Andover, Conn. — At the Board of Finance’s Sept. 24 meeting, Town Administrator Eric outlined the town’s portfolio of active grants and capital projects and said the town has secured roughly $14 million in grant funding over the past six years. He described progress, funding sources and design gaps on Veterans Memorial Field, the senior transportation hub, the multi-use pathway and larger recreation projects.

Eric said the Veterans Memorial Field work is now ready for procurement under the EZIQC cooperative contract program administered through the Capital Region Council of Governments; that approach uses competitively bid unit prices that local governments can piggyback on and streamlines administration. He said the Board of Selectmen authorized signing the EZIQC contract and that execution is pending a revised budget submission to the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) because the town added funding from a second DECD-administered source.

On the senior transportation hub the town originally received a $275,000 grant with a $75,000 town match approved at town meeting. Eric said the project scope was revised to add second-floor storage; the town contracted for a $12,000 final design that will count against construction costs. He cautioned that once demolition and asbestos abatement are included, total project cost estimates have risen toward the $475,000 range and could approach $500,000, which would exceed the originally budgeted grant-plus-match package.

On recreational improvements, Eric said a 2023 grant (described in the meeting as a STEAP-type recreational improvement grant) originally covered $500,000 with a $150,000 town match and that the town subsequently received a $250,000 legislative appropriation this fiscal year. With additional Hartford Foundation grant funds and in‑kind public works labor, Eric estimated the full program near $910,000, with municipal contributions of about $150,000 of that total.

Eric also described progress on a multi-use pathway connecting the municipal campus to the rail trail. He said the town has secured construction funding through LOTCIP (the state Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program) that typically pays full construction costs, but the town faces a shortfall of about $100,000 to complete final design work so the construction grant can be used. He said the town will ask the Board of Finance for funding to complete the design so the construction grant can be drawn.

Other notes: the town submitted an application for a handicapped-accessible van (which would require a 20% local match if awarded) and has sought federal appropriations to complete the community center and to add a backup generator for town hall; Eric said the federal request has moved through the Senate appropriations process before but that federal funding remains uncertain pending federal budgeting and continuing resolution activity.

Why it matters: The projects affect recreation, senior services, emergency back-up power and multi-use connectivity in town. Most are primarily funded with state or legislative appropriations; however design cost growth and program changes mean the town may need to allocate more local funds to complete projects or revise their budgets.

Eric said he will provide the board with a master grants list and an updated capital-improvement (CIP) report showing outstanding items and suggested priorities.