Town Manager's Reports
07-13-2026 Simsbury Town Manager Report
Jul 13, 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.
Telephone(860) 658- 3230 Facsimile(860) 658- 9467 An Equal Opportunity Employer townmanager@simsbury- ct.gov www.simsbury- ct.gov 8:30am- 7:00pmMonday 8:30am- 4:30pmTuesday Wednesday Thursday 8:30am- 1:00pmFriday Town of Simsbury Town Manager’s Report July 13, 2026 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council On Saturday, June 20th we held our 5th annual multi-town Juneteenth Celebration at the Simsbury Performing Arts Center. More than 1,000 people attended! Our partners at Simsbury Main Street Partnership also received a $2,500 check from Eversource to assist with the event. Public Safety On Tuesday (June 23rd) we were notified of a water main break on Owens Brook Boulevard. Within twenty minutes, the Department of Public Works and the Police Department, were on scene and in communication with Aquarion Water Company to resolve the matter. Aquarion and their contractor worked throughout the night to repair the broken water main. The repair was extensive, requiring twenty-seven (27) feet of new water main. The work was completed quickly and the road restored soon after. A big thanks to all those involved! On July 1st we welcomed KayCee Newberry as Simsbury’s newest police officer! Safety Committee CIRMA Law Program Specialist Justin Stanko stopped by Simsbury to give a fantastic presentation on de-escalation strategies to our staff! Library The Simsbury Public Library’s 2026 Summer Reading Program began on Monday, June 22nd. Summer Reading is the Library’s largest intergenerational program (both in attendance and in the number of weeks/events). We are currently in Week 3 (of 8) and already over 2,200 people are registered. Children, teens, and adults can join the Summer Reading Program to receive prizes, attend events, and enjoy books of their choosing. This year’s theme is Simsbury Shines: Summer Giving and the Library is partnering with Simsbury Community & Social Services Department to support residents in need by giving back. Simsbury shines when we focus on community connections and kindness. You can be someone’s sunshine this season by donating non-food items such as household cleaning supplies and personal care items for the Pantry throughout the Summer Reading Program. Community connections are made at the Library and we can make a big difference on the local level! The Summer Reading Program would not be possible without our many wonderful community partners and business sponsors. In fact, this year we have over 30 local businesses who donated prizes (both raffle prizes and kids’ weekly prizes) to help get our community excited about reading and learning this summer. We were also extremely fortunate to collaborate with local artist, Marianne Hadley Berman, whose stunning artwork is featured on this year’s adult signup prize. Adults who register (click here to register) for the Summer Reading Program will receive a set of 4 notecards which feature Marianne’s paintings of Tulmeadow Farm, the Flower Bridge, Stratton Brook Park, and Heublein Tower. Once you register, stop by the Library to pick up the note cards. For a full list of prizes/sponsors and to sign up for Summer Reading visit: www.simsburylibrary.info/summer Our Summerween (Halloween in the Summer) Kickoff Parties were a huge success! A great group of teens made disco bats, watermelon jack-o'-lanterns, and candy salad on Monday night. Over 375 people attended the children's party on Tuesday, June 23rd. Kids made jack-o'-lantern beach balls, ghost shells, and decorated treat bags. Representatives from the Friends of the Library, Community & Social Services Department, Police Department (including K9 Clifton!), and the Girl Scouts joined us to hand out candy and other goodies for trick or treating. We also welcomed some fantastic volunteers from the Simsbury Camera Club who took photos of kids in costume in our photobooth and provided Summerween temporary tattoos. The Little Free Food Pantry, created by rising 8th grader at Henry James Memorial School, J.J. Hanrahan, in collaboration with the Library, Social Services, and Public Works, is now available on the upper level of the Library during open Library hours. The pantry contains non-perishable food items. The community is encouraged to take what they need and leave what they can. The pantry has been open for about 3 weeks and is already being used by the community. The Book Bike visited Tootin' Hills School this week to the delight of the children attending summer school camp there. Kids were able to borrow books from the bike and received take home crafts. The Book Bike will be out again this coming week visiting a second summer school camp. Economic Development From June 18th to the 21st the Simsbury Soccer Club held the U.S. Youth Soccer Northeast President’s Cup National Qualifier in our very own Curtiss Park and at Westminster School’s soccer fields! Approximately 1,100 families visited our community for this event. A huge thank you to Simsbury Main Street Partnership for connecting with our local businesses and preparing a wonderful gift card for all the athletes and their families. Mo’s Chicken & Waffles Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting! Mo’s Chicken & Waffles, specializes in authentic Southern flavors. Everything on the menu is 100% Halal and prepared fresh daily. Located inside the BP Gas Station; 955 Hopmeadow Street. On Friday, June 26th I, along with First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis and Public Works Director/Town Engineer Tom Roy, sat down with WTIC 1080 AM for their radio broadcast on Simsbury. Office of U.S. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes Town Hall received an informational letter and brochures from the Congresswoman regarding a multitude of federal services available to constituents and everyone residing in Simsbury. Historical Society On Wednesday (July 8th) the Historical Society and the Simsbury 250th Celebration Committee held a Liberty Tree Dedication Ceremony followed by a reading of the Declaration of Independence at 6:30 p.m. and a free concert performed by the Simsbury Community Band from 7-8:15 p.m. on their front lawn. Aquarion Water Company Mandatory Sprinkler Irrigation Schedule in Effect Until October 31st Smarter watering is watering without wasting such an important, irreplaceable resource while also keeping your lawn and garden looking their best. By following the mandatory, twice-weekly schedule, Aquarion hopes to avoid more severe restrictions on outdoor water use later this summer. The rainfall deficit over the past 365 days ranges from 10 to 18 inches across the region. The twice-weekly irrigation schedule is designed to prevent overwatering while meeting the needs of the vast majority of landscapes and is credited with saving hundreds of millions of gallons of water each year. Six Simple Ways to Conserve Water Outdoors • Let your grass grow longer. This will encourage deeper roots and keep your grass cool and moist during dry spells. • Avoid watering in the middle of the day. This will reduce evaporation and allow more water to reach your lawn’s root zone. • Hold off on watering if the forecast calls for rain. • Water gardens by hand. Automated systems use significantly more water than necessary. • Use a rain barrel to capture water running from your roof to use in your garden. • Delay new landscaping projects until the fall. To learn more about the irrigation schedule, please visit www.aquarionwater.com/watering. - Thank you for reading my Town Manager’s Report. To reach me, and my office, email townmanager@simsbury-ct.gov or call (860) 658-3230. Remember that you can stay up to date with important Town news by subscribing, public meetings by looking at the Town Calendar, see Simsbury Main Street Partnership’s Community Calendar for new events, and please follow our Facebook and Instagram pages. Sincerely, Marc Nelson Town Manager