Enfield government continues to remain open for business. Employees are available to conduct town business by telephone or email.
During the 4/22/20 Town Council special meeting, the date was set for the Public Hearing for the Fiscal Year 2021 budget, which will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 5 PM. Due to the public health emergency, public speaking will be by written testimony only. Electors or taxpayers may submit testimony, including name and address, to PHBudgetComments@enfield.org by 5 PM on Monday, April 27, 2020. The Town Manager’s Fiscal Year 2021 proposed budget includes a 0% tax increase. IF ADOPTED, TAXES WILL REMAIN FLAT FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. The budget presentation and budget book are available at: https://www.enfield-ct.gov/193/Annual-Budget.
Our Enfield EMS service continues to provide exemplary service to our residents who need it most. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we anticipate a need for additional EMS resources. Enfield residents may see ambulances from other communities responding to calls in Enfield. We have mutual aide partnerships with East Windsor Ambulance Association, Somers Fire Department, and Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Service. Out of an abundance of caution, Ambulance Service of Manchester will lend assistance as well.
At the 4/15/20 Town Council meeting, the Council voted on a resolution creating 2 new Community Gardens in the Town. One garden will be located at the Central Library on Middle Road and the other garden will be located on 2 Chapel Street in downtown Thompsonville. If you would like to reserve a plot, please email developmentservices@enfield.org or call 860-253-6385.
Transportation Services continue providing transportation options for the convenience of our residents. Office staff are performing outreach to senior clients not recently riding in order to see if they have any other needs. Residents should check the Transit webpage (https://www.enfield-ct.gov/376/Enfield-Transit) daily for changes in schedules and like Magic Carpet Bus and Dial-A-Ride on Facebook for updates. For any additional questions, call the Transportation Office at 860-272-3545.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 7N prohibits gatherings of greater than 5. Please be mindful of this in our parks, playgrounds, and athletic fields. In addition, Connecticut DEEP has been granted the authority to close state parks, including not allowing “walk-ins,” when parking lots reach capacity. The Enfield Police Department will be working closely with the DEEP En-Con Police Department as to the Scantic River State Park. Our goal is to ensure the safety of all who might wish to use this park. Parking in this area is also restricted and vehicles should park accordingly. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
The Enfield Police Department continues to keep our community safe. The “Driveway Chalk Art Contest” was a success! There were 85 participants and a winner was identified in the categories of best theme based, most creative, and most colorful. Thank you to all those who participated! In addition to day-to-day responsibilities, EPD has remained very active on social media. Officers are taking turns reading weekly bedtime stories for children grades Kindergarten to Second.
The Department of Public Works continues to provide essential services to the public. This past week, staff cleared and mulched the boat launch. Yard waste continues to be picked up on Fridays and the Transfer Station is accepting metal at no cost. For questions, please call the DPW hotline at (860) 763-7527 between the hours of 8am and 3:30pm.
Enfield’s Virtual Recreation Center is now OPEN for business! The center has over 40 programs and trips to keep residents busy 24 hours a day, from the safety and comfort of home. The Center aims to provide resources and activities that are 100% free. We will be adding new programs regularly and encourage residents to reach out via email to Recreationsupervisor@enfield.org and suggest programs they love. Drop by the Virtual Recreation Center today at www.enfield-ct.gov/recreation.
The Enfield Public Library hosted its first Facebook Live concert on Friday, 4/17 with local musician, Kevin Crane. As of Tuesday, 4/21, 1,850 people have watched the archived video. A second live concert was held on Wednesday, 4/22 with Abbott’s Cross, who played traditional and modern Irish music. This concert has already had over 1,000 views! The Library’s Children’s staff continue to put on both live and recorded story times throughout the week. The response to these continues to be very positive. Our Ukulele and Book Clubs continue to meet online. Books are being cataloged so that the newest titles will be ready for check out when the library reopens.
Meals on Wheels continues to operate out of the Senior Center on a daily basis. The Senior Center Program Coordinator has made masks for all of the volunteers who deliver Meals on Wheels. CRT’s Grab and Go meals are still going strong. On Thursday, the Senior Center will be hosting a Jukebox Bingo via Zoom.
Department of Social Services Staff remain available for inquiries related to food assistance, COVID-19 testing sites, unemployment, state/federal benefits, Town services, and other referrals to best meet resident’s needs. The Elderly Services Care Coordinator maintains weekly contact with senior citizens on the Enfield CARES registry. Last week, assistance was provided to 18 seniors who needed help with various issues such as transportation reimbursements from the state, basic needs, and emotional support. The caseworker processed a total of 49 applications for Renters Rebate, CT Homeowners Tax Credit, Veteran’s Tax Credit Program and Operation Fuel. Residents at Mark Twain have received nutritious meals prepared and delivered by our staff in collaboration with the Enfield Housing Authority. CRT continues to deliver dinners without incident. The Food & Nutrition Manager provided Enfield Food Shelf hands-on assistance with the FoodShare delivery last week. The Shelter Diversion Program, in partnership with CHR, remains operational and continues to serve case management needs. Please call 2-1-1 to inquire about eligibility for this program. Social Services has put together a resource guide that is available on their website at http://www.enfield-ct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15766/Enfield-Social-Services-Resource-Guide-COVID-19-4-8-20.
Under Youth Services, clinical staff continue to consult with EPS staff on student well-being and now have 5 new counseling cases via TeleHealth. The Youth Advisory Council Public Service Announcement (PSA) Committee is busy creating a COVID-19 PSA that will be shared publicly soon. Youth Center Staff continue to provide drop-off homework packets and activity bags to children and families. Staff and community committee meetings are being held virtually each week to ensure ongoing maintenance of programs and initiatives. Phone surveys have been completed to discern individual needs and staff have responded to all requests for support during this time. For more information, please call 860-253-6383.
The Enfield Child Development Center staff have maintained connectivity to families during this time. This week, there will be a by appointment only diaper/supply pick up for families. Teachers hold virtual Circle Time and have daily interactions with children and families through the DOJO app, emails, phone calls and mailed personal letters. The ECDC Director meets with staff weekly via Zoom, joins the classroom Circle Times, provides Center updates/information/referrals weekly to families, and attends meetings with local legislators, the State Office of Early Childhood, and other state-funded Centers. The Head Teachers meet with classroom staff weekly to discuss curriculum and parent needs, attend virtual trainings, and assist the Director as needed.
The Family Resource Center (FRC) staff are helping families access supports and resources while combating social isolation by checking-in regularly with families, conducting virtual home visits, and organizing video support groups. The FRC Coordinator has been participating in weekly statewide Early Childhood Alliance webinars and has been in communication with Enfield licensed family childcare providers to keep them informed of important updates from the Office of Early Childhood. Parent Educators provide ECDC staff with professional development through virtual Circle of Security training and will also be virtually conducting the training for the staff of Enfield Pediatrics. Upon request from the West Hartford FRC staff, Enfield FRC Parent Educators participated in a meeting with them to share ideas. FRC staff will be putting out a newsletter/schedule of our virtual offerings for the month of May including playgroups, support groups, and some enrichment events.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the Town has received requests from residents to donate funds to the Town for needs associated with COVID-19. During the 4/15/20 Town Council meeting, the Council voted to create a donation account for residents to donate to for this purpose. Donations accrued in this fund would be used to procure meals for Seniors should CRT cease providing meals. If that cost is below the total level of funding in the account, the remainder of the funds will be used for other COVID-19 related expenses. If you would like to donate, please mail a check to the Town of Enfield, Attention Finance Department/COVID-19, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, CT 06082.
We remain grateful to our dedicated Police Department, Firefighters, and EMS Department, who continue to perform their roles during this pandemic. We appreciate your service and commitment to our residents.
Our staff and I are available to assist you and will continue to provide services. Please continue to check our website for updates. For alerts from the Town of Enfield, please go to https://enfield-ct.gov/List.aspx to sign up for Notify Me and select Public Notices. You also can add additional notifications you wish to receive, and keep you apprised of Town of Enfield information. Feel free to follow Enfield Town Manager on Facebook and on Twitter.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 7N prohibits gatherings of greater than 5. Please be mindful of this in our parks, playgrounds, and athletic fields. If the Governor’s edict cannot be voluntarily respected, then the Town will have to close down our parks and recreational areas. In addition, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), under the authority of a recent Executive Order, has been granted the authority to close state parks, including not allowing “walk-ins,” when parking lots reach capacity. The Enfield Police Department will be working closely with the DEEP En-Con Police Department as to the Scantic River State Park. Our goal is to ensure the safety of all who might wish to use this park. Parking in this area is also restricted and vehicles should park accordingly. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
The Enfield Police Department continues to keep our community safe. In addition to their responsibilities, they have remained very active on social media. Officers are taking turns reading weekly bedtime stories for children grades Kindergarten to 2nd. In addition, the “Driveway Chalk Art Contest” is on for Friday, April 17, 2020! Participants must be Enfield residents, with drawings in chalk, done by children. All drawings must be completed by noon, with judging beginning at 1 PM. A winner will be identified in the categories of best theme based, most creative, and most colorful. The winner of each category will receive a gift certificate for a family takeout meal from a local restaurant.
The Enfield Public Library have been very successful with remote story times and Facebook Live Rhyme Times. This Friday, April 17th, the Library will be streaming its first Facebook Live concert with local singer/guitarist, Kevin Crane. On Wednesday, 4/22 the Irish duo, Abbott’s Cross will perform on the Library’s Facebook page at 7:30 PM. A children’s program, Rock and Rhythm, will be streaming on Friday, 5/1. The remote Ukulele Club has also been meeting weekly using Zoom and Facetime. Library staff continue to register temporary cards and Reference staff are helping residents with remote reference questions, including providing assistance for users who are new to all of the new technology. Books are being cataloged so that the newest titles will be ready for check out when the library reopens.
At the Senior Center, staff is staying connected using a variety of technologies. Staff will be hosting a Zoom “Jukebox Bingo” and virtual painting class in the coming days. Meals on Wheels and Grab and Go lunches continue to operate.
Under Recreation, Summer Program planning is underway and staff is working on rescheduling the programs that have been canceled this spring. Staff is also working closely with CT Recreation and Parks Association and the American Camp Association to better plan, in light of COVID-19. More information will be forthcoming.
The Enfield Social Services Department staff continue to process applications for Renters Rebate, CT Homeowners Tax Credit and Veteran’s Tax Credit Program. Last week, 51 applications were processed. Other services include Enfield CARES for check-ins and basic needs assessments, referrals for CRT’s Energy assistance program (which has been extended to 4/30/2020), Operation Fuel, and SNAP, and ongoing case management. Nutritious meals continue to be provided by staff in collaboration with the Enfield Housing Authority to residents at Mark Twain. The Shelter Diversion Program, in partnership with CHR, is operational to assist with housing needs. Please call 2-1-1 to inquire about eligibility for this program. Staff are available by phone for inquiries around food assistance, testing sites, unemployment, town programming, state and federal benefits, and other referrals to best meet resident’s needs. In addition, Social Services has put together a resource guide that is available on their website at http://www.enfield-ct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15766/Enfield-Social-Services-Resource-Guide-COVID-19-4-8-20.
The Enfield Youth Council (YC) has changed their prevention focus with the arrival of COVID-19. They have begun sharing information about health & wellness, myths and facts, and challenges through social media. Additionally, the Youth Council has created a COVID-19 youth perspective podcast. Youth have been virtually attending the Public Service Announcement (PSA) subcommittee meetings, and helping to create and edit all the group PSA’s. Youth Services staff outreach daily to individual youth to assess needs and connect them with support and resources. For more information, please call 860-253-6383.
The Enfield Child Development Center staff have been working hard to maintain connectivity to families through a variety of ways during this challenging time. Following CDC guidance, staff delivered activities, arts and crafts, and Easter baskets to the front steps of our families. Teachers have held Circle Time for their students through Zoom and other social media avenues and connect with families daily through the DOJO app, emails, phone calls and personal letters in the mail to the children. Each Preschool classroom has maintained their own Facebook page. The main ECDC Facebook page has had 8,293 engagements for the week of April 1st-9th. Most popular are staff-read story times with over 2,000 views. In the last month the Facebook likes are up 10%, post engagements are up 138%, and we have reached 9,591 people.
The Family Resource Center Social Worker and Parent Educators reach out daily to families to assess needs and connect them with resources. Parent Educators provide families, parents, and caregivers virtual playgroups and story times weekly. In addition, staff offer Circle of Security weekly check-ins, and Parent as Teachers (PAT) to provide resources, supports, and/or activities. The Social Worker virtually facilitates the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren support group on Mondays at 5:30 PM and co-facilitates the Parent Support Group on Mondays at 7 PM and Wednesdays at 1 PM. The staff also ensures communication between school and other providers who are in contact with families we both serve.
Our staff and I are available to assist you and will continue to provide services. Please continue to check our website for updates. For alerts from the Town of Enfield, please go to https://enfield-ct.gov/List.aspx to sign up for Notify Me and select Public Notices. You also can add additional notifications you wish to receive, and keep you apprised of Town of Enfield information. Feel free to follow Enfield Town Manager on Facebook and on Twitter.