Fall cometh...

Last night's Town Meeting voted to approve the funds and authority to enter into an agreement with the other 11 NECCOG Towns to contract with revaluation company Tyler CLT to provide reval services during the next five years. The cost to Canterbury for the 5-year period is $74,470, a significant savings over our previous reval, which cost $114,000. Our next reval is due in 2014, which falls at the far end of the 5-year period.

Canterbury has been chosen to participate in a mandatory post-election hand count audit. The Town Clerk will conduct a random selection of the offices to be audited from the recent primary this Thursday, September 2, at 5 p.m. in the Town Clerk's office. The audit will be conducted on Monday, September 13, beginning at 9 p.m., by the Canterbury Registrars of Voters at the Town Hall.

School in Canterbury starts tomorrow, September 1. 

As part of the search for a new Superintendent of Schools, a community forum is being held at 7 p.m. on September 13 at Dr. Helen Baldwin Middle School. If you can't make the meeting, you can fill out a Survey form, which is available at the Town Hall (Library and Town Clerk's office) and on-line at www.canterburypublicschools.org

The First Annual Lion's Club Golf Classic is being held at the University Club of Connecticut (Willimantic) on Friday, September 10, starting at noon. For information, please call Kim Coombs at 860-564-6966, ext. 24, 860-546-6331 or e-mail kimc@westminstertool.com.

The Annual Prudence Crandall Day is being held this Saturday, September 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Prudence Crandall Museum. Period games, displays and tours of the Museum will be held.

Emergency Management Director Luther Thurlow and I participated in a conference call with Governor Rell and DEMHS staff regarding Tropical Storm Earl, which is due to pass close to the Connecticut coastline sometime Friday evening. We'll provide updates on possible precautions as the storm gets closer. For tips on preparing for the personal impact of a hurricane, please refer to www.ct.gov/hurricane.

Stay cool.

Brian Sear

Keeping Score...

The Norwich Bulletin ran a front page feature in last Sunday's edition highlighting the Volleyball League formed by Wendy Dayger and the Canterbury Recreation Commission. The league plays throughout the summer Monday nights at Manship Park. Photos of the league are available on the "Photos" page of the Bulletin Web site under "Volleyball". Contact info is included in a visual of the article available on the Rec. Commission page of the town web site.

Canterbury is one of 73 voting districts randomly chosen to be part of a "post-election audit" for the recent state primaries. Per State Statute, mandatory post-election audits are to be conducted by Registrars of Voters in 10 percent of the state's total voting districts. As part of the audit, totals of hand-counted ballots are compared to the results given by the voting machines. This is not a recount, but a verification that the machines accurately counted ballots that were properly marked.

In a public ceremony (date to be announced), the Town Clerk randomly chooses which office will be audited. The Registrars of Voters will conduct the audit, one for each party.

Brian Sear

Neighborhood Watch Program Kick-Off Meeting...

On Monday, August 23, the Canterbury Constables are holding an orientation session to start the process of organizing a Neighborhood Watch program. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the Community Room.

The goal is to provide residents the tools and procedures to act as watchdogs over their neighborhoods, and know how to alert the State Police of suspicious activity. A representative of Troop D will be at the meeting to discuss the most effective means of working together to keep our neighborhoods safe.

Please consider attending this meeting and becoming part of the program. It will be run by residents and for residents, and its effectiveness will be a direct result of the number of townspeople involved.

Brian Sear

Town Meeting to vote on regional reval contract...

A Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 30 at 7 p.m. to discuss and vote on whether the Town approves entering into a contract with the 11 other NECCOG towns to utilize the services of revalution company Tyler Techonologies, also known as "CLT".  Under the contract CLT would conduct Canterbury's 2014 reval at a cost of $74,470, a significant savings over the $114,000 the Town contracted for in its 2009 reval.

The Town will also vote whether to appropriate the funds necessary for the contract, which would be paid in equal annual installments of $14,894 for the 5-year contract period.

Details of the resolutions are available in the Town Clerk's office and on the Selectmen's web page.

Brian Sear

Bridge over the River Quinebaug...

We have received notice from the State that Butts Bridge is officially open for traffic. One-way traffic restrictions may be in place for the next month or so as needed for contractors to finish their work. A site visit to review all of the work to date will be scheduled in the near future.

Recently, we received notice that Butts Bridge received formal designation as a National Historic Landmark. While this carries with it no practical restrictions or guidelines, it does qualify the structure for inclusion in a variety of Federal grant programs.

Brian Sear 

Speed, samplers and smoothies...

Our recent Town Hall internet speed upgrade has borne some fruit. Today's test results are 16.34 down and 1.84 up, more than 10 times faster than previous. Thanks to Jim Marks for nagging about the upgrade and discussing the possibility of video-streaming some meetings and events. One step at a time.

Prudence Crandall Museum is holding a "Design and Create Your Own Sampler" program from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Museum. The cost is included with admission to the museum. Materials will be provided.

The Canterbury Library Teen Group is holding a "Fruit Smoothies & Fondue" workshop this coming Thursday (August 12) from 6-8 p.m. at the library. Anyone aged 11-18 is welcome to attend. I might taste test, just to be sure they meet Town standards!

Now that all of the permits are in place, we're beginning the step by step process of upgrading the Kinne Road Transfer station. First phase is laying the drainage pipe that will route stormwater from the new transfer site out towards the back of the overall site. It's a good break-in for the excavator we just purchased, which will prove extremely useful throughout the project and future road work.

Have a great weekend.

Brian Sear

Kinne Compliance...

We've received an approval of our Municipal Transfer Station General Permit, good until November 29, 2012. This gives us official authorization from D.E.P. to operate a transfer station at 111 Kinne Road, and moves us from the "non-compliant" list to the "compliant" one.

We're now ready to begin the process of upgrading the site, and have $200,000 from a STEAP grant to pay for it. It's time to s-t-r-e-t-c-h those dollars.

Brian Sear

Bend me, shape me...

After a month of busy tax payments, taking a relaxing yoga class might be just the thing to relax.

Claire is holding free yoga classes tomorrow (Tuesday, August 3) at the Community Room in two sessions: 10-11 am and 12-1 pm. Everyone is welcome, including beginners. Bring a mat and blanket and wear comfortable clothing. To reserve a spot, call Claire at 860-710-1503 or e-mail yogadirect@gmail.com.

Brian Sear

Bridges, Books and bugles...

Tomorrow you can stock up on summer reading at the VFW book sale... 9-3 at the former Grange hall on Route 169... then enjoy the Cornet Band concert at the Town Hall lawn starting at 6 p.m. The weather looks promising... hotter than blazes but most likely dry.

The work on Butts Bridge is slightly ahead of schedule. Current estimates are for the crossing to open up again around August 15, and for the entire project to be complete in the Fall. This beats the initial estimate of a Spring completion. 

We've upped the internet speed at the Town Hall. If we're fast enough we might experiment with video coverage of meetings. One step at a time...

Have a great weekend. I'm sure there's mowing in there somewhere now that's the moisture's back!

Brian Sear

Re-evaluating revaluation...

Traditionally, every five years the Town puts out requests for proposals to companies bidding on our required revaluation of properties, and chooses one to provide the services. Our last re-val was held in 2009 at a cost of $114,000.

For the past several months, towns from the Northeast Council of Governments have been looking into the cost savings of having one re-val company handle the revaluations for all 12 towns. The initial idea was for NECCOG itself to research forming a re-val company to provide this service. Then it was decided that putting the concept out to bid would be prudent.

The project was put out to bid and a contractor chosen by NECCOG towns. The cost savings in this arrangement for our Town is estimated to be more than $40,000 on our next re-val, scheduled for 2014. Such an arrangement has the added value that instead of the re-val company's involvement beginning at the start of the re-val year, the Town will have the re-val company's services throughout the 5-year contract period.

A resolution authorizing the Selectman to enter into this agreement on behalf of the Town will be discussed and acted on at next Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting, and if so moved, will be presented at a Town meeting.

Brian Sear