Friends and neighbors,

Only seven days in to January and it has already been a busy, hectic year.

Our emergency management team has been working since early last week planning for the shifting number of at-home test kits and N95 masks to distribute to the community. There are so many moving parts to mobilizing what is referred to in emergency management as a "POD" or Point of Distribution. At the core of a POD is the personnel - you can have endless supplies to hand out, but without the people to do the planning, and support, you have no POD.

To make this all happen, we rely on our emergency management team. Emergency Management Director David Becker and Deputy Emergency Management Director Eric Epstein, have handled the planning and coordination efforts throughout the pandemic. This distribution has involved multiple hiccups at the state level, which meant they had to pivot, pivot and pivot again to keep things moving forward. When we finally got the word that we would be getting kits, they worked with CERT Leader Bonnie Donzella, and Public Works Road Foreman Rick Osborne, to plan, coordinate and stand up a drive-thru POD at the Town Hall in less than 48 hours. Last Sunday, in frigid, windy conditions, CERT distributed 98 COVID-19 at-home test kits to Kent residents. All tolled, it took a dozen people to make this happen. It could not have been possible without the people.

I am happy to announce that starting tomorrow, free COVID-19 testing at the Transfer Station will be expanded to three days a week. Testing be available each week on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from 4-7:oop until further notice.

This team of emergency management professionals bring decades of experience managing large incidents and caring for people, and they have been going above and beyond for two solid years to keep our community safe.

Why am I focusing my message this month on emergency management? It is to share the good hard work of these individuals, but also to share some unfortunate news with you that David Becker has resigned his position as Emergency Management Director. He stepped in at the very beginning of the pandemic, as a longtime colleague from my State government days, initially just to 'help me out' because he knew I was in a bind. Over the last two years he has created a true team, which has elevated our emergency management posture, brought our town a CERT team, and helped keep our community safe through the largest emergency ever to impact our town, hurricanes, tornadoes, and multiple other emergencies. He has been a true professional throughout his tenure, and I will sorely miss his wisdom, teamwork and experience.

This month also brings another transition. Social Service Director Leah Pullaro's last day is next Friday, January 14th (see Town Updates to wish her well). She has supported our most vulnerable residents for the last 9 1/2 years, and she will also be missed. Next week, we also welcome interim Social Services Director Judy Sheridan, and are grateful for the expertise she will bring to keep social services running smoothly.

Change is difficult - I know we can weather these changes together as long as we stay focused on the important work, and continue to be kind to each other.

As always, remember,

...give folks a minute,

...assume some positive intent.

Jean C. Speck

First Selectman

Town of Kent, Connecticut

The CDC continues to recommend a three-prong approach to curbing the spread of the virus: 

Vaccines and Booster Shots: if you are eligible and have not yet been vaccinated, it's easier than ever to get it. Third "booster" doses of COVID-19 vaccines are now available and recommended for everyone age 18 and over. Click the button below the State of Connecticut Vaccine portal for more information:

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics for ages 12+ at Housatonic Valley Regional High School:

Testing Continues: Free COVID19 testing is available at the Town of Kent Transfer Station Mondays, Thursdays AND Saturdays | 4:oo-7:oop .

No appointment needed | PCR test results available in 24-48 hours | CT residency is not required | Insurance is not required | Must have an email address to get test results | Priority lane for First Responders

Please note: the number of tests per testing day continues to be limited to avoid processing delays. Thank you for your patience.

Special thanks to the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Kent's CERT volunteers have been managing logistics at the test site and the POD, working to ensure a well-organized and efficient process. Thank you, as well, to the Sema4 team who are administering and processing the tests. In the month of December, over 1350 people were tested! 

Freedom of Information & Public Meetings in the Zoom Age were the topics of a special zoom session held last night. State FOI Commission Public Education Officer Tom Hennick and Town Attorney Randy DiBella, who is also an FOI subject-matter expert, led a talk on FOI. The session was recorded and is available for viewing on our website. 

Starting this month, the Board of Selectmen will be meeting twice a month. Meetings are scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Thursdays. The first meeting of the month will be at 4:00p; the second meeting of the month will be at 6:30p. Our goal is to make it convenient for the public to attend our meetings. For more information and Zoom links, please check the Town of Kent website.

Job Opportunities: There are often opportunities for employment with Kent Town governments.  All openings are posted to our website: www.townofkentct.org

Are you an organization in Kent looking for volunteers? We are working to compile a list to make available to the residents of the Town looking to get involved. Please email the First Selectman with the name of your organization and a contact person.  

Senior Lunch: On November 19, 2021, the weekly lunch program at the Kent Senior Center was re-launched. A big round of thanks to the organizations who helped to make this such a special event for our senior citizens: Club Getaway, High Watch Recovery Center, Kent School, Marvelwood School, South Kent School, Davis IGA, Kent Pizza Garden, and The Villager.

Check out a Public Service Announcement on the KVFD website about how important volunteer emergency services is to rural communities like Kent and how rewarding that service is. 

Job Well Done! Leah Pullaro is retiring after 9.5 years as the Town's Social Services Director. Rob Hayes, who has provided countless hours supporting our community's food bank, is passing the baton to the next volunteer. So that you may extend a well deserved thank you or offer well wishes, please feel free to stop by the Food Bank next Friday. 

January 14, 2022 | 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Kent Food Bank | Kent Community House | 93 North Main Street

Birch Hill: There continues to be no updates regarding the proposed 85-bed substance use disorder treatment facility on the property at 46 Maple Street. The Town of Kent continues to monitor developments.  

Streetscape: The Town has received the three permanent easements needed to move the project forward. We now await final DOT approval.

Federal Tribal Recognition: Currently, there are no updates to report.   

Cell Tower Construction: Homeland Towers has received approval for their Development & Management Plan and plan to have the tower up by summer of 2022. What does this mean for Kent? (this is a reprint from last month's newsletter, in case anyone missed this information)

The tower facility will provide reliable wireless communications services to the central portion of Kent, along Segar Mountain Road (route 341), Richards Road, and in surrounding areas. In addition, AT&T will be providing FirstNet services, which is the first broadband network dedicated to emergency services (police, firefighters, and emergency medical services). Plan documents can be found on the Docket 488 page on the Connecticut Siting Council website.

Before and after coverage maps (below) can be found in Attachment 1: 'Statement of Public Need with Coverage Plots'. Please note: two sites were initially proposed for consideration- Bald Hill Road and Richards Road. The tower will be constructed at 93 Richards Road, which is described in the second half of the 'Statement for Public Need' report.

Click on the map images to see larger PDF versions of the before and after coverage:

Town Of Kent | Discover Litchfield Hills | Kent Affordable Housing | Kent Chamber of Commerce | Kent Center School | Kent Community Fund | Kent Emergency Management | Kent Historical Society | Kent Land Trust | Kent Memorial Library | Kent Park & Rec | Kent Volunteer Fire Dept | Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy | NW Hills Council of Governments | Region 1 Schools

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