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Waveny Park Conservancy asks for continued town capital support; board seeks new authorization approach
Summary
The Waveny Park Conservancy asked the town to renew capital funding at an annualized $300,000 rate and described completed and planned projects; selectmen said future allocations must be structured narrowly (project‑by‑project) rather than as an unspecified multi‑year pot.
Representatives of the Waveny Park Conservancy presented the group's 2024 accomplishments and asked the Board of Finance to "renew its commitment to fund capital improvements within Waveny and to measure it with an annualized rate of $300,000," a conservancy speaker told the board.
The conservancy said it has invested about $2.1 million in private funds since it began operations and that its private fundraising traditionally matched town allocations on many projects. The nonprofit outlined work completed in 2024 — including a first phase of a 15‑acre woodlands management project to remove invasive species and allow native flora to re‑establish — and said priorities for 2025 include finishing conceptual plans for a Merritt Parkway‑side trail improvement and extending the woodlands restoration.
First Selectman Todd Laviere and finance staff told the conservancy they support continued town investment in Waveny but that bond counsel and town finance practice now require that any town money be authorized for specific projects or purposes rather than placed in an unspecified reserve. "We can't put aside a lump sum of money that's not for a specific project," a selectmen's office official said; finance staff confirmed there are existing conservancy‑related balances that can be used for near‑term work and estimated roughly $790,000 available in the conservancy account.
Why it matters: Waveny Park is a major town asset; the conservancy's projects affect maintenance, trail safety and landscape restoration and often leverage private donations. Conservancy leaders said dedicated town support helped unlock private giving in earlier years and argued the town should preserve a continuing commitment, though staff signaled this will now require project‑specific authorization.
Next steps: The conservancy and town staff agreed to reconcile fund balances and planning details, and the conservancy said it will keep coordinating design, survey and fundraising work with the town ahead of any request for project‑specific authorizations.
