Ketcham looks towards 2011

What does Redding face in 2011? First Selectman Natalie Ketcham recently sat down with Patch to discuss the town's immediate future.

While Jan. 1 is the start of a new year, it's also a time when town officials start intensely focusing on the budget for the next fiscal year.

"Certainly our challenge is to continue to provide a very high level of service to our citizens at as low a cost as possible," she said. "We work on that on a daily basis."

Ketcham said the town's just beginning the municipal budget process, and the challenge is "how we can do even better with even less."

The — the installation of a sidewalk and the impending installation of traffic lights — Ketcham said, are "very exciting." The improvements, she hopes, will encourage more people to visit the unique area.

Naturally, whenever the topic of Georgetown comes up, so too does the future of the Gilbert & Bennett wire mill property.

Ketcham said she's hoping the redevelopment plan for the property goes forward soon.

"I'm hoping that the economy is going to be recovering enough to help that project start going," she said.

The addition on the building is already underway. The town got a $500,000 grant from the state which will cover the addition, Ketcham said.

Among other things, the addition will improve the department's holding capacity by giving it more cell space, increase the department's office space, and add new locker rooms. Currently, there's one locker room for men and women to share.

"It's badly needed space which we'll be grateful to have," Ketcham said.

Redding residents will benefit from these projects, she said.

"There's exciting projects to manage in this next year, all of which will greatly benefit residents of the town," she said, "all of which are being funded through grant money."

Ketcham also talked about road reconstruction.

"It's different than just repairing roads," she said. "It's full scale reconstruction. Many of the older roads were roads built in 1910. They didn't build them with any drainage. Water is the enemy of asphalt."

Redding's undertaken a multi-year program where roads are being "reclaimed," Ketcham said, by installing proper drainage and putting in new asphalt.

Some of the roads have been reclaimed, but work will continue in 2011.

"We have just concluded a major part of that this year on Great Pasture Road and Dayton Road," she said. "We'll be coming back in the spring to finish up the other roads that were planned that we have not yet completed this fall."

Finally, Redding's probate court is moving out of town hall. A state law enacted earlier this year consolidated the probate courts of Redding, Newtown, Bethel and Ridgefield. The court will move to Bethel. Ketcham said the and departments will likely move over to the town hall building after the probate move is done.