Westbrook Town Meeting Actions Approved
At the Jan. 7 Westbrook Town Meeting, electors approved all proposed resolutions.
In the first action, electors agreed that the Town Meeting should endorse the Inter-Town Capital Equipment (ICE) Purchase Incentive Program. With this approval, the Town of Westbrook can join with the towns of Chester, Deep River, Essex, Durham, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Middlefield, Old Lyme, and Westbrook to apply for a state grant for a multi-site UHF radio simulcast system. If awarded, the multi-town grant would be used to provide enhanced communications for the applicant towns’ volunteer fire departments and medical personnel.
The three other resolutions adopted by the Town meeting were for requested appropriations.
Two resolutions were to provide additional funding to complete the School Building Committee’s budget for work to replace all of the school windows at both Westbrook High School and at Daisy Ingraham Elementary School. Approved was an appropriation of $115,000 from the General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance to the School Bond Fund Account and $150,000 from the Capital Non-Recurring Board of Education Reserve Account to the School Bond Fund Account.
The fourth and final resolution appropriated $50,000 from the Capital Non-Recurring Reserve-Town Buildings Account to complete repairs to town buildings as needed. During the discussion of the motion before the Board of Selectman, the members confirmed with their votes that the $50,000 would not be used to fund repairs to the John P. Riggio Building. The budget and plan for repairs to the Riggio Building will come before the Board of Selectmen for discussion this month.