Town Manager's Report - June 7, 2021
COVID Vaccination
As of June 2, 2021, 54.9% of our total estimated population was fully vaccinated. This is up from 39% as of April 28.th. 64% of town residents, 15 years old and above, have been fully vaccinated.
In the remainder of June, the town’s Health Department will be conducting at least 9 vaccination clinics. Walk-up clinics are being held tomorrow Tuesday, June 8, at 10:00 a.m. at the Community Center, 330 Windsor Ave, and from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Main Library. Clinics are also planned to be held at Wilson Branch Library, during the Juneteenth event on the Town Green and at Hopewell Baptist Church as part of the mobile Foodshare distribution.
Our health department is designing and rolling out a series of efforts to increase vaccination promotion and information. We will be utilizing print and digital methods as well as being present at various community events and retail locations. We plan on using posters, flyers, mailing postcards/letters as well as social media platforms to advertise clinic locations. We are engaging with a variety of community partners as well to assist in the effort. Partners include the faith community, Wilson/Deerfield Advisory Committee, Chamber of Commerce and civic organizations.
In terms of town facilities (non-Board of Education), masks are required for individuals not yet fully vaccinated.
Juneteenth Celebration
On Saturday, June 19, 2021, there will be two events taking place to honor Juneteenth which marks the end of slavery in the United States. The first will be a gathering at the Wilson Branch Library from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. where you can reserve a space on the lawn to enjoy a day of performances, activities, giveaways, and a raffle prize. To register for a space on the lawn go to https://www.windsorlibrary.com/juneteenth/.
The second event will be a community picnic on the Town Green from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Bring your own picnic basket or buy a snack, drink or ice cream from one of the vendors while enjoying the entertainment, guest speakers and making your own crafts during the day.
On Sunday, June 20th there will be another virtual Conversation on Race program entitled “What is Juneteenth?” This program is free and runs from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Please register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvcOyhqjMqEt2QJ8Dv07bhowJk0KolQ0ve
Community Clean up
This past Saturday over a dozen residents joined together to help beautify the town by picking up litter at 11 different locations. Thank you to all that participated as well as our public works staff for providing assistance.
Milling/Paving State Route 75
The CT Department of Transportation will be milling/paving Route 75 from the vicinity of High Street, in Windsor, to Elm Street in Windsor Locks. This work is currently planned to be night work (7:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m.). Milling is expected to occur from June 13-17 and paving from June 22-July 7.
Speeding Concerns
Staff continues to work with the CT DOT regarding right-of-way encroachment permits to allow for the installation of Radar Display Signs on Palisado Avenue and Poquonock Avenue. I expect permits to be issued this month. Equipment was ordered in early May, but there is a delay in delivery due to supply chain issues.
A request for lowering the speed limit on Palisado Avenue north of Pierson Lane has been submitted to the Office of the State Traffic Administration at the DOT. The request is to lower the speed limit from the current 45 MPH to 35 MPH for the length of the state road between Pierson Lane and the Windsor Locks town line. The review process usually includes the State gathering field data. At this point, we don’t have a timeline on the State’s review and decision process.
We also have several sets of radar display signs that are rotated throughout town to help increase driver awareness of speed limits. Our multi-disciplinary team comprised of representatives of the police, public works, and engineering departments work together to collect and review traffic and speed data. This information helps in allocating and assigning officers for traffic enforcement.
Amazon Construction Site Investigation
Our police department, along with the FBI and the Connecticut State Police, are continuing to investigate the incidents at the Amazon construction site on Kennedy Road. All three agencies have been on site, with the FBI being on site as recent as the end of last week.
Over 100 individuals have been talked to or interviewed since late April. The investigators are looking into various potential motives for these hateful and intimidating acts.
NAACP representatives were on the construction site to meet with workers one afternoon last week.
Since April 30, 2021, the General Contractor has hired 5 private duty Windsor Police Officers per day while construction is occurring. A reduced number of officers are also on during non-work hours. If Windsor officers are not available, then certified officers from area towns are filling those shifts. Starting last Monday, Amazon hired additional private security to be on site, both for the interior and the exterior of the building. Aslo, 66 additional camera units, with hundreds of viewpoints and angles have been installed by the development team.
Presently there remains a $100,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the person or persons responsible for these acts. The award funds are offered by Amazon, the project developer and general contractor.
The police department remains committed to working with the FBI and other outside law enforcement agencies to investigate this issue.
Hypertension and High Blood Pressure Workshops
The Windsor Health Department is hosting a series of six workshops on hypertension and high blood pressure. These workshops are scheduled over the summer and will be offered via Zoom. The dates and topics are listed below. In addition, each time you return the workshop evaluation and the Pre-Diabetes Risk Test, you will receive a $5 First Town Downtown Gift Card with a maximum of $30 awarded.
- June 14 – 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Blood Pressure Classifications and Importance of Blood Pressure Control
- June 28 – 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Self Measurement of Blood Pressure
- July 12 – 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Lifestyle Modifications
- July 26 – 6:30 – 8:30 PM – High Blood Pressure & Pharmacology
- August 9 – 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Adherence to High Blood Pressure Therapy
- August 23 – 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Hypertension Emergencies and Urgencies
To register online, please go to: https://townofwindsorct.com/health/hypertension-workshops/.
Rabies Drive-In Clinic
There will be a Rabies Drive-In Clinic on Saturday, June 12 (rain or shine) from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the River Valley Animal Center located at 616 South Street in Suffield. This regional clinic is for Windsor and 4 other participating towns. The vaccination fee per pet is $15.00. Cash only.
Proof of prior rabies vaccination is required for a 3 year rabies vaccination. The owner must provide the current rabies vaccination certificate (tags are not acceptable). If you do not have proof of prior rabies vaccination, then your pets will receive a one year rabies vaccination.
All dogs must be leashed and cats contained in carriers. Face masks are required.
More information can be found at: https://www.suffieldct.gov/ For questions, please contact the Suffield Police Department at 860-688-3870.