North Stonington Weekly Update 4/2/2021- Vaccine updates, Easter Bunny Parade, Rental and Landlord assistance, & more!

Hello North Stonington,

Acting through the Department of Housing (DOH), the State of Connecticut is developing the UniteCT Program. This $235million program will provide rental and utility payment assistance to qualified Connecticut households financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The intention of UniteCT is to help stabilize Connecticut’s Rental Housing Market.

The Yardi portal is open and accessible through any computer or smartphone by clicking https://ctdoh.rentrelief.com/content2/access/register . Once a tenant or landlord logs in to Yardi there is step by step guidance to complete the application through written explanation and training videos. In the upper right hand corner of each screen of the application there is a question mark (?) that opens video training support as well. Tenants and landlords will work together to complete their sections of the application and track the progress online. Community stakeholders are working throughout the state to help those who have barriers to internet access and technology by opening their doors.

The program will financially support households up to 80% of the HUD Area Median Income. Click here https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DOH/HUD-80AMI-Income-Chart-for-UniteCT.pdf to see a table of all the towns in CT and their Area Median Income, or check out the map below to find your town's AMI. Both the table and the map provide the same information.

More information about UniteCT will be posted it here https://portal.ct.gov/DOH/DOH/Programs/UniteCT as it becomes available. To learn more at this time, please visit the US Department of Treasury at Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

The Rec Commission is excited to have Mr. & Mrs. Easter Bunny visit North Stonington this Saturday at 1pm!

The North Stonington Volunteer Fire Company will escort Mr. Easter Bunny from the North Stonington Rec Center down through the village (Main Street) to Rt 2, Mains Crossing, Mystic Road, and into the Kingswood/ Meadow Wood developments, then to Jeremy Hill, RT 184, and to the Cedar Ridge development before returning to the Fire House via Rocky Hollow Road.

Mrs. Easter Bunny will be heading up Rt 2 from the Rec Center to go up Cossaduck Hill. She will end her trip through North Stonington on Babcock Rd. If your road is not listed please come out to the nearest intersection.

See Mrs. Easter Bunny on the following roads:

Cossaduck Hill Rd. Denison Hill Rd.
Miller Rd. Clarks Falls Rd
Northwest Corner Rd. Pendelton Hill Rd.
Lake of Isles Rd. Johnson Rd.
Milltown Rd Wyassup Rd.
Wintechog Hill Rd. Chester Maine Rd.
Mystic Rd Grindstone Hill Rd.
Rt 2 Hangman Hill Rd.
Rt 184 Reutemann Rd.
Stillman Rd. Babcock Rd.
Clarks Falls Rd

A plan to work on some street scaping is happening on Route 2 along the businesses from Jakes Restaurant to Red Onion. If you are a landscaper in town and want to be involved in helping with this Earth Day project, please contact Town Planner Juliet Hodge at jhodge@northstoningtonct.gov or call 860-535-2877 ext 127 to discuss how you might get involved.

Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the State of Connecticut is on track to expand its COVID-19 vaccination program to the final group of adults, including all individuals between the ages of 16 and 44, on Thursday, April 1, 2021. Individuals in this age group will have access to schedule appointments beginning Thursday morning. To schedule an appointment, Connecticut residents should visit www.ct.gov/covidvaccine and enter their zip code in the space provided. From there, they will be presented a list of the closest available clinics and instructions for how to make an appointment at each clinic. Those without access to the internet can call Connecticut’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line at 877-918-2224. The assist line is available seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Appointments are required in advance at all vaccination clinics in the state. Individuals who are 16 and 17 years old are reminded that they should only sign up for a clinic that is offering the vaccine made by Pfizer, as that is the only vaccine at this point that has been approved for those ages by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Locally there are mass vaccination sites happening at Foxwoods through Hartford Healthcare and Mohegan through Yale New Haven Health. Additionally a couple of area pharmacies like Big Y Norwich/Groton and McQuades Mystic should also have the vaccine available soon if they do not already.

We currently have a vacancy in our tax collection office. You may continue to bring in your tax payments or use the drop box inside or outside town hall. Payments will be received and your account credited as they normally would.

On April 5th at 6pm a hybrid Special Town Meeting will take place. We ask for your patience as this will the first of its kind. Public will be encouraged to attend remotely via zoom by using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VLADRun4TIWBEycSVv_sgg

Anyone attending remotely must preregister no later than noon on April 5th so we can verify your voter eligibility. We are asking anyone with the capability to attend remotely to do so. Each person wishing to vote must register and attend on their own electronic device as we will be doing an electronic poll of virtual attendees on each of the questions and only one vote will be allowed per device. Remote attendees must log in using zoom.com or the zoom app on a smart device. You will be unable to “call” using zoom to attend this meeting. For those who are unable or uncomfortable attending remotely, we will also have in person attendance available following CDC and Ledgelight Health District guidelines. The meeting will take place at the Wheeler School Gymnatorium at 297 Norwich Westerly Road, North Stonington CT 06359. A copy of the call for the Town Meeting, meeting materials, and registration link for this meeting can be found at https://www.northstoningtonct.gov/home/pages/april-5-2021-special-town-meeting-information on the town website.

The spring edition of the North Stonington Quarterly is soon to hit your mailbox. This publication is a great way to stay up-to-date on the town happenings. Thanks so much as always to quarterly editors Nita Kincaid and Lisa Mazzella for their hard work on putting this together!The Board of Finance has recommended a budget to go to public hearing. The hearing will take place on April 19^th at 6pm. Details are forthcoming so keep your eyes peeled!

Did you know fishing season is open! If you need a license stop by and see the Town Clerk during our normal business hours.

On our calls this week with Health Department officials there is growing concern of a resurgence of the virus. While many people have been vaccinated, many have not. It is those that have not that can create a chain of infection which could inadvertently infect those who are at risk of developing serious problems from COVID-19.

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We would like to congratulate Chief Charlie Steinhart V on being recognized for his Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce Essential Hero’s award. We are so proud of the work he and all of our Emergency Responders are doing here in Town. Congrats Chief on the recognition!

As a reminder Town Hall is closed tomorrow but the Transfer Station is open. This week the highway crew started to grade dirt roads beginning with Pinewoods and Hewitt. Street sweeping continued on Rocky Hollow, Reutemann, and Babcock roads. Crack sealing was done on Jeremy Hill, Wintechog, Holly, some catch basin tops were replaced throughout town. Waterways were cleared on Wyassup and wash out areas were filled with millings on Wyassup and Babcock. The mowers were prepped and maintained for the grass season, new batteries were installed on the senior bus, and the dozer received new gear box bolts and dust cover. Next week we will continue to grade dirt roads. tractors will be prepped and maintained, truck 1 will receive an oil change, and the street sweeper broom will be replaced. Street sweeping and crack sealing will continue around town.