$25M To Pay For School AC, Flood Prevention And More In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — The nearly $25 million Fairfield will soon receive from the federal government will be used to install school air conditioning, prevent flooding, and replace or repair infrastructure across town, the first selectwoman announced this week.

Fairfield will be given the $24.8 million over two years as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, introduced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The act allocated over $65 billion to municipalities throughout the country and $2.55 billion to Connecticut towns and cities.

First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick held a joint meeting Monday of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance and Representative Town Meeting to detail how she intended to spend the money. Kupchick said she planned to use the funds for projects that are shovel ready and will affect large sections of the community, but also encouraged residents to call, email or visit her office to weigh in on the list of spending priorities before it’s finalized in September.

“This isn’t the end of the discussion,” she said.

The funds must be spent on costs incurred by December 2024, and the money is required to be used by the end of 2026.

$1 million for school air conditioning

Perhaps the most-discussed expense proposed by Kupchick was $1 million to be set aside for air conditioning in the sixth-grade wing of Fairfield Woods Middle School, which would bring Woods up to par with the town’s other two middle schools in terms of how much of the building is air-conditioned.

Several officials emphasized the urgency of installing cooling systems as quickly as possible in schools that aren’t fully air-conditioned, of which there are many.

“It seems to me we need to do a lot more,” town meeting member Bill Gerber, D-2, said. “It should be a major priority in my opinion.”

Fairfield’s school district is working with an engineering firm to evaluate the cost of air quality improvements and hopes to prioritize the work once the district has better numbers, according to Executive Director of Operations Angelus Papageorge.

“Upgrading the HVAC in these schools, retrofitting it, is a large project,” school board Chair Christine Vitale said, noting the $1 million wouldn’t cover the full cost of installing air conditioning in the sixth-grade wing at Woods.

$3.25 million to prevent Rooster River flooding

Flooding was another big topic Monday. The town intends to spend $3.25 million to add detention sites along the Rooster River watershed, after neighborhoods in the area repeatedly flooded in recent years.

“Businesses and homes were really devastated during the flooding,” Kupchick said. “This, we felt like, was a no-brainer.”

Another $1.42 million would be used to install “green” flood mitigation infrastructure in downtown Fairfield, such as curb extensions, rain gardens, tree boxes, porous pavement, permeable pavers, green roofs and rooftop detention systems.

But some in attendance felt the town hadn’t allocated enough money to more broadly address flooding in town.

“The flood plain still remains in a very vulnerable position,” town meeting member Bill Perugini, R-9, said. “It’ll just take one storm to remind us of how vulnerable we are.”

Flood and Erosion Control Board member Becky Bunnell asked if the town could put $1 million toward flooding studies.

Additionally, resident George Talbot spoke in favor of prioritizing the South Benson pump station project, citing his concern about overtopping events.

“I think it’s worth getting on it now,” he said.

Other federal funding allocations discussed Monday include:

• $3.7 million to equip police with body cameras, dashboard cameras and tasers. The purchase is expected to save $1.57 million over 10 years because the equipment is being purchased as a bundle.
• $3 million for road paving.
• $2.7 million to install a fiber optic network infrastructure for town and school board facilities.
• $1 million to remediate contamination at the town fill pile.
• $1 million to replace the bulkhead at Perry’s Green, which is at least 55 years old and deteriorated beyond repair.
• $1 million for traffic lights.
• $940,000 to replace older vehicles in the town fleet with hybrid and electric vehicles.
• $925,000 to upgrade or renovate the playgrounds at Tunxis Hill, Melville, Lincoln, Dover and Highwood parks.
• $850,000 for upgrades to the Bigelow Center for Senior Activities, including bathrooms that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; new heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and an updated kitchen.
• $700,000 for sidewalks at the intersection of Stratfield and Fairfield Woods roads, and along the Post Road between Pease Avenue and about 300 feet west of Hulls Highway.

For more information, and to view a full list of all proposed expenses, visit bit.ly/3rszpxK.