TORRINGTON – Torrington City Councilwoman Deanna Hill made her last motion during the council’s Nov. 17 meeting.
Hill bid a tearful farewell to the community she’s served for 10 years as a councilwoman, as she prepares to move back to her hometown of Aurora, Colo. with her family.
“I deeply care about this community and I will miss it wholeheartedly,” she said “It’s been a great place to raise my family and I taught my girls to have a voice in the community. And we all need to have a voice, stand up for what we believe in.”
Hill received a standing ovation from everyone in the council chambers and heard praise from Mayor Randy Adams and Councilman Bill Law.
“She gave up a lot in order to serve the community, and we appreciate her efforts, her time and her dedication to this community,” Adams said.
“When I came onto council, I had the honor of sitting next to Deanna,” Law said. “You were always so gracious and helpful. We’re going to miss you and I know you’ll find things to keep yourself busy and you’ll be a contributor to your community.”
Adams addressed the “uncontrolled spread” of COVID-19 in Torrington, and the rest of the state and country. Adams said he and the council signed a letter delivered to the Goshen County Commissioners in support of taking action to mitigate the spread of the virus.
The letter was not read during the county commissioners’ meeting Tuesday morning, which Adams acknowledged Tuesday evening.
“It did not even get read into the record,” Adams said.
Since the city council meeting, the request for a county-wide mask mandate submitted to the state health officer by County Health Officer Marion Smith, M.D., was approved.
“We’re restating the same thing that we’ve recommended for the public for the last eight months, and that is to wear your masks, wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, wipe down surfaces of potential contamination,” Adams said. “Please avoid large groups of people, stay at home if you’re feeling sick, protect yourselves and your family.”
Adams said he asked the City of Torrington departments to create a plan to split up staff in order to maintain the critical infrastructure.
“We are serious about continuing to provide water, sewer, garbage, electricity and emergency services of police, fire and ambulance to our community,” he said.
Adams also addressed the additional incoming cuts to the state’s budget. Governor Mark Gordon recommended a $500 million cut that will likely impact the Department of Health, the Department of Family Services, higher education and K-12 schools.
The council voted to approve a new health insurance plan for the remainder of the fiscal year amounting to $8,500. The move is necessary now, according to Clerk/Treasurer Lynette Strecker, but they will reevaluate for the next budget.
Strecker also asked the council to approve the application for a coronavirus relief grant to the State Loan and Investment Board for $10,996, to reimburse the city for COVID-19 related expenses. The motion was unanimously approved.
Sandy Hoehn, Community Development Director with Goshen County Economic Development, requested a permit for the 2020 Christmas Parade of Lights set to take place on Main Street on Dec. 4 from 5-7 p.m, which was unanimously approved by the council.
Also approved were a bid from Charles Sargent Irrigation Inc. for a potable groundwater well in the amount of $81,170, R-2A zoning for properties at 902 and 910 Sheridan Street, R-2 zoning for the Halco second addition and Brittany Cearns’ Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for an in-home daycare for up to 15 children.
The next Torrington City Council meeting will be held Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.
