Trumbull commissioners weigh three congressional appropriation requests, debate Mosquito Lake sewer study

Trumbull County commissioners on March 19 debated which of three congressionally directed spending requests to prioritize, focusing on a $1,263,000 planning commission building rehabilitation, a roughly $1,000,000 Crane Drive sanitary sewer request, and a $500,000 preliminary engineering study for a Mosquito Lake interceptor.

The funding requests would be submitted through the congressman’s appropriations portal, officials said; the planning commission must rank the three projects 1–3 and return its priorities before the portal deadline. Julie Green, director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission, asked the board to send a prioritized list and warned the portal limits narrative fields and does not accept attachments.

Why this matters: commissioners and staff said the requests are intended to address long-standing infrastructure and safety needs. The planning commission building at 185 E. Market St. holds permanent county records, requires roof and interior work and ADA upgrades, and staff said security measures were included in the requested scope. The Crane Drive request would support sanitary sewer construction in Weathersfield, and the Mosquito Lake study would define engineering needs for sewer and water extensions around the lake — a project speakers said is needed before larger federal or state funding can be secured.

Discussion and positions Julie Green (Trumbull County Planning Commission) said congressionally directed projects "are usually handled similar to how all other grants are handled, and that would most likely not allow for reimbursement," and that the planning commission would look into reimbursement questions if an award is made. She also explained the portal’s 2,000-character limits and the difficulty attaching supporting documents through the portal.

Gary Newbrow, Trumbull County sanitary engineer, described engineering challenges for Mosquito Lake, saying the interceptor and collection layout would likely require multiple diameters and pump stations because of wetlands and downstream capacity. He told commissioners the preliminary engineering study (the $500,000 request) would identify feasible alignments, pipe sizes and cost estimates — material the county would need when applying for larger federal or state construction grants.

Commissioners discussed strategy and competing priorities. At different points, members said they preferred different rankings: one commissioner favored the planning commission building as the top priority because it houses permanent records and needs immediate repairs; another argued for prioritizing Mosquito Lake to address northern-county infrastructure gaps. Multiple commissioners said they would contact the congressman’s office and lobby if the county submits the requests.

No final, unanimous ranking was recorded in the workshop transcript. Planning staff said they need a prioritized list to meet the portal deadline; Julie Green stated the planning commission would defer to the commissioners’ final decision and proceed once ranking direction is provided.

Next steps and constraints Staff said appropriations awards do not themselves perform design or construction work; any award would still require the county to manage environmental reviews, procurement and follow standard grant rules. If awarded, the county would issue an RFQ/RFQ for the study or project design and then proceed to the engineering and procurement phases.

Commissioners and staff repeatedly warned that the portal’s narrative limits and the need for a price-tagged feasibility study mean the Mosquito Lake project must start with engineering so future larger funding requests are viable. Julie Green and Gary Newbrow said they would coordinate scope and submit the prioritized list before the application deadline.

Ending Planning staff agreed to move forward once the commissioners give formal ranking instructions. The county will submit the prioritized appropriation requests to the congressman’s office and pursue the required follow-up procurement and environmental review if any awards are received.