Mayor Leclerc's New Year's Message

Mayor Leclerc's New Year's Message

Happy New Year!

Thanks to the exceptional commitment and dedication of my team of directors, our town employees, the support of our Town Council, Board of Education, legislative delegation, and governor, we have continued to make progress toward our common goal of creating a vibrant, well-maintained and safe community while providing premier services to residents. 2017 has been a year of great opportunity for our Town. Despite federal policy changes, a state budget which significantly reduced funding for East Hartford and other unique challenges for our town, I am proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to building on our successes in 2018.

While major headlines touted businesses leaving Connecticut, we were excited to see a number of businesses remain committed to staying and even expanding in East Hartford. Along with the Development Department, I have begun touring a number of local businesses to understand their needs and learn how the Town can support their growth and success. These included the Arthur J. Hurley Company, DXC Technology, Coca Cola Bottling Company, Gengras Motor Cars, the Hoffman Auto Group and Granny’s Pie Factory. Other businesses such as Peening Technologies, the Shoppes at Porter Brook, Freightliner, United Steel and Autozone have expanded their footprint and made significant improvements to their facilities. United Technologies unveiled a new 100,000 square foot, $60 million “Innovation Hub” expansion of their Research Center while the 425,000 square foot, $150 million Pratt & Whitney headquarters is nearing completed.

The Silver Lane Advisory Committee was formed in response to a $200,000 Brownfields Area-Wide Redevelopment (BAR) grant in 2016, and over the past year we have been working toward creating a comprehensive development plan for the Silver Lane corridor. Building upon the voter-approved $3 million bond and the Town Council authorization of the City & Town Development Act, complemented by a transportation study by the Capitol Region Council of Governments, the potential development of Rentschler Field and $10 million of bonding by the State of Connecticut, we are looking forward to the potential for growth in this area of town regarding mixed-use development including retail, housing, entertainment and efficient transportation connecting the Greater Hartford region to East Hartford.

In October, East Hartford entered into a Broadband Development Agreement with SiFi Networks to install high-speed fiber optic cable to all corners of the town. Funded entirely by SiFi, this project will be the first of its kind in New England, capable of providing high speed internet to all East Hartford residents and businesses. This increased speed is crucial for businesses looking to succeed in the digital age and for our students as the demand for internet access outside the classroom continues to grow. We are looking forward to pioneering this technology in our community in 2018 for the benefit of all.

Adding to the vibrancy of our community was increased participation in town-wide programs and services. The expansion of Raymond Library has enabled it to enhance its programming and services, and is more than just a place to borrow books, but a hub for learning, leisure and discovery. My goal is to appropriate money for improvements to the Wickham Library building, so that it can be reopened and used as a space for additional library, learning and town services as the demand continues to grow.

East Hartford Senior Services provides many holistic services to older residents. The dynamic array of programming focuses on enhancing the physical and social lives of the senior citizen community, as well as enrichment programming, information services and case management. The increasing demand for our Senior Services, and an initiative approved by the voters via a $5 million bond to upgrade our facilities has lead us to look for a new space that is better suited to the needs of our seniors. We believe we have found that space in the former Blessed Sacrament Church, which has many environmental and structural advantages over the current South End Senior Center. The acquisition of the building in 2018 will be a benefit to taxpayers in the long run, as it is more efficient to maintain and gives the town the flexibility to provide its services at a higher quality.

One of my priorities as Mayor has been the beautification and maintenance of our Town. Our Public Works and Parks and Recreation Departments continue to go above and beyond raising the quality of maintenance and doing outstanding work on leaf pickup and snow removal while rolling out a series of improvements at their Ecology Drive facility, as well as pioneering new recycling programs. The Wrap Recycling Action Program, in partnership with ShopRite of East Hartford, is part of an ongoing statewide public private partnership to promote recycling of flexible film packaging, with the goal of diverting 100% of plastic film from curbside bins by 2020. We had record attendance at the Annual Mayor’s Clean Up Day, with over 300 individuals, families and representatives of local organizations, civic and religious groups working together to beautify the area from Burnside Avenue to Main Street.

Our Police and Fire Departments are continually committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of the citizens of East Hartford and visitors to our community. This year the town rolled out a new “next generation” 911 system that significantly improves the ability of emergency dispatchers to locate and respond to emergency calls, particularly from cell phones. The Fire Department’s Emergency Management Division implemented a new campaign called the Plan 9 Program to promote community resilience in case of natural disaster or other civic emergency. In partnership with Dunkin Donuts, the Police Department’s “Coffee with a Cop” program has been met with great enthusiasm and participation in an effort to enhance community relations among members of the department.

These are just a few of the important projects being done for the benefit of our community and by a very small team of talented and dedicated people. For more highlights and statistics from around town, I encourage you to read our 2017 Annual Report. As we look to 2018, your continued support is important. There is a lot of work to be done. Although the challenges continue to be great, I know that our community has the courage and determination to rise up and meet them. I'm excited because I know the best days for East Hartford are in front of us and I look forward to what opportunities and achievements 2018 will bring.

May the New Year bring you and yours health, happiness and success. I am honored to be your Mayor, blessed to part of this community and I look forward to bringing continued positive change and growth to our East Hartford community.

Warmest regards and Happy New Year,

Mayor Marcia A. Leclerc