West Haven council approves fee waivers for Special Olympics and Cystic Fibrosis walk; reallocates $441,962 Urban Act surplus for Cove River emergency outpost

The West Haven City Council voted on March 23 to carry forward finance‑committee recommendations approving three items: fee waivers for two nonprofit events and a reallocation of excess Urban Act grant funds to build an emergency outpost near the Cove River Bridge.

The council approved a waiver of municipal facility fees for the Special Olympics bocce tournament scheduled for Dec. 13, 2026, and a waiver for the cystic fibrosis walkathon scheduled for May 9, 2026. Both motions were presented by acting finance chair Ron Quagliani and carried without recorded opposition in committee and in the full council.

The council also authorized the mayor to execute an amended agreement with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to apply $441,962 of leftover funds from the city’s 2019 Urban Act grant—originally awarded for the Cove River Bridge project—to construct an emergency outpost near the Cove River Bridge. The motion includes authorization for the mayor to sign all necessary documents to implement the reallocation; council members voted in favor and the motion carried.

Why it matters: The fee waivers reduce costs for nonprofit and community events. The Urban Act reallocation uses remaining grant dollars for a public‑safety outpost rather than reverting funds to the state; the council said the transfer is fully funded by the grant surplus and does not require additional taxpayer funding.