The Town Council of Windsor held a public hearing at 7:15 PM on the FY 2026-27 budget as proposed by the town manager, followed by the regular council meeting at 7:30 PM. The meeting featured a public hearing on the budget, several proclamations, extensive public comment on the Broad Street Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Safety Project (the "road diet"), and council deliberation leading to votes to appropriate $2,910,000 for the project and set a special town meeting on April 28, 2026.
Public Hearing on FY 2026-27 Budget (7:15 PM):
Public Communications and Petitions (Regular Meeting): Public comments focused overwhelmingly on the Broad Street Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Safety Project:
Broad Street Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Safety Project: Councilors debated the motion to appropriate $2,910,000 and recommend a special town meeting. Key points:
Dueling procedural motion: Councilor Pelkey objected to consideration of the main motion; the objection failed (2-5-2).
Other Reports:
Train Station HVAC Replacement:
Fair Housing Resolution:
Good evening. The time is now seven fifteen PM. Welcome to the public hearing of April sixth, two thousand twenty-six. And before I open the meeting, I would like to read the public notice. Notice is 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, April sixth, twenty twenty-six at seven fifteen PM prevailing time to hear public comment on the following items. Windsor Town Council by Peter Sousa, town manager. With the notice being read, the public hearing is now open. Please state your name and address when you are called on, you'll be prompted that you are now unmuted. For those dialing in by phone, once prompted, you will then press star six to unmute for clear communication. We ask that you do not place the call on speakerphone. At this time, Madam Mayor, we have no virtual attendees with their hand raised for the public hearing. Thank you, Mr. Cobe. So we'll move to the council chamber. Again, we are hearing public comment on the fiscal year 26-27 budget as proposed by the town manager. If you would like to comment, we do ask that you step forward to the table, uh state your name and address, and we will hear your comments. Good evening. Good evening. Go UConn. I just want to make a comment. Um for the town of Windsor that are going to the project that we viewed here today. So if maybe when you do get back in session, you can discuss it, but it's my understanding that there is no funds that the taxpayers of Windsor will be paying for any pedestrian safety initiatives on Broad Street. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Kobe. We do have one virtual attendee with their hand raised. I'm speaking uh tonight uh opposed to the uh pedestrian uh uh safety pact. I I think that the expenditure of taxpayer money, whether it's the town of uh Windsor State or Federal, uh, I think it's unnecessary. Uh the same the the same effect could be uh entertained by law enforcement uh imposing uh uh the speed limit uh on uh uh broad street. Uh I I believe that it's uh unnecessary uh uh construction and uh I speak uh opposed to uh that proposal. Thank you. Thank you. And again, we'll come back to the town hall chamber. Again, we are hearing comment on fiscal year 26-27, the town budget as proposed by our town manager. And please note that um all other comments will be entertained during our regular town council meeting that will begin promptly at 7.30. Good evening. Uh my name is Yves Barrent. I live on 25 Bradford in Windsor. Um, I just want to make a comment. I just quickly look at the uh at this document here. And um I'm a little bit surprised. Uh the total increase for this year in the budgets is 4.82 percent, and you're giving us a mill rate increase of 6.7 percent. Um I'm uh first uh I'm new to Staff Windsor, and I was a little bit surprised of how high the property taxes are here. And second, uh, you know, I wonder if it would be possible to balance the budget in a way that we don't have an increase in property taxes. Um so that's my comment. Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay, I don't see anyone else moving towards the uh desk, so we will close the public hearing, and please note that we will reconvene at 7 30 p.m. sharp for our regular town council meeting.