Town Council Chair Report 2/17/2026
First I want to extend our gratitude to all of the Coventry first responders who assisted with the train derailment along the Willimantic River. Special thanks to Fire Lt. Alex Bohr, our Emergency Management Director, for his leadership. We are fortunate that there were no serious impacts from the event. Today the road closure on Rt. 32 was lifted. We appreciate our community for your patience accommodating the inconvenience of detouring around that important thoroughfare.
Speaking of emergency management, I am very excited by the partnership between Coventry Public Schools and our emergency response teams to create Coventry’s first ever First Responder Academy. This is an excellent way o help students explore policing, firefighting, emergency medical training, and other careers. And perhaps encourage some to join one of our own departments.
Please note that the Town of Coventry web site has a new feature. The page opens with a pop-up you can click on for information about budget development and meetings for fiscal year 2026/27. Please visit it frequently. The first important date is the public hearing on March 5, when the Town Manager and the Superintendent of Schools will present their budget recommendations. The hearing is also the first opportunity for residents to ask questions and make suggestions. It starts at 7:00 p.m. in the high school lecture hall. It will stream live on public access channel 194 and on the schools’ youtube channel. Lots more details are at the link in the pop up, including a video Alex Taylor created to explain the budget process. My thanks to Laura Stone for developing the pop up window.
This month my conversations hours are on Thursday, February 26. 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the Senior Center. And 6:30 p.m. at the Booth and Dimock library.
On Thursday, March 5, our CRCOG Legislative Committee will host a legislative breakfast at the Legislative Office Building from 9-11 a.m. to share with state elected leaders our legislative agenda. As Chair of the Committee, I will be there and invite each Councilor to attend if schedules allow. Our state rep and senator will receive an invite.
Council Vice Chair Peter Larson and I will have our monthly update meeting with the Town Manager on February 26. If any Councilors have questions or suggestions they would like us to raise, please email them to me before the 26th.