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Volume XVII Issue 2, April/May 2008
Government
FROM THE SELECTMEN'S OFFICE
Joyce Stille, administrative officer
Holiday Schedule Changes
Memorial Day: Town Hall and Bentley Memorial Library will be closed Saturday, May 24, and Monday, May 26. Refuse and recycling pick up will be delayed one day.
2008-2009 Budget
During February and March, the Board of Selectmen reviewed with the Board of Finance the proposed FY09 general government budget, capital budget, and debt budget. Prior to submitting the general government budget to the Board of Finance, the selectmen reduced the operating budget by $311,220. Reductions are always difficult to make since there is no doubt the items are needed. However, the Board of Selectmen recognizes its responsibility to the community to develop a fiscally responsible general government budget. The selectmen continue to monitor the provided quotes for services and pursue cost savings in an effort to further reduce the budgetary impact.
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Some important dates related to the budget:
April 9 - Public Hearing
7 p.m., Center School, All-Purpose Room
May 6 - Annual Town/Budget Meeting
7 p.m., location TBA
May 13 - Budget Referendum
6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Town Hall
Budget Details will be available at http://bolton.govoffice.com.
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Details on the budgets will be discussed at the Public Hearing on April 9 and will be available on the town's website. If you have any questions on the budget or would like to receive additional information, please contact Administrative Officer Joyce Stille.
Information Session on Proposed Improvements to Town Hall and High School
All Bolton residents are invited to attend a Community Information Session on Tuesday, April 29, at 6:30 p.m. at Bolton High School. The purpose of the meeting is to share the results of discussions to date concerning possible renovations/additions to Bolton Town Hall and Bolton High School.
A joint committee of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Education, and Board of Finance has been meeting since last summer to gather information regarding these projects. Members of this committee will discuss the process to date and conceptual drawings. An opportunity for feedback and input into the ongoing process will be afforded at the meeting, as there have been no final decisions made about the projects.
If you are unable to attend and/or want additional information about the projects, please contact Administrative Officer Joyce Stille.
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From the Board of Finance:
Public Hearing on Proposed 2008-2009 Budget
The Board of Finance (BOF) will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget Wednesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. in the All-Purpose Room at Bolton Center School. Copies of the budget will be available at the town clerk's office and the library at least five days in advance of the public hearing.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. A brief presentation will be given describing the highlights of the proposed Town, Education, and Capital Improvement budgets. Afterward, the balance of the meeting will be dedicated to hearing the public's comments and questions.
The BOF will then meet on Thursday, April 17, at 7 p.m. in Room 9 at Notch Road Municipal Center to consider the input provided at the public hearing and to prepare a final budget. This is the document that will be submitted to the voters at the Annual Budget Referendum to be held Tuesday, May 13, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the town hall.
From the Registrars of Voters:
Registrars Conducting Canvass
In accordance with the Connecticut General Statutes, the Registrars of Voters are conducting a canvass of registered voters to verify their voting address. Information obtained from the National Change of Address (NCOA) system of the U.S. Postal Service is used to identify voters who have made changes to their Bolton address.
Voters who have been reported to have moved out of town were mailed a notice of Confirmation of Voting Residence (CVR). All voters who receive this notice are required to respond by the stated deadline to remain active voters in Bolton. A self-addressed stamped envelope was included for them to respond to the notice. Voters who do not respond to the notice will be moved to the Inactive List and will not be able to vote in the next election without signing an affidavit under penalty of law that they have continuously been a resident of the town.
Voters who have been reported to have moved within town were mailed a Change of Address Notice with the new address. Those who receive this notice must either confirm or correct the address change by returning the signed form in the enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope. All the notices were mailed during the month of March.
Please contact the registrars with any questions regarding the canvass by calling the office at 533-1243, in person in the registrars' office Wednesday afternoons from 2 to 4 p.m. or by e-mail at vr.bolton@po.state.ct.us.
Annual Budget Referendum
Tuesday, May 13
The annual budget referendum will be held Tuesday, May 13, 2008. The polling place for the entire town will be the Bolton Town Hall, 222 Bolton Center Road, Bolton, CT. The polling place will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voter registration cut-off is at the close of business, 4 p.m., on Monday, May 12. Absentee ballots will be available in the town clerk's office beginning Thursday, April 24. Please remember that absentee voting is a two-step process, therefore those who must vote absentee should do so as early as possible. Parents of college students, please take note of this! All registered Bolton voters, as well as those property owners who are American citizens of 18 years of age or more, whose taxes are assessed at not less than $1,000, and whose names are listed on the last completed Grand List, are eligible to vote. Anyone who purchased property after September 30, 2007, will not be on the last completed Grand List and must register to vote. Anyone who has questions, please call the town clerk's office at 649-8066 ext. 106.
Economic Development Commission News
One of the services provided by the Economic Development Commission (EDC) each year is the printing of the Bolton Business Yellow Pages. The Bolton yellow pages provide residents with brief and useful information about the many businesses in town and how to contact them. This resource is compiled and distributed at no charge to the businesses or residents. (It is distributed as an insert to the Bolton Community News annually.)
A number of businesses listed in the Bolton yellow pages are home based. Home occupations are important in small communities like Bolton because they provide economic stability and opportunities for job creation and new product development. But in order for home-based businesses to operate safely in a residential zone and without interference to or from neighbors, they must comply with local regulations.
Bolton's planning and zoning regulations state that customary home occupations are permitted if they meet certain building/structural size requirements and: 1) there are no non-resident employees; 2) no vehicles associated solely with the business are parked on the premises; and, 3) no clients or customers visit the premises. If the home occupation does involve nonresident employees, on-site customers/clients and/or vehicles associated with the business, a site plan review is required. A site plan review is obtained by submitting an application to the Planning & Zoning Commission. The application form may be obtained from the Land Use department located at town hall. These zoning requirements do not apply to certain activities such as farming and not-for-profit child daycare centers.
Obtaining proper permits is important to the health and safety of Bolton's business owners and the larger community. Accordingly, the Bolton Yellow Pages can list only those businesses operating in compliance with local zoning requirements. If you are not sure a permit is required or may need to file an application for review, contact Jim Rupert of the Land Use department (649-8066 x105) or Community Development Director Stuart Popper (649-8066 x114).
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