Ellington And Somers To Receive State Aid For Infrastructure Projects

ELLINGTON-SOMERS, CT — A pair of infrastructure improvement projects on the books in Ellington and Somers will be getting a bit of state aid, as Gov. Ned Lamont this week announced he is approving $31.3 million in state grants for 77 "small towns" in Connecticut to complete a wide variety of projects, such as the road safety reconstruction projects, sewer and drainage upgrades, sidewalk and pedestrian safety enhancements and "other kinds" of capital improvement projects.

In Ellington, $500,000 in state funding is approved for a parking lot expansion project and sidewalk improvements at Hall Memorial Library. This will be matched by $117,000 from the town.

$236,960 in state funding is approved for the reconstruction of Pleasant View Drive in Somers. This will be matched by $59,240 from the town.

The grants are provided through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program, commonly known as the STEAP grant. The program is managed by the Office of Policy and Management that delivers grants to small towns for economic development, community conservation and quality-of-life capital projects.

"Our small towns are part of what makes Connecticut such a great place to live and work, and by partnering with them on these grants, the state can help get these infrastructure projects completed so these towns can continue to thrive, remain competitive, attract businesses, and improve the quality of life for our residents," Lamont said.

Towns seeking funding under the latest round of STEAP grants were required to submit applications to the state by Aug. 15, and will soon receive official award notification and instructions from OPM. Funding to support the grants was approved at the March 31 meeting of the State Bond Commission, a group that Lamont leads as chairman.