West Hartford Council Accepts Grant To Preserve Historic Records

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The West Hartford Town Council unanimously approved accepting a $7,000 state grant to help preserve and manage the town's historic public records.

The council voted 7-0 during its June 23 meeting to amend the fiscal year 2025-26 General Fund budget after the West Hartford Town Clerk's Office received a Historic Documents Preservation Grant from the Connecticut State Library.

The grant is administered through the Connecticut State Library's Office of the Public Records Administrator, which oversees the Historic Documents Preservation Program.

The program provides funding to municipalities to improve the preservation, organization, and management of local government records.

According to West Hartford Town Manager Richard Ledwith's memorandum to the council, the town clerk's office plans to use the funding to purchase supplies related to the preservation and management of public records in accordance with the grant agreement.

The resolution increases estimated revenues in the town's general fund by $7,000 through the state preservation grant and appropriates the same amount for miscellaneous administrative expenses associated with preserving historic documents.

Ledwith said all Connecticut municipalities are eligible to apply for targeted grants through the state program.

The proposal was reviewed by the town's corporation counsel, which approved the form and legality of the resolution before it was presented to the council.

The Historic Documents Preservation Program supports local efforts to safeguard government records and improve long-term public access to historically significant municipal documents.

For the minutes of the June 23 West Hartford Town Council meeting, click on this link.