A year of progress, cultural growth in Kent

KENT — Bellies are full, the air is brisk and the sun sits low and cold in the southern sky — it’s January in Kent, marking the close of a progressive year for the riverside town.

The Board of Selectmen reformed several subcommittees during the year, including the Broadband and Communication Working Group that has been busy trying to modernize and expand the town’s broadband connection. While internet service providers have been hard to reach and state-funding opportunities difficult to get a hold of, fiber optic cable is being laid in town, and the group is working hard to every residence in town wired with “future proof” broadband connection.

The creation of the Cemetery Committee bolstered the town’s volunteer roster. The management of the six town-owned cemeteries were transferred to the control of the newly-formed committee, which is overseen by the BOS.

The Cannabis Regulations Subcommittee formed within Planning and Zoning to help the town decide how to best update its regulation of recreational cannabis.

The Kent Sustainability Team was also reformed.

Aside from town governance, Kent’s cultural institutions saw growth and activity throughout the year. The Kent Memorial Library received two million dollars in funds at the October meeting of the Connecticut Bond Commission which will be put towards a large scale expansion project connecting the existing library to the adjacent old firehouse building. The idea is “more space for more people,” according to Library Director Sarah Marshall.

The Eric Sloane Museum and adjacent Connecticut Antique Machinery Association’s museum brought visitors from near and far to their tranquil grounds throughout the year. Their busy programming schedules ranged from CAMA’s Spring Startup locomotive ride in April to Kent-based non-profit TradesUP’s third annual SPARK event in October introducing children to the many worlds of the trades industries.

Alterations to municipal life have had mixed popularity with the public over the past year. The “orange bag” municipal waste program saw the completion of a successful trial period, reducing waste levels in the town while offering a unit-based pricing system for residents.

A push to install traffic safety cameras along Route 7 in downtown Kent was met with controversy, with some deeming them intrusive or unnecessary while others said such a move is long overdue. Originally scheduled for Dec. 6, the town vote on traffic cameras has been pushed to Jan. 7.