Winsborough requests A&H tax funds for park upgrades, $125,000 playground install and 27-foot LED Christmas tree

Chris Kloss, Winsborough town manager, asked the council during the public presentation portion to approve Accommodations & Hospitality (A&H) tax funding for three projects aimed at boosting tourism and community engagement: town square/public spaces, a new 27-foot LED Christmas tree (quoted at about $30,000), and a playground replacement and install. "So the overview, myself and Carol Props Wright, the grants administrator, put this together. So we are doing a project to support community engagement, tourism, and economic growth in Fairfield County," Kloss said.

Kloss provided cost figures for the playground and the larger park work at Fortune Springs Park. He said the playground install is a $125,000 install (prior figure $95,000 for equipment) and that the conceptual 27-foot tree was about $30,000. On the broader park infrastructure, he said the project began with a $375,000 estimate focused on stormwater, grew to $1.6–$1.7 million and was described to him as up to $2.8 million, while the contract he referenced came in "like, 1.9" million with some change orders expected.

Kloss said the Fortune Springs Park work dovetails with state-funded resilience and CDBG work on sidewalks and stormwater. In response to a question about whether the taller tree was intended for repeated use, Kloss said past decorations lasted about 20 years and that the older structure could be relocated to another park. When asked about a tennis court, Kloss said it might be repurposed for pickleball but would likely require full replacement.

The council and a resident praised the town's work on the park. Council did not vote on the A&H request at this meeting; Kloss noted the sidewalk work and TAP transportation funding will tie into the park improvements and that some elements are already in engineering or bid stages.