TOWN OF HEBRON WEEKLY MANAGEMENT REPORT FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 TOWN MANAGER: Thanksgiving Holiday closure - Town Hall will be closed on Thursday, November 28 th and Friday, November 29 th SELECTMEN BOARD/COMMITTEE DATES: Joint Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, Board of Education December 3, 2013 7:30 p.m. Library Board of Selectmen, Thursday, December 5, 2013 7:30 p.m. TOB LIAISON MEETINGS: Historic Properties Commission Tuesday, November 26, 2013 7:00 p.m. Sr. Center (Mulligan) Open Space Land Acquisition Wednesday, December 4, 2013 7:00 p.m. TOB (O Connell) Parks & Recreation Commission Monday, December 9, 2013 7:30 p.m. - Burnt Hill Park (O Connell) Board of Education Thursday, December 12, 2013 7:00 p.m. - GHS (Larson) COMMISSION/COMMITTEES: CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION NEWS: The next meeting of the Charter Revision Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Russell Mercier Senior Center. Agenda items include: Consider Elimination of the Tricentennial Commission (B List) Discussion with Hebron Historic Properties Commission Number of Electors Required for Quorum at Town Meeting (Section 302 B) (A List) and Review of Section 304 Special Town Meeting Administrative Officer Listing (Section 702) (B List) Budget Related Items (A List) o Interim Mill Rate If Budget Not Adopted by June 30 th (Section 803 C) General Charter Review Future meetings are scheduled for: Wednesday, December 18, 2013 Thursdays, January 9 & 30 Wednesdays, February 5 & 19 Wednesdays, March 5 & 19
Page 2 Weekly Management Report November 22, 2013 Wednesdays, April 2 & 16 There is always an opportunity for public comment at Charter Revision Commission meetings. We encourage participation from all interested parties. Town of Hebron Health and Safety Committee: We have worked 41 days without a work related injury. PARKS AND RECREATION Parks We will continue working on the landscaping, leaf removal and cleaning up around the down town area, the schools and the parks. We will be installing the gate at the Church Street Park. The Park crew will also be decorating the down town area for the holiday season with banners and lights. Recreation Holiday House Decorating Contest Enter your family's home in the 5 th annual Hebron Holiday House Decorating contest. There is no fee to enter, simply complete the registration form (use the generic form online or contact the Parks and Recreation office) with your family s information and address to be eligible to win. Please display your lights as often as you wish; however, they should be on display between the hours of 6:30 p.m. thru 9:00 p.m. Register no later than December 6th if you are interested. Judges will be out to see your display the week of December 9, 2013. The contest is open to Hebron residents only. Prizes will be a discount on Parks and Recreation programs. Categories include: Creativity, Originality and overall display. Holiday Extravaganza Sponsored by Windham Hospital Hebron Parks & Recreation is hosting an ornament decorating extravaganza. Children will have the opportunity to make ornaments for Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukah! Santa Claus will make an appearance, so bring your camera. Date: Friday December 6, 20130 Location: AHM Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm Fee: Free DOUGLAS LIBRARY Duct Tape Accessories: Gina Betz will be instructing teens on how to make fun and colorful accessories using the ever popular duct tape on Saturday, November 30, 2013 from 11:00-1:00p.m. Workshop is limited to 10 participants. Please call the library to register for this free class at 860-228-9312. Refreshments will be served. Did You Know that the Douglas Library has a collection of historical documents that includes RHAM yearbooks, Hebron authors collection, 19 th century and early 20 th century books that were once part of the circulating collection? These items may be viewed in the library.
Page 3 Weekly Management Report November 22, 2013 Children s Department: In order to reach a broader community base, Children s events are now being posted on a new website for Connecticut parents called CT Events for Kids. The purpose of the site is to let parents and caregivers know of activities geared specifically for children. Friends of the Douglas Library: The Friends book sale on Saturday, November 16, 2013 was a success. Over 500 people visited the Library that day. FIRE DEPARTMENT Auxiliary members will be holding their annual Thanksgiving dinner for Hebron seniors on Sunday, November 24 at Fire Station 1. The Hebron Fire Department will be attending the following events: Fri., Nov. 29 - Willimantic Light parade Sat., Nov. 30 - Tolland Light parade Sun., Dec. 1 - Town Center Tree Lighting Santa will be visiting the following neighborhoods via a decorated fire truck between 5:30pm and 8:30pm: Dec. 3 Amston Lake Wed., Dec. 4 Amston (south side of town) Thurs., Dec. 5 Town center Fri., Dec. 6 South Gilead Sat., Dec. 7 North Gilead You can following us live as Santa tours the town on Twitter (@HebronFD). Weather permitting, routes are subject to change. You can find updated information on www.facebook.com/hebronfd. FIRE MARSHAL Hebron Fire Marshal s Office has this important information from Consumer Reports and Underwriters Laboratories on Turkey Fryers, a fire and safety hazard. Don't be a turkey: Gas fryers are unsafe Many cooks -- including Emeril Lagasse and Martha Stewart -- have touted propane-powered turkey fryers as one of the best ways to cook the traditional Thanksgiving meal. But Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, joins other safety organizations in sounding the alarm about fire and burn risks that can spoil a turkey dinner. Underwriters Laboratories has refused to put its UL mark on any propane fryer to certify its safety -- a rare move for the nonprofit safety testing organization that certifies almost every kind of product sold in the U.S. Here s a rundown of the dangers: Many units easily tip over, spilling the hot oil.
Page 4 Weekly Management Report November 22, 2013 If the cooking pot is overfilled with oil, the oil may spill out of the unit when the turkey is placed into the cooking pot. Oil may hit the burner/flames causing a fire to engulf the entire unit. Partially frozen turkeys placed into the fryer can cause a spillover effect. This too, may result in an extensive fire. With no thermostat controls, the units also have the potential to overheat the oil to the point of combustion. The sides of the cooking pot, lid and pot handles get dangerously hot, posing severe burn hazards. UL consumer affairs manager John Drengenberg said that although there have been improvements in gas fryers over the past few years -- some now come with stronger steel stands to make them sturdier -- UL still doesn t believe they are safe enough to be certified. "The main problem is you don t have a regulating control" to keep the oil at a set temperature, Drengenberg said. "If you turn it on, nothing will stop it from going to 600 degrees, which is the flashpoint of oil," when it will start to burn. One exception is the Turk N' Surf, an electric fryer that includes a safety shut-off and UL-listed adjustable thermostat. We tested the Turk N' Surf (pictured above) and found it to be a safer alternative to propane fryers -- and also determined that the deep-fried turkey it produced was very moist, juicy and tender. And unlike gas fryers, the Turk N' Surf is designed to be used indoors. If already own a propane fryer, be sure to follow these safety tips from UL: Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other material that can burn. Never use a turkey fryer on a wooden deck or in a garage. Make sure the fryer is used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping. Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls. If you don't watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire. Never let children or pets near the fryer -- even after you've turned it off. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot for hours after use. To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer. Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. If possible, wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter. Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water don't mix, and water causes oil to spill over, which could cause a fire or even an explosion (the National Turkey Federation recommends refrigerator thawing and to allow approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of bird thawed in the refrigerator). Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. Remember to use your best judgment when attempting to fight a fire. If the fire is manageable, use an all-purpose fire extinguisher. If the fire increases, immediately call 911 for help.
Page 5 Weekly Management Report November 22, 2013 PUBLIC WORKS This week the crews continued to prepare for the winter season by staking problem areas on their plow routes. Equipment was winterized and interior cleaning was performed around the garage. The crew worked on cutting out sinkholes for paving on Wellswood Road, and lastly, tree removals were conducted throughout town. ASSESSOR S OFFICE Congratulations to Assistant Assessor, Emma Sousa for completing all the courses and passing the exam for her certification as Connecticut Certified Municipal Assessor I, (CCMA I). The Assessor attended the annual fall seminar put on by the Society of Professional Assessors (SPA) held in Haddam on Thursday, November 21, 2013. The subjects covered for CEU s was a review of the court case Wheelabrator Bridgeport L.P. v City of Bridgeport for the morning session and in the afternoon we had the IRS and Attorney Spinella addressing issues regarding Exempt Properties. These workshops were very interesting and informative. Work in the office continues for the October 2013 Grand List. Change of Assessment Notices for any Real Estate property that had a change for this year grand list were prepared and expected to be mailed next week. Reminder on motor vehicles sold, totaled, or destroyed after October 1, 2013, proper documentation is required any time before the bills go out in July 2014 so we can pro-rate the bill. Proper documentation is the canceled marker plate receipt and some form of written proof for what happened to the vehicle, such as a bill of sale.