Courtney Announces New Targeted Support for Eastern Connecticut Projects Included in Latest Round of House Appropriations Bills

NORWICH, CT—This afternoon, Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced that his remaining five Community Project Funding requests for local priorities in eastern Connecticut were included in the latest round of FY 2022 funding bills approved today in the House Appropriations Committee. Courtney previously announced approval of his other five funding requests for local projects, which included support for law enforcement, health care services, and education. This newest approval means that all ten of Rep. Courtney's FY 2022 Community Project Funding requests for eastern Connecticut have been approved by the Appropriations Committee.

Courtney's five newly approved Community Project Funding requests so far would bring over $7.9 million in targeted federal investments home to eastern Connecticut. The funding would go towards a variety of important projects across eastern Connecticut, including financial support for residents impacted by the Crumbling Foundations Crisis, local infrastructure repairs and upgrades, and more.

Rep. Courtney's Community Project Funding requests included in today's appropriations bill will:

• Create a Pyrrhotite Remediation Program for Connecticut residents and towns impacted by the Crumbling Foundations Crisis ($2,000,000)
• Repair and restore the historic Hockanum Textile Mill, home of the New England Motorcycle Museum, which was constructed in 1814 and needs roof repair and infrastructure stabilization ($792,000)
• Renovate the Town Hall of Scotland, CT—a 127-year-old building—to improve services, safety, and accessibility, and avoid more costly construction of a new town hall ($700,000)
• Upgrade the Enfield Train Station with dedicated commuter parking areas, a roundabout to improve station access, and new sidewalks to improve pedestrian access ($2,500,000)
• Construct a new water main in the Town of Stonington, and help ensure that the town's water main system is fully connected to eliminate "dead ends" in the system ($1,952,130)

"The New England Motorcycle Museum is grateful to our local leaders, and especially to Congressman Joe Courtney and his team for their support of this project. Our museum offers one of the most unique experiences in the entire region—you can't see engineering and craftsmanship like this anywhere else—and it's not only our motorcycles that are historic, our building is, too. The Textile Mill is a great piece of history, but it's in need of some serious repairs. Joe Courtney didn't just help us get this repair funding approved, he worked across the aisle to make sure it stayed in when it looked like we were up against the odds. That's a partnership we're grateful to have."—Mark Vesco, Member of the Board of Directors at the New England Motorcycle Museum

"All of us at CFSIC are grateful for Rep. Courtney's continuing and determined efforts on the Crumbling Foundations crisis. This $2 million will make an incredible difference to real people and real families in our hard-hit corner of CT."—Mike Maglaras, Superintendent of Connecticut Foundations Solutions Indemnity Company, Inc.

"Crumbling Foundations continues to be a critical issue in Central and Northeastern Connecticut. This funding will enable many additional homes to be fixed and recover from the overwhelming damage caused by crumbling foundations."—Lyle Wray, Executive Director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments

"In Stonington, our Pawcatuck Fire Chief has been working to find funds to address a fire safety risk for nearly eight years. The scale and scope of the project remained out of reach for local and state funding. Thanks to this federal opportunity, we will now be able to create a water loop to provide improved fire safety for a section of our community that is home to our Police Department, High School, a local manufacturing facility, and a number of senior and affordable housing complexes. We are so grateful to the Town staff and volunteers who made this application strong, and to our federal delegation who helped advocate for us."—Danielle Chesebrough, Stonington First Selectman

"We are grateful for Representative Courtney's efforts to secure Community Project funds for the Town of Scotland. This appropriation will help us turn our historic town hall into a building in which we can all take pride, and that will serve the needs of the community for years to come. Thanks to all who helped make this possible."—Gary Greenberg, Scotland First Selectman

"The FY 2022 budget needs to be focused on making our towns and our economy stronger than ever," said Rep. Courtney, "and it's starting off on the right foot with funding targeted directly at important local projects here in eastern Connecticut. We worked closely with leaders in town government and the nonprofit sector to support these local projects, and this is a big step forward in making it final. The budget package will now officially include funding specifically for eastern Connecticut priorities—funding to upgrade the Enfield Train Station; financial assistance for home and condo owners impacted by crumbling foundations; new resources to improve our local water infrastructure; and more. There's more work to go until this budget becomes law, but this is where the process begins, and it's off to a great start for eastern Connecticut."

This year, the Appropriations Committee announced it would formally accept requests from House Members to directly fund local projects, known as "Community Project Funding Requests", which were required to have extensive community support. His requests were publicly disclosed here.

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