Southbury Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony
The Town has organized the 2021 Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony on Monday, May 31st. It is the first parade Southbury will host since COVID began in March 2020. I believe it signals that we are finally returning to normalcy with vaccination rates rising across Connecticut. I welcome all Southbury residents to come out and enjoy the parade with their family and friends. For more details, click here.
Road Work
Chip sealing began on May 17th and will be coming to an end shortly. I’d like to remind residents of the benefits of chip sealing. It is a cost effective way to extend the life of our roads and is 15-20% of the cost of milling and paving. It extends road life by 5-7 years and is one of the reasons we have been able to reduce the Town budget. Chip sealing fills and seals cracks and provides a skid resistant surface. Since we started the chip sealing process, the Town has greatly improved the quality of the roads, and 82% now require no maintenance. For more information on the benefits of chip sealing, click here.
Southbury Public Library
The library is going to be extending its hours beginning on June 7th. The new hours will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:30am-5:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am-9:00pm and Saturday 9:30am-4:00pm. These new hours will be more accommodating to residents’ schedules, and I hope more people will visit the library and take advantage of the extensive book collection and programming for all ages. More information can be found here.
2022 REVALUATION
The Board of Selectmen approved Vision Government Solutions to conduct the Town’s revaluation in 2022 at their May 20th meeting. State law requires every town to conduct a five-year property revaluation. Properties will be reassessed based on the current market value, and taxes will vary depending on the assessed value of homes as compared to the last revaluation. I want to get this message out early to make residents aware that their taxes could be changing for fiscal year 2023 when the new assessments take effect.
The Parks and Recreation Department is ramping up for summer camp which will start on June 21st. There will be many fun activities for children and young adults, and it is a great way for them to socialize with their peers. More information about camp and registration can be found here.
Ballantine pool will be opening for the season on June 12th, and the Town is offering swim lessons beginning on June 21st. I encourage residents to sign up for memberships and visit the pool this summer. Click here for more information.
RETIREMENT OF HARMON ANDREWS
Dedicated volunteer, Harmon Andrews, has retired from the Planning Commission with over fifty years of service to the Town. Over the years, he has served on the Board of Selectmen, Planning Commission, Board of Assessment Appeals and as First Selectman. I would like to thank him for his many years of faithful service and welcome residents to read the proclamation issued by the Board of Selectmen in his honor.
NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK
National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week was celebrated last week. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic continue and EMS personnel are tireless in their support of the community as frontline workers in the public healthcare system. I would like to thank all of the EMS personnel who serve in Southbury and across our nation.
DOG LICENSING
Dog licensing will be starting on June 1st and continuing until the end of the month. Licenses are required by the State when a dog reaches 6 months of age. The Town Clerk’s Office is encouraging residents to apply for licenses by mail. Instructions and fees can be found here.