Brookfield Matters August Newsletter Includes Info on Cell Tower Public Hearing, New Accounting Software and More

BROOKFIELD, CT — From the office of the First Selectman of Brookfield, Steve Dunn.

"In our effort to ensure that we manage the finances of the town properly, accurately and in a timely basis, we are implementing two new modules within the town's accounting software package. We will start using the Capital Project module, which will allow us to track every expense and revenue item related to large projects from inception to final closeout of the books on a project. Additionally, we have started to implement the Accounts Receivable module to track every source of revenue to the town including grants. Both of these modules, when used together, will allow us to very quickly pull reports and to inform the town exactly where we are on a specific project. Implementing these modules will help assure that we never find ourselves with missing funds in our general fund.

We are also implementing a module in our accounting system called Open Books.This will allow anyone to easily see what the town is spending its funds on and provides another layer of transparency so that residents can keep track of where their money is spent. We will be ramping this up over the next few months and hope to have it fully operational by the end of the year.

We have appointed a Charter Revision Committee and wish to thank all of those who put their names forward to work on this Committee. Working on the Committee are Gerard Friedrich, Loretta Donovan, Mark Ferry, Joni Park, Todd Hand, Dotti Dori and Ron Jaffe. We are confident they will do a great job in helping the town update changes that are needed in our Charter.

The town has started to work with our auditors on the audit for last year. In preparation for the audit, we have gone back and are doing a complete reconciliation of all of our bank accounts for the past year so that we present clean books to the auditors. We have already met with them and we plan to have the audit completed by the end of October for presentation to the Boards in November.

As many of you already know, our Police Department's K-9, Bruno, retired due to illness. This month Bruno passed on. We honor his work and thank his handler, Sergeant Jeff Osuch, for all he has done for the town. We had agreed to get a new K-9 and Sergeant Osuch had agreed, once again, to be his partner. In this process, Ruth and Warren Malkin, long-time residents of the town, heard about our new K-9 and they have kindly made a donation of $12,500 to pay for our new K-9. Thank you to the Malkins for their generosity.

The work of rebuilding the Town Center has begun. The Brookfield Village project has submitted their plans to the town for approval and we look to see them breaking ground shortly. This has been a long process for the town, and we thank everyone who has been a part of working to build Brookfield's new downtown and make the vision we have as a town for decades actually come into existence.

SELECTMEN "MEET AND GREET"
Meet the Selectmen will be held on the last Saturday of each month. Our next Meet and Greet is Saturday, August 27 from 9:00am to 10:30am at Panera Bread located at 143 Federal Road. We plan to choose different locations in town for the Meet and Greet each month. Please feel free to stop by with any questions you may have or to let us know what's on your mind.

SELECTMEN'S MEETING
The next regular Board of Selectmen Meeting (BOS) will be held on Monday, August 1 at 7:30pm in Meeting Room 133 at Town Hall. September's regularly scheduled BOS meeting is on Monday, September 12. You may view the attachments to the meeting packet on the Town's website using the Video on Demand link. The meeting will be live streamed on the Town's website and posted the following day on the home page in Video on Demand. We continue to work on improving access by indexing the video to agenda items so that viewers can easily go directly to the section of the meeting they are interested in seeing.

The Board of Selectmen meetings can now be viewed on TV Channel 194 in addition to the Video on Demand, and are scheduled to be on Channel 194 every Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday at 7:00pm. Please see Channel 194 broadcast schedule at the following link: http://www.brookfield.k12.ct.us/district/channel-194/pages/schedule.

At the BOS Meeting on 8/1, the Board of Selectmen will thank long-time Brookfield residents, Ruth & Warren Malkin, for their generous donation to the Police Department for our new K-9, "Argo". The Board of Selectmen will be also thanking Artist Rachael Chandler, who runs a pet portrait business called 4 Paws and a Paintbrush, who recently presented a painting in memory of "Bruno", our former K-9 to his handler, Sergeant Jeffrey Osuch. The portrait will hang proudly at Brookfield Town Hall.

CONNECTICUT SITING COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING
The Connecticut Siting Council has scheduled a Public Hearing at Town Hall onAugust 2 at 7:00pm (public comment session) in Meeting Room 133. The hearing will be on an application from Homeland Tower, LLC and Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need for the construction, maintenance, and operation of a telecommunications facility proposed to be located at 100 Pocono Road. You can read the Hearing Notice for additional information on the Town's website.

NEW TOWN FACEBOOK PAGE
The town has created a new Facebook page to inform residents of what is going on in town: click here to check it out. This page is informational only and any political posts, offensive remarks or off-topic comments will be removed from the page. As the page evolves we will be adding additional news items of interest to the residents.

Steve Dunn
First Selectman
Brookfield, CT

In This Issue
Tax Assessor's News
Tax Collectors News
Social Services News
Brookfield Senior Center News
Public Works News
Brookfield Police Department News
Library News
Land Use News
Park & Rec News
Health Department News
Brookfield CARES
Brookfield Farmers Market
Tax Assessor News

Revaluation 2016:

The Town of Brookfield is currently undergoing the revaluation process for the 2016 Grand List, as mandated by Connecticut State Statute 12-62(b). This statute requires all municipalities to revalue all of its real estate not later than five years after their last revaluation. The Town of Brookfield's previous revaluation was completed as of October 1, 2011.

The primary purpose of a revaluation, which is a mass appraisal of all real property within an assessment jurisdiction, is to eliminate any assessment inequities that may have developed since the implementation of a previous revaluation. This is accomplished by updating the assessments of real property to reflect their fair market value.

Verification of sales began for the October 1, 2016 Grand List. Exterior drive-by inspections have also begun. As part of the revaluation process data mailers will be sent to all property owners. This information will be utilized during the valuation phase of the project. It is essential for the accuracy of your property assessment that the information on record is correct.

The Revaluation will be ongoing throughout the year. The town has hired Vision Government Solutions to assist in the revaluation process. Their staff will carry photo identification along with identification on their vehicles. The staff's information is also on file with the First Selectman's Office, the Police and the Assessor's Office.

Please contact the Assessor's office if you have any questions: 203-775-7302.

Tax Collector News

The last day to pay taxes is August 1, 2016. You can either pay in the office, on-line or if you have mailed your payment, it must have a US Postal Service postmark. Any payments received after August 1, 2016 will be considered delinquent. Failure to receive a bill does not exempt you from the tax or penalty. There is a $20 service charge for all returned checks.

Visit the Town of Brookfield website at www.brookfieldct.gov to pay online by credit card (Mastercard, Visa or Discover are accepted, American Express is NOT accepted) or Echeck. There is a fee for this service. You may also view your tax bills online.

Payments made by electronic checks from your bank account are sometimes delayed. The money will be removed from your account for processing but the bank may not get the check in the mail as you have requested. If the payment is received after the grace period, the Tax Collector must look at the post mark to determine if the payment is to be considered on time. If there is no post mark, then the Tax Collector must consider the payment as late. CT State Statute 12-146 clearly states, "No tax or installment therefor shall be construed to be delinquent under the provision of this section if the envelope containing the amount due as such tax is payable, bears a postmark showing a date within the time allowed by state statute for the payment of such tax or installment." The law does not refer to check dates or banking records so US Postmark is the only legal writing tax collectors can accept. If you need to make payment this way, please give the bank plenty of time for processing. Also make sure the tax bill information is clearly written on the check so that we credit the correct account.

A self-addressed, stamped envelope must be enclosed if you wish to receive a receipt. Taxes are payable at Brookfield Town Hall, 100 Pocono Road or by mail addressed to TAX COLLECTOR, P.O. BOX 508, BROOKFIELD, CT 06804-0508.

Delinquent Taxes
If you are delinquent and need an immediate release for the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), you will need to pay your delinquent taxes in cash, bank check or money order. Please note all taxes must be paid in full to get a release.

If you have any questions, please call 203-775-7304.

Our office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm,Thursday 8:00am to 6:00pm.

To sign up for an email reminder, please go to the Tax Collector's website page.

Brookfield Social Services News

SNAP Application Appointments:
Please call Brookfield Social Services at 203-775-7312 if you want to discuss possible Food Stamp eligibility or if you would like to schedule an appointment with a visiting SNAP Outreach Worker to start an application.

Danbury Hospital - Dental Clinic:
Do you have difficulty affording dental care? You know how important good dental care is for your overall health but perhaps you can't stretch your income to cover the cost. There is an affordable option through Danbury Hospital that offers routine and specialized dental care to all ages regardless of ability to pay. For dental appointments, call 203-791-5010. After booking an appointment, ask for the financial aid office to discuss payment options based on your financial situation.

Brookfield Senior Center News

Grandparent Houdini and Root Beer Floats - Friday, August 19 at 12:30pm: Bring
your grandchildren, or just yourselves, for an afternoon with our favorite magician,
Tom O'Brien, and our summertime favorite of Root Beer Floats. What could be a better
way to spend a hot summer afternoon? Please call the Senior Center at 203-775-5308to sign up.

Brookfield Trekkers is for all Brookfield Seniors who want to explore the outdoors!
Our next hike will be at Sega Meadows Park in New Milford on Tuesday, August 16 at 9:00am (Rain date is Tuesday, August 23).

Join us for a three mile hike on part of New Milford's Rail Trail. It is a relatively flat gravel, bicycle/pedestrian trail that will take us through an old forest, beside a meadow and pond. It offers views of the Housatonic River. This is a lovely, well maintained and quiet trail with a lot of shade. It's perfect for a warm summer day.Please call the Senior Center at 203-775-5308 to sign up.

AARP Safe Drivers Class: Friday, August 26 at 9:00am:
The AARP Driver Safety Class provides a refresher of driving rules and teaches valuable defensive driving skills, safety strategies, and tips for adapting your driving to compensate for physical and cognitive changes that come with aging. By law, Connecticut residents age 60 and older who complete this class qualify for a minimum of 5 percent automobile liability insurance discount for at least two years. Please sign up and pay in advance. Cost is $15/AARP members and $20/nonmembers.

Alzheimer's Support GroupWednesday, August 10 from 6:30pm - 8:00pm and Wednesday, August 24from 1:00pm - 2:30pm: For caregivers, family members or friends of people affected by Alzheimer's disease or Dementia. This ongoing educational group meets in a safe and caring environment twice a month at Brookfield Senior Center. Please join us as often as you like!

Public Works News

Micro-surfacing was recently completed on Long Meadow Hill Road and portions of Candlewood Lake Road, Pocono Road and Silvermine Road. Hot asphalt paving will continue on Brookfield Meadows, Cherokee and Navaho Drive, Dorset Lane and Music Hill Road.

Brookfield Police Department News

The Brookfield Police Department Headquarters includes an E-Commerce Safe Zone, where citizens can conduct personal legal e-commerce transactions. This Safe Zone,located in the Department's parking lot at the E-Commerce Safe Zone sign, provides a safe place for citizens to make purchases or exchanges after conducting online transactions, such as a purchase made on Ebay or Craig's List. This location uses the Police Department's 24-hour surveillance system, so any transactions are recorded. This service requires no police presence and simply provides an area which is monitored. We encourage you to use this highly-visible location, as a safe space to meet others when completing online transactions that require an in-person meeting.

The Department would like to thank residents for their ongoing support of our officers and agency. The month of July had been a difficult time for those in our profession. However, our Department's officers are so thankful to have the support of the community they serve.

Anonymously drop off your unused prescription medications 24/7 at the Police Department's drop box.

Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter.

Library News

14th Annual Jazz Party: Sunday, August 28, 4:00pm on the North Lawn
Free ice cream at 3:30pm. (Inside if rain or excessive heat & humidity)

National Coloring Book Day: Tuesday, August 2 - An All Day Event
Stop in between 10:00am and 8:00pm to color our mural-tables that will be set up in the library. There will also be coloring pages for kids.

Smudge Sticks: Thursday, August 11, 7:00pm - 8:00pm. Smudging is said to clean out negative energy and replenish positive and healing energy. Make two smudge sticks for your own use. $7.00 Materials Fee; http://www.brookfieldlibrary.org/event-calendars/teen-events-calendar.

Kid's Programs. Registration: http://www.brookfieldlibrary.org/event-calendars/kids-events-calendar

Land Use News

Conn DOT presented their preliminary design for the roadway improvements on southern Federal Road. The scope of work for this project is from the street light at BJ's to the intersection at Layla's and will include sidewalks, additional turning lanes and a wider road shoulder. Funding is anticipated to come from Federal DOT grants. Conn DOT is now working with the Town's Land Use Office on developing the design. When complete, this plan will be presented to residents for public comment.

Park & Rec News

There is still time to register for a wide array of summer camp programs. Registration is convenient - simply call us at 203-775-7310 and you may register over the phone when paying by credit card. To see our offerings, please click here.

Our annual Concerts in the Park series continues on Friday nights in August from 6:30 - 8:00pm at the Town Hall Bandstand. Don't miss out on a great opportunity to enjoy free, live music at this family-friendly venue. For a complete schedule of artists and dates, please click here.

We have one more outdoor movie to enjoy this summer. More details available here.

"Anyday" tickets to Lake Compounce are still available at deeply discounted prices. Tickets are $28.50 for either adult or junior tickets - that's over $18 less than the price of an adult ticket at the gate. Tickets are available for purchase through August 26 during our regular office hours.

Did you know that Brookfield Parks and Recreation is on Facebook? "Like us" to receive timely updates on events and cancellations by clicking here.

Health Department News

Tick Prevention

With summer in full swing, most of us are heading for the great outdoors. That means that we are much more likely to experience encounters with Deer Ticks. These tiny creatures have been the subject of controversy ever since the discovery of Lyme Disease here in our state, in the early Seventies. But it is not only Lyme Disease with which we should be concerned at this time of year. The Black-legged or Deer Tick is also known to carry other diseases such as Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis. These latter disorders are, in fact, becoming more prevalent than Lyme Disease, particularly in the Brookfield area.
All the more reason residents and visitors should protect themselves from these frisky and dangerous pests. For more details on these "tick-borne diseases," check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov or the State Department of Public Health website at www.ct.gov/dph
Prevention should be directed in three ways. Preventing Tick bites; Preventing ticks on your pets and Preventing Ticks in your yard.

• Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
• Walk in the center of trails.
• Use repellents that contain 20 to 30% DEET on exposed skin and clothing. Parents should apply this product carefully on their children, avoiding hands, eyes and mouth.
• Use products that contain permethrin on clothing, including boots, pants socks and camping gear.
• Wear long shirts and tuck pant cuffs into socks.
• Check yourself and your pet for the presence of ticks upon returning home each evening. Ticks usually have to be present on the skin for 24 hours before transmitting the Lyme Disease organisms.
• Consider spraying in back yards abutting brush, long grass and forest shrubs.
• Create a barrier with 6 feet of mulch between backyard play areas and the woods.
• Remove ticks promptly by grasping the mouth parts with forceps or using a tick removal kit, and submit to the Brookfield Health Department ASAP in a plastic baggie.
• Seek medical advice immediately if a bite is accompanied by a red rash (usually a bulls-eye rash) fever, headache or joint and muscle pains.

Questions should be directed to the Brookfield Health Department at (203) 775-7315.

Brookfield CARES

Brookfield CARES is a community based, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness and education by focusing on the impact of substance abuse, depression, suicide, and other public health concerns. Many throughout our community are not aware of the resources available to them. Others have expressed that more information about public health concerns needs to be spread. Because of this, Brookfield CARES has created a monthly newsletter, which addresses these concerns by offering resources and latest news on a broad range of topics impacting our community. Additionally, hope and support group meetings are held every Mondaynight from 7:00 to 9:00 at the Brookfield Senior Center.

Please take a moment to newsletter and to visit our site -www.brookfield-cares.org. "