Windsor Town Council Meeting - July 1, 2024
Windsor Town Council Meeting - July 1, 2024
The Windsor Town Council held a regular meeting on July 1, 2024, at town hall. The meeting included a proclamation, public comments, reports from the Board of Education and Town Manager, and several unanimous votes on grants, public hearings, ARPA fund allocations, and personnel changes. All votes passed 9-0.
Proclamation & Presentation
- July 2024 was proclaimed as Parks and Recreation Month in Windsor, with a theme of "Where You Belong." Rich Henderson, Recreation Director, accepted the proclamation and highlighted upcoming activities including pool events, senior activities, nature programs, and summer basketball league.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Sarah McKay (Windsor Art Center), Doug Shipman (Windsor Historical Society), and Neil Sachdev (Windsor Arts Center president) each expressed support for the Connecticut River & Roots Festival scheduled for September 1, 2024, and thanked the council for supporting the arts.
- James Madison (8 Fitzmora Circle) spoke in support of the thin blue line flag on Windsor police cruisers, calling it a symbol of heroism and rejecting any connection to white nationalism. He referenced the recent line-of-duty death of Officer Aaron Pelletier in Wethersfield and noted that Wethersfield's deputy mayor had called the flag emblematic of white nationalist movements. Another speaker (name not provided) stated that the flag on police vehicles is a desecration of the American flag, citing his service as a U.S. Army veteran.
Board of Education Report
- Secretary Lockhart reported that the Class of 2024 graduated on June 11. Over $127,850 in scholarships were awarded on May 30. The summer food program runs June 24–August 16 (closed July 4–5) at Sharshawn Park (11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.) and John Fitz Park (noon – 12:45 p.m.); children must be present to receive meals. The next Board of Education regular meeting is September 18, 2024. Councillor Pelkey asked about enrollment in the firefighter education course; staff will provide numbers, but secondhand information indicates 11 students enrolled for next year. The mayor asked about enrichment programs; only credit recovery is offered this summer.
Town Manager's Report
- Community block parties will be held July 12 (Sharshawn Park), July 26 (Lancaster Park), and August 9 (Deerfield Park), 4:30–7:30 p.m. Concerts on the Green begin July 11. Welch Pool renovation is substantially complete and will open July 4; Veterans Pool will then close for general public swim but remain open for summer camps. The MDC Pearson Lane sewer line extension is delayed to mid-September due to Amtrak approval delays. The Broad Street road diet project update: three options were presented at a well-attended meeting (over 100 in person plus dozens online) — options include one travel lane each direction with parking, bike lanes, or a combination; roundabouts at key intersections are under consideration. Public feedback was noted, and the council will provide guidance this fall. Tax bills for real estate, motor vehicle, and commercial personal property will be mailed July 26, due August 1, payable through September 3; interest accrues retroactively to August 1 if not paid by September 3. The town will be closed July 4. The fire marshal is reviewing the ordinance on burning building materials after a resident complaint.
Discussion Items
- Cybersecurity Grant (12A): The council authorized submission of a Connecticut State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCP) application for $41,260 (90% reimbursement) for three projects identified in a vulnerability assessment. The motion passed 9-0.
- Public Hearing Setting (12B): The council voted 9-0 to set a public hearing for August 5, 2024 at 7:20 p.m. to hear public comment on adding 114 Upper Broad Street to the Windsor Center Design District map within the Plan of Conservation and Development. The property is currently a single-family home; the developer plans to use it for parking for the Founders Square project, potentially increasing density. The Planning and Zoning Commission will also hold a hearing on September 11.
- Capital Improvement Plan (12C): The FY25-30 CIP totaling $122 million (including $81 million in new bonding, $23 million cash-funded) was referred to the Town Improvements Committee for review. Key projects include Windsor High School HVAC and roof replacement, Paquanick School ventilation, Veterans Pool improvements, and Broad Street road diet, all requiring referenda. The Capital Improvements Committee recommended the plan with notes to explore Northwest Park storage, Deerfield Park improvements, Palisado Avenue sidewalks, and phased street light replacement.
- ARPA Fund Allocations (12D): The council approved $108,000 for the town's housing rehabilitation program, $145,000 for multifamily housing rehabilitation (forgivable loans, landlord 75% match), $100,000 for a second round of community and neighborhood enhancement grants (max $10,000 with 50% match), $55,748 for a dial-a-ride van replacement, and $15,000 to the Windsor Art Center for the Connecticut River & Roots Festival on September 1. Debate: Councillor Alaveld questioned continuing $15,000 for Journey Home (not part of this vote, but listed as a future allocation) because Journey Home recently received a $2 million grant; other councillors supported continued partnership, citing local homelessness need. The festival funding was supported as a one-time investment to launch a new community event. The motion passed 9-0.
Consent Calendar
- Resignations of Castella Copeland and Jody Denno from the Human Relations Commission were accepted with regret.
- Minutes from the June 17 public hearing, June 17 regular meeting, and June 24 special meeting were approved.
Key Outcomes
- Cybersecurity grant application authorized (9-0)
- Public hearing set for August 5, 2024 (9-0)
- ARPA fund allocations approved (9-0)
- Resignations accepted (9-0)
- Minutes approved (9-0)
- Meeting adjourned
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to our town council meeting of July first, twenty twenty four. All councillors. Well, we are missing one counselor, I believe he is in route. Okay. Um so outside of counselor Smith, all counselors are accounted for. Deputy Mayor Clays, we'll turn it over to you for items two and three. As we approach, I'm gonna do my um reading. As we approach the Fourth of July holiday commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, may we always celebrate our democracy and freedom. May we also use this occasion as a time of reflection to continue our work in the support and expansion of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States. And two questions. Under God. Liberty. Thank you, Deputy Mayor Clace. And we all love the technology. There's always a delay, but we got it done today. We got it done. Thank you so much for that. We'll move to item number four on our agenda. And this evening we do have a proclamation proclaiming July 2024 as parks and recreations month. So the proclamation reads, whereas parks and recreation promotes health and wellness, improving the physical and mental health of people who live near parks, and whereas parks and recreation promotes time spent in nature, which positively impacts mental health by increasing cognitive performance and well-being and alleviating illness, such as depression, attention deficit disorders, and Alzheimer's. And whereas parks and recreation encourages physical activities by providing space for popular sports, hiking trails, swimming pools, and many other activities designated to promote active lifestyles. And whereas Parks and Recreation is a leading provider of health, excuse me, of healthy meals, nutrition services, and education. And whereas parks and recreations programming and education activities, such as out-of-school time programming, youth sports, and environmental education are critical to the childhood development, and whereas parks and recreation increase a community's economic prosperity through tourism and the attraction and retention of businesses, and whereas parks and recreation is fundamental to the environmental well-being of our community. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor in the Windsor Town Council that the month of July is excuse me, is designated as Parks and Recreation Month in Windsor. This year's theme, Where you Belong, emphasizes the profound impact parks and recreation plays in our lives, and we encourage all residents to celebrate by participating in their choice of pleasurable recreation park and leisure activities with families, friends, and neighbors. Signed Nishette Black Burke, Mayor of Windsor, July 1st, 2024, and Rich Henderson, my buddy is here to accept the proclamation. We won't talk pools tonight, but we will talk babam basketball. Absolutely. All right. How's registration going for that? Thank you. Thank you very much. Hope to see everyone out there this month. We have a wide variety of activities scheduled, special events, such as pool events, senior activities, Northwest Park, a lot of nature activities, bus trips to the Harford Yard goats. So a wide variety of trip offerings, special events and programs. I will mention, yes, you come out and enjoy our pools there, especially on this beautiful um weather that we've been having. So you know, please come out and enjoy and have a splash at the pools. Thank you. Thank you, counselors. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Rice. Thank you so much. And not just our pools, it's um summer league basketball is happening, so you can take in a game on a Friday evening at one of our rec centers. So there's a lot happening with recreation services. So thank you again, Mr. Henderson. So at this time we'll move to item number five in our agenda, public communications and petitions.
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