From the First Selectman's Desk
January 5, 2024
Well, our first snow storm of the year is expected this weekend. At this time, according to the state’s emergency operations center, they are monitoring the situation as the largest winter storm in almost 2 years is expected to bring moderate to heavy snow to most of Connecticut with areas along the coast seeing light snow with rain. The low-pressure system will gradually intensify as the storm moves just south of New England Saturday night and during the day on Sunday. Light snow mixed with rain at the coast is expected to spread into the state from the southwest between 4:00 – 7:00 pm. The snow is forecast to quickly pick up in intensity and become moderate to heavy at times (snowfall rates up to 1” per hour) by 9:00 PM. A period of heavy snow may follow between 9:00 PM – 3:00 AM with snowfall rates between 1.0” – 1.25” inches per hour across most of the state. The snow intensity may lighten somewhat after 3:00 AM with some rain mixing in along the coast; the coast is expected to get from 3-6 inches of wet snow mixed with rain.
The impact on overnight travel is expected to be moderate with several inches of snow cover on most roads across the state overnight. So, while Deep River might not receive as much snow as other parts of the state, with the rain and wet conditions and with temperatures below freezing, roads and sidewalks will be slick. Please take extra precautions and get prepared for the storm. The Town’s public works department is prepared, with trucks and plows ready to go. A parking ban is in effect on all of the roads in town so that crews can adequately clear the roads and emergency vehicles can get through. If necessary, we will be in communication with The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, who are each closely monitoring this approaching winter storm.
Another short but busy week. I met with the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce Director of the Economic Development to both share and explore ideas and visions for our downtown area and our industrial areas. He has some great resources to offer and I look forward to delving into this more in the weeks to come. Later in the week, I attended the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce meeting which was held at CHAPCO in the Chester Industrial Park.
I attended a meeting of the Planning Commission, made up of representatives from a wide range of other commissions, who is working diligently on updating Deep River’s 10 year Plan of Conservation & Development (PoCD). The completed document will guide the ways in which the Town directs and regulates growth for the next decade. Please help them identify priority areas and types of development you would recommend by filling out their short survey. The QR code is below. The last time the PoCD was completed was in 2015. The 2015 full report is available online. The POCD is an advisory, non-binding document intended as a guide for future land use decisions in Deep River. It is hoped that through such planning, future infrastructure needs will be minimized and sprawl will be contained.
Yesterday, we hosted the state police accreditation supervisor. She was onsite to perform an inspection of our police department in the final step of the state mandated accreditation program. Congratulations to our Deep River Police Department who has achieved Tier I accreditation. This program was enacted by the state as part of the police accountability act. The Connecticut Accreditation program contains three tiers. Tier I, Liability Standards, are designed to assist police agencies better protect themselves, their employees, and their governing entities from liability exposure as well as enhanced delivery of service and improved public confidence in the agency. Tier II, Professional Standards, address legal requirements, management and operations. Tier III, General Management, further expands upon the Tier II Standards, addressing legal requirements, management and operations. Initially, all police departments and special units were required to complete Tier I by the end of 2023. Due to the extensive work involved, the state pushed up the deadline for completion of Tier I to end of year 2024. However, the Deep River Police department, was diligent, and completed all requirements by the original date. The department will be awarded their accreditation certificate at an awards program in March. Congratulations again. We are thankful that you watch over Deep River with such professionalism and care. They will now begin working on requirements for Tier II, even though they have until the end of 2025 to have it completed.
Check out all that Deep River Parks and Recreation has to offer; adult pickle ball, a women’s winter hike, open basketball for grades 7-12 and soon an open gym for adult pick-up basketball. Pre-registration is required for some of their programs, so don’t delay and miss out on the fun! They are also looking into resuming bus trips this spring, so please reach out to the P & R office (860-526-6036) and offer suggestions on trip ideas or Broadway shows.
Last night, I went to the Region 4 Board of Education meeting. Various professional engineers and consultants were on hand to present to the Board, five different options to remediate the mold and to correct other deficiencies discovered at JW since it has been shut down. Deficiencies noted were things such as a failed roof, HVAC system and areas where moisture and water are getting into the building[CJ1] . The options of work to be performed range from clean up with a limited scope of work to the school, to complete rebuild. The numbers are staggering. The report was released by Region 4 and can be found here and on their web site. With these numbers in mind, please get active. Make your friends aware. Come out to these meetings and all budget meetings so your voice can be heard. Remember the school budget is about 75% of the town budget. Your ‘voice’ matters and is needed.
Mold root cause & cost options
At the BOE meeting last night, two JW students, Oliver Smith and Sydney Archambault spoke about the activities and events happening at school. They mentioned that the Lego Robotics team did well and that they held a gingerbread house design contest, which Mr. Aguiar’s class won with a gingerbread creation of Hogwarts from Harry Potter. They announced that the school’s 1st ski club trip is Monday. They will be heading to Mount Southington. Fingers crossed, that the snow sticks in Southington! They are actively participating in the food scrap program at the school and it is going great. They also held a winter concert on December 13th but if you missed it, no worries, as it was recorded and posted to the school web site by Ms.Taber. Lastly, they reported that rehearsals have started for their spring Musical, Fame, to be held on March 22 and 23rd. Mark your calendars! Speaking of musicals, the Valley Regional spring production will be The Wizard of Oz this year, and will be held the weekend of March 15-17. Save these dates, as these productions are always fantastic. And please support the JW and VRHS sports teams by catching a game.
The Valley Regional High School’s Unified Buddies need your help to reach their fundraising goal. They are going to Disney in March 2024 for the ultimate life skills trip. Unified sports is part of the special Olympics. It gives students with learning differences a safe and inclusive space to participate in team sports. By going to Disney, the buddies will enjoy an opportunity to put their life skills to the test. This is a wonderful opportunity, so please help out if you can. They have a ‘GoFundMe’ account set up making donations easy. Visit the GoFundMe page, and read more about this awesome group of young people and their enthusiastic teachers.
Transfer Station news:
We are hiring for a full-time attendant. You must be able to work weekends. Please stop in the town hall to get an application and see all of the requirements.
Also, here’s a great way to save plastic…Reboot Your Habits. Check out Reboot Eco, a global business found locally in Chester. This is a zero waste & refill shop offering alternatives that make eco-conscious living easy, affordable, and practical. The refill stations offer bulk alternatives for household cleaners and bath products, and the shops are full of low waste items to help you live more sustainably.
Let’s minimize our footprint and save our planet! Stop by their web site or the shop. They are located in the former Century 21 store front on the corner of Main and Water Street.
If heading over the river, here’s the latest news from the East Haddam Swing Bridge Project.
- Sunday Evening into Monday Morning 7:00 pm to 6:00 am
- Monday Evening into Tuesday Morning 7:00 pm to 6:00 am· Tuesday Evening into Wednesday Morning 7:00 pm to 6:00 am· Wednesday Evening into Thursday Morning 7:00 pm to 6:00 am· Thursday Evening into Friday Morning 7:00 pm to 6:00 am· Friday Evening into Saturday Morning 7:00 pm to 8:00 am· Saturday Evening into Sunday Morning 7:00 pm to 8:00 amBe advised that the hours listed for Sunday through Tuesday would only pertain if a 63-hourclosure was not occurring.63-Hour Bridge ClosuresThe next 63-hour closure will occur January 14. (weather permitting)Dates for additional 63-hour closures have yet to be determined,The 63-hour closures will be announced to the public a minimum of two weeks in advance of the scheduled dates.Closures will run from Sunday 8pm until Wednesday no later than 11am.Maritime:Effective December 1, 2023, the swing span will no longer open to marine traffic, openings willresume on April 1, 2024.