To: Town Council
From: Matt Hart, Town Manager
CC: Town Employees
Date: April 12, 2010
Re: Town Manager’s Report
Below please find a report regarding various items of interest to the Town Council, staff and the community:
Budget and Finance
· FY 20010/11 Budget – At tonight’s meeting the Town Council will hold a public hearing on the Town Manager’s Proposed FY 2010/11 Budget. At 6:30 PM this Thursday, April 15, 2010, the Town Council will hold a budget workshop with the Mansfield Board of Education to discuss the board’s recommended budget. Interested residents are encouraged to see the Town’s website for budget-related information.
Council Requests for Information/Council Business
· Fire Services Inquiries – Please see item number 14 in your 3/12/10 Council packet for a response to a citizen inquiry made at the 3/22/10 Council meeting. Another memo written in response to a letter to the editor has been distributed as an attachment to this report.
· Regionalism Committee – This coming Friday, April 16, 2010, the Council’s Regionalism Committee will meet with representatives from the Town of Windham to discuss regional issues and concerns, including potential opportunities for shared services.
· Revaluation Process – At the 3/22/10 Council meeting, Councilmember Haddad inquired as to how our revaluation process affects various categories of housing in town. We did distribute this information at our budget session on March 25, 2010; please let me know if you have additional questions regarding this topic.
Departmental/Division News
· Emergency Management
o The Emergency Management Advisory Committee met on April 8, 2010. The primary topic of conversation was the upcoming UConn Spring Weekend.
· Human Services
o Senior center coordinator – we are presently advertising the coordinator’s position in number of media, and have begun to receive applications.
o Social worker – We are pleased to announce that Barbara Lavoie started work on April 5th as the new social worker for senior services. Some of you may know Barbara from her work at Juniper Hill over the past decade or from her Saturday work at our Senior Center. We are looking forward to Barbara working with us and are confident that she will do an excellent job. Welcome Barbara!
o Volunteer recognition program – As a reminder, the Mansfield Senior Center Association has invited the Town Council to attend its volunteer appreciation day at the center, to be held at noon on Wednesday, April 21, 2010.
· Library
o On Saturday April 17 at 10:30 AM, Sparky's Puppets will perform "How Does Your Garden Grow." In this collection of springtime tales you'll laugh at the antics of the Grasshopper and the Ant, watch Brier Rabbit sneak into the veggie garden and find out what happens when a pesky goblin tries to outsmart a farmer in Tops and Bottoms. Sparky's Puppets have performed throughout New England for over 30 years. Count on lots of humor and audience participation in this fun show for families. This program takes the place of our usual Saturday Family Storytime and is recommended for ages 3 and up.
o You can also join the Library staff during the Mansfield school vacation week for three afternoons of stories and crafts. On Tuesday April 20th we'll have stories and crafts about bunnies; on Wednesday April 21st we'll have stories and crafts about chicks; and on Friday April 23rd we'll have stories and crafts about lambs. The programs run from 1:30PM - 3:00 PM. All ages welcome!
· Planning and Zoning
o At its April 5th meeting, the Mansfield Inland Wetlands Agency approved, effective May 1, 2010, a comprehensive update of Mansfield’s Inland Wetlands Regulations. The new regulations, which are based on State Department of Environmental Protection Agency model regulations, replace all existing regulations. In general, the new regulations clarify regulatory provisions and incorporate current statutory and case law requirements. A number of existing provisions, including requirements regarding regulated activities and upland review areas, have been incorporated and additional definitions and revised provisions regarding application requirements, decision considerations and agent delegations have been added. The new regulations will be posted on Mansfield’s web site and available in the Planning office.
· Town Manager’s Office
o Chief Dagon and Maria Capriola were recent guest speakers for the University of Connecticut Master’s of Public Administration Program. They presented on labor relations to over 30 students enrolled in a human resources course.
Major Projects and Initiatives
· Probate Court Consolidation – My fellow CEO’s from Coventry, Tolland and Willington and I recommend that the new regional probate court be located in space to be made available at the Tolland Municipal Building. As you know, we have been reviewing this issue for some months and recently met with Probate Court Administrator Paul Knierim to solicit his feedback. Neither of the existing court locations (Mansfield and Tolland) appears to be adequate to comfortably host the new consolidated probate court. With respect to the Mansfield location, we did look at various options, including a move to the Department of Human Services suite or splitting the existing court into two locations inside town hall – neither of these options appears feasible. Tolland, however, has identified another location within its municipal building that would prove more than adequate to host the court, with some minor renovations. On an annual basis, we have estimated that the four towns would need to collectively contribute $16,259 to the consolidated costs. Based upon our respective grand lists, the allocation rate would break down as follows: Tolland - 34.6%; Mansfield - 26.43%; Coventry 26.10% and Willington 12.87%. Consequently, our estimate for FY 2011/12 totals $5,625 for Tolland, $4,297 for Mansfield, $4,243 for Coventry and $2,092 for Willington. In addition, we estimate a one-time cost of $1,250 per town to fund the renovation. Costs in subsequent years may increase slightly when we know better the costs for a combined court. Unless the Town Council has any significant concerns, I recommend that we proceed with the Tolland location. As a next step, the CEO’s would draft an inter-local agreement detailing our various responsibilities to the new probate court, and seek approval from our respective legislative bodies. I would plan to present this to you some time over the next few months.
· School Building Project – As a reminder, tomorrow evening, 7:00 PM on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 in the Council Chambers at the Beck Municipal Building the League of Women Voters and the Mansfield Advocates for Children will sponsor a moderated forum on the Proposed New Community PreK-4 Elementary School and Mansfield Middle School Project. The session will be shown live on Channel 13 and I anticipate the discussion will prove informative for the Council and the public.
Member Organizations
· Mansfield Downtown Partnership - The owners of the Vanilla Bean and 85 Main restaurants, Brian and Barry Jessurun, are seeking ideas for their new restaurant to be located in the first phase of Storrs Center. A survey has been developed and is featured on the Mansfield Downtown Partnership (www.mansfieldct.org/dtp.html) and master developer Storrs Center Alliance (www.storrscenter.com) websites. The survey addresses dining preferences, hours of operation, and entertainment possibilities. The new restaurant, tentatively called Dog Lane Café, is planned as a casual restaurant that will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its goal is to focus on being “green” from the build out phase to the day-to-day operations. The survey will be available through May 31st.
Upcoming Meetings*
· Youth Services Bureau Advisory Board, April 13, 2010, 11:30 AM, Conference Room C, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Regulatory Review Committee, April 13, 2010, 2:00 PM, Conference Room B, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Community Forum on the Four Schools Building project, April 13, 2010, 7:00 PM Council Chambers, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Zoning Board of Appeals, April 14, 2010, 7:00 PM, Council Chambers, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Mansfield Board of Education, April 15, 2010, 7:30 PM, Council Chambers, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Planning and Zoning Commission, April 19, 2010, 2010, 7:00 PM, Council Chambers, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Energy Education Team, April 20, 2010, 7:00 PM, Conference Room B, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Mansfield Advocates for Children, April 21, 2010, 8:30 AM, Conference Room C, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Conservation Commission, April 21, 2010, 7:30 PM, Conference Room B, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Personnel Committee, April 26, 2010, 6:00 PM, Conference Room B, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Town Council, April 26, 2010, 7:30 PM, Council Chambers, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
· Meetings on the Budget:
o Town Council Budget Workshop, April 15, 2010, 6:30 PM, Council Chambers, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
o Adoption of Budget and Recommended Appropriations, April 19, 2010, 7:30 PM, Arts and Crafts Room, Mansfield Senior Center
o Adoption of Budget and Recommended Appropriations (if necessary), April 20, 2010, 7:30 PM, Council Chambers, Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building
o Public Information Session, April 21, 2010, 7:00 PM, Buchanan Auditorium, Mansfield Public Library
o Annual Town Meeting, May 11, 2010, 7:00 PM, Mansfield Middle School Auditorium
*Meeting dates/times are subject to change. Please view the Town Calendar or contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 429-3302 for a complete and up-to-date listing of committee meetings.