Windsor Town Council Regular Meeting - November 12, 2024
Windsor Town Council Regular Meeting - November 12, 2024
The Windsor Town Council met on November 12, 2024, to receive reports from the Board of Education, Windsor Housing Authority, and the Town Manager, discuss a presentation on the proposed Great River Park by Riverfront Recapture, act on resignations and appointments, approve minutes, and hear public comments. The meeting concluded with an executive session for the Town Manager's evaluation.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of the October 21, 2024, public hearing and regular council meeting were approved unanimously (9-0).
- Resignations of Anne Bowden from the Conservation Commission and IC AC Adams from the Conservation Committee were accepted.
- Appointments to various boards and commissions (Rhonda Myers, Julian Brembry, Beverly Fitzpatrick, Danette Brown, Patricia Brun, Judy Ann Cook, Charles Jackson, Donald Jeffson, Steve McKay, Latoya Edmund) were approved unanimously (9-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Karen Jackson (351 Constitution Ave.) expressed concerns about alleged racial profiling of her son by Windsor Police, including a reported incident where an officer used profanity and threats during a Halloween event. She stated she had contacted the police chief without response and requested the profiling stop.
Discussion Items
- Board of Education Report (Secretary Lockhart): Windsor Public Schools hosted the Citizens Academy, received CABE Board of Distinction Level 2 recognition, the Bonnie B. Carney Award for the staff wellness newsletter, and Coach Rob Fleeting was named Lou Rettino High School Coach of the Week by the NY Giants and Gatorade (a $2,000 grant for the football program). A memorial for Elijah Morano Rivera included a new initiative, EKGs for Elijah, offering free heart screenings on November 19. The district presented at the Performance Matters Forum. Donations of office supplies were received from two local businesses. The annual service award celebration will honor over 65 employees on November 13. Election day (November 5) is a professional development day with a wellness fair. The next coffee talk is November 12, 6-7 p.m.
- Windsor Housing Authority Report (Commissioner Engelman, Darlene West): The Authority serves 355 families with 152 managed units and 203 vouchers. A veteran set-aside program at Millbrook Village filled all 10 units. Fitch Court roof replacement (funded by a $500,000 HTCC grant) is nearing completion. A $2.5 million CDBG grant will support energy improvements at Shad Run. Total grants received: $3 million. Occupancy rates: Millbrook Village 97%, Fitch Court 86%, Shad Run in the 80s. The Authority does not receive town funds for maintenance, but the town contributed $15,000 for architectural/engineering design for the roof. Councilor Walker noted that previous councils had discussed such support.
- Town Manager's Report: Early voting ended with 33.5% of registered voters participating. Same-day voter registration is available on November 5. The Human Relations Commission's Bridge Builders award event was rescheduled to December 8. Veterans Day observance will be November 11 at 7 p.m. in council chambers. Town Clerk office hours will be modified (closing at 3:30 p.m.) through November. Flu clinics scheduled at the library. Thanks to First Town Downtown and Public Works for a successful Halloween event. Councilor Pelkey asked about MDC water breaks (residents should call MDC), leaf collection (bagged curbside through mid-December), and the overnight parking ban beginning November 15.
- Finance Committee (Councilor Naeem): The committee held a quarterly review and began forecasting for the 2025-2026 budget. Additional meetings are planned in November and December.
- Riverfront Recapture Presentation (Mike Zilleski, President/CEO): The proposed Great River Park (unnamed) on the Hartford-Windsor line (60 acres, purchased 2019) aims to connect people with the Connecticut River. The master plan involved over 2,000 community members. Key features include Garmedy Cove (19-20 acre cove), a riverwalk linking Windsor Center to Hartford, commercial development (10-12 acres for housing, restaurant, etc.), a nature center, concert pavilion, and fishing pier. Brownfield remediation is fully funded; permits are expected by end of 2024, with remediation in 2025. The park could be completed in 2-4 years. Councilors questioned ecological mitigation plans, floodplain management (fill from cove to raise elevation), depth of cove (8-12 feet), wildlife concerns, and potential for kayak rentals and camping. The town contributed a $500,000 grant for a riverwalk bridge.
Key Outcomes
- All appointments and resignations were approved unanimously (9-0).
- Minutes of October 21 were approved (9-0).
- The council moved into executive session to discuss the Town Manager's evaluation.
Meeting Transcript
We now see with the time change that it's getting darker earlier. So there are kids walking out, so watch your speed. I saw a couple of folks walking their animals tonight, and it's very dark, so just be very cautious about all of that. And I always want to shout out to the public works. They do a great job in town and make our town look beautiful. So thank you to public works again. Thank you, Counselor. Counselor Armstrong. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um good evening. I just want to um I guess piggyback on much that was said tonight. Um, and especially on um the nightmare uh on Maine for uh the families and the children that came together. It was had to be thousands that came together, and it was such a wonderful event uh that we can uh do for the town. Uh so that was an enjoyable event. Uh also uh this is a time of the year where we have to uh take care of ourselves, self-care. So I'm happy to see that uh the vaccinations and and they're out. Um we can check the website for those areas for the clinics, and uh I'm happy to say that I received my vaccination in pneumonia shot about a month ago. So uh we should take care of ourselves and also I want to remind us uh don't forget your elderly uh and the seniors uh because sometimes they're lonely in their home. Um, and um we don't forget to uh uh look out for them and see what we can do for them. And I also like to take the time to commend the registrar voters for the long hours and the commitment they have uh committed to uh make sure that the voters uh have the opportunity to vote. And we've said it over and over again your choice is to vote. It doesn't um we can't tell you to vote for, but you do have a choice to vote. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Thank you. Council Walker. Thank you, uh Madam Mayor. Um most of what uh needed to be said has already been said to some degree. Uh remember to vote, it's your right, it's your privilege, it determines who your government is and a lot of other things. Vote, vote, vote. Um I want to thank you, Madam Mayor, for the warm reception to the Jamaican ambassador. And I saw the town manager doing regular labor, picking up stuff, moving stuff, going out. So thank you, Peter. Thank you, thank you very much for that. She had a lot of good things to say about the warm reception that she had. Um so I had a private meeting with her, but that was to discuss um economic um possibilities between that small island of Jamaica and uh the Greater Hartford region to look at local leadership, but also to introduce her to um Jamaicans in particular who are involved in politics and in government. You don't have to be born in Jamaica, but if your parents are, if you're related to Hartford, Bloomfield East Hartford has a lot of people who are involved in politics, and so she was rather impressed with that. So those those are conversations that I will continue to have with her and with the government of Jamaica and the Prime Minister. Um thank you, Madam Mayor. Thank you. Deputy Mayor. Good evening. I just wanted to send out a special shout out because we always thank um so many of our wonderful staff, but um the registrors and the their staff have done an amazing job. Um they've been happy while they're doing it. I get nothing but great reports. Um so thank you to them. And also um on the town green before the nightmare on Broad Street, the public works people were madly picking up the leaves and vacuuming them up, and it was such a you know, it looks so clean and pristine. You forget it was covered just moments before all the kiddos got there. So wanted to thank them for that. And also the um Citizens Academy, I think is in mid high midpoint right now, but all the different areas that participate in um helping our citizens understand what goes on in the town is just great. So thank you for that.
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