East Windsor First Selectman Updates Residents On Town Happenings
EAST WINDSOR, CT — First Selectman Jason Bowsza periodically updates residents about town government and other local happenings. Here is his report for July 2, 2020.
We’re now two days into the new fiscal year, and while there is still some reconciling to do to close out FY 19/20, it looks like we will still be returning a substantial amount of money back to the Fund Balance. This is a significant accomplishment, given the unexpected circumstances incurred due to COVID-19.
Our Tax Collection Department has begun to collect payments for the July tax bills, which were mailed on Monday and should be received by now. People who want to pay in person can do so, or they can use the drop box outside of Town Hall, or they can pay online. However, I do want to remind folks that the Board of Selectmen elected to defer property tax collection by 90 days for people who do not pay their taxes in escrow. This is a small gesture put forth by the town to help people navigate the COVID-19 economy, but it isn’t compulsory – you can still pay your taxes on time if you wish.
The Town has a number of positions open that we are advertising for, most notably a Zoning Enforcement Officer, a Fire Marshal, and two Public Works Maintainers. Interested applicants should reach out to Melissa LaBelle at mlabelle@eastwindsorct.com.
Several businesses have been in touch with my office looking for opportunities to locate or expand their presence in East Windsor. We’ll be reviewing our economic development incentive program and working to negotiate with interested parties to grow our tax base. From an economic development standpoint, we’ve also had our second profile in three weeks in the Hartford Business Journal. We’re also in the final draft stages of a template Development Agreement and a template Fixed Assessment Agreement, both of which will streamline our process for welcoming businesses into the community once they are finalized.
Over the last few weeks I’ve continued to work with the Town Attorney on a possible resolution to the fire tax disparity issue, and have requested a meeting with the Broad Brook Fire Department leadership to review a second draft of an ordinance to rectify the situation. Once that conversation has happened and their thoughts have been incorporated into the draft, a new version will be presented to the Board of Selectmen for their consideration.
In partnership with Priority Urgent Care, we’ve been offering COVID-19 testing to residents in town at no charge for more than a month. The test is a nasal swab and takes a matter of seconds to administer. Today, we also began offering antibody testing for anyone who wants to determine whether they have the antibodies for COVID-19. This is a simple blood test. I had both tests done today in less than five minutes. Testing for both tests will be offered again next Wednesday, July 8, from 10am to 3pm at East Windsor High School. You can pre-register by calling 860-454-0678.
In a welcomed return to normalcy, I had the pleasure of meeting with our local boy scout troop last week. These young men wanted to learn about how our town government works, and had some really well considered questions about the solar project that is coming to town. It was really fun to be able to interact with people in a group setting for the first time in months. (We met outside at Scout Hall, while social distancing and wearing masks.)
I hope everyone has a healthy, happy and restful Independence Day holiday!
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This article originally appeared on the Windsor Locks-East Windsor Patch
