Windsor Town Council Meeting - July 7, 2025: Sidewalk Approval, CIP Referral, Traffic Camera Study
Windsor Town Council Meeting - July 7, 2025
The Windsor Town Council met on July 7, 2025, at 7:30 PM in Council Chambers. Key actions included approving a 6-foot-wide sidewalk on Prospect Hill Road with town snow removal, referring the Fiscal Year 2026-2031 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to committee, and deferring a decision on traffic enforcement cameras for further study. The meeting began with a proclamation recognizing July 2025 as Parks and Recreation Month and included reports from the Board of Education, Public Building Commission, and Historic District Commission.
Consent Calendar
- Proclamation: Unanimous recognition of July 2025 as Parks and Recreation Month.
- Addison Road Right of Way: Approved (9-0) donation of ~159,657 sq. ft. as public right-of-way for Addison Road.
- Community Wi-Fi Grant: Approved (9-0) acceptance of $157,132 grant from the State of Connecticut for Wi-Fi installation at Wilson Gateway Park, with $157,132 appropriated from the General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance.
- Town Hall Roof Design: Approved (9-0) $40,000 from Capital Projects Fund for design services.
- L.P. Wilson Community Center Roof Design: Approved (9-0) $40,000 from Capital Projects Fund for north-end roof design.
- Chaffee House Exterior Improvements: Approved (9-0) $140,000 from Capital Projects Fund for exterior repairs and repainting.
- Minutes: Approved minutes of the June 16, 2025 Regular Town Council Meeting and Public Hearing.
Public Comments & Testimony
- George Slate, 74 Ethan Drive: Expressed concern that implementing traffic enforcement cameras would require a costly comprehensive action plan (similar to Vision Zero or Complete Streets) that could be expensive to implement, and suggested hiring two additional police officers as a simpler alternative.
- Eric Weiner, 130 Palisado Avenue: Urged caution on traffic cameras, advocating for a town-wide policy on government data sharing and broader public discussion on civil liberties, citing concerns about data being shared at the federal level.
Discussion Items
- Prospect Hill Road Sidewalk (Unfinished Business): The council revisited a tabled item from June 16, 2025, regarding a sidewalk between Woodduck Farms Road and Day Hill Road. Staff reported the state-funded project includes $670,000 for sidewalk construction and that 40% of abutting properties have 320+ feet of frontage. Concerns from property owners about snow removal liability were addressed by proposing a 6-foot-wide sidewalk (instead of 5-foot) to allow the town to take responsibility, consistent with past council actions. Estimated town snow removal cost: $180-$200 per storm, based on 12-15 storms annually. The motion included town responsibility for snow removal.
- Traffic Enforcement Cameras (New Business): Councilor Armstrong referred the item from the Health & Safety Committee. Assistant Town Manager Colby presented four recommended locations: Poquonock Avenue (Route 75) between I-91 South off-ramp and Farmstead Lane, Broad Street between Island Road and Remington Road, Windsor Avenue between Deerfield Road and Windsor Shopping Center, and Rainbow Road between East Granby Road and Merriman Road. Estimated costs: $200,000 purchase or $96,000 annual lease; first-year revenue forecast $235,000 (conservative). Only vehicles traveling 10+ mph over the limit would be captured. Council members expressed concerns about insufficient data from other Connecticut communities (only three towns have been approved), privacy, equity, and effectiveness. The council decided to refer the matter back to the Health & Safety Committee for at least one year of tracking other communities' experiences before proceeding.
- Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Introduction: The FY2026-2031 CIP (totaling ~$126 million) was presented. Highlights include $42.6 million for roadway asset management, $28.8 million in cash-funded projects, $80.5 million in new bonding (including three projects requiring voter approval: Milo Pack HVAC, Windsor High School Roof Replacement, and Windsor High School Fieldhouse Renovation). The Broad Street Traffic Calming project was included with a reduced scope (no roundabouts, signals only modified). The CIP was referred to the Town Improvements Committee for review.
- Town Manager's Report – Police Incident Update: Chief Melanson reported on the Inspector General's investigation of a January 2025 incident where an officer discharged a firearm instead of a taser during a foot pursuit. The officer faces misdemeanor charges. The department is implementing changes: requiring tasers to be carried on the non-dominant side with non-dominant hand draw, transitioning from black to high-visibility yellow tasers (six purchased, $65,000 for full replacement of 35 units), and adding scenario-based training using a video simulator. The council expressed support for expediting the taser replacement.
Key Outcomes
- Prospect Hill Road Sidewalk: Motion to approve design and construction of a 6-foot sidewalk with town snow removal passed 7-0-2 (Councilors Pelkey and Eleveld abstained).
- Traffic Enforcement Cameras: Deferred to the Health & Safety Committee to monitor other communities' results over approximately one year before taking further action.
- CIP Referred to Town Improvements Committee: The FY2026-2031 Capital Improvements Program was forwarded for review, with a report expected back to the full Council.
- Police Department Changes: Chief will expedite replacement of tasers with yellow models and implement non-dominant hand draw training for all officers, funded through salary savings and the police private duty account.
- All consent items (Addison Road ROW, Wi-Fi grant, roof designs, Chaffee House, minutes) passed 9-0.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to the July seventh, twenty twenty-five. Windsor Town Council meeting. Um I do see that most of our counselors are accounted for, so we'll move forward and um Council Glauck Hoffman, hopefully she'll be joining us later. I do understand. We are working people, I understand that. Um again, I do hope that everybody enjoyed their fourth of July. As you can see that the council we are still celebrating in our red, white, and blue. Thank you, Council, for participating. All right. And so we will begin with our prayer and or reflection and the Pledge of Allegiance, and that will be led by Councillor Walker. Thank you, Madame Mayor, for my reflection this evening. I will be reading from a speech and addressed to the nation. It's easy enough to dismiss this as a kind of familiar exhortation. Yet the truth is that even two of our greatest founding fathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, once learned this lesson late in life. After a bitter and divisive campaign, Jefferson defeated Adams for the presidency in eighteen hundred. Struggling for what is most valuable to man, his right to self-government, laboring always at the same oar, with some wave ever ahead threatening to overwhelm us and yet passing harmless. This lesson in brotherhood in tolerance for each other, this insight into America's strength as a nation. And when both died on the same day within hours of each other, that date was July 4th, 50 years exactly after that first gift to us, the Declaration of Independence. And what I just read is taken from a speech and addressed to the nation by Ronald Reagan, July 4th, 1986, a reflection on our great country. Thank you. I pledge reliefs to the United States of America and to the Republic for which one nation under liberty of justice. Thank you, Council Walker, for the reflection and the Pledge of Allegiance. This evening, we do have a proclamation recognizing July 2025 as Parks and Recreation Month. Thank you. So I'm going to head over there and read it, and then after that, I would ask that Shannon Blennis and Brandon Cosgrove meet me over here. All right, Deputy May. Oh, okay. Okay, a proclamation recognizing July 2025 as Parks and Recreation Month in Windsor. Whereas Parks and Recreation is an integral part of communities throughout this country, including Windsor, and whereas Parks and Recreation is a leading provider of healthy meals, nutrition services, and education, and whereas Parks and Recreation promotes time spent in nature, which positively impacts mental health by increasing cognitive performance and well-being, and alleviating illnesses such as depression, Alzheimer's, and attention deficit disorders, and whereas parks and recreation encourages physical activities by providing space for popular sports, hiking trails, swimming pools, and many other activities designed to promote active lifestyles, and whereas parks and recreation programming increases a community's economic prosperity through increased property values, expansion of the local tax base, increased tourism, the attraction and retention of businesses, and crime reduction. And whereas parks and natural recreation areas ensure the ecological beauty of our community and provide a place for children and adults to connect with nature and recreate outdoors. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor in the town council of the town of Windsor that July 2025 is Parks and Recreation Month in Windsor, and all residents are encouraged to celebrate by participating in their choice of recreational and leisure activities. Signed Nishette Black Burke, Mayor of Windsor, July 7th, 2025. So if Shannon and Brandon can come on down, that would be great. We would like to present this to you. All right, so let's do our picture first. Town managers got pictures. Okay. Nothing uh nothing too much. Um good evening, mayor and uh members of council. My name is Brandon Cosgrove, and I am interning with the recreation services. On behalf of Windsor Recreation Services, I am honored to accept this proclamation recognizing July as Parks and Recreation Month. This July, we are offering free community yoga at the New Wilson Park, two diving movies featuring the wild robot and Moana Two, two pool parties at both Gosley Pool and Welch Pool, two Cerillo Theater performances performing legally blonde in Susico Jr., three community block parties, and sound meditation pop-ups with Maria. We will also have our summer fund camp for ages five to fourteen ongoing through mid-August, along with swim lessons, open swim, senior swim, and senior swim lessons. We will also have the Shake and Bake basketball camp for ages seven to fourteen throughout August.com slash slash recreation and our socials at Windsor CT Rec. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for all you do. Thank you. Thanks for you.
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