Enfield To Seek Federal Funds For Streetscape, Sewer, Police-EMS Complex Planning

ENFIELD, CT — The Enfield Town Council voted unanimously Monday night to pursue federal funding requests for several potential town projects, including planning work tied to a long-discussed police and EMS complex.

Town officials said they were notified late that afternoon that the town would have the opportunity to submit projects through U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney’s congressional Community Project Funding program, leaving little time to assemble potential requests before the meeting.

Town Manager Matthew Coppler told councilors staff quickly identified projects where federal funding could help cover early planning work, such as engineering, design, and environmental review.

“We tried to focus on projects where we could realistically move something forward within the time frame we were given,” Coppler told the council.

Police, EMS Complex Among Projects

One request would seek federal funding for design and engineering work tied to a possible expansion of the town’s police station and additional space for EMS.

Town officials have said the current facilities face space and operational challenges, and Coppler said planning work would help determine the scope and potential cost of a future project.

The proposal also included funding for planning work tied to a possible Connecticut River pier project.

Streetscape Improvements

During the discussion, Councilor Zach Zannoni proposed expanding the resolution to include a request related to the North Main Street streetscape project.

The amendment would allow the town to seek about $2 million for design and planning work tied to improvements in the downtown area.

After debate over project priorities, the amendment passed on a 7–2 vote.

Mayor Gina Cekala and Councilor Cynthia Mangini voted against the amendment, saying their votes reflected prioritization concerns rather than opposition to the project itself.

Sewer Improvements Added

Councilor Carol Hall later proposed another amendment to add a request related to improvements to the town’s sewer collection system, including design and construction work.

The amendment passed unanimously.

Council Approves Resolution

After approving the amendments, the council voted 9–0 on a roll-call vote to authorize Coppler to submit the Community Project Funding requests.

The projects now listed in the resolution include:

• Police and EMS facility planning
• Connecticut River pier planning
• North Main Street streetscape improvements
• Sewer collection system improvements

Town Attorney Hiring Process Discussed Again

The meeting also included more discussion about the town’s recent hiring of a new town attorney, an issue that has generated debate at earlier meetings.

Councilor Carol Hall asked several questions about how the request-for-proposals process was handled.

Assistant Town Manager Steven Bielenda said the RFP was posted for about 30 days in several places, including the town website, state procurement platforms and a legal notice in The Hartford Courant.

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He said applicants were asked to explain how they would bill for legal services and said discussions with applicants were meant to clarify proposals rather than negotiate terms.

The Town Council recently appointed Cindy Cieslak of Rose Kallor LLP as Enfield’s town attorney.

Budget Season Approaching

Mayor Gina Cekala noted the town is entering the early stages of its annual budget process. The Board of Education is expected to present its proposed budget to the council later this month.