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Ansonia aldermen approve capital-improvement plan to unlock referendum grants and short-term financing
Summary
On Aug. 13 the Ansonia Board of Aldermen approved a capital-improvement plan to access referendum-authorized projects, use short-term borrowing and grant‑anticipation notes, and begin high-priority work including a first-responder radio upgrade and school land acquisition.
Ansonia's Board of Aldermen voted Aug. 13 to adopt a multi-stage capital-improvement plan that city officials said is necessary to access recently awarded grants and to begin several referendum-approved projects.
Budget Director Kurt Miller told the board the plan bundles cash-funded items, referendum projects that will require short-term borrowing, and larger bond-funded items such as a proposed new middle school. "This is a living, breathing document," Miller said, adding that the plan will be updated as grants and financing details emerge.
Bond counsel Glenn Rybaki and finance staff explained the mechanics the city will use to bridge reimbursable grants: short-term grant-anticipation notes and targeted lease-purchase or bond instruments. Rybaki described grant-anticipation notes as "a great vehicle" to allow the city to move forward on multi‑million‑dollar projects that require the city to spend first and be reimbursed later.
Officials singled out a first-responder radio upgrade that will require a roughly $750,000 down payment and is part of a broader $2.24 million project estimate presented to the board. Miller also highlighted funding set-asides for parks, sidewalk and drainage repair, and energy-efficiency work with Johnson Controls, and he said $1.5 million is included as a placeholder for acquiring land tied to a potential new middle school.
Aldermen asked for regular updates on the financing timeline and the proposed order of projects; Miller and Rybaki said green-priority items (those ready to start) will move first, with loan instruments or short-term notes used as needed. The board approved the capital-improvement plan in voice vote and directed staff to forward the approved plan to the state Office of Policy and Management (OPM).
Next steps: staff will return with specifics on short-term borrowing and any master-lease agreements, and the administration said it expects to present bond/designation options to the board as grant and sale proceeds become available.
