Windsor Town Council Regular Meeting – February 2, 2026
Windsor Town Council Regular Meeting – February 2, 2026
The Windsor Town Council held a virtual and in-person public hearing and regular meeting on Monday, February 2, 2026, at 7:15 p.m. in the Council Chamber at Town Hall. The meeting began with a public hearing on the fiscal year 2027 budget development, but no public testimony was received on that item. The regular meeting followed with a prayer/reflection, Pledge of Allegiance, public communications, council reports, and a series of new business items. Key topics included winter storm response, fire hydrant clearing, the fiscal year 2025 grand list presentation, and several infrastructure and facility projects. All council members were present except Councillor Armstrong, with Councillor King participating virtually. All votes were unanimous, 8-0-0, unless noted.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Susan Miller (130 Pal Cedo) thanked the council for including environmentally sustainable solutions in the Milo Peck write-up, expressing appreciation for the direction.
- Grant Keeney (603 – address unclear) expressed concern about federal law enforcement overreach, citing events in Minneapolis, Maine, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland. He asked the council to develop a plan for Windsor to address this issue.
- Debbie Sampson (604 Stone Road) inquired about a health and safety meeting that Councillor Armstrong was to set, and expressed concern about the presence of Captain Powers in plain clothes at meetings, asking for clarification on safety issues.
- Glenn Buckley (40 Remington Road) thanked a citizen, Peter, for shoveling a fire hydrant during the storm, and thanked the town council for providing meals to public works and emergency crews during the snowstorm.
- Judy Cook (16 Sage Park Road) commended first responders for their response to a recent fire, but noted that a fire hydrant had been buried under snow, making it inaccessible. She asked for a study of hydrant clearing responsibilities, noting that the town plows the sidewalk near one hydrant but leaves a pile of snow.
- Mary James (11 Ravine Road) raised concerns about snow being piled in front of her driveway after the storm, which hampered access for emergency vehicles. She asked if the town could consider a plow that lifts at driveways to reduce snow accumulation.
Discussion Items
- Winter Storm Response & Fire Hydrant Clearing: Council members and the Town Manager (Mr. Sousa) thanked the Department of Public Works, emergency services, firefighters, and volunteers for their 36-hour initial response and ongoing work. The Town Manager noted that over 60 mailboxes were replaced, and DPW crews are checking public streets to clear hydrants. A resident, Dwayne Sear, was recognized for clearing over 30 hydrants. The council encouraged residents to clear hydrants near their properties when possible.
- Fiscal Year 2025 Grand List Presentation: Town Assessor Josh Gaston presented the October 2025 grand list. The net grand list is $4.645 billion, an increase of $59 million (1.29%). Real estate increased $18 million (0.5%), personal property increased $30 million (4%+, led by Cigna equipment), and motor vehicles increased $9.7 million (3%+). Town Manager Sousa noted that the budget-usable grand list will be adjusted downward for Board of Assessment Appeals adjustments, outstanding appeals, and other factors. No current tax abatements are in place.
- Appointment of Auditor: The council appointed Clifton Larson Allen LLP as town auditor for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, authorizing the Town Manager to finalize a two-year agreement. The Finance Committee recommended this, noting that CLA’s pricing is competitive and the firm has performed well.
- Maintainer 3 Job Description (Northwest Park): The council approved a new job description for the Maintainer 3 position at Northwest Park, reflecting duties in natural resource management, habitat management, invasive species control, trail upkeep, and pond management. The position remains in Grade 10 of the Teamsters Pay Plan with no financial impact.
- Sharshan Park Improvements: The council endorsed Concept B, which replaces a baseball field with a second full-size basketball court and multi-use fields. The design will allow flexible lining for soccer, flag football, etc. The project will proceed to final design. The Town Improvements Committee and Wilson-Deerfield Advisory Committee supported the concept.
- Hayden Station Road LOTSIP Grant Application: The council authorized staff to submit a grant application to the Capital Region Council of Governments for pavement rehabilitation from Archer Road to Kennedy Road. The project ($900,000 construction, town pays $75,000 design) includes milling two inches of asphalt and repaving, replacing curbing and catch basins, and restriping to 11-foot lanes. The road carries 1,650 vehicles per day (17.9% heavy vehicles). The council noted the road condition and approved the application.
- Milo Peck HVAC/Electric Study Appropriation: The council appropriated $40,000 from the Capital Projects Fund to conduct a comprehensive engineering study for HVAC, electrical, and energy efficiency improvements at the Milo Peck Community Development Center (built 1947). The study will evaluate options, including sustainable and renewable energy sources, and will be overseen by the Public Building Commission.
Key Outcomes
- Auditor Appointment: Motion to appoint Clifton Larson Allen LLP as town auditor for FY26-27, and authorize the Town Manager to finalize a two-year agreement. Approved 8-0-0.
- Maintainer 3 Job Description: Motion to approve the job description for Maintainer 3 (Northwest Park) and place in Grade 10. Approved 8-0-0.
- Sharshan Park Concept B: Motion to endorse Concept B and authorize final design. Approved 8-0-0.
- Hayden Station Road Grant: Motion to authorize submission of the LOTSIP grant application. Approved 8-0-0.
- Milo Peck Study Appropriation: Motion to approve $40,000 appropriation and refer project to Public Building Commission. Approved 8-0-0.
- Minutes Approval: Motion to approve the minutes of the January 20, 2026 public hearings and regular meeting. Approved 8-0-0.
- Executive Session: Motion to enter executive session for privileged attorney-client communications. Approved 8-0-0.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. The time is now seven fifteen p.m. Welcome to the public hearing of February second, twenty twenty-five. And before I open it up, I would like to read the public notice. Notices hereby given that the town council of the town of Windsor will hold a virtual and in-person public hearing in the council chamber at the Windsor Town Hall, two seventy-five Broad Street on Monday, February second, two thousand twenty-six at seven fifteen p.m. prevailing time to hear public comment on the following items. A public comment on the fiscal year twenty-seven budget development dated at Windsor, Connecticut, this twenty-third day of January twenty twenty-six. Windsor Town Council. Good evening and welcome to the February 2nd 2026 Town Council meeting. This evening, our counselors are here. Counselor Armstrong will not be with us, and Councillor King is online. There's a slight feedback. I don't know if anyone else is hearing that. Just a little bit. Um right, thank you. So that is our roll call. And this evening, items two and three on our agenda is the prayer and or reflection in the Pledge of Allegiance, and that will be led by Councillor King. Thank you, Madam Mayor. I wanted to just start on our reflection tonight from Ronald Reagan in one of his final speeches before he left office that I think is kind of important and inspiring when we think about the times we're living in today. And I'll start the quote here. We lead the world because unique among nations, we draw our people, our strength from every country in every corner of the world. And by doing so, we continuously renew and enrich our nation. While other countries cling to the stale past, here in America, we breathe life into dreams. We create the future, and the world follows us into tomorrow. Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we're a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever close the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost. That was uh Robert Reagan. And I will uh start the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag. The United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty for all. Thank you, Councillor King. Item number four, proclamations and awards. We do not have any this evening. And so we'll move to item number five on our agenda, which is public communications and petitions. If anyone from the public would like to address the council, you will be given three minutes to speak. Please state your name and address, and I will turn this over to the moderator Scott Coby, our assistant town manager. Thank you, Madam Mayor. If there is anyone from the public who would like to address the council and ver and is virtual this evening, you may do so by raising your hand on your computer by selecting the participants icon on the zoom menu bar and then clicking raise hand or by dialing star nine on your phone. You'll be given three minutes to speak. Hi, this is Susan Miller, a one thirty Pal Cedo. Um I just wanted to um make one comment about Milo the Milo Peck um write-up. Uh really just to thank you. Thank you, Peter. Thank you. Um leaders of the town for including references to environmentally sustainable solutions. I know there are many steps still to go in this whole process, of course. But I really applaud this direction, and it's really gratifying to see it in print. So thank you very much.
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