City of Groton Committee of the Whole and Special Mayor and Council - 10/13/26

The City of Groton Committee of the Whole and Special Mayor and Council meeting on October 13, 2026, considered several grant and capital-funding items. The council advanced acceptance of the annual Emergency Management Performance Grant for $12,000, with a 50% match, and moved a proposed $6 million municipal bond to the October 19 meeting and a public hearing. The municipal bond would fund approximately $4.5 million for municipal-building roof replacement and reinforcement, plus approximately $1.5 million for building rehabilitation, the Company 2 firehouse roof, and a replacement firehouse air compressor. The roof plan includes structural work, hazardous-material abatement, and bidding options for 20- or 30-year roof warranties; officials noted an earlier Imperial Company restoration contract, though its amount was garbled in the transcript. The city also cited a 20% contingency and discussed the effect of the bond on remaining debt capacity.

Utility officials presented proposed sewer, water, and electric bonding packages, which had been reviewed by the utility commission. The water request was $10.5 million for projects including water-tank work, distribution-main replacements, and meter replacement; sewer and electric package totals were not clearly stated. Electric plans included improving site access, covered transformer and wire storage, environmental-compliance work, and facility and garage upgrades. The council voted unanimously to advance the utility bonding items to the October 19 meeting. It also unanimously advanced acceptance of a $250 Chelsea Groton Bank donation for the 2026 Holiday Light Parade and Tree Lighting Festival. Separately, the council unanimously authorized the mayor to waive the bid process and contract for fire-truck repairs using the FY2027 fire-department operating budget; the vendor and amount were not stated.