Friday, September 8, 2023
www.towntimes.com
Volume 29, Number 36
Tax breaks, health dept. to be considered Town meeting is scheduled for Sept. 12 By Michael Savino Special to the Town Times
The town meeting where these topics are expected to be discussed is scheduled Residents will be asked next for Sept. 12, starting at 8 week to extend a tax break to p.m. in the third floor meettwo new volunteer positions ing room at Town Hall. and join a regional health One item up for vote is the department. expansion of existing tax re-
lief for emergency volunteers to cover two new positions — a chief medical officer and a communications liaison. A town ordinance gives a $2,000 property tax abatement to members of the fire company and retired members of the ambulance corps
who served for at least 25 years. During a Board of Selectmen meeting on Aug. 22, Selectman Andrew Taylor asked if the two new positions are needed “Is this stuff not being done?” he asked First Selectman George Eames. “Who’s
doing it?” Eames said adding the volunteer positions would give the town a “deeper bench” of people helping to coordinate response during an emergency. The chief medical officer’s See Meeting, A5
Committee formed to tackle Complete Streets projects
RUNNING ON FULL
By Michael Savino Special to the Town Times
A group of volunteers focused on so-called complete streets projects are now part of a formal town committee. The Board of Selectmen approved the creation of a Complete Streets Committee during its Aug. 22 meeting and appointed several of the members of a working group of the same name. “We have a pretty scrappy, gungho group of people who wanted to do more,” said Leslie Bulion, who was chairwoman of the working group and will serve in the same role for the committee.
Getting to and from and Durham Fair can be a hassle, but that’s where Vicki and Mike Burse come in. The two will be running the First Student Bus Co. again this year. Their goal: to keep the lines short and the smiles long. Vicki and Mike will have three continuous bus lines operating during the fair — scheduled for Sept. 21 through 24 — with an estimated 125 drivers ready to keep everything and everyone moving. The Town Times will have more info on the Fair in the coming weeks. Photo courtesy of the Durham Fair, Facebook
She said the working group was initially connected to Sustainable Durham, a task force focused on looking for opportunities for clean energy and environmentally friendly policies and projects. Complete Streets, created roughly five years ago, has been focused on projects that enhance and encourage bicycling and walking, both
for environmental and safety reasons. “As we all know, Connecticut is built for individual automobiles,” Bulion said. “It’s just how we run this state.” The committee will advise the town on ways to make infrastructure projects more friendly to other modes of transportation, and thus potentially eligible for grants. She said the hope is that turning the working group into a full committee could help move existing plans along. See Complete Streets, A12