In the past two weeks, Wilton’s Board of Selectmen (BOS) has held three meetings on the FY 2026 budget — and is scheduled for a fourth tonight (Thursday, Feb. 20).

One of those meetings (Tuesday, Feb. 18) went beyond the budget itself and introduced a preliminary discussion about bonded capital projects, which could be presented to voters, along with the proposed budget, at the May 6 Annual Town Meeting.

Patti Temple, who chairs the Town and Schools Needs Assessment Priorities Committee (TSNAP), attended the BOS meeting to formally deliver and explain TSNAP’s recommendations for FY’26 bonded capital projects.

The committee was formed last summer to assist the BOS with the complex task of sifting through hundreds of building repairs and upgrades needed across Wilton’s schools and municipal buildings, and prioritizing which ones to tackle in the next fiscal year.

In Temple’s presentation, she acknowledged the diligence of the voting and non-voting members of the committee and highlighted the time-intensive site visits, detailed reports, and meetings with Town personnel which factored into the committee’s work.

TSNAP’s recommendations — which were finalized in a Jan. 15 vote — are listed in priority order below:

Credit: TSNAP FY26 Proposed Capital Projects Review & Recommendations, Feb. 18, 2025

The BOS will continue to discuss the priorities and will ultimately decide which projects will be presented to voters as bonding referendums at the May 6 Annual Town Meeting.

The Ambler Farm “Yellow House” and the turf field at the Wilton High School stadium are perhaps most likely to be further debated by the selectmen. Wilton’s Department of Public Works leadership put the Yellow House among the top priorities, while TSNAP positioned it as a “next in line” consideration after the turf field. DPW had slated the turf field for FY’27.

In past discussions about Ambler Farm, First Selectman Toni Boucher has indicated that she would likely favor prioritizing Ambler projects, though it’s not clear whether all of the selectmen will agree — notably Selectwoman Kim Healy, who has suggested she is not convinced.

The selectmen could move all of the projects forward for bonding but will have to assess how much appetite they think voters will have for spending, especially in light of likely budget increases.

Reflecting on TSNAP’s Work

Temple summarized her own observations of Wilton’s facilities during TSNAP’s work.

“The through line was neglect and delay,” Temple said. “The prevalent condition through all of these properties [is] deterioration, and [it] only worsens year after year.”

Temple also commented on her appreciation of the fact that town officials have begun looking at a 15-year planning horizon, rather than just the near term.

First Selectman Toni Boucher added her “kudos” to the previous board under former First Selectman Lynne Vanderslice, for being “forward-thinking” in undertaking the needs assessments on Wilton’s schools and municipal buildings several years ago.

“Thank you for putting this in action,” Boucher said. “Now we’re reaping the benefits of all that hard work and assessment.”

More BOS news

The Feb. 18 BOS meeting also addressed several other business matters:

  • Selectwoman Kim Healy continued to press Boucher for a “thorough” update on the police headquarters construction project, which is currently in progress. Healy has made repeated requests for the “critical” update to be added to a BOS agenda for discussion. Boucher said she would try to arrange it.
  • The BOS approved a Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant application which, if awarded, could provide up to $1 million toward the major renovations needed at the Raymond-Ambler House (also known as “the white house”) at Ambler Farm. The project is high on the TSNAP’s list of priorities for FY’26.
  • The selectmen voted to approve a contract with Cardinal Engineering ($62,500) for the Kent Rd. Bridge repair project, and also approved an expenditure of $18,000 to update the Town’s tax maps.