Jan. 17 Update From Easton First Selectman Bindelglass

**News Release Submitted by Easton First Selectman Bindelglass**

Jan. 17, 2025

Good afternoon,

The Easton Town Hall will be CLOSED on Monday, January 20, 2025, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Normal hours will resume on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.

At the Board of Selectmen meeting last night, we agreed to hire Berchem Moses and Ira Bloom, who have provided our legal services for the last 20 years as official town attorneys. Most of the meeting concerned the EMS building project. In October, the Building Committee sent out requests for proposals for the construction/renovation of the building, and the low bidder was Bismark Construction at a cost of $2,947,000. We accepted that bid last night. That makes the total cost of the project, including the land purchase and site work, furnishings, security and technology, temporary housing, and a contingency, a total of $4,180,944. The town already acquired $1,229,331 from several sources including a contribution of $821,792 from the EMS Trustees, $188,000 from ARPA, $199,539 from two state sources, and $20,000 from the Board of Finance. Therefore, the selectmen requested the Board of Finance appropriate the remaining $2,951,613, from the town’s undesignated or “rainy day” fund. The Board of Finance will meet at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, January 21st, at the Senior Center to consider the request. This is the amount the town would be asked to vote on unless adjusted by the Board of Finance. While the town is being asked to spend $2,951,613 now, the town will be reimbursed an additional $1,118,155 during the project, so the actual amount of funding needed from the town will be $1,833,458. Tentatively, there will be a town meeting on Monday, February 3rd at 7:00 pm and a referendum on Tuesday, February 11th at Samuel Staples Elementary School from 12:00 – 8:00 pm.

Thursday, the Women’s Business Development Council met at Greiser’s to celebrate their grant to our own Robert Lessler Citizenship Award winner, Adrienne Burke for her work at Greiser’s. It was a great event, and wonderful to see the respect that Adrienne has garnered in Easton being recognized by this statewide organization. All agreed that Adrienne has done so much to create a sense of community in Easton with her programs and products at Greiser's. Adrienne shared that she has been retained to develop a similar coffee and food shop in the Ridgebury section of Ridgefield. This is yet another testament to her success and accomplishments from which the town benefits.

This week, the Fire Department had a voluntary evaluation by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). This is the first in a series of evaluations. The department did very well, and I congratulate them on a great job!

The State of Connecticut Police Office Standards and Training Council has recognized our Police Department with a Tier III Level Accreditation, awarded for demonstrating a commitment to professional excellence in policy and practice. Again, a great credit to our police team.

The Easton Arts Council will present their WINTER ARTS CELEBRATION reception on Saturday, January 18th at 7:00 pm in the Community Room Gallery. There will be the POURING WONDERS exhibit on display by Nicole Traver in the Small Gallery until Saturday, February 15, and TURNING NATURE INTO ART: The Woodwork of Steven Holm-Hansen exhibit in the Library Gold Case. A collection of bowls, boxes, platters, candle holders, and custom works.

On Monday, January 20th at 11:00 am, Christ Church invites anyone who wishes to participate in a collective Zoom reading of the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Interested participants should email vickimarkanthony@gmail.com by Sunday for the link.

Save the Date! Starting Tuesday, January 21st, the Easton Senior Center will be having a POCKETBOOK and JEWELRY SPECTACULAR. Visit https://www.eastonct.gov/senior-center/news/1212025-pocket-book-and-jewelry-spectacular for more information.

This week, temperatures will again drop substantially. If you need assistance to stay warm please call the police non-emergency number 203-268-4111, and warming centers can be opened. Please look out for your neighbors as well.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) invites farmers to participate in a brief survey regarding weather-related losses during 2023 and 2024. Your input will help determine the funding request we will submit to the Federal Government to assist with these losses and guide which types of losses should be included. The survey can be found at the link below and will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 19, 2025:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=-nyLEd2juUiwJjH_abtzixx5N-zpSzVOueOROwP3GatUQVYyV0NCVkpUWTNXTTU3OE03SDRZTFhSRC4u&route=shorturl

Have a great weekend!

Dave