25% of Budget, 5 Minutes of Questions: What are the Council Republicans up to?

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  Enfield Town Council budget workshop The Town Council is currently preparing the 2026 budget. Department heads present their proposals at public workshops where council members usually ask detailed questions. However, something notable occurred during this week's Department of Public Works (DPW) budget presentation. Despite DPW accounting for nearly 25% of the town's non-education spending, the questioning lasted less than five minutes, with only a few basic inquiries from Republican council members. The Democrats, as the minority party with limited influence on the budget, remained silent. [YouTube video: Q&A starts at about 1:31. The DPW presentation begins at about 1:16) There were no substantial questions or debate during the presentation itself, and nothing raised about the pending outsourcing study—despite its direct relevance to the DPW budget. This limited discussion raises legitimate questions, particularly as the Council is actively exploring outsourcing trash ...

Enfield's pedestrian neglect


Cranbrook, Enfield CT
Where the sidewalk ends at Cranbrook

My car broke down, and I had it towed to the new AAA auto repair shop on Hazard Avenue. It meant walking back home, a different way to experience Enfield. 


Palomba and Cranbrook, Enfield CT
No crosswalk at Palomba and Cranbrook
To get to my home off Raffia, I walked from the AAA garage to Cranbrook Blvd. to reach the Big Y and pick something up. Only one side of Cranbrook has sidewalks in front of some businesses but not others. The sidewalk ends abruptly before Palomba Dr., covered by an overgrowth once marked by torn yellow caution tape. 

There is no crosswalk at the four-way stop at Palomba Drive. Why is that? When I felt it was my turn to cross safely, I held my hand to ensure the drivers were paying attention. 


Palomba has a sidewalk, but it ends (or starts) at Cranbrook, meaning you need to walk through the shopping center's parking lot (The one with Anthony's and Smyths Ice Cream Shop) to get to Hazard. 


Pedestrian use is an afterthought in the commercial district and that won't change unless people begin to demand more from our community. This is far from the only example of bad things in Enfield. More to come.



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