Latest news with #SmallTownEconomicAssistanceProgram
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CT city awarded $450K+ for a new, inclusive playground for children with disabilities
Newington has been awarded a $485,000 grant to build a new, inclusive playground at Candlewyck Park, town officials said. The town project, announced by Gov. Ned Lamont on Friday, is part of a $30 million package distributed to 46 small towns across Connecticut for capital improvement projects focused on infrastructure, community development and quality-of-life upgrades. The Candlewyck Park project will be matched by $121,365 in local funding, bringing the total project cost to $606,976, officials said. The grants are all part of the state's Small Town Economic Assistance Program. 'We are incredibly grateful to Governor Lamont and his staff for their support for this important infrastructure project,' said Newington Mayor Jon Trister. 'This grant will help establish a state-of-the-art playground and play space for the residents of the Candlewyck neighborhood. We are thrilled with this announcement.' The new playground will feature accessible play elements for all children, regardless of ability. Officials said the project also supports the town's long-term commitment to neighborhood revitalization and inclusive park access throughout Newington. 'The Newington Parks and Recreation Department happily announces that Governor Lamont and the State Legislature have awarded the town of Newington this critical funding to replace the outdated playground equipment in the Lamplighter Lane area,' said Don Woods, chair of the town's parks and recreation board. 'This grant allows us to move forward with the second and final stage of renovations at Candlewyck Park.' The Candlewyck Park project builds upon the town's ongoing work to enhance parks town wide. In recent years, the town has completed major renovations at Mill Pond Park Playground, Churchill Park Playground, Clem Lemire Playground, Beacon Park Playground, Beechwood Park Playground, Eagle Park Playground, and Seymour Park Playground. For additional information on the Candlewyck Park inclusive playground or other ongoing projects, contact the Newington Parks and Recreation Department at 860-665-8666 or visit
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ashford, Hampton, Scotland receive state grant funding
Governor Ned Lamont announced the release of state grant funds to benefit improvements in several municipalities, including four local towns. Through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program, the Office of Policy and Management and the State Bond Commission, towns can apply to receive funding and commit a percentage of local monies to complete projects. 'Our small towns are an important part of what makes Connecticut such a special place to live and work,' Lamont said. 'By partnering with each town, we can help get these infrastructure projects completed so these towns can continue to thrive, remain competitive, attract businesses and improve the quality of life for our residents.' Locally, Ashford was granted $400,000 for repaving at the Public Works Facility, with the town contributing $104,701, and Franklin received $100,000 for engineering and acquiring a generator for an emergency shelter at the Franklin Elementary School, matched by $20,000 from local funds. The Town of Hampton applied for funds for the reconstruction of Windham Road, receiving $500,000 and matching $220,000. Scotland was awarded $248,651 for improvements to the community hall at the Public Safety Complex, with taxpayers contributing $27,628. In all, 46 towns received approximately $30 million dollars in funding.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Plainfield residents to vote Thursday on advancing Lion's Park project
Plainfield — Residents will decide Thursday whether to advance a proposal that could bring up to $600,000 of upgrades to Lion's Park at a cost of $100,000 to the town. At a special town meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, residents will vote on whether to hold a referendum to approve a request to allocate up to $100,000 from the town's fund balance as a grant match for park improvements. Proposed upgrades include constructing a 1,000-square-foot covered bandstand at the south end of the park, reconfiguring the parking lot shared with Town Hall to add space for about 50 more cars, and installing security cameras and new lighting around the park's walking track. Officials estimate that the three-part project would cost $600,000, but the town would pay no more than $100,000, with a state grant covering the bulk of the project. Heading into Thursday's vote, town leaders and residents appear split over whether the investment is the most fiscally strategic move right now. How much will the upgrades cost taxpayers? While the proposal would allow the town to take up $100,000 from its fund balance for the upgrades, First Selectman Kevin Cunningham said what the town will ultimately spend depends on how much grant funding the state awards. If voters greenlight the proposal, Cunningham said the town would apply for a full grant of $500,000 through the state's Small Town Economic Assistance Program to fund the project. The $100,000 from the town would cover the grant program's 20% match requirement. In the event that the state awards less than $500,000, Cunningham said the town would still match only 20% of the state's funds. For example, if the state grant comes out to $250,000, the town would pay only $50,000. Cunningham said the town would tailor the project to the available funding and forgo certain upgrades if they are not covered by the grant. He said the town's top priority is redoing the parking lot, followed by the bandstand and then the lighting and camera installation. Cunningham said the town does not have an exact estimate on what each of the three projects would cost. According to minutes from a Board of Finance meeting this month, the town engineer believed that the bandstand would cost $200,000 to $300,000 and that the parking lot reconfiguration would cost $200,000 to $250,000. Why do people oppose the proposal? Selectwoman Peggy Bourey, who voted against the proposal when the topic came before the Board of Selectmen at a meeting earlier this month, said she does not believe the town can afford the $100,000 investment. 'Spending the money at this time, I don't think it's fiscally responsible,' Bourey said. 'It's not upgrading the park that's my concern, it's the money that we need to expend to do it,' Bourey said. 'We have wants and we have needs. And I think that the wants of Lion's Park (at) $100,000 is not as big as the need that we have for some of the things that we need for our schools, (and) some of the things we need for our town hall.' Bourey said Plainfield also does not know how decisions at the federal level could impact local funding. On Monday, President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on all federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs to ensure that agency spending aligns with his administration's priorities. A federal judge blocked the order before the pause could take effect on Tuesday. The next day, the Trump administration rescinded the order after the prospect of a pause sparked sweeping panic over the potential impact on local governments, schools and nonprofit programs, including in Connecticut. 'In the environment we find ourselves in recently, I think we need to be extremely, extremely careful about how we spend our money as a town,' Bourey said. 'I don't think we should be going there right now until this whole thing gets flushed out at the federal level and at the state level.' Why do people support it? Cunningham said the uncertainty around federal spending provides even more reason to act on the state's grant program. 'We want to be able to utilize what we have available right now,' Cunningham said. 'It may not be available in the future.' Cunningham said the upgrades would also boost economic development. He said the town could host more concerts and events with the addition of the bandstand, which would draw visitors who would spend money at local restaurants, shops and gas stations. Cunningham said the town could also bring in more revenue by increasing the rental fee for outside groups that use the property for events. Cunningham said the town has 'a very healthy fund balance' of more than $10 million, adding that the town's reserves have not 'been this way forever.' 'By asking for $100,000, ... it's not going to impact the fund balance in a critical format whatsoever,' he said. With up to $500,000 in grant funding on the line, Cunningham said the town should not pass up $600,000 in upgrades that would cost the town only $100,000. 'We're getting a 5-to-1 ratio on our money,' Cunningham said. 'Having an opportunity like this doesn't come around a lot, and I'm hoping that people understand that.'
