The Full Guide Here.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is announcing the commencement of work for sign and sign support replacement on CT-187, CT-189, and I-291 on July 7, 2024.



The Project includes the replacement of signs and sign supports along the entire length of Interstate 291 (Windsor to Manchester), and the limited-access section of CT Route 187/189 in Bloomfield. The new signs and sign supports will be installed in accordance with the latest Federal and State standards and guidelines. The types of signs that will be replaced include, but are not limited to, large overhead and side mounted guide signs, on-ramp entrance signs. Additionally, two variable message signs will be installed on I-291, one northbound in Manchester, and one southbound in Windsor. 



DOT Project No. 0171-0481 was awarded to The Quaker Corporation of Cheshire, CT at a cost of $5,551,444.10 on May 24, 2024, and is scheduled to be completed on December 25, 2025.  This project is administered by the Office of Construction – District 1 in Rocky Hill.



LANE CLOSURE INFO:



Motorists can expect traffic operation impacts/lane closures on the following Roadways:

Interstate 291

• Monday-Friday between 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM - 5:00 AM
• Saturday and Sunday between 12:00 AM - 12:00 PM

CT-189/187

• Monday-Friday between 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
• Saturday and Sunday between 12:00 AM - 12:00 PM

DETOUR INFO: 

No Detours are currently anticipated at this time.

Join the Manchester Public Library for an afternoon of live acoustic music with singer Amiee Ames and Guitarist Joe III of Switchfire. This acoustics duo will be playing oldies, pop, and more.  All ages are welcome.



For more information call Reference and Adult Services at 860-645-0821.

The Town of Manchester mailed the tax bills for the October 1, 2023 Grand List on June 17, 2024. The first installment of taxes on the Grand List of October 1, 2023 are due and payable on July 1, 2024. The second installment of taxes on the Grand List of October 1, 2023, are due and payable on January 1, 2025.



Failure to pay any tax due July 1, 2024, on or before August 1, 2024, will cause the tax to become delinquent and subject to interest at the rate of 1.5% per month, back to the original due date of July 2024. To avoid interest, payment must be postmarked by August 1, 2024. Payments postmarked after August 1, 2024, will accrue interest. Any delinquent tax is subject to a minimum interest charge of two dollars ($2.00).



Failure to receive a bill does not invalidate the tax or, in the event of delinquency, respective penalties. Taxpayers who do not receive a bill by the end of the first full week of July should request a duplicate from the Collector of Revenue Office or download a copy online.

Real estate and personal property tax bills that have two installments were mailed in June with a separate, detachable payment coupon for the first and second installments. There is no second bill mailed for the second installment as both payment coupons were mailed in June.



The Collector of Revenue Office at the Manchester Town Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. We will be open until 6:00 PM on August 1, 2024. Taxpayers have several additional options to make their tax payments. Taxes may be paid online; placed in an envelope, and put in the drop box behind Town Hall (please do not put cash in the drop box); paid via phone by calling 1-844-562-1959; or by mail.



Pay Taxes Online



Taxpayers who have questions or need additional information may contact the Collector of Revenue Office at 860-647-3018 or collector@manchesterct.gov.

Saturday, July 6, 2024, rain date Sunday, July 7, 2024. The Town of Manchester is pulling out all the stops for the most “you better be there” party of the season. This annual get-together will be the highlight of the summer and is not something to be missed. It all starts at 4:00 p.m. with legendary live music, kid’s zone activities, market place offerings, food, family, friends and fireworks-filled fun, and goes until the last rocket lights up the sky at 9:55 p.m.

Join the Manchester Land Trust for a social walk along the Cheney Rail Trail! We will walk and collect any litter that we find along the way to keep this trail beautiful and clean.



We will meet at Center Springs Park to start the walk. Bags and picker-uppers will be provided!



This event is hosted by the Manchester Conservation Land Trust, the Town of Manchester, and Silk City Outdoors - Friends of Cheney Rail Trail

Spectators and car enthusiasts are invited to the Cruisin' East Hartford Car Show on Saturday, July 13, 2024 from 1 – 4 p.m. We are excited to be returning this year’s car show back to Sunset Ridge Middle School, 450 Forbes Street, East Hartford, CT 06118

The show car entrance fee is $10 and there is no cut off year. We welcome Classics (both domestic and foreign), Street Rods, Customs, Antiques, Old and New Muscle. Dash plaques will be given to the first 100 show cars. Trophies will be awarded for a variety of categories, and we will have raffle prizes and oldies music throughout the event. Pre-registration is not required; show cars will register on site on the day of the event. There is no fee for spectators!

The rain date will be Sunday, July 14, 2024. In case of inclement weather, updates will be posted on our website: www.easthartfordct.gov/parks-recreation and on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ehparks. For more information, please call East Hartford Parks and Recreation at 860-291-7160 or CT Street Legends at 860-280-8076.

The Town of East Hartford is excited to announce a new East Hartford Farmers’ Market schedule and location for the 2024 season! Our East Hartford Farmers’ Market will be held Tuesdays from July 9 through October 29 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Town Green / Alumni Park (1047 Main Street).

“Our farmers’ market is a valuable program that fosters community connection while providing access to fresh, local produce and products made by Connecticut vendors,” said Mayor Connor Martin. “We are looking forward to expanding the market by hosting additional vendors and offering more family-friendly activities such as games and live music at our new location on the Town Green.”

CALL FOR FARMERS’ MARKET VENDORS:

Market organizers are in the process of recruiting vendors to expand the variety of Connecticutmade foods as well as other vendors to improve the selection for customers.

Are you a farmer or market vendor who produces honey, milk, eggs, bread, other foods, or locally produced crafts who wishes to be part of the East Hartford Farmers’ Market? Are you a business or non-profit organization looking to promote your services? Please visit the East Hartford Farmers’ Market website for guidelines and to access the vendor application (both online and printable options are available). There is no cost to participate as a vendor and individuals are able to request space for specific dates or the full market season. Once your application is submitted, organizers will review and determine if your product or service is appropriate for the farmers’ market.

DONATE TO BECOME AN EH FARMERS’ MARKET PARTNER!

The Town of East Hartford is asking for donations from residents, community organizations, and businesses to support our market programs that fight food insecurity right here in our community. Your support will help residents buy fresh, healthy foods from farmers that support our market. Donations will help the Town provide additional support to SNAP, WIC, and SFMNP recipients through farmers’ market matching vouchers.

Donations can be made online by visiting the Social Services Donation Program website and choosing the “Farmers’ market partner program” option. Alternatively, cash or check donations can be dropped off to East Hartford Youth & Social Services Division located at the Community Cultural Center at 50 Chapman Place. Checks should be made payable to the Town of East Hartford Youth & Social Services Division with “Farmers Market” noted in the bottom left. Any amount helps!

For more information regarding the various benefit programs and the Social Services donation program, please visit East Hartford Farmers’ Market website.

My office is always open if you or your family are in need of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email at Jason.Rojas@cga.ct.gov or by phone at 860-240-8541.



Sincerely,



Jason Rojas