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Windsor Locks leaders weigh $400,000 engineering push to chase $5 million LOTSIP grant for Spring Street
Summary
The Board of Selectmen discussed reallocating capital funds to authorize up to $400,000 in engineering work so the town can apply for a LOTSIP transportation grant that could cover roughly $5 million of a proposed $6.03 million Spring Street reconstruction. The board will forward the revised capital sheet to the Board of Finance for final decisions.
The Board of Selectmen on Dec. 2 reviewed a revised capital plan and debated using town reserves to pre-fund engineering work so Windsor Locks can apply for a state-administered transportation grant to rebuild a section of Spring Street.
Town staff and consultants told the board the Spring Street segment from Volunteer to Route 75 carries a collector road designation that makes it eligible for LOTSIP funding administered through CROG and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Presenter (Speaker 4) said the full reconstruction is estimated at $6,028,425 and that a competitive LOTSIP application could fund about $5 million of the work if the town completes some engineering and design beforehand.
The nut of the debate centered on how to pay for that preparatory engineering. Staff had previously budgeted roughly $70,000 for general engineering in the 06/30 funding snapshot; Presenter (Speaker 4) proposed increasing the engineering line to $400,000 to meet grant competitiveness requirements and deadlines. "We have to do some engineering ahead of time in order to put the application in by February," Presenter (Speaker 4) said, noting the design work need not be fully shovel-ready but must meet application requirements.
Selectmen considered three main funding paths: bond the engineering as part of a longer-term roadway bond, reassign LOSIP-era balances (LOSIP balance 2017–2024) to expedite design work, or use ARPA-like funds where feasible. Several members cautioned that bonding would not deliver money in time for the February solicitation, while staff pointed to roughly $520,000 remaining in the referenced LOSIP balances as a potential near-term source.
Board members characterized the proposal as a trade-off: spending several hundred thousand on engineering could reduce the town's eventual bonding need by millions if the grant succeeds. "You'd spend about $370,000 to reduce bonding by $4.6 million," Staff member (Speaker 3) said, urging the Board of Finance to weigh priorities and available balances.
Rather than vote on an appropriation, the board agreed to finalize the revised capital request sheet as a recommendation and forward it to the Board of Finance for review. Staff said the Board of Finance planned to address the material at its Dec. 9 meeting; any funding decisions that require town approval would proceed to a town meeting.
Next steps: the board will send the revised capital sheet, with departmental input attached, to the Board of Finance and pursue the necessary engineering scope so Windsor Locks can submit a LOTSIP application in February.
