ANSONIA – The Ansonia tax board (BOAT) held its regular monthly meeting on Sept. 8. Here are some highlights.
Money Withdrawn From Fund Balance For Solar Carports
The board voted to take $179,860 from the city’s fund balance in order to pay the vendor who installed solar panels at the city-owned parking lot on East Main Street.
“What we had agreed to do is use some of the funds from the WPCA sale to fund this project,” Ansonia Assistant Comptroller Kim DeStefano said.
DeStefano said the WPCA sale proceeds are currently sitting in the city’s fund balance and money would be taken from there.
City finance officials have previously outlined plans to use money from the city’s $41 million sewer (WPCA) sale to fund the construction. City budget director Kurt Miller previously said most of the $2.38 million construction cost will be reimbursed through federal tax credits.
The installation of those solar panels, about 850 in total, started in October 2024 and wrapped up early this year.
Donation Transferred To Police Department For New Equipment
The board also voted to appropriate $11,593 for the police department’s ‘protective equipment’ line. The money came from a fundraiser done by First Baptist Church in 2023, according to documents included in the meeting packet.
DeStefano said the police department didn’t end up using the money from that fundraiser last year, but it was ready to do so now. Speakers in the meeting did not specify which equipment the department is looking to buy.
The church has been supporting the police department for years.
“We had asked for an appropriation the last couple fiscal years. It’s remained unused, so we’ve deferred it each year. This year they are ready to use it, so by the end of the calendar year, they should be all set and using this entire $11,593 up,” DeStefano said.
Tax Board Member Asks For Clarity On WPCA Sale
During the meeting, tax board member Robert Jaskilka asked for a breakdown of how the city is spending the WPCA sale money from last year.
“Is there a detailed description of how that WPCA money was spent? Because everybody in the world is asking questions,” Jaskilka said.
The Valley Indy has previously reported on where officials say the money is going.
DeStefano and two other tax board members, David Papcin and Gary Cassetti, pointed Jaskilka toward a spreadsheet put together by Miller earlier this year.
The WPCA sale proceeds were a subject of debate and questioning during the city’s budget process earlier this year.
The tax board also deferred a discussion of budget adjustments to next month, because Miller was not present at the meeting. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 6, via Zoom.