The Windsor Town Council held two public hearings and a regular meeting on April 7, 2025, at Windsor Town Hall. The hearings addressed the FY 2025-2026 budget and a proposed ordinance for property tax abatement for surviving spouses of line-of-duty deaths. The regular meeting included a proclamation, presentations, reports, and votes on several items.
Um, I do hope you can use some reserves to help mitigate some of the pain of this a little bit. I think that would help. But I do want you to know that I fully support this budget. Um I think it would be um short-sighted of us to imagine that these pressures that we're facing aren't happening everywhere in Connecticut. Um there's not going to be somewhere else that's gonna be better than this town that we live in. This is a fabulous town. It has tremendous services. It's a beautiful town. It's an awesome place to live. And so I'm fully behind this proposed budget. Um, and we will start the um next public hearing at uh seven fifteen. All right. Well, good evening. The time is now seven fifteen. And we'll move into our second portion of our public hearing. And this is an ordinance appropriating amending chapter five to adopt Connecticut General Statute Section Twelve Eighty One X to provide property tax abatement for line of duty death surviving spouse. Excellent. Okay, just wanted to restate that for everyone. So if there's anyone, I'll turn this over to our assistant town manager Scott Kobe for further instruction. Thank you. So we'll come now to the town hall chamber. If there's anyone who would like to speak to this item, we ask that you step forward, state your name and address. You will be given three minutes to speak. Good evening and welcome to the April seventh twenty twenty-five town council meeting. Um this evening we do have a quorum. We do have counselors who are out traveling, but we do have a quorum this evening. Uh that being said, I will turn it over to Councillor Glock Hoffman for our prayer and or reflection and our pledge of allegiance. Councilor Glauck Hoffman. Thank you, ma'am. Good evening. Heavenly Father, we come to you today asking for your guidance, wisdom, and support as we begin this meeting. Help us engage in meaningful discussion, allow us to grow closer as a group and nurture the bonds of community. Give the council members wisdom and guidance as they deliberate on the items before them. May every decision be righteous in your sight for our benefit and for your glory. We also continue to ask for your protection of our community's law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS. In your name, Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God and individual with liberty and justice for all. Thank you so much, Councilor Glauck Hoffman, for that. This evening we do have a proclamation recognizing April 2025 as Fair Housing Awareness Month. Whereas the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which included what is commonly referred to as the Fair Housing Act, Title 8 of the Civil Rights Act, was signed into law on April 11th, 1968, effectively prohibiting the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicapped status. And whereas shelter is a basic human need, and when shelter is denied, the quality of life is greatly diminished, making it essential that the town of Windsor affirm its policy that housing in the town of Windsor shall be made available to all persons on the basis of a quality and fairness. And whereas the 57 years since the passage of the Fair Housing Act, judicial and administrative enforcement, as well as public and private efforts to comply voluntarily with the law have reduced barriers to obtaining the housing of one's choice. And whereas the town of Windsor recognizes, acknowledges, and values the efforts of those who seek justice through the public and private enforcement of state and federal fair housing laws. And whereas, despite this progress, more work remains in our struggle to achieve equality and racial justice and discriminatory excuse me and discriminatory practices still exist in this country. And whereas all Americans should be aware of their rights as set forth in the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor and the Windsor Town Council that April 2025 is declared Fair Housing Awareness Month in Windsor. And by doing so, we recognize the efforts of those that have worked to promote equal housing opportunities into further awareness of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, signed Nishette Black Burke, Mayor of Windsor, April 7th, 2025. And uh Mr.