Tolland Town Council Chair Report

The Town Council held both a special meeting and a regular meeting on February 10, 2026.

The special meeting was an executive session to discuss the status of the contaminated wells in town and to bring new councilors up to speed on the issue. During the regular meeting, the Council was also provided a public update on the issue. The town secured a grant to help remediate some of the contaminated wells in the Vineyard neighborhood. The Council continues to work in partnership with our state representatives to seek additional funding and state support on this critical issue.

At the start of the regular meeting, on behalf of the Council, I read a proclamation into the record recognizing Black History Month.

The Council then unanimously voted to seat Councilors Mary Rose Duberek and Shane Jackson to fill the vacancies created by two resignations. Welcome to both Mary Rose and Shane.

The Council also voted unanimously to appoint Councilor Renie Besaw as Vice Chair of the Council. I greatly look forward to continuing to work with Vice Chair Besaw in this role.

We also received a presentation on the potential use of speed cameras in town. No decisions were made by the Council. Before any decision is made, there will be opportunity for public comment.

The town also underwent its annual financial audit. Thanks to the hard work of our finance department, there were no compliance issues noted and the town remains in very strong financial standing. We also received our quarterly financial update.

The Town Manager, Senior Center Director, and the State Police provided an update to the Council on the ongoing criminal investigation into the Pietras Funeral Home pre-paid funeral services scam. Residents who may have preplanned with the funeral home are encouraged to reach out to the Senior Center or the State Police to determine whether they may be a victim.

The Town Manager also advised the Council that it recently came to his attention that the State of Connecticut is considering purchasing property in Tolland to develop a juvenile justice facility. The Council is seeking to obtain additional details.

On the topic of the town budget, the Council also held a meeting on Monday, February 9th to discuss the town’s capital budget.

The next Council meeting will be the joint Town Council-Board of Education budget meeting on Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 7:00pm.

You can find the minutes from the February 10, 2026 executive session here: ecode360.com/TO1208/document/753230440.pdf

You can find the minutes from the February 10, 2026 regular meeting here: ecode360.com/TO1208/document/753230439.pdf