Winsted Board of Selectmen
2/2/26, 7 PM
Present: Mayor Todd Arcelaschi and Selectmen Kevin Bishop, Paul Marino, William Hester, Cheryl Heffernan McGlynn, and William Pozzo; Excused: Troy Lamere
The Town of Winsted is slated to receive $635,000 for fiscal year 2026 for the Southern Sewer Network Expansion project, Town Manager Paul Harrington announced at the Feb. 2 Winsted Board of Selectmen meeting.
The funds, “a huge gift to the town,” will come from federal incremental funding bills, said Harrington, who thanked U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy for their efforts in obtaining the award. While a formal application is still required, the funds are “essentially guaranteed,” Harrington said. The work, which will extend sewer mains on Rowley Street to the Public Works facility, will also help the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway rail trail, he added.
The town has teamed up with Downes Construction to add a pre-kindergarten addition to Mary P. Hinsdale School, Harrington said. The initial consultation fee will be $13,000, well under the $40,000 that the town had allocated for the project. Downes will be available for upcoming town meetings to answer questions, he said.
Happy Dog Rescue has been awarded a contract to help vet any potential adopter and make home visits for the “Smolak dogs,” Harrington said. Some 27 dogs were seized last year from Sarah Smolak, who was charged with animal cruelty, according to media reports.
The board agreed to hold a special town meeting on March 17 at Winsted Town Hall to consider a proposal to issue bonds or notes for the Isabelle M. Pearson Middle School roof project. The proposed appropriation is $2,898,670, which would be used for funding design, build, and replacement of the roof and related expenses.
A measure was approved to request additional state aid for Winsted, which is categorized as a No. 4 distressed community by the Economic and Community Development Department, up from No. 11, Harrington said. Bishop agreed, saying that the educational cost-sharing fund has not increased since 2009, “which is ridiculous,” and that the state should be contributing.
Public Works Director Jim Rollins led a presentation for the Board on the strategic planning that goes into which roads should be paved as well as new software being used for help in determining road improvements.
The Board took a brief time out for a private executive session with a Realtor and attorney to discuss several items, including a possible sale of the 48 Bridge Street property. After returning from the session, the Board announced the acceptance of a $27,000 offer for the property “from the last name Nash” and that the property sale information would be sent to the March 17 town meeting.
In other news, Harrington said his office is accepting applications for a member opening on the Economic Development Commission.
The Board reappointed member seats to: Stewart Pollens for the Historic Commission, with a term expiring December 2028; David Pines for the Ad Hoc Water Level Committee, with a term ending January 2028; and James Lagassie for the Retirement Administrative Board, with a term expiring February 2030. The Board also accepted the resignation of Lauren Dombrowski from the Historic Commission.
