Enfield government continues to remain open for business. Employees are now available to conduct town business in person at the Town Hall by appointment or by telephone and email.
Enfield FY 2021 Budget
On May 20, the Town Council passed the Fiscal Year 2021 budget, which resulted in a level mill rate and no tax increase. The mill rate will remain at 34.23 mills and services will not be reduced.
Reopening Town Hall
On May 20th, the Town Hall reopened to the public by appointment only. If you need to conduct your business in person, please call the department you wish to schedule your visit in advance. Upon arrival for your appointment, you will be met at the doors and escorted to your respective department. As we begin to reopen, we encourage you to please continue to do business by email or use of our drop box at the Town Hall whenever possible.
The Town Manager’s Coronavirus taskforce has continued meeting with key stakeholders and the North Central District Health Department to ensure we are following protocols for safe reopening. We continue to comply with the Governor’s Executive orders, including limiting occupancy, adhering to the 5 person meeting limit, adding in several physical partitions such as plexiglass, wearing masks, enhanced cleaning protocols, and available hand sanitizer. Please follow this link to see more information about our response to the COVID-19 pandemic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMV60b9VXKg
Due to the pandemic, dog license renewals can be purchased anytime in the month of June through mail or drop box, which is located by the front door of Town Hall Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm.
At the May 20 Council meeting, the Enfield Town Council authorized the Town Manager to negotiate and enter into a lease agreement with 800 Enfield Street, the former Santander bank. In order to provide exceptional service to our residents while also adhering to new social distancing guidelines, Enfield had to change the way we traditionally do business. We would like to introduce you to the Enfield Express. Beginning this summer, we hope to offer our residents drive-thru services right next to our Town Hall. You will be able to come through our drive-thru to pay your taxes and more. We are still working out the details of this new addition and will keep you updated. This would provide a safe and convenient way for our residents to complete their business transactions with the Town.
We are also beginning the process of reopening other Town Departments. Please watch the following PSAs from our talented staff on reopening plans for Town services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr6RuGBLPxY
Department of Social Services
The Enfield Child Development Center has been working closely with the North Central District Health Department and planning to re-open ECDC in various stages throughout the month of June. For the safety of our children, families and staff, ECDC will be adhering to safety protocols issued by the Office of Early Childhood which include staff wearing masks, temperature taking upon entrance, class sizes of no more than 10, and social distancing. Since we will not be able to accommodate all children in the beginning phase, remote learning will also continue. Enrollment will increase as approvals from the State are granted.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can directly connect to the local crisis teams, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or speak with a Enfield Youth & Family Service Social Worker at (860) 936-2277 who can assist you.
Youth & Family Services continue to provide continuity of care to all program participants. Youth Services plans to reopen to small groups of youth who are struggling socially and emotionally. More information will be forthcoming. Staff have attended many professional webinars to prepare for and increase skills in supporting youth and families during and after the COVID-19 crisis.
The Department of Social Services has put together a resource guide that is available on their website: http://www.enfield-ct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15766/Enfield-Social-Services-Resource-Guide-COVID-19-4-8-20. We continue to process Renters’ Rebate, Homeowners Tax Credit, Veteran’s Tax Credit, and energy assistance applications.
Enfield Transit has been keeping Enfield seniors and the general public connected with essential needs. Magic Carpet continues to stop at the Food Shelf every other Friday to bring riders to the Foodshare truck. Residents should check the Transit webpage daily for changes in schedules.
Recreation
The enrollment waiver for summer camp has been approved by the Office of Early Childhood and will allow Recreation to enroll a maximum of 50 campers per week. Staff is reviewing new guidance from the State and will be finalizing a plan for modified operation. Staff have attended multiple COVID-related trainings this that will be useful in reopening recreational programming safely. The Virtual Rec Center now has over 65 free programs available to residents. New updates include a White House Virtual Tour, US Veterans and War Memorials Tour, The National Memorial Day Concert and children’s crafts and activities related to Memorial Day. Drop by the Virtual Recreation Center at www.enfield-ct.gov/recreation.
Library
Library staff have started arranging pickup times for materials that have been on hold. Items will be available for curbside pickup by appointment. Book drops at both branches are now open. All returned items will be quarantined for 7 days before staff checks them in. All late fees are being forgiven at this time. Beginning on Tuesday, 5/26, the Library will begin taking new requests for materials, which will be checked out to patrons ahead of time and picked up on tables near the book drops. Patrons can place holds in the catalog as you normally would, email us at libraryquestion@enfield.org or call the Reference Desk at 860-763-7511. All materials will be checked out prior to arrival and left at the curbside pickup table in a bag with the name on it. Evening and weekend hours are available for curbside service. While social distancing is being mandated, all programs will continue virtually.
Senior Center
Staff is continuously meeting to develop plans for reopening and adhere to the protocols as designated in the Governor’s Executive Orders. Ongoing virtual programming continues to be posted on social media. A one woman show about Elanor Roosevelt was so popular that an encore performance about Helen Keller will be held tonight, May 21. Other programs include exercise programs, coffee hour with the Connecticut Historical Society, a free home composting webinar, virtual planetarium viewings and virtual bingo. On June 10, the Senior Center, in conjunction with Wreath Social will be making wreaths via Zoom. In lieu of our paper newsletter, the Senior Center has been contacting participants in “real time” using Patch, social media and weekly mass e-mails and phone calls.
The Senior Center continues to distribute Grab and Go meals in addition to Meals on Wheels. The Meals on Wheels program was featured on WFSB this week in their Local Hero’s” spot. It can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-k9lnP1_i8.
Sign up for Updates!
There have been many questions and interest in our summer camp, town pool, recreation, and sports fields. We are planning to open all services, but we must do it in a safe and legal manner that complies with the Governor’s Executive Orders. We will be adjusting all our services in coordination with the North Central District Health Department to ensure the safety of residents and our staff.
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. Follow Enfield Town Manager on Facebook and on Twitter.