Town finances may get a boost from an anticipated insurance payout and a possible federal grant. With construction on Maple Avenue complete, First Selectmen Matt Riiska said, “Now is the time we have to start negotiating with the insurance company.”
He explained that, although Maple Avenue had been slated for a major overhaul anyway, the gas spill of November 2022 created substantial damage that had to be remediated. He met Thursday with representatives of Guerrera Construction, the company that did both the remediation work and reconstruction of the road, “to review some of the extra work charges and the remediation work to see what goes to the insurance company,” he said. He estimated that more than $500,000 was expended on the cleanup portion of the project and should be paid to the town by the insurance company.
With Maple Avenue complete, the town has turned its attention to routine maintenance of other roads. Riiska said Mills Way was milled and paved this week, and work on Old Goshen Road is expected to be complete today (Friday). Wheeler Road was also on the list of roads to be paved this summer.
In other good news, Riiska received notice from Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy that Congress has passed the Congressional Directed Spending component of its budget. Congressional Directed Spending is more commonly known as “earmarked” funds for projects in legislators’ various districts.
Riiska applied for a $1 million grant to help with construction of the new firehouse. The town is not assured of the money, but Riiska said “it is one more hurdle we have passed.” He added that he also applied for a $500,000 grant through U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes’ office to help with the construction.
Looking at the North Brook Trail project, he said the town has most of the money needed to complete the project, which is estimated to cost around $500,000. The town received a $399,000 matching grant from the state to build the nearly one-mile long multiple-use trail, which received approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission last week.
The town must provide 20 percent of the cost of the trail and Riiska said that percentage will be met through donations already in hand and in-kind services, which can include donated materials and work by the town crew. “We have the majority of the funds for the boardwalk and the access component,” he said. Work is expected to begin in late summer or early fall.