The Board of Selectmen at its January 2 meeting approved a $10,000 private grant for Better Day Café, a special education program at Newtown Community Center.

The café, open to any Fairfield Hills guests from 8:30 am to 1 pm, Monday through Friday, serves coffee and tea, bakery items such as cookies and muffins, snack plates, hummus and cheese, lunch plates, quiche, salads, soup, all-natural dog biscuits, and additional merchandise.

Aside from offering guests a coffee and bite to eat, the café also serves its staff — students ages 18-21 of Newtown Community Partnership (NCP), a three-year, after-high school program for special needs students in the Newtown Public Schools transition program, as stated in a café flyer.

By working behind the café counter and in its kitchen, the students “work on math skills, communication, baking, customer service, selling skills, and inventory,” Jennifer Radachowsky, an NCP special education teacher, told The Newtown Bee in 2019.

Community Center Director Matt Ariniello told selectmen on January 2 that the donor was a family foundation in town. The program is not in collaboration with the Newtown school district.

Selectman Michelle Embree Ku asked Ariniello to make sure to keep the Board of Education in the loop. Ariniello said he was working with Director of Special Education Director Deborah Peterson, and he would talk with her about ironing out any communication issues.

Selectman Dan Cruson said he “always appreciate[d] this piece of the transitional program.”

“We’re really happy to promote inclusiveness and give kids a chance to work with people in the community,” said Ariniello, who also noted that they are working at giving the kids a chance to work at the library one day per week.

The grant was approved unanimously.

In other selectmen news, Ariniello was also before the selectmen concerning an HVAC unit for Newtown Aquatic, seeking Public Building and Site Commission review of an additional make good project on the HVAC. The unit serves the pool area of the community center, and the town just finished a legal settlement with the construction company. The 50 ton unit installed “underserves” the needs of the pool area, and the center had spent $50,000 out of its special revenue fund on the project.

The Community Center Commission wants the “professionals” of the PBSC with their “huge knowledge base” to “reassure” the Community Center Commission, according to Chairman Kinga Walsh.

“It’s all the small details that they know about and would be able to manage,” said Walsh. “We want to make sure the experts check everything so we don’t have to second guess and go back and do things again.”

Ariniello said there was a “lot of engineering work to do” and concerns about whether the roof can support a second 50 ton unit, whether the unit should be placed over the senior center — which is also housed at 8 Simpson Street along with the community center — and other issues.

Embree Ku expressed concern about the “hurry” on the project, noting that it was being placed on year one of the CIP despite the fact it was the first time it had come before the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, or Legislative Council. She asked the selectmen to table the issue until the Legislative Council voted on the CIP. She did not see why the project was “urgent” and needed to be approved at the January 2 meeting.

First Selectman Jeff Capeci agreed, saying his board did not want to “force the hand” of the council by preapproving something. He suggested that he “take the temperature” of councilmen at the January 3 Legislative Council meeting to see what their opinion on the pool HVAC project was, and then the selectmen could possibly pass something at its January 16 meeting.

In other BOS news, Capeci also reported he has been meeting with town departments concerning the budget, and was expecting to present a draft of the projected town budget at the January 16 meeting.

The selectmen are expected to meet with the Board of Fire Commissioners concerning the fire companies’ budget on January 18, and Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers at a January 22 meeting.

Other town departments could be added for additional review if the selectmen desire.

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Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.