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Tag: Rocky Hill

  • Community Gardens Delayed for Additional Soil Testing; Other Work Continues

    Community Gardens Delayed for Additional Soil Testing; Other Work Continues

    On May 16, The Town of Rocky Hill provided an update on the Community Farm:

    Due to the ongoing testing required to close-out the remediation project at 374 New Britain Avenue (Rocky Hill Community Farm), the community gardens will be delayed until the spring of 2026.  The last tests are scheduled for July 2025, with results and final reports due to the State in early fall of 2025.   Once final approval has been granted by the State, the Town will proceed with the gardens.

    Work on the property will continue.  We will be preparing the location that was originally recommended by UCONN, to provide optimal soil conditions.  The Open Space Land Acquisition & Farmland Preservation Subcommittee and Staff will be investigating the location of a trail system around the northern part of the parcel.  The on-site wells will be tested for possible use for watering the community gardens.  

    The Subcommittee will continue to work with Town Staff on implementing the various UCONN recommendations.  They will continue to seek the public’s input while planning and managing the property.

    For more details, see the May 14 Open Space & Conservation Commission meeting:

  • Rocky Hill Budget Cuts: A Short-Term Win or Long-Term Gamble?

    Rocky Hill Budget Cuts: A Short-Term Win or Long-Term Gamble?

    Last night, the Rocky Hill Town Council ratified a new budget—but not without surprises.

    The original budget proposal called for a spending increase of just over 3.5%, totaling approximately $3.8 million. Given the town’s flat economic growth, this would have required a tax increase for all residents.

    In response, the council’s majority unveiled a last-minute proposal to slash that increase nearly in half, cutting about $1.9 million. On the surface, this sounds like good news—who doesn’t like lower taxes? But we need to ask: How were these cuts possible if the town manager had already presented a “tight” budget?

    The answer lies in the details.

    Roughly $1.3 million of the reductions came from major funding cuts to critical areas:

    • The town’s pension contributions
    • Public school improvements
    • Road maintenance

    The remaining cuts were spread across nearly every department, including:

    • Library services
    • Senior center staffing
    • Departmental overtime

    When questioned about the wisdom of cutting pension payments, both the town manager and finance director admitted they would not recommend it. Their plan? Simply “hope” that we can make it up next year.

    But hope is not a plan.

    For the past six years, this administration has relied on hope instead of action:

    • Hoping new businesses will come to town
    • Hoping school infrastructure holds up
    • Hoping for mild weather to save on seasonal costs

    What we need is a comprehensive plan:

    • A plan to grow our Grand List
    • A plan to fund future infrastructure and maintenance
    • A plan to preserve essential services for our residents

    Instead, the current approach is to blame the state for not providing enough aid—without showing how the town has used the funds we have received. Where are the new sidewalks? The composting program? The HVAC system for our elementary schools?

    What’s happening isn’t fiscal responsibility—it’s deferral. We’re not just kicking the can down the road—we’re kicking a snowball down a hill, and we all know how that ends in Connecticut.

    Let’s demand more than hope. Let’s institute a plan.

    Opinion piece:This article reflects the position of the author and not necessarily those of the Democratic Town Committee.