OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Windsor Town Council Meeting: July 20, 2026

Town Council & Planning and ZoningMonday, July 20, 2026
BodyWindsor, Connecticut
SessionTown Council & Planning and Zoning
DateMonday, July 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 5:00:02

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

July through the 26th.

0:02

Our town was asked to host that, so we're getting a lot of attention.

0:04

So that's really good for the community.

0:06

Thank you so very much.

0:08

Thank you.

0:08

And I just want to give a shout out to another member of the team.

0:12

I don't know, you want to just wave your hand back there, my friend?

0:15

All right, thank you, Stephen.

0:19

Thank you.

0:20

Thank you.

0:28

Good evening.

0:29

My name is Maggie Essex, 95 Lighthouse Hill Road, and I am also here representing Windsor Little League.

0:37

I am the chief information officer and fundraising director for the Windsor Little League as well as a taxpaying citizen of Windsor.

0:46

Historically, Windsor has been quite supportive of Little League, and I am here to ask the town to continue actively supporting recreational youth sports in town.

0:58

With two daughters who play little Windsor Little League softball and serving as coach for one of their teams and my role on the board of directors, I have firsthand experience in the difficulty that Little League has had in finding enough safe and usable fields for all of our teams to have adequate practice and game space as our registration numbers continue to increase.

1:24

So as you work through plans for the future with open space, recreation facilities, capital improvement, et cetera.

1:32

I ask that you please be cognizant of the positive recreational youth activities that need these recreational fields and spaces in town.

1:43

Windsor Little League makes baseball and softball accessible to all Windsor youth and affordable through scholarships granted by the board for those that might need it.

1:54

This is a stark difference from many travel programs that are out there, and it also keeps our our kids playing in town.

2:04

The first statement of our organization's constitution is the objective of Windsor Little League shall be to implant firmly in the children of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage, and respect for authority, so that they may be well adjusted, stronger, and happier children, and will grow to be good, decent, healthy, and trustworthy citizens.

2:29

I'd like to highlight that this statement does not mention softball, baseball, or athletic ability whatsoever.

2:37

The focus is character and the development of kind humans, most of whom move through the Windsor Public School system and to become contributing members of Windsor Society.

2:48

So I implore you to continue your support of Windsor Little League and recreational youth sports as they serve a purpose much greater than just athletics.

2:57

Thank you for your time.

2:59

Thank you.

3:42

Trump and his administration's disregard for the rule of law.

3:54

ICE's detention and deportation of immigrants with pending asylum applications.

4:39

I feel a little bit vulnerable about that.

4:42

Bear in mind that the con so-called conservative majority on the Supreme Court has granted virtually unlimited immunity to Trump for criminal actions that he takes in his capacity as president.

5:00

Trump's DOJ's predictable challenges to the provisions of the Public Act 2614, the act concerning democracy and government accountability that provide for jurisdiction in Connecticut and provide for rights of action for citizens in federal court will inevitably be appealed to the Supreme Court whose majority consistently bends the knee to Trump.

5:25

I respectfully urge the council to respect the will, the will of the people of Windsor and reject this proposal to reactivate the ALPR cameras and renew the flock contract as revised.

5:38

Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with you about this.

5:41

Thank you.

5:55

Good evening, Council.

5:56

My name is Sullivan Cruz, 49 London Road.

6:00

I'm speaking to taking down the ALPR cameras.

6:05

I've been frightened by the actions of our government, the actions of ICE and the attack on reproductive rights and on feed them freedom of speech, sorry.

6:17

This technology has already been mishandled since we have acquired it, and you guys have the power to change it in this town.

6:26

So please don't continue this attack to happen on our rights.

6:30

Thank you for your time.

6:32

Thank you.

6:33

Thank you.

6:44

Hello.

6:45

Uh, Lindsay Graham, 265 Bloomfield Avenue.

6:50

The Supreme Court has said that people have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the whole of their public movements.

6:57

And when the government collects information without suspicion over weeks in a way that can reveal people's otherwise private habits and routines, that violates the Fourth Amendment.

7:10

Currently, as the system stands, there are not enough safeguards in place to prevent the misuse of these cameras by police, let alone a hacker or some other conglomerate.

7:21

Not to mention I did not consent to this private third party surveillance company to store and obtain my data.

7:29

Did you know that 12 police officers have been arrested for misuse of the status base?

7:35

All 12 use that technology to track previous romantic partners and their new lovers.

7:42

There have been several false arrests made because these systems misread plate numbers on a plate.

7:48

In Toledo, a man had a seven mistaken for a two, and it resulted in attack from a canine officer that ripped his arm apart and his hair out, and they sued for $53,000.

8:02

This seven and two mistake is a reoccurring pattern the system keeps getting wrong.

8:08

Police concurrently access that system for really whatever reason they want, and the safeguards for it are allegedly pretty minimal, and they require no warrant to do that.

8:19

These cameras bring me back to 1984 and not the fabulous year that I was born, but the book that our government thinks is a manual on how to run a country.

8:32

Thank you.

8:50

I was born and raised here in Windsor at 355 Hayden Station Road, and I, as well as many of the townsfolk who have made time to talk to you tonight are concerned.

8:59

You've heard from many people with many perspectives, but the through line here tonight is our concern of rights of privacy of cameras and corporations.

9:07

The responsibility you've inherited from our founders as democratically elected officials is to hear these concerns of your constituents and act in their best interest in accordance with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

9:19

The Australian authors of these principal documents knew the oppression that they revolted against would in time take new names in shape, new names and shapes, and so sanctified the rights of the individual and left it to you to protect them from whatever forces would seek to infringe them.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████25%
Technology and Innovation██████████████14%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████10%
Miscellaneous██████████10%
Planning and Zoning███████7%
Transportation Safety██████6%
Procedural████4%
Public Engagement████4%
Youth Programs███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Windsor Town Council Meeting – July 20, 2026

The Windsor Town Council convened on July 20, 2026, at 12:30 PM (special meeting extended to 11:15 PM) to address a range of agenda items, including public comments on recreational youth sports and automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, council communications, reports, new business items, and a second public comment period. Key decisions included the rejection of a motion to reactivate Flock ALPR cameras, approval of a collective bargaining agreement, and setting the mill rate.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Maggie Essex (95 Lighthouse Hill Road), representing Windsor Little League as Chief Information Officer and Fundraising Director, requested continued town support for recreational youth sports, emphasizing the league’s focus on character development and affordable access for all Windsor youth.
  • Multiple speakers addressed the ALPR camera issue:
    • Sullivan Cruz, Lindsay Graham, Christopher Stinson, Kay McColliffe, Lamont Andrews, Ken Ehrman, Beth Caruso, Ryan Newanis, and others spoke against reactivating the cameras, citing Fourth Amendment concerns, privacy risks, data misuse by the vendor (Flock Safety), potential for false arrests, and lack of public oversight. Some noted a petition drive to cancel the contract.
    • Joel Herman, Ken Fred, Paul Panels, George Slate, Charles Windsor Jackson III, Chris Foot (via phone), and others supported the cameras, arguing they aid law enforcement in solving crimes (stolen vehicles, shootings, missing persons) and that safeguards (new state law, contract amendments) address prior concerns.
  • Carrie Turk (248 Pokronic Avenue) supported the cameras, stating they only affected criminals and that rejecting them would signal Windsor is “open for criminal activity.”
  • Sarah Gary (Windsor Station Apartments) opposed the cameras due to potential lawsuit costs and the need for fiscal responsibility.

Council Member Communications

  • The Mayor thanked residents for budget referendum turnout and announced upcoming July 4th 250th birthday celebrations on the town green.
  • Council members shared remarks on budget season, appreciation for public input, and encouragement to attend community events. Councilor Pelke highlighted a 90-student interest in a new firefighting course at the high school.

Reports

  • Board of Education Report (Secretary Zadder): Announced high school graduation, $138,000 in scholarships, summer food program, and a new early learning model (K-2) launching September 2026, emphasizing play-based, screen-free instruction.
  • Town Manager’s Report (Mr. Sousa): Recognized July as Parks and Recreation Month; detailed traffic modifications for July 9th events; reminded of Democratic primary early voting (Aug 3-9) and delayed tax bill mailing (by July 24, due Sept 1). Announced September 11th remembrance ceremony.

Discussion Items

  • Sidewalk Easement (425 Day Hill Road): Town engineer Suzanne Chote explained the need for an easement for a public sidewalk built on private property to avoid wetlands. No financial impact anticipated.
  • Fire Department Administrator Job Description: Human Resources Manager Sophia Castellanis presented an updated description reflecting recruitment of volunteer firefighters and other operational changes. Position remains grade 7.
  • Collective Bargaining Agreement (UPSEU Local 424 Unit 10) : Director of Human Resources Amelia Bliss detailed a three-year contract (July 1, 2026–June 30, 2029) covering public safety dispatchers (10 employees). Key changes include equitable overtime distribution, structured leave approval, vacation accrual changes, health insurance cost increases, and wage adjustments (2% market adjustment + 3% general increase for FY27, 3.25% for FY28, 3.6% for FY29). Financial impact: $64,437 for FY27.
  • Budgeting and Capital Improvement Plan Software: Assistant Finance Director Linda Collins requested a one-time $35,000 appropriation from the general fund unassigned balance for software implementation (vendor: UNISOLUS). Annual licensing fee already budgeted.
  • Cybersecurity Grant: Frank Angelillo presented an 80-20% cost share grant from the state (total $48,100 for a three-year license; town share $9,620). Request to accept $38,480 grant and authorize expenditure.
  • ALPR Camera Reactivation (Item 12F): Assistant Town Manager Scott Colby and Police Chief Don Melanson presented updates on state law (Public Act 26-14) and amended Flock contract with enhanced safeguards (annual independent security assessment, 100-mile sharing radius, multi-factor authentication, prohibition on data sale). Chief Melanson cited four unresolved cases since cameras were turned off (Feb 2026), including armed threats and shootings. Council debated privacy vs. safety concerns. Position: Several council members opposed the specific vendor (Flock) due to data governance issues, despite supporting underlying technology. The motion to reactivate and renew contract failed with a vote of 4 in favor, 5 opposed.
  • Mill Rate for FY2027: Deputy Mayor moved to set the mill rate at 28.88 mills for real estate, personal property, and motor vehicles, reflecting the adopted budget and $4.616 billion net taxable grand list.

Key Outcomes

  • Sidewalk Easement: Approved unanimously (9-0).
  • Fire Department Administrator Job Description: Approved unanimously (9-0).
  • Collective Bargaining Agreement: Approved unanimously (9-0).
  • Budgeting/CIP Software Appropriation: Approved unanimously (9-0).
  • Cybersecurity Grant Acceptance: Approved unanimously (9-0).
  • ALPR Camera Reactivation (Flock): Motion failed (4 in favor, 5 opposed). Cameras remain off.
  • Mill Rate: Set at 28.88 mills, approved unanimously (9-0).
  • Reappointments: Megan Cook (Inland Wetlands), Alvin Bingham and Kathleen Woodward (Wilson-Deerfield Advisory Committee), Leanne Tyson (Library Advisory Board) – all approved.
  • Meeting Minutes: Approved (June 15, 2026 special and regular meetings).

Additional Public Comments (Second Session)

  • Speakers addressed ALPR decision and budget concerns. George Slate praised council and staff for budget due diligence. A resident requested information on solicitation signs; another urged continued oversight of new technologies.

The meeting adjourned after approximately 11 PM.

Meeting Transcript

July through the 26th. Our town was asked to host that, so we're getting a lot of attention. So that's really good for the community. Thank you so very much. Thank you. And I just want to give a shout out to another member of the team. I don't know, you want to just wave your hand back there, my friend? All right, thank you, Stephen. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Maggie Essex, 95 Lighthouse Hill Road, and I am also here representing Windsor Little League. I am the chief information officer and fundraising director for the Windsor Little League as well as a taxpaying citizen of Windsor. Historically, Windsor has been quite supportive of Little League, and I am here to ask the town to continue actively supporting recreational youth sports in town. With two daughters who play little Windsor Little League softball and serving as coach for one of their teams and my role on the board of directors, I have firsthand experience in the difficulty that Little League has had in finding enough safe and usable fields for all of our teams to have adequate practice and game space as our registration numbers continue to increase. So as you work through plans for the future with open space, recreation facilities, capital improvement, et cetera. I ask that you please be cognizant of the positive recreational youth activities that need these recreational fields and spaces in town. Windsor Little League makes baseball and softball accessible to all Windsor youth and affordable through scholarships granted by the board for those that might need it. This is a stark difference from many travel programs that are out there, and it also keeps our our kids playing in town. The first statement of our organization's constitution is the objective of Windsor Little League shall be to implant firmly in the children of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage, and respect for authority, so that they may be well adjusted, stronger, and happier children, and will grow to be good, decent, healthy, and trustworthy citizens. I'd like to highlight that this statement does not mention softball, baseball, or athletic ability whatsoever. The focus is character and the development of kind humans, most of whom move through the Windsor Public School system and to become contributing members of Windsor Society. So I implore you to continue your support of Windsor Little League and recreational youth sports as they serve a purpose much greater than just athletics. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Trump and his administration's disregard for the rule of law. ICE's detention and deportation of immigrants with pending asylum applications. I feel a little bit vulnerable about that. Bear in mind that the con so-called conservative majority on the Supreme Court has granted virtually unlimited immunity to Trump for criminal actions that he takes in his capacity as president. Trump's DOJ's predictable challenges to the provisions of the Public Act 2614, the act concerning democracy and government accountability that provide for jurisdiction in Connecticut and provide for rights of action for citizens in federal court will inevitably be appealed to the Supreme Court whose majority consistently bends the knee to Trump. I respectfully urge the council to respect the will, the will of the people of Windsor and reject this proposal to reactivate the ALPR cameras and renew the flock contract as revised. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with you about this. Thank you. Good evening, Council. My name is Sullivan Cruz, 49 London Road. I'm speaking to taking down the ALPR cameras. I've been frightened by the actions of our government, the actions of ICE and the attack on reproductive rights and on feed them freedom of speech, sorry. This technology has already been mishandled since we have acquired it, and you guys have the power to change it in this town. So please don't continue this attack to happen on our rights. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Thank you. Hello. Uh, Lindsay Graham, 265 Bloomfield Avenue. The Supreme Court has said that people have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the whole of their public movements. And when the government collects information without suspicion over weeks in a way that can reveal people's otherwise private habits and routines, that violates the Fourth Amendment. Currently, as the system stands, there are not enough safeguards in place to prevent the misuse of these cameras by police, let alone a hacker or some other conglomerate. Not to mention I did not consent to this private third party surveillance company to store and obtain my data. Did you know that 12 police officers have been arrested for misuse of the status base? All 12 use that technology to track previous romantic partners and their new lovers.

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