With an eye toward sprucing up a town gem, and another toward helping welcome all who cross its borders, North Branford has plans to dip into nearly $40,000 in tourism dollars languishing in the town till for about 20 years.

The idea to activate the tourism dollars arrived after the nine-member Town Council asked Town Manager Michael Paulhus to look into the cost of a needed exterior paint job for the historic Reynolds-Beers House Museum.

At the Town Council meeting on June 6, Paulhus came back with an answer, saying, "I'm happy to report we have some tourism funds that can fund that project."

Paulhus told the council the town has approximately $38,000 left in tourism funds given to North Branford. Town Finance Director Anthony Esposito explained the funds came North Branford's way as part of the dissolution of the Greater New Haven Visitors Bureau.

"The [bureau] disbanded in mid-to-late '90's, and each town represented by the bureau got a portion of the proceeds," said Esposito.

Noting, "...tourism and North Branford haven't exactly gone hand-in-hand" in past years, the fund largely stayed unspent, Esposito told the council on June 6.

"We've used it for some expenses; like towards the moving of the gas station behind the library," Esposito, adding the money can be used for "...whatever we can do to entice people to come to town. So obviously, this would fall into that category of potentially a destination; so it would be a viable use of those funds."

The circa 1786 gambrel-roofed Reynolds-Beers House at 1740 Foxon Road was acquired by the town in 1997, and is leased to non-profit Totoket Historical Society (THS) for a symbolic amount annually. THS operates the museum/education center together with its neighboring Miller Barn Museum and 1920's-era Angelo Forte "little white gas station." The uniquely-shaped wooden station was given to the town by the Regional Water Authority and moved to the grounds, which connect to the Atwater Town Library campus. Each building in THS's small historic enclave is painted white, which helps make the grouping highly visible from its location aside the Route 80 corridor.

Next, the council has asked Paulhus to look into the cost of replacing or otherwise re-designing "Welcome to North Branford" signs at the town lines, which are in disrepair. Paulhus is working with Town Planner Carey Duques to bring more information on costs and designs to the table for the council to review. The item is part of the Tues. June 20 Town Council agenda. The council meets at Town Hall at 7 p.m.