City notes: Farmers Market open July 4; Nutrition program offers Farmers Market coupons to seniors; street resurfacing to begin; tax bills in the mail

Posted By: David Fortier June 30, 2020

Bristol Farmers Market on for July 4

A smaller Farmers Market featuring larger vendors will be held on July 4 at Centre Square across from City Hall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to a release from the city.

Vendors include the following:

  • Better Baking By Beth
  • Café Real
  • Firefly Hollow Brewing
  • Gresczyk Farm
  • Nature View Farm
  • Ridgerunner Soap
  • Tonn’s Orchard
  • Twin Pines Farm
  • West’s Side Jerky
  • Doc Popcorn

Top Cheddar will provide the music.

The City of Bristol Farmers Market is recognized by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture as accepting payment vouchers from the Women, Infants, and Children Farmers Market Nutrition Program and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

All participating farms are certified by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program begins mid-July

The Bristol Senior Center will begin distribution of Farmers Market Coupons starting in mid-July, according to a release from the city.

Eligible persons will receive $18 in coupons which can be used to purchase food at the Farmers Market throughout the 2020 season.

To be eligible, a person must be 60, or if under 60 be permanently disabled living in subsidized senior housing. There are income limits which must be met as well.

For 2020, the senior proxy form can be used to allow anyone to use the coupons to purchase food for them. The proxy form will be distributed to each person who gets a coupon book.

The coupons are administered by the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

For information about receiving coupons, please call the Senior Center at 860-584-7895.

Summer paving program to begin July 6

The City of Bristol’s Public Works Department summer road resurfacing program will begin July 6.

This year’s program will have two phases: milling of existing pavement followed by the laying down of a new surface. Following these steps, if necessary the city will repair driveway aprons.

Traffic on the following streets will be affected:

  • Brewster Rd. (Queen to Rotary)
  • Magnolia Ave.
  • Geary Ave.
  • Vanderbilt Rd.
  • Round Hill Rd.
  • Rogers Rd.
  • Main St. (South St. to Blvd)
  • Redstone St.
  • Tulip St. (Park to Divinity)
  • Willow Brook Rd.

Temporary no parking signs will be posted as needed.

Questions or concerns about these projects should be directed to the Public Works Engineering Division at 584-6125.

Reminder: Tax bills being mailed

Tax bills on the Grand List of Oct. 1, 2019, are being mailed today, according to a release from the city.

Most real estate, all personal property and all motor vehicle tax bills that are due on July 1 will not be considered delinquent until after Oct. 1, per an Executive Order by Gov. Ned Lamont and approved by the City of Bristol City Council.

Instead of Aug. 3, the order extends until Oct. 1 the last day to pay without penalty. 

The current mill rate is 38.35 per $1,000 of assessment.

Please note:

  • Real estate accounts in escrow and paid by a bank are not eligible for this program.
  • No application is necessary for taxpayers including businesses, with the exception of landlords.
  • Commercial landlords must qualify by July 1 to be considered eligible via the application provided on the City of Bristol, Tax Department website, www.bristolct.gov.
  • The second installment for Real Estate and Personal Property will be due Jan. 1, 2021 and is payable on or before Feb. 1, 2021 without interest.
  • All motor vehicle bills are due July 1 in one installment payable on or before Oct. 1 without interest.
  • Payments must be received or USPS postmarked by “Delinquent after date” referenced on bill or they will be considered delinquent.  Delinquent payments are subject to an interest charge of 1.5% per month starting with the July 1 due date. The minimum calculated interest charge is $2 per CT State Statute Sec. 12-146.
  • Taxpayers are being encouraged to mail their tax payments to: Tax Collector, City of Bristol, P.O. Box 1040, Bristol, CT 06011-1040 or pay online at www.bristolct.gov.  The ENTIRE 3-part bill and a self-addressed stamped envelope MUST accompany the payment if a receipt is desired through the US Postal Service.
  • Failure to receive a bill for any reason will not invalidate the tax and/or the interest penalty per CT State Statutes Sec. 12-130.

Please contact the Assessor’s Office at (860) 584-6240 if you have received a bill for a vehicle that you no longer have and for questions regarding assessments and exemptions.

Any unpaid motor vehicle tax bills after Oct. 1 will be reported to DMV and may be reported to a collection agency, additional fees may be applied. The Tax Office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.  The Tax Office drive thru window will be open from July 1 through Oct. 1.