Town Manager's Report - February 16, 2021

Scheduled Tax Sale
Every few years the town conducts a ‘Tax Sale’ of privately owned real estate that is several years behind in paying property taxes.  The next sale is scheduled for April 17th.  As in past years, the criteria for inclusion in the sale is 3 or more years or more than $20,000 of delinquency and not already maintaining a current repayment plan with the tax office.

Each property owner is provided several delinquent notices and letters throughout the period of the taxes being in arrears. A formal demand notice was sent out in October 2020.  If owners did not respond to the demand notice, then a letter from the Town Attorney was sent.  Taxpayers who responded with either payment or acceptable payment arrangements were removed from the preliminary listing.

As of October 2020, there were 37 properties meeting the criteria outlined above, with a total of $547,000 due in taxes, penalties and interest.  As of the final official listing for the legal notice in February, there were 15 properties remaining.  At this point, only payment in full, including all costs incurred during the tax sale process, would remove the property from the sale listing.  To date, we have collected approximately 48% or $264,089 of the total amount due as of October 2020.

If properties are auctioned, the deed is held in escrow for 6 months. During that period, owners may redeem the property by paying back taxes, interest and associated costs.

Recreation Services
The Recreation and Leisure Services Department continues to offer a number of programs through the winter season:

  • On Friday, February 26th, from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM the Windsor Senior Center will be participating in a virtual program entitled “Unlock Ancient Stories with DNA”. This program will explore how DNA can be used to uncover stories of people who lived many years ago. For more information, call 285-1992.
  • Cross-country skiing or snowshoeing is available at Northwest Park.   If you are in need of equipment, rentals are available on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. For more information, please visit us online at https://townofwindsorct.com/recreation/ or call 285-1886.
  • The Windsor Youth Commission presents Family Trivia Night at Home which will take place via Zoom on Friday, February 19th from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM. Registration is required. For more information go to https://townofwindsorct.com/recreation/ysb/ or call 860-285-1990.
  • To celebrate Windsor’s parks, Recreation has created a word puzzle that can only be solved by visiting our seven participating parks. Look for our “Heart Your Park” sign at all Windsor parks to solve the phrase and have a chance to win a prize. Registration is required. Please go to https://townofwindsorct.com/recreation/programs/ or call 860-285-1990.

State Budget – Proposed Local Aid
The Governor’s proposed budget includes state aid to Windsor essentially being level funded year over year with the exception of federal funds for education.  The Governor is proposing to increase aid to schools utilizing federal funds.  These funds reportedly would go directly to the local school district and be considered outside of the traditional Education Costs Sharing grant funding.   The Governor’s proposed budget reflects $1.05M in new federal funds.

A Special Conversation on Race – Generations and Family
The Windsor Human Relations Commission presents a Special Conversation on Race which will be held on February 21, 2021 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.  This online workshop via Zoom will discuss Generations and Family. To register for this program, please click the following link: https://townofwindsorct.com/app/uploads/2021/02/Conversation-Generations.pdf

A Special Conservation on Race – Acknowledging Racism as a Public Health Crisis
The Windsor Human Relations Commission will be sponsoring an online workshop via Zoom regarding ‘Acknowledging Racism as a Public Health Crisis’ on February 28, 2021 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.  Special Guest facilitators include Nuchette Black-Burke, Town Council member, and Douglas Shipman from the Windsor Historical Society. To register click: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkcuGupzwvHNwLfSM1m_qmSW-UWxLmE22x

United Nations Black History Virtual Tour
The Windsor Human Relations Commission invites you to take a Black history-themed tour of the United Nations. See how the lives of people of African descent have intertwined with the mission of the United Nations in fields such as peace and security and human rights, with a special emphasis on decolonization. The tour is an inspiration to fight prejudice, racial discrimination, and social injustice. To book the Black History Virtual Tour now through February 26, 2021 go to: https://visit.un.org/content/virtual-tours.