City Hall holiday hours set
City Hall will close early Friday, both Dec. 22 and Dec. 29, for the Christmas holiday and New Year’s Day observances. The release from City Hall asks residents to contact individual departments for operating hours both days. The City’s website has the specifics. Click here.
City Hall will be closed both Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25, and New Year’s Day, Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
Public Works hours for the holidays posted
Public Works will be open on a half-day schedule, 7:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., in observance of Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 22 and New Year’s Eve, Friday, Dec. 29.
Public Works will be closed on Monday, Dec. 25, in observance of Christmas Day. Public Works will be closed Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, in observance of New Year’s Day. The Transfer Station will also be closed on both Monday, Dec. 25, and Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
The Transfer Station will be open and operating under regular hours, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturdays, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30.
Curbside collections (rubbish, recycle) will be on a normal schedule this week.
There will be no curbside collections, rubbish nor recycling, on Monday, Dec. 25, and Monday, Jan. 1. Curbside collections will be delayed by one day, with Friday routes being completed on Saturday.
High school seniors encouraged to apply for state’s automatic college admission program
The Jan. 4, 2024, deadline for eligible high school seniors to be automatically admitted to participating Connecticut colleges and universities by filling out one application available at no cost was the subject of a news conference in New Britain yesterday.
Gov. Ned Lamont joined Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Chancellor Terrence Cheng and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker at New Britain High School to encourage eligible high school seniors in Connecticut to apply for the Connecticut Automatic Admission Program, which launched recently.
The deadline to apply is for high school seniors who are graduating this spring.
Graduating seniors in the top 30 percent of their class – as identified by their individual high school counselors – are eligible, according to the press release from the governor’s office.
By simplifying the admissions process and removing application fees, the goal is to make it easier for high school students to seek higher education, particularly among first-generation, low-income, and minority students.
The program is administered by CSCU in partnership with the nonprofit organization Common App. This becomes the first state and nonprofit partnership on automatic admission.
The colleges and universities currently participating include the following:
- Central Connecticut State University in New Britain
- Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic
- Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven
- Western Connecticut State University in Danbury
- Mitchell College in New London
- University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport
- University of New Haven in New Haven
- University of St. Joseph in West Hartford
- Goodwin University in East Hartford
For the most recent round of applications that ended in October, a total of 2,266 students applied, totaling 18,128 offers of automatic admission to participating institutions – as each student received eight offers each. In 2022, there were 1,617 applications, so the program’s applications have already surpassed first-year participation levels.
For more information on the Connecticut Automatic Admission Program, including instructions on how to apply, visit www.ct.edu/autoadmit.
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.
‘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.
Thousands of old, low-level convictions set to be automatically erased over the next month
More than 80,000 people will have convictions for older, lower-level offenses cleared from their record over the next month, it was announced by Gov. Ned Lamont in a release yesterday.
The process to erase the vast majority of eligible records is expected to be completed by the end of January 2024.
Approximately 28,752 additional convictions for operation while under the influence, for which Clean Slate eligibility was modified in the 2023 legislative session, are expected to be erased by the end of March 2024.
Additionally, another group of approximately 62,364 convictions will require manual confirmation due to imperfections in historical data. Those convictions will be processed manually over the course of the first half of 2024.
The erasure of these old, low-level convictions comes in addition to the 43,754 low-level drug possession (mostly cannabis) convictions that the state already erased earlier this year with the law that legalized and safely regulates the adult-use of cannabis.
It is expected that the system will initially identify for erasure approximately 178,499 offenses from more than 80,000 people. Record erasure does not mean deletion or destruction; instead, erasure causes a record to be flagged for nondisclosure to anyone other than the clerk holding the records.
Eligible offenses include:
- Any classified or unclassified misdemeanor (imprisonment less than one year), with a seven-year waiting period from the person’s most recent conviction.
- Class D, E, or unclassified felonies (imprisonment less than five years), or operating under the influence (General Statutes § 14-227a), with a 10-year waiting period from the person’s most recent conviction.
To be automatically erased, the offense must have been committed on or after Jan. 1, 2000. Earlier offenses may be erased via a petition to the courts under similar eligibility rules.
Some specific charges are excluded from erasure, as is any sexually violent offense and nonviolent sexual offense. Any offense designated as a family violence crime is also excluded. Convictions cannot be erased on a person’s record unless the person has no pending criminal charges and the person has completed all periods of incarceration, probation, and parole imposed since Jan. 1, 2000.
Some of the most common felonies to be erased are burglary in the 3rd degree, larceny in the 3rd degree, and forgery in the 2nd degree. Some of the most common misdemeanors to be erased are larceny in the 6th degree (shoplifting), DUI and failure to appear.
Convictions for violations of Connecticut General Statutes § 21a-279(c) imposed between Jan. 1, 2000, and Sept. 30, 2015, were automatically erased at the beginning of 2023. People who meet those criteria do not need to do anything to have those convictions erased.
Convictions for any of the following violations can be erased by petitioning the court:
- Convictions for violations of Connecticut General Statutes § 21a-279 for possession of less than or equal to 4 ounces of a cannabis-type substance imposed before Jan. 1, 2000, and between Oct. 1, 2015, and June 30, 2021.
- Convictions for violations of Connecticut General Statutes § 21a-267(a) for possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia for cannabis imposed before July 1, 2021.
- Convictions for violations of Connecticut General Statutes § 21a-277(b) imposed before July 1, 2021, for manufacturing, selling, possessing with intent to sell or giving or administering to another person a cannabis-type substance and the amount involved was less than or equal to four ounces or six plants grown inside your home for personal use.
For more detailed information about the law, visit portal.ct.gov/cleanslate.
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.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.