First Selectman's Reports
05-11-2026 Simsbury First Selectman Report
May 11, 2026
A public record published by the Town of Simsbury (simsbury-ct.gov). mySimsbury indexes it and makes it readable; it is not the official copy. View the original file.
First Selectman’s Report 5/11/2026 Budget Updates and REFERENDUM The BOF approved the budget last week, and the BOS met to finalize the May 16th referendum and budget mailer that came by mail today. Voting will take place at Town Hall from 6:00am to 8:00pm. The proposed mill rate (excluding the Fire District increase being voted on tonight) is 33.78, which equates to a 2.30% tax increase. The BOE budget increased by 3.06%, and the Town budget increased by 1.68%. Please take advantage of your opportunity to vote this Saturday. We have also received additional state funding for Education/ECS, along with one-time funding from the Pequot/Mohegan fund, and we will be reviewing how these funds can be used in the best interest of the town. Station Street Completion Good news! Station Street is now 2-way! This project was completed at the end of April. There is now street parking on both sides of the street, and no need to drive up a block to make a turn. It looks great, and with the upgrades to Eno Memorial Hall parking, this project has been a long time coming. Thanks to our Public Works team for a job well done. This was a longstanding priority for our Board of Selectmen since 2022. Bike Month Updates May is Bike Month, and the Board of Selectmen issued a proclamation at our meeting in recognition. There are some related activities this week and throughout May. Simsbury Bike to Work Ride In honor of National Bike to Work Week (May 11-17), join local bike commuters and State Senator Paul Honig for a 19-mile group ride from Simsbury to the annual Greater Hartford Bike to Work Day Celebration at the Old State House in Hartford. This year's route will follow the Tariffville-Bloomfield Greenway and city streets. Meet at 6:30 a.m. at the Iron Horse Boulevard Park and Ride, or drop in along the route (e.g., Tariffville, Bloomfield). Cyclists can also bike to a Park and Ride and take a CTtransit bus to Hartford. Contact Dan Carr at d.g.carr@comcast.net for more information, or visit www.simsbury.bike for the route map and other commuter resources. Even if you can’t make it to the Hartford event, we encourage bicyclists to consider biking for all or part of their commute during National Bike to Work Week. With gas prices climbing, it's a great time to bike commute! Board of Selectmen Bike Ride Pride Flag Raising Tonight, we issued our annual proclamation naming June as Pride Month and have scheduled our annual Pride flag-raising for June 1st at 4:30PM at Town Hall. Please join in supporting our LGBTQ+ Community in town. (last year’s pix) Accessible Awareness Month Proclamation This has become an annual proclamation, reminding all to be aware of reserved parking areas designated as accessible and pay attention to the lines and space allocated for these vehicles across town. Police Week Proclamation We read and approved a proclamation honoring Simsbury Police Department for the great job they do in keeping us safe and having a community police force that we all embrace as part of the community. Thanks to the Chief and the whole team! SMPAC LINE UP The Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center announced its upcoming lineup at a special event on April 29th. In addition to the HSO concerts, there will be a wide range of programming – large and small – coming to this great facility. We will also have the new Next Act project completed, another priority for our Board of Selectmen. I am most excited to see The 502s and Ben Henry and the Auto Club (featuring Simsbury’s own Ben Garson and Mark Sperandio), who will be openers for Jason Blaine. Good times coming this summer and fall! TOUCH A TRUCK This Saturday will be the Public Works Annual Touch a Truck Event at the Town Forest DPW complex. Bring the kids for a fun morning of looking at (and touching!) trucks of all kinds, including emergency vehicles. As always, treats will be provided and served by the team from the Simsbury Public Library. You can stop by before or after you vote on the budget! Memorial Day Parade information Tariffville Parade: 9:00AM - heading up Winthrop Street to St. Bernard’s Cemetery Simsbury: 12:30PM – from Owens Brook, with a ceremony following at the Veteran’s Memorial at the Library Post Hearing Update: 40 Nod Road Solar The Evidentiary Hearing and the Public Hearing were held on April 23rd. Town Attorney Robert DeCrescenzo, Esq. and Town Manager Marc Nelson represented Simsbury as the petitioning party on the Town’s behalf during the call. As a result of the hearing, Lodestar must provide a completed aerial view of Talcott Mt. State Park and meet with the Fire Marshal before moving forward with their plan. Consequently, a second evidentiary hearing is scheduled for June 9th. Information on activities with the CT Siting Council on this project can be found at this link. https://portal.ct.gov/csc/3_petitions/petition-nos- 1601-1700/pe1698 State Funding for Town Projects I would like to thank State Senator Paul Honig and State Representative Melissa Osborne for securing funding in the governor’s budget for capital projects in town. All of these projects are listed in our Capital Improvement Plan over the next few years. SCM Welcomes Andrew Stockey See the flyer below on Simsbury’s Own Andrew Stockey, who will be here sharing his personal story on his career path and history. Information below on how to attend! Charter Next Steps We approved the Charter at our April 9th meeting. At an upcoming meeting, we will set the referendum questions that will appear on the ballot during the November 4th General Election. The public will then have an opportunity to vote on the changes. The approved charter, with changes by the Board of Selectmen, is currently being reviewed by the Town Attorney and will be posted when that review is complete. Stay Tuned! Update from Brian Johnson, Golf Superintendent Please see the next page. Simsbury Land Trust The SLT is also celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a dinner at Rosedale Farms on June 4th. I will be issuing a proclamation to the Land Trust for their continued contributions to preserving farmland and open space. Hometown Heroes Awards Ceremony The Hometown Heroes Committee met last week and, after reviewing multiple applications, selected our 2026 Hometown Heroes. We will notify them and hold the ceremony on June 8th at 5:00 PM on the Town Hall lawn (weather permitting). Our Board of Selectmen meeting will follow at 6:00 PM in the Main Meeting Room. Everyone is welcome to join us for both events. Also, stop into Town Hall and see the many, many, many past Hometown Heroes who are forever on the wall. Happy Mother’s Day after the Fact (You would think Mabel was the Mother here!) Office hours I have a flexible work schedule, so feel free to reach out, and we can set up a time to meet - either in my Town Hall office or grab a coffee in town. 860-543-3770 wmackstutis@simsbury-ct.gov Thanks, Wendy