Jaime Foster

Over the next few weeks, I wanted to highlight specific aspects of the budget. This week, I want to discuss the investments we made that will protect local water supplies.

In December, I hosted a virtual event with experts and other state officials to discuss emerging contaminants, the harm they cause, and solutions to try to address the issue. Click on the photo below to watch that discussion.

So what did we do this session to address the problem? I was involved in getting measures across the finish line (including H.B. 5201) that include: 

• Creating a centralized reporting system at the Department of Public Health (DPH); 
• Directing the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to consider public health concerns when analyzing the acquisition of small water companies by larger ones;
• Expanding training for road salt applicators to include private sector applicators;
• Requiring property owners to test the water quality of newly constructed wells for contaminants such as sodium, iron, pH, lead, arsenic, and uranium. Laboratories conducting screenings on new wells must also report those results to the state within 30 days;
• We also moved to protect prospective home buyers and renters by requiring them to be given educational materials regarding well testing by realtors or property owners.

DOT Hosting Meeting on Proposed Changes to Route 140 in Ellington

The Department of Transportation (DOT) will conduct a Virtual Public Information Meeting concerning proposed Route 140 Intersection improvements at Burbank Road on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be live streamed via Microsoft Teams Live Event and YouTube Live. A Question and Answer session will immediately follow the presentation. The presentation will be recorded, and the recording will be posted on the DOT website HERE.

For more information on the proposed project, please CLICK HERE.

East Windsor Parks & Recreation is looking to hire a few more lifeguards for the upcoming summer season.

For more information, please email Samantha Charette at scharette@eastwindsorct.com or call us in the office at 860.627.6662.

Connecticut's first ever child tax payment has just gone into effect and it's already a massive success!

Since applications were first opened to the public on June 1, more than 90,000 households have filed to receive the $250 per child tax payment (up to three children). This was included in the $650 million tax relief package that House Democrats approved as part of the 2022 state budget to give much-needed financial relief and flexibility to working families across Connecticut.

If you have a child born before Jan. 1, 2022 and haven't yet applied, I want to remind you that there is still time to apply to receive your check!

This tax payment is available to single parents who earned less than $100,000 and two-parent households that made less than $200,000 during the 2021 tax year.

For more information on the payment and to submit an application with the Department of Revenue Services before the July 31 deadline, click the photo below.