Cornwall to vote on waste authority, infrastructure

CORNWALL — Voters will weigh whether to join a regional waste authority and approve $80,000 in infrastructure funding at an April town meeting, as local officials also prepare for major anniversary celebrations and Town Hall repairs.

The Board of Selectmen discussed the proposals and a range of other updates at its regular meeting Tuesday, March 17.

The town meeting is scheduled for April 17 at 7 p.m. at Cornwall Consolidated School. Voters will consider whether the town should join the Northwest Resource Recovery Authority, as well as two proposed transfers of $40,000 each from unassigned interest in the capital projects fund to support building repairs and the highway department.

The Northwest Resource Recovery Authority is a regional solid waste coalition formed in 2025 and based in Torrington. The authority is expected to assume operations at the Torrington Transfer Station. Salisbury, Goshen and Torrington have already approved membership, while several other Northwest Corner towns are expected to vote on joining in the coming months.

The proposed budget transfers follow a recommendation from the Board of Finance, which advised allocating a total of $80,000 in accrued interest from the capital projects fund to address infrastructure needs.

Selectmen also reviewed plans for a series of events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The celebrations will begin Memorial Day weekend with the opening of a Revolutionary War-era exhibit at the Cornwall Historical Society. Additional events include “Militia Day” during the first weekend of June, featuring reenactors encamped on the Village Green, and a Fourth of July parade through the village. Programming will continue at the Cornwall Agricultural Fair in September, followed by a historic tour in October.

On the infrastructure front, First Selectman Gordon Ridgway said construction to replace the roof at Town Hall is expected to begin April 1 and take approximately two months. The project will also include installation of insulation.

“It should not interfere with town activities, but it will take a great deal of time,” Ridgway said.

The town is also transitioning its municipal website to a “.gov” domain using the CivicPlus platform, which is already in use in Kent and Sharon. The change is part of a statewide mandate requiring all municipalities to adopt .gov domains by mid-2027.

In other business, officials said Hammond Beach at Cream Hill Lake is seeking lifeguards for the summer season. Those interested can contact Town Hall for more information at (860) 672-2709.