Board of Aldermen approves ARPA transfer, contracts and sets public hearing for rooftop solar at five schools

The Waterbury Board of Aldermen approved a package of budget transfers, grants and contracts during its Sept. 9 meeting and set a public hearing for Sept. 23 to consider rooftop solar photovoltaic projects at five city schools.

The finance committee recommended and the board approved a $450,000 American Rescue Plan Act transfer within the city’s capital improvement fund for fiscal 2024–25; committee minutes show that vote passed with one committee abstention. Director of finance Michael LeBlanc and budget manager Sarah Gary explained the transfer and how ARPA balances will be reallocated as projects close.

The intergovernmental committee brought several items to the full board. Among them was a professional services contract for Waterbury Lead and Healthy Homes ($77,800), an increase of $350,000 for water‑treatment plant pumps and mixing improvements, and approval to create an education liaison job specification that will be housed in the Department of Education and report to the mayor’s office while being funded this fiscal year by education.

The board set a public hearing on Monday, Sept. 23, to consider a capital appropriation and bond authorization for rooftop solar at five Waterbury public schools. Tommy Ida of the Waterbury Development Corporation and clean‑energy consultants told aldermen the projects were bid into a state incentive program and that the state would reimburse roughly 78–79% of installation costs; federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act will provide additional credits. Tommy Ida and consultant Robert Klee estimated the city could receive about $4,600,000 in net incentive benefits over the panels’ 20‑year operational life.

“We expect over the 20‑year lifetime of these panels the city to get about a 4,600,000 benefit,” Tommy Ida said, describing participation in the Eversource clean‑energy incentive program. Consultant Robert Klee added the capital cost is expected to be largely covered by state and federal reimbursements, while routine maintenance is expected to be in the low thousands per year per project.

Other actions approved by the board included contracts for a city‑wide Cisco network switch and infrastructure upgrade for schools (~$1.86 million), security camera and access‑control improvements for 14 schools (~$899,812), a sidewalk construction contract (~$1.4 million) and a MLK Park construction contract ($1.45 million). The board also approved two Connecticut Department of Transportation grants: a FY25 child passenger safety grant ($173,117.45, no match) and a community traffic‑safety grant ($109,441.70, no match).

A senior nutrition services agreement providing prepared meals and delivery for the Waterbury Senior Center was removed from the consent calendar for separate consideration and approved by roll call after Alderman Weaver recused herself. City senior‑center director Myra LeVasseur said the program will serve 50 seniors two days a week and that there is no waiting list for lunches.

A vote on routine minutes and a number of other consent items closed the meeting. The board and staff reminded residents that Gilmartin School will host a public meeting tomorrow related to the Blue Water Property Group application and that the city will hold community events later in September as part of the 350th anniversary celebration.

The public hearing on rooftop solar is scheduled for Sept. 23 at 5:45 p.m. in the council chambers; the board said consultants and project managers will be present to answer technical and financial questions.