Farmington Considers Joint America 250 Celebration with Avon; Public Comment Flags High School Energy Use 🔍🎆
Public Comment: Gas Use at the New High School 🗣️
Tim Kelly (62 Westview) opened with a handout and a chart. His point: natural gas consumption at the new Farmington High School is trending higher than expected. He compared the last two years in the old building to the first two in the new one, then plotted a target line reflecting a 15% efficiency improvement while accounting for a roughly 10% increase in square footage. He said the town is “off target” by about 10,000 CCF, and if usage can’t be pushed below 90,000 CCF, “we get a D” in efficiency. Kelly urged the council to address this before dissolving the building committee. No questions were taken—public comment rules.
ARPA Question from Remote Attendee 💻
Via Zoom, Joanne Lawson (9 Crattling Pond Road) asked whether there’s a public listing showing how much ARPA money the town received and where it went. The council said yes; staff will follow up.
Agenda D1: America 250 Presentation 📅
Jessie, the town’s Director of Recreation, presented a proposal to mark the nation’s 250th with a large community event. Rose Ponte, Economic Development Director, joined. The plan aligns with themes set by the America 250th Connecticut Commission: inclusive stories, the power of place, doing history, and working for the common good. No state funding is currently available; local planning is underway statewide.
The Event Concept (Four Parts) 🎶🍔🎆
- History & Culture: Local historical societies, museums, and cultural groups with tables, exhibits, and programming.
- Music: Local musicians performing pieces drawn from American history alongside original work.
- Food Trucks: Festival standards and local favorites.
- Fireworks Finale: A professional 18–26 minute show launched from a secure location with police/fire coordination.
Where and Why: 99 Thompson Road (Avon) 📍
Attendance is estimated at 3,000–5,000 (Farmington alone) and up to 5,000–7,000 with Avon and neighbors attending. Town-owned Farmington sites pose constraints—space, traffic, parking, and protecting athletic fields. The recommended solution: partner with Avon and use 99 Thompson Road, a large, level site with prior large-event experience (including fireworks). The site allows on-site ADA parking, staging, fireworks launch, and overflow parking on nearby fields, with limited impact on residential areas.
When and How Long ⏰
Proposed date: Friday, June 26 (rain date Saturday, June 27). The event would run 4:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Families get after-work access; fireworks at night; a reasonable end time. (Coordination with other Valley towns is planned to avoid conflicts—Talcott Mountain Music Fest was specifically noted.)
Budget (Shared with Avon) 💵
- Fireworks: $20,000–$30,000
- Live Band/Production: $5,000–$10,000 (sound, power, staging, lighting)
- Logistics/Safety: $8,000–$10,000 (portable toilets, handwashing, signage, lighting towers, police/fire/EMS support)
- Total Estimate: $33,000–$50,000, split between the two towns.
A Farmington-only alternative would likely be more expensive due to site and staffing requirements. Sponsorships are on the table (fireworks sponsor, shuttle sponsor). The event would be free and open to the public; no preregistration.
Coordination and Governance 🧭
The town anticipates a year-long series of Farmington-centric history and culture events in 2026, culminating in the joint celebration. Staff would serve as the central “scheduler,” aggregating calendars, promoting events, and coordinating with arts and cultural organizations. The Humanities Council is the state lead; each town has two reps for monthly meetings. A formal committee is likely after a council green light, to channel public input without relitigating basics.
Scale and Safety 🚦
Jessie referenced prior experience managing large festivals (North Branford Potato & Corn Festival: ~40,000 across three days; ~20,000 on Saturday evening). Police, fire, EMS, and staff would run multiple coordination meetings to size staffing, signage, and lighting. If attendance projections shift upward, operational plans would scale.
Executive Session 🔒
With no new business, the council voted to adjourn to executive session for collective bargaining discussions under Connecticut General Statutes §1-225(a) and §1-206, with attendance limited to the Town Council, Town Manager, and Assistant Town Manager. The plan was to reopen the door afterward for formal adjournment.
Sponsor Note (with thanks and a wink 😄):
This coverage is brought to you by Farmington Storage — the only storage outfit that claims “Museum Air” and dares you to check. Find them at 155 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington, CT 06032 or call 860.777.4001. Need a safe spot for your lawn chairs between fireworks and football season? They’ve got a unit with your name on it (and probably better climate control than your garage).
About the Author
Jack Beckett writes for The Farmington Mercury. He drinks too much coffee ☕ and files on time anyway. If this story made you think “I should go buy a folding chair,” that’s on you, not your editor.
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This article, “Farmington–Avon Plan America 250 Celebration: Fireworks, Music, and a Shared Budget at 99 Thompson Road,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
“Farmington–Avon Plan America 250 Celebration: Fireworks, Music, and a Shared Budget at 99 Thompson Road”
by Jack Beckett, The Farmington Mercury (CC BY-ND 4.0)
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