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Category: Local

  • Monthly updates from Rocky Hill board and commission members: April 2025

    Monthly updates from Rocky Hill board and commission members: April 2025

    Democratic Town Committee members provided two-to-three sentence updates on activities from boards and commissions around town in advance of our monthly DTC meeting.

    Affordable Housing Committee

    Update provided by: Allan Smith

    The affordable housing committee is hosting a forum on April 30th in the Council chambers. We will have people from CHFA, Liberty Bank, and a mortgage company to talk about programs for homebuyers. The housing authority and Rocky Hill’s Family, Youth and Senior Services will also be on hand to talk about options for renters. 

    Board of Assessments Appeals

    Update provided by: Kathy Alexander 

    Appeals this March were considerably down compared to last March which was the year of the reevaluation.  Most Appeals were from home vs.condo owners and the board voted in favor of homeowners on most appeals.

    Economic Development Commission

    Update provided by: Allan Smith

    The new Economic and Business manager, Alandra Maine, has contracted with Make Music Day, to promote music around Rocky Hill on June 21st. This is a national program that a handful of other towns have taken part in. This Is hopefully a first step to help show that art can be an economic driver for Rocky Hill. 

    Executive Committee

    Update provided by: Derek Caelin

    The executive committee met on April 5. DTC members have expressed an interest in more social events, so we’ve organized a series of recurring coffee meetups and happy hours: please see our event calendar for details. We are organizing a “Heroes of Rocky Hill” event May 3rd to show appreciation for town members who have performed community service. On the comms front, traffic is up on our website and social media, but new signups for our email list are slow: we’re hoping to recruit more people to our comms through events. 

    Fair Rent Commission

    Update provided by: Joe Morfea

    We had one case this year about Concierge and someone wanting to get a lower rent payment, but we were told we could not negotiate rent amounts. The Commission is scheduled to meet the second Monday of every month.

    Insurance Committee

    Update provided by: Kathy Alexander 

    Meeting canceled this quarter due to lack of forum.   Next meeting will be in August.

    Library Board of Trustees

    Update provided by: Mara Caelin

    Update: The board of trustees will meet in April. Our current concern this budget season is that the library staff byline is fully funded: we want the position of Assistant Director to be included in the budget. We also want to ask the town how we are impacted by national events. Connecticut libraries will lose grants if the Institute of Museum and Library Services folds; there is legal action by the American Library Association and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees trying to restore them. 

    Local Housing Authority

    Update provided by: David Theroux

    The board last met on 3/26. The significant updates are that multiple projects related to multiple grants are moving forward. This includes projects on improvements and renovations on buildings, new furniture for public spaces, etc. It also includes investigating the possibility of building and adding more units.

    Open Space and Conservation Commission

    Update provided by: Derek Caelin

    The OSCC last met in February, when the commission approved a residential development with associated parking, sidewalks, landscaping, utilities, and stormwater management located at 200 Capital Blvd. with the condition that there will be a conservation easement delineated with markers as determined by Staff.

    Parks and Rec Advisory Board

    Update provided by: Laurie Boske 

    Our last meeting was on 2/10/25. We discussed the budget. Reviewed survey responses. Re: Elm Ridge Pool – majority of respondents preferred repairing as needed, not investing more money to replace a 30+ year old pool. Next meeting is April 21.

    Personnel Review Board

    Update provided by: Zach Van Lulen

    The commission meets only when needed. No updates at this time.

    Planning & Zoning Commission

    Update provided by: Alan Mordhorst and Ron Robbins

    The PZC has been meeting weekly for the past four weeks to work on the development of an updated final draft Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD).  Allocated funding to complete this work was not enough to cover the costs of the bid proposals received by the Town, so the work is being done in-house to conform with the State required due dates for completion.   The schedule for completion: 

    April 15 – needs to be submitted to the Town Council

    June 11 – public hearing (not sure if by P&Z or the Town Council or both)

    Final adoption later in June. The previous was adopted on June 26, 2015 so this should be adopted by that date in 2025. It CAN be reviewed periodically and revised. Preliminary discussions are aiming at 3-4 times a year.

    Public Buildings

    Update provided by: Tejal Vallam

    The commission meets only when needed. No updates at this time.

    Sustainable Rocky Hill Task Force

    Update provided by: Derek Caelin

    On April 8, the town submitted an application for Silver certification from Sustainable CT. Submitting for the April deadline means the town can file again in August if we don’t make silver. The town’s Unity Statement, participation in a Climate Resiliency Workshop, and Composting pilot all contributed to our application.

    Zoning Board of Appeals

    Update provided by: Allan Smith

    Not a ton going on. Recently an applicant requested changes to a previous approval for a large fence on Old Main St to keep out deer. It was unanimously approved. 

    Have an update of your own to share? Add a comment below.

  • Obituary: Janet W. Viggiano

    Obituary: Janet W. Viggiano

    This article originally appeared in the Hartford Current.

    Janet Wishart Viggiano, 78, who served as the Rocky Hill Registrar of Voters for nearly two decades, died peacefully on April 3, 2025. She is survived by her loving husband, Joe, along with her daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and John Bowes. Her beloved son, Brendan, predeceased her in 2021.

    Born in Hartford, on March 24, 1947, Janet was raised in Wethersfield of ancestry that dated back to the American Revolution. She attended Wethersfield High School and went on to obtain her nursing degree from Saint Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Hartford. From there, she worked as a licensed practical nurse at Saint Francis Hospital and the Wethersfield Manor Nursing Home, where she cared for the elderly.

    She left that career early to stay at home with her two children in Rocky Hill, the town where she became a model of civic responsibility. In addition to the five elections that she easily won as the Registrar of Voters, she served for 35 years on the Democratic Town Committee, as the President of the Rocky Hill Democratic Women’s Club, and as a member of the Personnel Review and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Boards. When she wasn’t in Rocky Hill, she could be found at Point O’ Woods Beach in Old Lyme, where she summered with her children and grandchildren for more than 50 years.

    She was a diehard Red Sox fan who never missed watching a game and named her Labrador retriever Fenweigh. Known for her dry sense of humor and wit, Janet couldn’t help but make others laugh even in her last days. She would often joke with her caretakers at Maple View Health and Rehabilitation Center especially Elizabeth and Shanoy, both of whom she insisted be included in this obituary.

    In addition to her husband and daughter, she is survived by seven grandsons who affectionately referred to her as “Poppi”, Thomas Joseph Viggiano, Connor and Logan Grosse, Malcolm Simpson, Johnny and Noah Bowes and Christian Viggiano. She also leaves her brothers and sisters-in-law, Anthony and Sharon Viggiano, Fred Viggiano, David and Shirley Viggiano, Jacqueline and Robert Scott, many nieces and nephews and a number of beloved Wishart cousins. In addition to her son, she was predeceased by her best friend of more than 50 years, Janice Zimmerman, and her sister-in-law, Mary Viggiano.

    Visiting hours will be held at the John F. Tierney Funeral Home 219 W. Center St., Manchester, CT, from 4 to 8 pm, Monday, April 7. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 am, Tuesday, April 8, at Saint Augustine Church, 470 Maple Ave., Hartford, CT, with burial to follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Rocky Hill Food Pantry, 673 Old Main St., Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Checks can be made payable to:” Town of Rocky Hill”. For online condolences, please visit www.tierneyfuneralhome.com.