House Republican Press Release

February 1, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. D’Amelio: $695,000 Small Cities Grant Okayed for Middlebury

Grant will Help Fund Handicapped Renovations to Town Hall

A $695,000 Small Cities Grant has been awarded to Middlebury to help fund renovations to Town Hall to make it more accessible to people with disabilities, state Representative Anthony J. D’Amelio announced today.

The improvements to Town Hall will include accessibility modifications to the entryways and the installation of a ramp and elevator, said Representative D’Amelio, R-71^st District.

“The modifications this grant will help fund will make Town Hall fully accessible to people with disabilities,” Representative D’Amelio said. “For the disabled, being able to visit any office in Town Hall without assistance is important. It means not having to ask someone to help you get your wheelchair up a flight of stairs or around a sharp corner. It means you are independent and that means a lot to a disabled person.”

“Renovations to existing buildings to accommodate the handicapped are expensive. This grant will reduce the overall cost of the improvements to local property taxpayers and will help stabilize Middlebury’s property tax rates,” Representative D’Amelio said. “The state’s Small Cities grant program has enabled communities throughout Connecticut to move ahead with worthwhile projects that in many cases might have been postponed because of budget constraints.”