January 20, 2011
Winter Storm Update
Last week, Connecticut experienced the greatest snowfall in a 24 hour period on record. Fortunately, Colchester did not suffer any major issues as a result of this storm. I want to personally thank everyone that helped get us through this huge storm. Our highway workers and maintenance crews worked tirelessly to clear the roads, parking lots, and town maintained sidewalks to make travel as safe as possible. I was out with them for a couple of hours during the storm and saw firsthand the great work they were doing.
Also, a big thank you to all the residents who stayed off the road and were patient with us while we cleared all the snow. Getting two feet of snow in a 24 hour period stretched our resources to the limit and we quickly ran out of places to push all the snow. However, our crews did a great job dealing with the situation. If you have an issue that needs to be addressed, feel free to contact our public works department and we’ll try to help if we can. It will take some time though to get everything back to normal.
All the snow has presented some challenges though that I want you to be aware of. First, please be careful of the snow banks near intersections and use caution if you are having difficulty seeing around them. Additionally, please be mindful of fire hydrants. If there is a hydrant near you that is blocked by snow, please take a moment to help clear it so that firefighters can use them if needed.
Another danger to be aware of is carbon monoxide poisoning. If exhausts are not properly cleared, carbon monoxide can build up and create a dangerous situation for you and your family. Please check to make sure this won’t happen to you and of course, make sure you have a CO detector in your home.
State Budget a Major Concern
The state is well into their budget process and I am anxiously awaiting Gov. Malloy’s proposed budget which will be delivered on Feb. 16. This budget will be his recommendation on how to deal with the over $3.5 million deficit Connecticut now faces. To date, no firm numbers have been announced nor has he indicated a final position on tax increases.
What is of major concern to me is the amount of municipal aid Colchester will receive. Last year, the state cut approximately $1.9 million in funds from our school budget. These funds were replaced by federal stimulus dollars which will not be available next year. So the big question is if the state will restore this level of funding to Colchester.
Any cut of state aid to Colchester could have significant consequences and I sincerely hope the state will fulfill their obligation to properly fund education in our town. We’ll know more once Gov. Malloy presents his budget recommendation and I’ll be sure to update everyone as things progress.
- Gregg Schuster
First Selectman
Previous Selectman Notes can be viewed at
| 