Councilors Argue Whether STEAP Grant Should Go to Fields or Post Office

The South Windsor Town Council tabled a discussion on whether to apply for a Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant to renovate the old post office for use as an emergency operations center and business incubator space Monday night.

Councilor Tom Delnicki was ill and unable to attend the meeting Monday and asked that the item be tabled, Mayor Saud Anwar told the council.

But the item was still informally discussed both in public comment and at the table.

The past council had approved the STEAP grant for use in funding the athletic fields project, approved just before the election and had directed the town manager to apply for that grant. 

Matt Riley and former Town Councilors Kevin McCann and Cindy Beaulieu spoke critically of the proposal during public comment.

Riley called the explanation for using the STEAP grant for the post office - because the Office of Policy and Management would not be favorable toward the fields project - "a smokescreen." 

“What’s up for discussion is not whether the town is going to build athletic fields. What is up for discussion is the funding but I’m a little confused about that, too,” Beaulieu said. “The Town Council gave direction to apply for the STEAP grant for the fields on that night [that the project was approved].”

Town Manager Matthew Galligan explained that he hadn’t applied for the grant because he felt that there was little chance it would be approved. The focus in awarding grants this year is on economic development and disaster preparedness, while those projects that would do away with existing farmland would not receive funding, he said.

As a result, he felt the STEAP grant would be a better fit for the post office renovation, while LOCA grants would be a more suitable funding source for the fields project. That way, he said, both projects could be completed.

Councilor Keith Yagaloff also said that the issue put Galligan in an odd position of trying to “read the tea leaves” instead of simply following the council’s orders.

Yagaloff said until the matter was clarified, he could not support the resolution to apply for the grant to renovate the post office because it would undermine the decision of a prior council.

“The previous council voted on the fields project… and I think it’s important that we go forward with that project,” said Councilor Jan Snyder.

Deputy Mayor Ed Havens said the post office was intended for use to relieve the overcrowding of Town Hall and he would like to see it used for that.

Councilor Carolyn Mirek said it seemed that the post office was not ready to be proposed to the state for funding, since it had not been thoroughly studied.

The council will take up the issue at its next meeting.