Simsbury selectmen authorize federal funding requests for Eno Hall, WPCA flood protection and Memorial Park

Simsbury's Board of Selectmen voted March 23 to authorize the town manager to submit Congressionally Directed Spending requests for three local infrastructure projects, a move proponents said will improve flood resilience and recreation facilities.

Director of Public Works Tom Roy reviewed proposed work on WPCA flood protection; Parks and Recreation Director Tom Tyburski outlined plans to replace the Memorial Park bath house and redevelop the splash pad. The board discussed priority ranking and the need to show unified local support to federal representatives.

Selectman Kevin Beal moved to authorize Town Manager Marc Nelson to submit requests to the offices of U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy for Eno Memorial Hall upgrades, WPCA flood protection improvements, and the Memorial Park Bath House and Splash Pad redevelopment in that order. Deputy First Selectman Steven Antonio seconded the motion and all members voted in favor.

The motion gives the town manager authority to prepare and forward applications for the specified projects; the minutes do not record estimated dollar amounts or specific project timelines. Town staff presented project scopes during the meeting but detailed cost breakdowns were not included in the minutes.

Next steps identified in the meeting record: the town manager will submit the applications to the senators' offices. Any congressional funding award would still require later steps including grant acceptance by the town and project-specific approvals.