Updates from State Rep. Chris Poulos - March 31, 2023

March 31, 2023

As a member of the Moderate Caucus and the Manufacturing Caucus, I'm proud to co-sponsor the Student-Manufacturer Connection Fair set for Wednesday at the State Capitol in Hartford.

We're bussing in middle and high school students from across the state, including Southington, to meet with high tech manufacturers to help fill thousands of well-paying careers in the manufacturing pipeline. We are still looking for Southington businesses. If interested, contact me today!

Please continue reading below for other noteworthy items, and thanks for taking the time to read them!

 

Southington Transfer Station Permits

Starting on Saturday, 2023 stickers are required to utilize the Southington Transfer Station on 617 Old Turnpike Road in Plantsville.

Stickers will be available for purchase at the Town of Southington's highway/parks department facility on Della Bitta Drive from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. They will also be available at that same time and place on April 15.

These two special Saturday opportunities are in addition to the regular availability for the permits on Della Bitta Drive from Monday to Friday at 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Drivers’ licenses and current registrations are required.

 

Grants for Maintenance of Neglected Cemeteries 

Governor Ned Lamont announced the awarding of state grants to 41 municipalities across Connecticut, including Southington, for the purposes of providing maintenance to neglected burial grounds and cemeteries.
 
The grants, which total $5,000 each, are being released under the state’s Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program, which is administered by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. Established in 2014, this program is funded by revenue collected by the Connecticut Department of Public Health from the issuance of death certificates. Grants can be used by the municipalities to support basic maintenance of cemeteries, including the clearing of weeds, briars, and bushes; mowing of the ground’s lawn areas; repairing the ground’s fences or walls; and straightening, repairing, and restoring memorial stones.

 

CTDOT Launches Work Zone Speed Safety Camera Pilot Program

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced the implementation of a program to reduce speeding in work zones and improve state roadway safety. The Know The Zone: Speed Safety Camera Program will be active on April 10 in Connecticut at work zones in Norwalk and East Hartford, followed by the Route 8 corridor between Shelton and Seymour shortly thereafter.

Here’s how the Know the Zone: Speed Safety Camera system works:

  • White SUVs containing radar and camera technology will be deployed to select work zones in Connecticut. Work zones with ongoing enforcement will also have signage 500 feet and 200 feet before the SUV to alert motorists.
  • At this time, speed safety systems will be active in no more than three designated locations at any one time and can be located within the limits of active highway work zones where the posted work zone speed limit is 45 mph or greater. 
  • The system uses radar to identify vehicles traveling 15 mph or above the posted work zone speed limit. Cameras then capture a series of images of these vehicles, with the rear license plates used to identify registered owners. 
  • If the information captured by the speed safety systems is determined to be accurate, a warning or citations will be mailed to the registered owners of the vehicle captured by the systems.  First offenses will result in a written warning with no fine. Second offenses will result in a Notice of Liability along with a $75 fine, and every offense after that will result in a $150 fine.

For more information, including speed safety system locations and answers to frequently asked questions about the program, please visit ct.gov/dot/knowthezone.