First Selectman's Reports
08-10-2026 Simsbury First Selectman Report
Aug 10, 2026
A public record published by the Town of Simsbury (simsbury-ct.gov). mySimsbury indexes it and makes it readable; it is not the official copy. View the original file.
First Selectman’s Report August 2026 Thank-you I want to thank everyone in our community who reached out with condolences after my mom, Renee Germain, passed away. I’ve received so many cards and kind words from many of you, and I want you to know how much it meant to me and our family. She was an amazing pianist who played in many shows with The Producing Guild. She raised 5 kids while my dad worked for the CT DOT as a Civil Engineer, and she started her own career at CIGNA once the house was clear of small children. She was 97 and spent the last years at Seabury in skilled nursing, so we’ve been moving back beyond that to remember what a great mom she was, a talented musician, a loving grandma, and a successful career woman. Here she is at Town Hall with me (along with my sister Vickie and her husband, Jon) as I began my journey into politics in 2019. I look a lot younger and more relaxed! Haha… Nod Road Solar Update This project was approved by the CT Siting Council on August 6th. The Town of Simsbury was an Intervenor in this process and had 2 evidentiary hearings, but the CT Siting Council voted to support this project. We have posted information, including Town correspondence, on our Town website page, and the CT Siting Council meeting minutes and documentation are available on the CT site. The Board of Selectmen will review potential next steps with the Town Attorney, Town Manager, and Planning Director. The Siting Council ruling contains many conditions that Lodestar must meet to move forward. All information and correspondence can be found here: https://www.simsbury-ct.gov/1638/140-Nod-Road-Solar-Project https://portal.ct.gov/csc/3_petitions/petition-nos-1601-1700/pe1698 Moratorium filing on 830-g The Town is assembling a Certificate of Affordable Housing Completion application and has provided a portion of it to the State and Town Attorney for legal review. Questions on Flock Cameras The Board of Selectmen and the Town have received many questions on the use of Flock Cameras. Governor Lamont has recently asked for a pause in the installation of newly approved and funded installations. We hope to present information on this at our next meeting and have had engaged discussions with our Chief of Police, Nick Boulter. Simsbury Soccer Club License Agreement and Curtiss Park upgrades We’ve recently met with the president of Simsbury Soccer Club and their Capital Campaign Director as they begin moving forward with planned upgrades to Curtiss Park. They reached out to us for a more detailed discussion of naming rights, athletic field signage, and general improvements, including lighting, parking, field replacement, and a playground, all of which will be accessible. The board voted to approve this agreement in 2025, as they are taking on the renovations by seeking donors to improve the park without using previously planned Town funding. I’m including the link to our agreement with the SSC. https://www.simsbury-ct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/27837/Simsbury-Soccer-Club-and-Town-of-Simsbury- License-Agreement-for-Use-of-Curtiss-Park-09-25-2025pdf Friends of Simsbury Athletics We have met with the BOE and members of the Friends of Simsbury Athletics to discuss next steps for this capital project, funded by residents through the new 501(c)(3) organization, Friends of Simsbury Athletics. Their goal is to raise $1.5M to build a pavilion at the high school track and field for use by the teams. The pavilion will include accessible bathrooms and a concession. Superintendent Matt Curtis and BOE Chair Jeff Tindall will compile information on the questions we presented, including funding structure, permits, naming rights, and related items, and will also share the design from Tecton Architects. The BOE will request this in the FY 2028 CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) as a BOE priority, effective July 1, 2027. Performing Arts Center – HSO Talcott Mountain and the Next Act I wanted to thank the Hartford Symphony Orchestra for another great Talcott Mountain Music Festival, which concluded on July 31st. We celebrated July 4th, enjoyed the music of Journey, Chicago, and the Eagles, and ended with a set of 1980s hits. The new addition was put to good use, and there is no longer a need for trailers now that there is a fixed space. It took all of us to make the ‘Next Act’ happen, and I’m proud to see it completed. Looking forward to the upcoming shows, especially The 502s this Friday. Following this weekend’s back-to- back events (Saturday’s Warped ‘cover’ tour and the Indigo Girls on Saturday, 8/22), on October 3rd, Jason Blaine will bring his country music to Simsbury, with local band Ben Henry and the Auto Club as the openers. Shows are great from any vantage point! Board of Selectmen Goals for this Term The Board has approved our list of goals for the remaining year of our term, with the hope that they will be completed and that others will be started. Many of these are specific action items we hope to accomplish, but they all center on the same general themes that we have made our priority in Town. I’m including the high-level focus areas identified by our board. The specific goals and tasks will be distributed soon on our website and can be found in our August 10th, agenda. Public Hearing on extended Veteran’s Tax benefits The Board of Selectmen approved a Public Hearing on some Veteran’s benefits added in October 2025 that require opt-ins from the municipality to extend them to local veterans. The options are being considered. The notice will be published, and the hearing will be part of our September 14th Board of Selectmen meeting: Property Tax Relief Program for Veterans by local option per HB 7287 (PA25-168) Sec 240(a) – local option to provide a TDIU exemption based on C.G.S. 12-81(83) in lieu of 12-81(20) Sec 240(e)(3) – local option to limit the total amount of the exemption granted to the median assessed valuation of residential real property in such municipality (use reval median). Rooftop Solar for Latimer Lane and SHS Long-standing discussions about Latimer Lane School, which was built with rooftop solar in mind, are finally being green-lit and moving forward. This is one of the Board of Selectmen’s goals and part of the Sustainability Committee’s priorities. Public Works Director Tom Roy and his team have been working with the Town Manager and BOE to advocate for this, and it is now going to happen. Kevin Kowalski Retirement Marc and I sent a letter thanking Kevin on behalf of the BOS, staff, and residents for his long-standing commitment to our Town. In 2025, he received a town proclamation marking his 50 years of service to the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company, but we wanted to give him a send-off as he retires. He has served as our Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Director, among other key public safety roles. Mabel goes to Maine We took a quick trip up to Kennebunkport to the very dog-friendly Colony Hotel on the water, near Walker’s Point, the Bush homestead (which is worth a viewing from the shoreline sidewalk!). She was a great guest, except for her fear of walking through the hotel lobby because she did not like the wood floors. This led us to come up with alternate paths from the front entrance to the water-facing back deck. She was able to walk up to our room, as the stairs were carpeted, though the first few times required coaxing from Max, who initiated a running start, giving her little time to think it through. We also visited her namesake, Mabel’s Lobster Claw, a truly local restaurant and experience that, if you are in the area, I recommend for dinner. (Make a reservation!) I hope you get to enjoy the rest of the summer. Our next meeting will be on September 14th. Please give me a call or send me an email if you have something on your mind. I’m also happy to meet during office hours. I have a flexible schedule. Wendy Cell - 860-543-3770 Email - wmackstutis@simsbury-ct.gov