Emergency Services Facilities Building Committee approves drainage plans submission to address urgent Station 13 problems

Willington's Emergency Services Facilities Building Committee voted April 9 to have drainage drawings for Station 13 submitted to the Willington Department of Public Works for initial review and rough pricing, a step members said is needed to move an emergency remediation path forward while a larger consultant-led capital plan continues.

Committee members said the station's condition is worsening and risks service disruption and staff loss. "I would say it's an emergency," one member said, pressing for immediate work to prevent further deterioration. Members discussed a Department of Agriculture grant and estimates the group has on hand: committee conversation referenced about $525,000 in committee-held funds and earlier pricing options that reached roughly $606,000; drainage work was called out in discussion as approximately $140,000.

Why it matters: Station 13 serves as a substation for the town's emergency services. Committee members said they must balance an urgent, limited-scope fix that protects service this coming winter with the broader, 50-year public-safety plan outlined in the Fitch consultant report. Several members urged a "parallel path" approach: pursue immediate, affordable repairs (drainage, demo where feasible) while proceeding with the Fitch presentation and subsequent larger planning decisions.

What the committee decided: A motion was made and seconded to have committee member Ralph Tulis submit his drainage drawings to the Willington Department of Public Works for initial review and rough pricing. The chair called a voice vote and the motion passed; the record shows the motion carried by voice vote. The committee discussed using local public-works crews or local contractors to perform drainage work if that lowers cost. "Start digging, Ralph," one member urged when discussing local execution.

Funding and grant status: Members said the Department of Agriculture has been cautious about what it will fund; a committee member reported outreach to Congressman Courtney's office and that a Department of Agriculture staffer had visited the town office. The committee said the grant could cover materials but in some cases not labor; if donated demolition or local contractor help reduces costs, grant funds could be redeployed to reconstruction. Committee members emphasized they will not finalize larger cost estimates until they present the Fitch report to the public and gauge community appetite.

Next steps: Committee members tasked Ralph Tulis to submit the drainage drawings to public works for pricing, to seek local pricing for drainage scope, and to coordinate timing with the Fitch presentation and the town's grant negotiations. The committee set a follow-up meeting and plans to present the Fitch report to the public after the May 5 referendum.