State of Wethersfield: Officials Report on Schools, Economic Development

by Mark Jahne, editor

Photos by Ben Jordan, Photo Image Co.

Mayor Ken Lesser was upbeat in his remarks at the annual State of the Town Breakfast held Jan. 22 at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center. It was also an opportunity to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the sponsoring organization, the Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce.

“For six decades, this chamber has stood as a pillar of support for small businesses in our community,” Christina Wilcox said. “This year we welcomed 35 new members to the chamber.”

Mayor Ken Lesser welcomes Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, the keynote speaker.

She is the president of its board of directors and represents Dutch Point Credit Union. She added that the goal is to connect local businesses and residents.

“When our businesses succeed, our town succeeds,” Wilcox said.

The keynote speaker was Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.

“This town is thriving. People want to come here because they believe you have a great economic future,” she said.

Bysiewicz spoke about state funds being directed to Wethersfield for various projects. They include Kycia Farm, renovations to the Pitkin Community Center, upgrades at Harvey Fuller senior housing, more than $500,000 for the CREC Discovery Academy and $750,000 for sidewalks.

“In 2022 we designated Wethersfield as Connecticut’s fourth cultural district,” she added.

“The schools truly are your biggest asset” and toward that end the lieutenant governor said the state has created a $300 million early childhood endowment to benefit cities and towns across Connecticut.

“Early childhood education is key to our economic infrastructure,” she said.

Lesser said 93 new businesses came to town this past year and that represents a $5 million investment in the local economy. He also spoke of plans to celebrate the nation’s 250^th anniversary this year and noted that the “Wethersfield Conference” at which George Washington planned strategy with the Comte de Rochambeau of France that led to the successful Battle of Yorktown took place here.

“We are going to celebrate Wethersfield’s unique place in this country,” he said.

It was a full house at the annual State of the Town Breakfast at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center.

In addition, Lesser said the town has joined the Connecticut Economic Development Association. This will provide opportunities to take advantage of grant programs and business incentives.

The mayor added that the town is enjoying increased attention on social media, especially for the many public events that take place over the course of a year.

“We have 22 signature events and they are part of the fabric of our community,” he said.

Police Chief Rafael Medina III talked about public safety initiatives including red-light cameras on poles at four major intersections. He and his staff are working to modernize department policies and procedures.

Members of the command staff completed an FBI training program and the Records Division was honored for its work.

“The men and women of our patrol division exceeded expectations,” he said.

“We are fully staffed” and there is a waiting list of applicants, he added. Medina also praised those who helped solve a cold case involving a sexual assault that occurred in 2014.

The police department responded to 555 motor vehicle crashes this past year. He said more vehicles are being stopped for traffic violations and suspected drunken driving.

“We have the lowest crime rate in the area,” Lesser added.

Peter Leombruni, vice chairperson of the town Planning and Zoning Commission, said the commission updated its 10-year plan of development.

He spoke about a focus on the adaptive redevelopment of vacant and under-used properties because there is so little land upon which to build.

“We are 90 percent developed. There is very little opportunity for any new development,” Leombruni said.

Forty percent of the land that does not have any structures on it is dedicated for open space, parks and recreation, or sits in the flood plain. Possible redevelopment opportunities include the former Masonic Temple in Old Wethersfield and the long-vacant Weight Watchers warehouse on the Silas Deane Highway.

Bobbie Granato, chairperson of the Board of Education, spoke next and immediately offered her gratitude for passage of a referendum this past September authorizing the town to spend $239 million to construct a new Highcrest School and renovate two other elementary schools.

The town’s share of this project is $88 million. The remaining $151 million will be funded by the state.

“Thank you to all of Wethersfield for voting for a 10-year building project” to provide 21^st Century neighborhood schools, she said. They will include safety enhancements and “inspire curiosity and foster a love of learning.”

She added that they will also improve everyone’s property values.

“With these new buildings parents can be confident that their children will be made safe and secure. Together, we are building a legacy that will benefit generations to come,” Granato said.

Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Wihbey offered data demonstrating how the Wethersfield Public Schools compare favorably to districts of similar size and wealth when it comes to academic performance, per-pupil expenditures and more.

He also explained the district’s standards and benchmarks and how they are used to sustain high-quality service and operations. They cover such topics as instructional quality, staffing ratios, mandated services, compliance with state and federal mandates, program performance indicators, facility and operational requirements and consistent program delivery across all schools.

“These benchmarks are not aspirational. They represent the minimum conditions required to deliver on our commitments to students, staff and families,” he said.

Wihbey added that they will enable the Board of Education and administration to plan responsibly, allocate resources equitably, and uphold the standards that define a safe, effective and student-centered learning environment.

He reported that there are 3,471 students enrolled in the seven public schools. The per-pupil cost to educate them is $19,000.

“Our scores are pretty good, our per-pupil expenditures are reasonable” when compared to other districts, Wihbey said.

This event was sponsored by the Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce. Breakfast was provided by Ascot Catering and the floral arrangements were courtesy of Kim’s Flower Shop.