South Windsor voters approved two of the five capital improvements referendum questions on Tuesday.
The two projects - the school and road improvements questions - total $9.79 million.The two questions that passed are the following:
- Question 1 will cost $5.79 million for school renovations, improvements and educational technology, including roof replacements at the high school (partial), Orchard Hill and Pleasant Valley elementary school (approx. $3.2 million); $195,000 to replace lockers in the high school gym; $78,720 to resurface the high school track; $1.35 million for computer equipment; $650,000 to repave the high school parking lot phase 2 of 5; replace the floor at Pleasant Valley kitchen ($52,500) and the serving line at Timothy Edwards School ($74,420).
- Question 3 will cost $4 million for paving and drainage improvements on six connector or arterial roads and neighborhood roads as well. $3 million would be set aside for the six connector roads and another $980,000 would go to neighborhood roads.
Question 1 passed by a total of 8,094 in favor to 4,650 against; Question 3 passed 7,029 to 5,568 against.
The three questions that failed to pass are the following:
- Question 2, which would have cost $1.27 million for renovations and improvements to town buildings, including $235,000 for community center boilers and heat pumps; $400,000 for police department oil/gas storage tank, generator, HVAC pumps and cooling tower; $75,000 for a community center generator; $220,000 for a generator at the high school shelter; $255,000 for town replacement of boilers, including gas mains, ADA improvements.
- Question 4 would have included $1.62 million for improvements to the town’s information technology systems, including the following: $555,000 for computers and equipment; $575,000 for network upgrades; $475,000 for GIS/database conversion and upgrade.
- Question 5 would have included $1.02 million for improvements to the park system, including the possible construction of a playground at Veterans Memorial Pool, as well as expansion of the bike path network and improvements to the irrigation systems and restrooms.
Question 2 failed to pass by a total of 5,447 for to 7,205 against.
Question 4 failed to pass by a total of 6,026 in favor to 6,587 against.
Question 5 failed to pass by a total of 5,941 in favor to 6,729 against.
"I'm disappointed they all didn't pass, but I'm thankful that the residents passed two of them," Town Councilor Jan Snyder, who spearheaded the capital improvements project referendum questions, said. "I am looking forward to moving ahead with the capital improvement program, which includes a 5-year plan. The passing of these two questions puts us on the right path to achieving that goal."
Mayor Tom Delnicki said that he believed that the proposed combination community center/ice rink project that was recently brought before the Town Council may have had a chilling effect on at least the recreation referendum.
"I know some people who said that they voted against all the referendum questions because of it," Delnicki said.
Still, Delnicki said that he was pleased that the roads and schools questions passed.
"We need to have roads repaired and we need those school roofs replaced," Delnicki said.
[This article was updated to reflect the addition of absentee ballots]
