Page 28 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 47 Spring 2024
P. 28

Uptown  Magic
                                                                                                                                              Uptown  Magic










          First Sixty Days




                       by Mayor Vincent Cervoni




            his past January 8, 2024, Wallingford’s first new mayor in forty years
        Twas sworn into office.  Coming up on the first sixty days of this new ad-
        ministration, we’ve already made some great strides toward moving town
        government into the twenty-first century.


        With approval from the Town  maintenance and improvements
        Council, we have begun a survey  that are required along with a plan          Mayor Vincent Cervoni
        of  town  government  operations  to implement the improvements.
        for information technology needs
        along with the ability to improve  Looking forward and beyond gov-       The mayor’s office is now regularly
        operations.  Once the technolo- ernment operations, we have been  staffed by five.  Those include the
        gy assessment is completed, our  excited to learn that the Proton  mayor, Administrative Aid, Cori,
        consultant, CLA will present the  Therapy project, near the I-91 and  Executive Secretary, Dawn, and
        administration with a plan for the  Route 68 interchange is back on  utility infielder, Elsie.  The fifth is
        implementation  of  the  technology  track, with construction to com-    a dirty blonde boy with stunning
        upgrades that will be required.      mence in the coming months.  This  blue eyes, Hawkins, the Australian
                                             will be a great addition to the ser-  Shepherd.  In addition to providing
        Among the technology improve- vices offered in Wallingford, fur-         comfort  during  stressful  interac-
        ments to be implemented are the  ther contributing to its pin on the  tions, Hawkins as a semi-reliable,
        ability for applications to land use  world map.                         first-alert system.  When some visi-
        boards to be filed electronically                                        tors are perceived as intruders with
        along with personal property tax  In other news, the mayor may be  ulterior motives, or when a new vis-
        declarations.    Also,  the  ability  to  getting a new car, well, new to the  itor doesn’t immediately check out,
        pay tax and utility bills online will  mayor.    Late  one  Sunday  evening,  Hawkins barks to make sure we all
        be  improved  upon  significantly  while parked on North Main Street,  know that we MIGHT want to be
        over the officialpayments.com sys- the  grey  Ford  Taurus  bearing  the  concerned about our, or his safety.
        tem, currently in use by the town.   plate WLFD.1 (the Walrus) was
                                             struck and, ultimately, declared a  In  the  coming  months,  we’ll  talk
        At the time of this writing, we are  total loss.  Once the police depart-  about the town’s upcoming 2024-25
        commencing  interviews  of  candi- ment determines which command  budget, as well as updates regarding
        dates for the newly created position  cruiser can be replaced, the mayor’s  infrastructure, both, physical and
        of Director of Information Tech- car will be replaced with a donation  technological.
        nology.  This new position was also  from the police department fleet.
        approved by the Town Council.                                            You might ask why this article,
        Once hired, the director will work  The death of the Walrus is notewor-  written by the mayor, refers to him
        with the consultant to implement  thy as it had been parked against  in the third person.  It is not some
        the technology plan and supervise  the curb on North Main Street well  Caesarian  or  Shakespearian  at-
        its continuing operation.            over a day before it was struck.  tempt  at  separation  or  higher  art.

                                             Please, be careful and observant  It is because the mayor’s office is not
        The town is seeking proposals from  as you drive.  We are at a time in  just one person.  It is many people.
        a  construction  and  maintenance  modern history when distracted
        professional regarding a survey of  and, otherwise challenged driving
        town government buildings.  The  is  occurring  with  more  and  more
        goal of the survey is to determine  regularity.


       28                                                                              Wallingford Magazine - Spring 2024        WallingfordMag.com                                                                                       29
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