Council approves $61,650 for Chapman Street bids

Town Council · Meeting of October 27, 2026

Newington Town Council approved $61,650 for Chapman Street firehouse bid documents and disbanded its Social Media Policy Subcommittee. The council voted 8-0, with Kathy Gonzalez absent, to let Acting Town Manager Lauren Ryans hire TLB Architects to produce construction documents for two of four design options for the decommissioned 1970s firehouse, using capital improvement funds set aside over five years plus $75,000 from last year's budget. Minority Leader Gail Budrejko said the narrowed options avoid costly ADA-compliance triggers tied to office-space concepts.

The council also voted 8-0 to disband the Social Media Policy Subcommittee after Budrejko questioned whether the underlying policy clearly covers elected officials and contractors; Ryans agreed to draft clarifying language. Separately, resident Rose Lyons of 46 Elton Drive described accidentally "filed a complaint upon myself" while testing the town's blight-complaint form amid a neighborhood dispute over anonymous letters, and urged the council to review its blight ordinance. The council also approved $4,253.03 in property tax refunds and reviewed a proposed $15,000 sale of town right-of-way on Griswoldville Avenue, with a formal vote expected at the next meeting.

In the full story:

• Retirement Proclamation for the Building Official
• New Town Planner Introduced
• Public Participation and the Open Space Subcommittee
• Chapman Street Building Project Appropriation
• Disbanding the Social Media Policy Subcommittee
• Tax Refunds and Minutes
• Griswoldville Avenue Right-of-Way Disposition
• Facilities Naming Request
• Town Manager Update
• Council Liaison Reports
• Public Participation: Elton Drive Letters and the Blight Ordinance
• Informational Items and Town Manager Search
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,871 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of October 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.

The Full Article

Retirement Proclamation for the Building Official

The council opened its October 27 meeting with a proclamation for the town's building official, identified throughout only as Doug, who is retiring after nearly 18 years on the job. The item exists because departing department heads traditionally receive a council proclamation; there was no policy question before the body, only recognition. Minority Leader Gail Budrejko and Majority Leader Matthew Plourd both spoke to his role ensuring that town construction met safety codes "behind the scenes." The council approved the proclamation 8-0, with Kathy Gonzalez absent. In public comment, Fire Marshal John Hoffman said Doug "knew my job better than I knew my job" during Hoffman's early years as an inspector and credited him with building a durable partnership between the fire marshal's office and the building department, naming colleagues Tim Green and Kieran Kilkenny as the staff carrying that work forward. An unnamed building department staffer who also spoke in comment said Doug is "not done working" in retirement, prompting laughter in the chamber.

New Town Planner Introduced

The town planner seat has been a focus of transition; the council used this meeting to formally introduce Brittany McGilpin, who started recently after three and a half years as assistant town planner in Simsbury and prior work in West Hartford, where she grew up. No vote was involved; this was an introduction and Q&A. Plourd asked McGilpin directly about her approach to pedestrian safety, referencing West Hartford's Vision Zero initiative, which he said "set a standard for a lot of us across the state." McGilpin said Vision Zero's crosswalk and school-safety mechanisms are "vital to traffic concerns" and that she sees similar grant-funded tools as a model Newington could continue using near its schools. Tiniakos raised two points: that Newington residents are "just as passionate about their open space" as Simsbury's despite having less of it, given McGilpin's exposure to the contested Hop Meadow (referred to in the transcript as "Hot Meadow") proposal at the former Hartford Insurance property; and that the town's planned Town Center redevelopment should aim for the kind of cohesive historic character Simsbury's center has. McGilpin said she looks forward to working on both fronts. No disagreement surfaced; the exchange was introductory and forward-looking rather than decisional.

Public Participation and the Open Space Subcommittee

Resident Dana Havens of 113 Stoddard Avenue used general public participation to question the council's in-progress plan to create an Open Space Protection Ordinance Development Subcommittee, noting the town already has an Open Space Committee and arguing it might be more efficient to broaden or narrow that existing body's scope rather than create a new one, given how hard it already is to recruit volunteers. Plourd, responding in councilor remarks, said the subcommittee language is "still very much in process and in flux" and that no action was being taken that night. The matching old-business item, item A, was kept on the agenda without a vote; Trister said the council is "not in a position to take action on this tonight" while the language is still being developed. This is a background-shaping exchange rather than a decision point: the question before the body was simply whether to continue developing subcommittee language, and the answer was yes, with no firm date set for a final draft.

Chapman Street Building Project Appropriation

This was the night's most substantive financial item. The Permanent Municipal Building Commission had recommended moving forward on construction documents for the Chapman Street building, a firehouse decommissioned in the 1970s that has fallen into disrepair; the town has been setting aside capital improvement dollars for the project for five years. The question before the council was whether to appropriate $61,650 to TLB Architects to produce bid-ready construction documents and administer the bidding for two of four previously reviewed design concepts.

Plourd read the resolution: "The Newington Town Council authorizes Acting Town Manager Lauren Ryans to engage TLB Architects to produce construction documents and perform bid construction administration for the Chapman Street building project and to appropriate $61,650 based on the proposal from TLB Architects." Radda seconded. Trister asked for confirmation the money was "budgeted," not new funds; Ryans confirmed it is CIP money accumulated over five years plus a $75,000 appropriation made during last year's budget process, and that roughly $300,000 will remain in the CIP account once the $61,650 is encumbered.

Budrejko walked through why the council narrowed four original design options to two: all four concepts were built around cold storage, with one considering added office space, but the two retained options minimize the scope of ADA-compliance and other code requirements the fuller options would trigger. "So, yeah, the $61,000 is funding TLB architects to create bid specs and plans that will go out to bid," Ryans said, confirming that narrowing the options tells contractors "don't scope out" the broader alternatives. Budrejko also noted the architect's prior $475,000 construction estimate is "a cost estimate... subject to change and fluctuation based on the market," and that going out to bid will produce real numbers the council can use to decide whether to phase the project or seek additional CIP funds. Ryans agreed, adding that once bids return the town can prioritize work most critical to the building's integrity, such as the roof and building envelope. Plourd closed the discussion noting this is "the closest we've ever been to a renovation of this building." The motion carried 8-0, Gonzalez absent.

Disbanding the Social Media Policy Subcommittee

The Boards and Commissions Review Subcommittee had recommended disbanding several town subcommittees as part of a periodic housekeeping review; the Social Media Policy Subcommittee was one, on the premise that an existing administrative social media policy (authorized under Resolution 2017-36 and amended by Resolution 2018-48) already covers the ground the subcommittee was created to address. Tiniakos read the disbandment resolution; Radda seconded.

Budrejko said she supported disbanding the subcommittee but wanted to confirm the underlying policy's scope. She asked whether it applies only to town staff or also reaches contracted workers, appointees to boards and commissions, and elected officials. Ryans said it applies to all of those categories, including elected officials, to the point that a council member could be removed from the council for violating it. Budrejko pressed for the specific text; after searching the document live during the meeting, a reference was found stating the policy "recognizes that employees and officials have the right to participate as citizens" and "consistently refers to employees and town officials." Budrejko said she would prefer an explicit amendment spelling out that "officials" means elected, appointed, or contracted personnel, "just to make it clear." Ryans said that update "is very easy" and she could draft an amendment the next day. Budrejko also raised, without resolving, the practical question of how the policy's removal provision could actually be enforced against an elected official. The disbandment motion carried 8-0, Gonzalez absent, with the clarifying-language question left for future amendment rather than resolved that night. Later in the meeting, during remarks by councilors, Tiniakos corrected an earlier statement, clarifying that his initial read of the (apparently un-amended) policy text did not in fact address removing elected officials, and that rereading it changed his understanding.

Tax Refunds and Minutes

Two routine items followed with little discussion. Budrejko read a resolution approving $4,253.03 in property tax refunds to specific taxpayers certified by the revenue collector; deHaas seconded, and it passed 8-0, Gonzalez absent. The council then approved the minutes of its October 13 regular meeting on a motion by Plourd, seconded by deHaas, also 8-0, Gonzalez absent.

Griswoldville Avenue Right-of-Way Disposition

A homeowner at 125 Waverly Drive had installed a fence encroaching on a town right-of-way off Griswoldville Avenue; rather than requiring removal, the town offered to sell the owner the 12-foot strip. The owner paid for an independent appraisal, as required by Planning and Zoning Commission policy, which valued the parcel at $15,000. The question before the council Tuesday was informational: Ryans walked through the process and said the council will be asked to take a formal vote at its next meeting. Plourd, who said he lives near the property along with Nancy Cappello, said he had no objection and specifically endorsed Ryans's proposal to deposit sale proceeds directly into the town's land acquisition fund rather than the general fund. Budrejko and deHaas both raised sightline and setback questions, since the original fence was removed over visibility concerns on the right-of-way; Ryans said any future structure must still comply with town sightline and snow-removal standards. Plourd also asked about an unlabeled path shown on the assessor's tax map near the parcel; Ryans said her recollection is that the strip originated as a construction easement and is now "mostly overgrown." No vote was taken; this item is continued to the council's next meeting for formal action on the $15,000 sale.

Facilities Naming Request

The council briefly addressed a facilities naming request to honor Frederick Callahan III, referring it to the Facilities Naming Subcommittee for review, with Radda indicating she would schedule a subcommittee meeting. No discussion of Callahan's background or the specific facility occurred on the record; this was a pure referral.

Town Manager Update

Ryans delivered a wide-ranging report. On the ongoing municipal election, she said the town clerk's office had issued roughly 600 early-voting ballots with 69 percent returned as of Tuesday morning, and the registrar's office reported about 2,000 electors had already come through town hall for early voting, which runs through Sunday, November 1. The Senior Center is offering Dial-A-Ride transportation to the polls for residents who arrange it in advance. She also reported the Friends of the Library book sale, held the weekend of October 16, was the group's most successful in years despite having fewer books than in past years, exceeding a prior total Ryans said was around $2,000; a craft fair is set for November 8 with about 70 vendors, during which the library will close; Winterfest tickets go on sale around December 1. On public safety, Ryans said the police department is nearly fully staffed in patrol, with two recruits at the Meriden police academy and two in New Britain, and that the department plans to restart its Citizens Academy at the EOC building.

Trister asked about a line in the written report referencing a cost-sharing discussion with Wethersfield for a generator at the planned emergency radio tower; Ryans clarified the town is negotiating with multiple outside entities, including Wethersfield, to place equipment on the new tower in exchange for help covering tower costs, with Wethersfield specifically proposing to provide the generator in exchange for a cooperative tower-fee arrangement. Plourd asked for an update on two long-pending projects, the North End Business District streetscape and the Elm Hill/New Britain Avenue Business District, both of which Ryans said belong to a staffer identified as Chris Zabedio; she said she would ask him to provide a written update. Radda asked about the Cedar Street sidewalk project, which Ryans said remains in plan review, having gone to the state Department of Transportation for feedback, with another update to come from Zabedio.

Council Liaison Reports

Plourd reported that the Town Plan and Zoning Commission (TPZ) gave a favorable report on the new emergency radio tower location, drawing applause, and separately discussed a pre-application for a Boston Market location. He also highlighted recent ribbon cuttings: Taco John's, its first Connecticut location and third in New England, run by a Newington High School graduate; a laundromat in the Twin Cities Plaza, the plaza's first ribbon cutting in years; and the reopening of the Deming Young Farmhouse after a renovation supported by a $100,000 grant that Plourd said compressed what had been a 30-year project timeline. Tiniakos thanked library book-sale volunteers and said this year's setup and breakdown was the fastest he had seen. DeHaas noted the library's December gift-wrapping fundraiser, tentatively scheduled for December 20 and 21, and asked Nieves for an update on Board of Education teacher contract negotiations; the response reported the talks have gone to arbitration pending a ruling involving Superintendent Brummett. A councilor also reported on a pool committee meeting held the previous night regarding a budget response letter, and on a first meeting of a flag policy subcommittee that has set goals and scheduled further sessions in December and January. Radda described the Newington Volunteer Fire Department's annual pancake breakfast as well attended, with raffles and holiday cookie-tray orders underway.

Public Participation: Elton Drive Letters and the Blight Ordinance

Resident Rose Lyons of 46 Elton Drive used public participation to address a dispute that had arisen after anonymous letters were sent to several Elton Drive residents citing property-condition and zoning concerns; some neighbors suspected Lyons, who said she has lived on the street 78 years and was unaware the street had a homeowners association, had written them. Lyons said she is not anonymous and does not file anonymous complaints. She described testing the town's online blighted-property complaint form out of curiosity and, in doing so, accidentally filing a complaint against her own address; a staffer she identified only as Heather caught the error and had it shredded at Lyons's request. Lyons asked the council to consider reviewing the town's blight ordinance and raised a long-running, separate concern about enforcement against vehicles stored on the Maple Hill property, which she said has been an issue "almost 15 years."

In follow-up remarks, Plourd asked Ryans what staff is doing about the Elton Drive situation. Ryans said copies of the anonymous letters came to a then-acting planner, identified as Eric Hinckley, but were never officially submitted as a blight complaint, so there is no formal matter for staff to act on; Hinckley drove through the neighborhood and "didn't see anything" rising to the level of blight, and noted that plantings mentioned in one letter are exempt from the blight ordinance regardless. Ryans said staff has nonetheless spoken informally with worried residents to allay concerns. Plourd said he fielded numerous calls from residents frightened by the official-looking letters and said council leadership has already begun discussing strengthening the blight ordinance, though no draft has yet come to the full council.

Informational Items and Town Manager Search

The council noted, as an informational item, that TPZ approved the A24 referral for locating the new emergency radio tower in the East Cedar Street right-of-way, clearing a procedural hurdle Plourd said has been "a long time coming," thanking what the transcript renders as "Blue Wing" along with town staff for the work. Finally, rather than entering a scheduled executive session, Ryans gave a public update on the town manager search: first-round panel interviews were conducted this week, a second round is planned for the following week, and the council expects to hold special meetings in November to interview finalist candidates and move toward an appointment.

WHO WAS THERE

• Mayor Jon Trister, presiding.
• Deputy Mayor Kim Radda, member, seconded multiple motions.
• Majority Leader Matthew Plourd, member, read and moved multiple resolutions.
• Minority Leader Gail Budrejko, member, raised policy and scope questions on several items.
• Member Nancy Cappello, present (referenced by Plourd as a near neighbor to the Griswoldville Avenue property).
• Member Kelly deHaas, member, seconded and moved multiple motions.
• Member A.J. Tiniakos, member, moved disbandment resolution and gave liaison report.
• Member Hilda Nieves, present (asked about Board of Education negotiations).
• Member Kathy Gonzalez, absent for the entire meeting per repeated roll-call notations.
• Acting Town Manager Lauren Ryans, staff, presented the Chapman Street item, the town manager report, and fielded council questions throughout.
• Brittany McGilpin, Town Planner, newly introduced to the council.
• John Hoffman, Fire Marshal, spoke in public comment on the building official's retirement.
• Dana Havens, 113 Stoddard Avenue, public comment on the proposed open space subcommittee.
• Rose Lyons, 46 Elton Drive, public comment on anonymous HOA-related letters and the blight ordinance.

ORGANIZATIONS AND DOCUMENTS REFERENCED

• TLB Architects: the firm engaged for $61,650 to produce bid-ready construction documents for the Chapman Street building project.
• Permanent Municipal Building Commission: recommended the Chapman Street project move to the bid-documents phase.
• Boards and Commissions Review Subcommittee: recommended disbanding the Social Media Policy Subcommittee.
• Resolution 2017-36 and Resolution 2018-48 (amended): the authorizing resolutions for the Social Media Policy Subcommittee that the council voted to disband.
• Open Space Committee: the existing body Dana Havens argued overlaps with a proposed new open space ordinance subcommittee.
• Facilities Naming Subcommittee: referred the Frederick Callahan III naming request for review.
• Town Plan and Zoning Commission (TPZ): approved the A24 referral for the emergency radio tower and reviewed a Boston Market pre-application.
• Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT): reviewing the Cedar Street sidewalk project, cited by Deputy Mayor Radda's question.
• Town of Wethersfield: in cost-sharing talks to provide a generator for the new radio tower in exchange for tower space.
• Newington Volunteer Fire Department: held its annual pancake breakfast, referenced in Radda's liaison report.
• Friends of the Library: ran the October 16 book sale and plans the November 8 craft fair and December gift-wrapping event.
• Deming Young Farmhouse / Farm Foundation: completed a renovation aided by a $100,000 grant, cited in Plourd's liaison report.