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Woodbury selectmen report new grants, praise storm response and accept donations; votes recorded
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Summary
At the Feb. 24 meeting, First Selectman Paul Zulpa reported three recent grants, the board accepted two donations and several appointments were approved. The board also launched plans to pilot hybrid meetings and post meeting audio online.
First Selectman Paul Zulpa opened the Feb. 24 Board of Selectmen meeting with a report that the town has secured three recent grants and is progressing on several infrastructure and operational fronts.
"We've had a very productive couple of weeks on the grants front. We officially approved the Trees to Please grant for $114,000. We also received a $10,000 grant for the Senior Center, which will support senior health initiatives and programs. And finally, the Pomperaug Watershed Coalition approved the Three Rivers grant for $160,000," Zulpa told the board. He said the Pomperaug Watershed Coalition is finalizing an MOU, which the board will table until legal review is complete.
Zulpa also updated the board on infrastructure and town services, reporting that the deck for the Hesseky Bridge on Route 317 was placed Feb. 17 and that crews are now working on drainage and concrete work with a projected completion date of May 15. He credited Public Works, Woodbury Police, and regional troopers for a coordinated emergency response during last weekend's storm, recounting a Resident Troopers Office message that described crews clearing an impassable driveway so ambulance personnel could reach and evacuate a patient.
The board heard several operational updates: the town's .gov domain has been approved and DNS hosting will be provided by CEN, audio recordings for multiple boards will be posted starting with 2026 recordings, and the Selectmen and Board of Finance will pilot hybrid meetings in the Shove Conference Room.
Votes at a glance
- Approval of minutes (Feb. 10, 2026): motion entered by Selectman Karen Reddington-Hughes; seconded by Selectman Richard Coates; vote 3–0 in favor. - Acceptance of painting donated by Kathryn Crawford Mettey: motion entered by First Selectman Paul Zulpa; vote 3–0 in favor. The painting will be displayed in a town building. - Acceptance of $500 donation from New Morning Market Country Store to Parks & Recreation for Earth Day sponsorship: motion entered by Selectman Reddington-Hughes; seconded by First Selectman Zulpa; vote 3–0 in favor. - Appointments: Neal Schneider was appointed as an Alternate to the Commission for Seniors (term ending Jan. 2, 2028) and to the ad hoc Waste Advisory Committee (term ending Nov. 30, 2027); motions carried 3–0.
The board conducted a first read of a new Travel Policy draft that would require written pre-approval for travel over $100, First Selectman approval for out-of-state travel and follow GSA per diem limits; questions will be forwarded to Zulpa and the policy will be placed on a future agenda for action.
The meeting adjourned at 9:01 p.m.