Windsor Town Council Meeting - August 4, 2025

The Windsor Town Council held its regular meeting on August 4, 2025. The council honored a longtime community volunteer, heard public comment on the Broad Street traffic-calming project and property taxes, received reports from boards and town staff, and acted on the FY2026-FY2031 Capital Improvement Program, multiple grants, personnel classifications, and a ladder-truck bond ordinance.

Opening and Proclamation

• The meeting opened with a prayer/reflection and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilor Armstrong. The mayor noted it was the council's last summer meeting before September, hence the tropical shirts.
• The mayor read a proclamation honoring Richard Hazleton for 36 years at Trinity College and 41 years of community service in Windsor, including 29 years on the Public Building Commission, eight years on the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, and four years on the Historical Society board. Hazleton said he is moving to Seabury in Bloomfield but will remain connected to Windsor.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Paul Panels (48 Brookview Road) opposed the downtown Broad Street traffic-calming/road-diet project. He argued Windsor Center lacks parallel bypass streets, the downtown would become a bottleneck, drivers would divert onto side streets, and emergency vehicles would be constrained. He also said the cited 36% speeding statistic is meaningless without comparable data from other Windsor roads and called the project frivolous.
• Judy Cook (16 Sage Park Road) supported traffic calming. She said enforcement cameras and police act only after someone has already sped, described cars flying by in the center and a passing incident on a one-lane road, and noted the Wilson area has seen fewer accidents and less speeding after similar work.
• A resident affiliated with the Wilson-Deerfield Advisory Council asked the council to review outdated parking and traffic regulations, citing sections 16-30 and 16-32, the town's reliance on an engineer as traffic authority, and House Bill 5353 (file 397), which allows smaller towns to form a local traffic authority. They also raised the issue of unregistered vehicles.
• In the second public comment period, Marjorie Captain (210 Bryan Lane), a newer Windsor resident and retired state employee on a fixed income, said an unexpected property revaluation and higher property taxes have strained her budget. She said she voted against the downtown plan because of cost and urged fairness for seniors, disabled residents, and others on fixed incomes.
• Aaron Keeney (603 Barclayer Road), a town intern, thanked the council for supporting young people in local government and said the internship increased his appreciation for Windsor.

Reports from Boards, Commissions, and Town Staff

• Board of Education: Secretary Lockhart reported that Dr. Noha Abdel Haiti was appointed acting superintendent at the July 22 special meeting while Dr. Terrell Hill is out of district on leave. The first day of school is August 25, 2025. The Back-to-School Block Party is August 21, 4-7 p.m. at 25 Sage Park Road. The summer food service program ends August 13. The first regular Board of Education meeting is September 16.
• Public Building Commission: Richard Hazleton reported on multiple projects, including Wilson Fire Station interior renovations at 95% completion, LP Wilson HVAC projects in progress, Clover Street School ADA restroom work at 80% completion, and design work awarded for Windsor High School and town hall roof replacements with design completion expected January 2026.
• Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission: Steve Fraser presented the annual report: 23 applications reviewed in FY2025, including six commercial/industrial approvals and 17 residential approvals; three regulatory violations reconciled through restoration; and notable approvals including a pickleball facility on Day Hill Road and a Travelers solar array on Lamberton Road.
• Town Manager's Report: Peter Sousa listed upcoming events, including National Night Out on August 5, Gateway Park programs, and the senior picnic on August 8. He noted a Rainbow Reservoir algae bloom advisory, Pleasant Street closure through August 18, and the Mack Town railroad crossing closure August 21-September 9. He also described the bicycle-friendly community survey and an East Coast Greenway gap study with a preferred route through Keeney Park.
• Finance Committee: Councilor King said finance committee planning will resume in the fall for FY2026 and clarified that most of the last two years' tax increases came from revaluation rather than double-digit town spending growth. She asked residents and council members to bring forward specific spending-reduction recommendations.

Discussion Items

• FY2026-FY2031 Capital Improvement Program: The town manager presented the six-year CIP, which includes over $10 million for street resurfacing, $32 million for major street reconstruction, about $11 million in state/federal funding, roughly $29 million in cash-funded projects, and about $81 million in new bonding authorizations over six years. The Broad Street traffic-calming project, revised to remove roundabouts and to assume DOT signal modifications rather than full replacement, remains in the plan at an estimated $3.23 million, with roughly $2.98 million from federal/state grants and a town share of about $250,000.
• Councilor Walker opposed the project's inclusion, questioned the safety benefit, and said it should be removed to respect voters and limit taxpayer burden. Councilor Pelkey moved to amend the motion to approve the CIP without the Broad Street project, arguing that voters rejected the project by an overall 58-42 margin after 25 years of discussion and that it was too soon to revive it. He also said a special town meeting is less democratic than a referendum.
• Councilor King and Councilor Naeem supported keeping the project in the CIP for continued planning and safety improvements, noting future public comment and a separate town meeting vote would still be required before construction. Councilor Ellaveld said she would support revisiting it in a few years but not immediately after the referendum. Councilor Glauck Hoffman expressed concern about setting a precedent that a referendum vote can be disregarded.
• The amendment to remove the Broad Street project failed 4-5-0. The council then approved the original motion to adopt the CIP as presented by a 5-4-0 vote.

Action Items

• CCK Automation LLC exemption: The council granted a manufacturing machinery and equipment exemption under CGS section 12-94E for CCK Automation LLC (Accutron) for the October 2024 grand list; the company remains liable for the late-filing penalty. The town manager said the company missed the filing deadline during an ownership and accounting transition and had held such an exemption in prior years. Passed 8-1-0.
• Senior Center scholarship grant: Approved acceptance and expenditure of a $5,000 Hartford Foundation for Public Giving grant for the Windsor Senior Center Health and Wellness Scholarship Fund, providing up to 50% of registration fees for eligible residents 55 and older based on federal poverty guidelines. Passed 9-0.
• Active transportation microgrant: Approved a $4,996.17 Connecticut DOT/CRCOG grant for pedestrian and bicycle safety equipment and educational materials, including bike lights, vests, reflectors, and armbands. Some items will be sold at nominal cost, with revenue used for future safety equipment. Passed 9-0.
• Energize CT grant: Approved a $45,680 Energize CT Community Partnership Initiative grant to promote energy-efficiency and heat-pump programs, with $12,000 for administration and collaborations with community organizations. Passed 9-0.
• New facilities project manager position: Approved the Project Manager Facilities job description and placed it in pay grade 6, with a pay range of $72,000-$100,800, funded by existing vacancies rather than new funding. Passed 9-0.
• Asset management technician position: Approved the Public Works Asset Management Technician job description in pay grade 4, with a pay range of $58,564-$79,061, replacing the retired traffic engineer function with a technician-level asset-management role. Passed 9-0.
• Ladder truck bond ordinance: Waived the reading and introduced an ordinance appropriating $2,100,000 for a 107-foot ladder truck for the Pequonic Firehouse, financed by $1 million in bonds/notes, $500,000 from the FY2026 general fund capital budget, and $600,000 from the public safety equipment capital fund. The existing truck is 28 years old against a 20-year life expectancy. Waiver and introduction each passed 9-0.
• Public hearing set: Set a public hearing for September 2, 2025, at 7:20 p.m. on the ladder truck bond ordinance. Passed 9-0.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted the FY2026-FY2031 Capital Improvement Program as presented (5-4-0); a motion to remove the Broad Street traffic-calming project failed (4-5-0).
• Granted the CCK Automation manufacturing exemption with the late-filing penalty (8-1-0).
• Approved three grants: $5,000 senior wellness scholarship grant, $4,996.17 active transportation microgrant, and $45,680 Energize CT grant (all 9-0).
• Approved two new public works job classifications: Project Manager Facilities (pay grade 6) and Asset Management Technician (pay grade 4) (both 9-0).
• Moved the $2.1 million ladder truck bond ordinance forward: reading waived, ordinance introduced, and public hearing set for September 2, 2025 at 7:20 p.m. (all 9-0).
• Approved the July 7, 2025 meeting minutes and adjourned (9-0).