News roundup includes energy program at senior center, reminder that property tax deadline looms, tax assessor honored, tea party at American Clock & Watch Museum

Posted By: Staff December 6, 2023

Energy assistance program at Bristol Senior Center this afternoon

An energy assistance discussion featuring panelist from Operation Fuel, Human Resources Agency (HRA) of New Britain and the Connecticut Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will be held at the Bristol Senior Center, today, Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The event is hosted by State Rep. Mary Fortier.

Second installment of real estate and personal property taxes due Jan. 1, 2024

The second installment of real estate and personal property taxes on the Grand List of Oct. 1, 2022, are due and payable on Jan. 1, 2024, it was announced by city’s tax collector. All tax bills become delinquent after Feb. 1, 2024.

The city does not rebill for second installments. The second installment coupon for was included in with the July bill.

Owners of motor vehicles registered between the dates of Oct. 2, 2022, and July 31, 2023, are also liable for a tax. Bills for these vehicles will be mailed out Dec. 29 This tax is due and payable as of Jan. 1, 2024 and is considered delinquent after Feb. 1, 2024. 

Regarding payment, only current tax bills may be paid in person at any M & T Bank Branch starting Jan. 2, 2024, through Feb. 1, 2024; the branch does not have to be in Bristol.  A current tax coupon is required along with payment of cash or check. There is no fee for this service and is available during the January collection month.

Paying in person at city hall is limited to check or cash. Credit cards will not be accepted. Recenlty city hall hours have changed and the new Tax Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

Payments may be mailed to the Tax Collector’s Office, P.O. Box 1040, Bristol, CT 06011-1040. The entire bill and a self-addressed stamped envelope must accompany the payment if a receipt is desired.  

For essential information regarding municipal taxes, to keep up with important deadlines or to make a payment, please visit the Tax Office page at www.bristolct.gov. 

Payments must be received or USPS postmarked on or before Feb. 1, 2024, or they will be considered delinquent. Delinquent payments are subject to interest at a rate of 1.5 percent per month starting from the due date of Jan. 1, 2024. The minimum calculated interest charge is $2 per state statute.

Please contact the Assessor’s Office at (860) 584-6240 if you have received a bill for a vehicle that you no longer have and for questions regarding assessments and exemptions.

City tax assessor receives statewide honor

For the first time since 1971 a City of Bristol assessor has been named Assessor of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers (CAAO).

Thomas DeNoto, City of Bristol assessor, received the Assessor of the Year Award at the fall meeting of the Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers, Inc. (CAAO).

TomDeNoto_HeadshotPhoto

Thomas DeNoto

A lifelong Bristol resident, DeNoto and has been Bristol’s Assessor for the past 15 years. He was previously employed as the Newtown Assessor and Manchester Deputy Assessor. DeNoto served as the CAAO president from 2020 through 2022,

President-elect from 2018 through 2020, DeNoto is a member of CAAO education committee and past co-chairman of their legislative and by-laws committees. He has also served as president of the Hartford Area Assessors Association, is a member of the CT Chapter of the International Association of Assessing Officers and is an affiliated member of the Appraisal Institute since 1995.

DeNoto and Christine, his wife of 30 years, are the parents of three children, Alexandra, Devon and Eric. He is also an active member and volunteer with the St. Francis de Sales youth group “Teens in Action.”

The role of an assessor is to discover, list and value all the property within a town, including exempt and taxable real estate, personal property and motor vehicles, according to the release announcing the award.

Green yard waste barrels available for pickup through Dec. 8

Green yard waste barrels will now be collected Dec. 8, extending the season for another week, Public Works announced on its website.

The season for the barrels began in April, when the date for the collection of yard waste was Dec. 1. The barrels are used for the disposal of grass, leaves, woodchips and small branches.

There is an annual fee for the service, which is available by filling out an online application on the City of Bristol website of by contacting the Public Works Dept. at (860)584-6125.

‘Mantels for the Season’ runs through the end of December

This year’s “Mantels for the Season,” an annual exhibit that this year focuses on Bristol’s new Cultural District, which opened at the American Clock & Watch Museum last Friday will continue through Dec. 30.

Mantels and trees in the museum’s eight galleries will be decorated by businesses and organizations associated with the district, which includes historic Federal Hill and select downtown sections of the city.

The annual event, now in its sixth year, has become very popular, said the museum’s executive director Patti Philippon. She added that the event is fun for the staff since if provides them an opportunity to work with members of the community and allows the museum to display the clocks in unique ways.

The event is sponsored by Bristol Health and Coppermine Advisors, LLC. “Mantels for the Season” is included in the price of admission.

The museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve).

American Clock & Watch Museum sets Dec. 31 for children’s ‘Mad Hatter New Year’s Eve Tea’

A children’s Mad Hatter’s New Year’s Eve tea party will be held the American Clock & Watch Museum on Sunday, Dec. 31 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. There will be crafts, snacks, tea, and the chiming and ringing of the bells at noon.

The ticket price for the event is the same for adults and childrens, $10 per person. Seating is limited.  Pre-registration and payment is required. 

Call the museum to reserve/pay for your spot(s) at this special event–860-583-6070. Information is also available on the website  www.clockandwatchmuseum.org. In case of inclement weather, please check the museum’s website. 

The museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is an admission charge. For more information, call 860-583-6070 or go to www.clockandwatchmuseum.org.

New eligibility levels will allow nearly 10,000 additional people to receive SNAP benefits

Connecticut residents now qualify for Connecticut’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if their monthly gross income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (for example, $2,430 for a single person and $5,000 for a four-person household).

Until October 2022, Connecticut’s limit was 185 percent of the federal poverty level ($2,248 for a single person and $4,625 for a four-person household). according to the announcement. The federal government allows monthly gross income limits up to 200 percent and Connecticut is now one of approximately 15 states to take full advantage of that allowance.

SNAP enrollees are issued electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, which work like a debit card and are replenished for every month of eligibility. The cards can be used at thousands of participating food markets and grocery stores, convenience stores, farmers markets, and online at many retailers for food items approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.

For more information on SNAP, visit www.ct.gov/snap.

Connecticut Energy Assistance Program accepting applications

The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is accepting applications through May 31, 2024. CEAP helps Connecticut residents afford to heat their homes. Applications for CEAP typically take 30-45 minutes. Basic benefits towards heating bills range between $180 and $530. Benefits are usually paid directly to the utility company or fuel supplier. Households that heat with deliverable fuels like oil or propane may be eligible for additional free tank fills.

Connecticut residents that meet the following may be eligible: already receive food stamps (SNAP), SSI, TANF or other benefits from the Department of Social Services and have an annual household income falls at or below 60 percent of the state’s median income.

In Bristol, CEAP applications are available at HRA, 55 South St., (860) 356-2000. Email: energyapp@hranbct.org.

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