WILTON – A public hearing to discuss a competitive grant application will be held at he beginning of the selectmen’s meeting Tuesday. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the town office.
At the annual town meeting this past summer, officials asked voters to authorize the town to pursue an Urgent Needs Grant to extend the town’s water main to homes on Bennett and Thompson streets because wells there were contaminated. But in August, officials refused the approved $45,000 grant to partially fund the project because that amount was only about half of what was needed.
Now the town plans to apply for a Community Development Block Grant. The grant requires 25 percent local matching funds and the grant application deadline is Dec. 10.
Town Manager Peter Nielsen said officials voted in 1999 not to invest town funds into extending water mains to people’s homes. But officials want to take any funds in addition to the grant for the project from the town’s water department or have that department borrow any needed funds. Nielsen said the money could be recouped through the fees those landowners will pay for town water.
Nielsen said the grant is a competitive one and while he feels the town has a good chance of obtaining the grant, there is no guarantee the town will be approved to receive the state funds.
In other business, officials will hear a quarterly report from the recreation director and discuss an offer to renew the cemetery maintenance contract for one year at the current price.
The board will also consider a county-wide fire protection mutual-aid agreement and the acceptance of the gift of a bench in memory of Irene Cox for Bass Park. Cox passed away in July. She directed the swim program at Wilton Recreation for several years.
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