Jason Rojas

Dear Neighbor,



I hope this email finds you well. Below, you'll find updates on district resources and news. Please feel free to reach out to my office if you have any questions or concerns.



The topics covered in this e-newsletter are as follows:

• Town Hall
• State Update
• Manchester Community Events and Information
• East Hartford Community Events and Information

The East Hartford Delegation invites you to attend our Legislative Town Hall at Wickham Library 656 Burnside Ave., on February 13th from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. This is an excellent opportunity to engage with your elected officials and discuss the issues that matter most to you and our community. Town hall events are a chance for you to ask questions, share your thoughts, and listen to what others in the community have to say. Your voice is important, and we want to hear from you. We hope you’ll join us for a productive and engaging evening, and we look forward to seeing you there!

On Monday, my colleagues, advocates, and I gathered at the Legislative Office Building to spotlight one of the most pressing issues this session: the shortage of affordable housing in Connecticut. It’s a challenge that affects countless families and communities across the state. You can watch my full remarks on this critical issue here.

On Wednesday, the Governor addressed the legislature concerning his budget proposal, which you can check out by clicking here, and you can watch the full speech here. Please send me your feedback as we work on crafting this year's biannual budget. 



If you are interested in providing testimony, in-person, virtually, or in writing, the Appropriation Committee will begin their public hearing process on Tuesday, February 11. See below for more information.

The Appropriations Committee will hold state agency budget presentations and public hearings from Tuesday, February 11, 2025 through Wednesday, February 26, 2025, in Room 2C of the LOB and via Zoom. Separate Bulletin notices for each public hearing will be published with a link to an Online Registration form, as well as a link to submit testimony electronically. The state agency presentations and public hearings can be viewed via YouTube Live. In addition, some state agency presentations and public hearings may be recorded and broadcast live on CT-N.com.

As we wrap up the first month of our 2025 legislative session, my constituent survey remains active so that we can hear directly from you! I hope you will take a few minutes to complete this survey. Your voice informs the decisions I make as your State Representative. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if I can assist you, your family, or our neighbors. It’s an honor to serve as your voice at the State Capitol and I look forward to hearing from you on ways in which we will continue to make Connecticut a place where individuals, families, and businesses thrive.

Town Resources

https://www.easthartfordct.gov/residents

 

Town Newsletters

Pulse of East Hartford     

East Hartford Public Schools

East Hartford Works

Earlier this week the Town of Manchester was honored by the League of American Bicyclists with a Bronze-Level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award thanks to the Town’s work in building better places for people to bike. Manchester joins 460 communities across the country in the movement for safer streets and better bicycling for everyone. The award recognizes Manchester for its commitment to creating transportation and recreational resources that benefit its residents of all ages and abilities while encouraging healthier and more sustainable transportation choices.

Manchester is one of only 12 communities in Connecticut to be awarded this honor.

"We are proud to receive the Bicycle Friendly Community Award, which highlights the progress we've made and reinforces our commitment to making our city more accessible, sustainable, and safe for everyone,” said Manchester Mayor Jay Moran.

“Manchester is a statewide leader in the field of recreation and this award demonstrates our efforts to prioritize safe streets, ensure accessibility for all, and promote sustainability,” said Town Manager Steve Stephanou.

The League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America program sets the standard for how communities build and benchmark progress toward making biking better. The BFC award recognizes Manchester’s commitment to improving conditions for all people who bike through investments in bike education programs, regular bike events that promote and encourage people to choose biking, pro-bike policies, and bike infrastructure.

“We are honored to receive this designation that recognizes the achievements we have made in our efforts to make Manchester accessible by bicycle,” said Joshua Charette, Recreation Supervisor for the Department of Leisure, Family & Recreation. “This award recognizes the collective efforts of the Town, local organizations, dozens of bicycle-friendly businesses and countless community members to advance safe, accessible and joyful bicycling opportunities across Manchester.”

Nearly 900 communities have applied for recognition by the Bicycle Friendly Community program, which provides a roadmap to making biking better for communities of all shapes and sizes. While the award process considers very visible elements such as bike infrastructure, other essential elements include efforts around adult and youth bike education, encouragement through events like Bike to Work Day, evaluation mechanisms, and enforcement all through the lens of equity. The rigorous application process is an educational tool in itself and includes an opportunity for local bicyclists and active transportation advocates to provide input on their experiences and perceptions of bicycling in their community.

To learn more about the BFC program, visit bikeleague.org/community.

The Town of Manchester’s Downtown Arts and Culture Grant Program seeks to encourage and support initiatives, events and installations that contribute to the vibrancy and engaging atmosphere in the Downtown area defined by the boundaries of the Special Services District (map attached) plus Charter Oak Park, Center Memorial Park and Center Springs Park.



Funding is available to be granted for individuals or organizations that effectively propose initiatives, projects, events or installations that the Oversight Committee determines to be most appropriate and timely for this round of grant awards.



Applications are due to the Budget & Research Office electronically by 5:00 p.m. Friday, February 13, 2025.



The Committee’s intention is to award grants by March 11, 2025.

Read Full Packet(PDF, 316KB)

Tackling Food Insecurity One Bowl At A Time!

Pick-up will be drive-thru only

466 Main Street, Manchester (Community Kitchen)

Date: Saturday, February 8th from 9 am – 12 pm



Celebrate the Super Bowl and support your community by donating to MACC’s Annual Souper Bowl of Caring Fundraiser! For every $15 donation to support MACC, you get your choice of this year’s Souper Bowl of Caring Soup! All proceeds go directly to the Community Kitchen and Community Emergency Food Pantry to help families facing food insecurity in the community. Pick the Saturday before the Super Bowl at the Community Kitchen from 9 AM – 12 PM. Cash, Card, or Check will be accepted at the door for pick up or pay ahead online.

The Department of Leisure, Family, and Recreation Winter/Spring Program and Event Guide is here!

East Hartford Residents: The Town is looking for your input!

Help shape our community! The Town of East Hartford is collecting feedback on how to allocate federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Share your priorities by completing the CDBG Needs Survey by February 28, 2025.



Take the survey online: https://survey123.arcgis.com/.../73d823cd96e94e7888b8786d...



Pick up a hard copy at Town Hall, the Senior Center, Raymond Library & Cultural Community Center!

Your voice matters! #EastHartford

The Town of East Hartford is in the process of adopting its annual budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026. The Town encourages all residents to participate in the budget workshops and provide valuable feedback.

Understanding how the Town plans its spending every year is essential for our community. The budget planning process is an open and transparent opportunity for all residents to learn about the Town’s priorities and contribute their input. Below are the key details for the upcoming budget workshops and meetings.

• The workshops will be held in the Town Council Chambers on the second floor of Town Hall (740 Main Street)
• Call-in options are unique to each workshop. Access details are listed on the public meeting calendar on the Town Council webpage here.

Residents are invited to engage in these meetings, where the Mayor and town directors will present and discuss the proposed budget for FY 26. The Mayor's recommended budget book will be available on the East Hartford Finance Department webpage. Once adopted, the book will be updated.

• FY 2026 Town Council Budget Presentations & Public Hearing Schedule
• Previous years’ adopted budgets

The Town of East Hartford has recently begun a community-wide branding initiative. Why? In an increasingly competitive and mobile world, communities must present what they stand for to their residents, prospective residents, visitors, and businesses to give each of these audiences confidence in choosing the community. It's a matter of ensuring long-term economic health and vibrancy.

While this is a branding project for the Town of East Hartford as a municipal government, the Town’s brand must reflect East Hartford’s identity both as a government and as a community. The East Hartford story is defined by the people who spend their time here—living, working, and exploring. Each individual plays a part in defining this town, and their stories help us uncover the unique identity of East Hartford. As we build the East Hartford brand, we will rely on a strong foundation of research to inform creative outcomes and implementation planning. We are currently in the Research portion of the project and look forward to uncovering and creating the East Hartford brand.

Help us shape the brand, (how people talk about us) by responding to our community survey here.

The survey is available in both English and Spanish. You can also find paper copies of the survey at Town buildings (Town Hall, CCC, both libraries, Public Safety, and the Senior Center) beginning Friday, December 13th. The community survey will close on February 28^th, 2025.

Learn more about the Community Branding Initiative and how YOU can get involved by visiting chooseeasthartford.com.

Tuesday Night Tunes

The East Hartford Parks & Recreation and the East Hartford Public Library is hosting their Tuesday Night Tunes Concert Series!

Join us on February 11th for the Nat Reeves Trio (A celebration of Jazz & Poetry) at the Wickham Library (656 Burnside Ave). This concert is apart of the Library’s Black History Month celebration and is funded in part by the East Hartford Commission on Culture and Fine Arts.

All concerts are free for the public to attend, and all ages! Concerts will be held from 6:30-7:30 PM.

Don’t miss the other upcoming concerts:

March 11 – Tuesday Night Tunes - Bomba Fusion (Puerto Rican Bomba) at the Community Cultural Center (50 Chapman Place) - Funded in part by the East Hartford Commission on Culture and Fine Arts

April 8 – Tuesday Night Tunes - Hosmer Mountain Boys (Bluegrass) at the Community Cultural Center (50 Chapman Place)

If you have any questions, please call East Hartford Parks & Recreation Department at 860-291-7160.

My office is always open if you or your family are in need of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email at Jason.Rojas@cga.ct.gov or by phone at 860-240-8541.



Sincerely,



Jason Rojas