North Branford Awarded $1M Grant By Lamont Administration For Library

NORTH BRANFORD, CT — The Lamont Administration released $30 million in state grants to 46 small towns in Connecticut for a "wide variety of infrastructure improvements, Gov. Ned Lamont's office noted in a news release.

Those improvements include road safety reconstruction projects, emergency management upgrades, sidewalk and pedestrian safety enhancements, educational and recreational facility upgrades, and other kinds of capital improvement projects.

North Branford was awarded $1 million in state funding, approved for Edward Smith Library HVAC Improvements, to be matched by $850,000 from the town.

The grants are being provided through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP), a state program managed by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) that delivers grants to small towns for economic development, community conservation, and quality-of-life capital projects. In addition to the grants from the state, each municipality is also contributing funds, bringing the total spent on the 48 projects to $43.4 million in a combination of state, local, and other funding sources.

"Our small towns are an important part of what makes Connecticut such a special place to live and work," Lamont said. "By partnering with each town, we 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."

Funding to support these grants was recently approved by the State Bond Commission, a group that Lamont leads as chairperson.