Morris Board of Selectmen
Rte 61/109 intersection in Morris/Google Maps
07/21/2026
Present: First Selectman Tom Weik, Selectmen Laurey Weiner and Denise Weik.
The Morris Board of Selectmen approved the appointment of a new animal control officer and reviewed a revised state concept plan for the Route 61 and Route 109 intersection during its July 21 regular meeting.
Tom Weik said the State Department of Transportation submitted a revised concept plan for the intersection since the board's last review, narrowing the distance between stop bars. He said the east-west measurement dropped to 138 feet from 181 feet, and the north-south measurement dropped to 124 feet from 151 feet.
"They really did tighten it up quite a bit," Tom Weik noted. However, Tom Weik also questioned the number of sidewalks and crosswalks called for in the plan. "Do we need four crosswalks? I doubt it," he said, suggesting the number be reduced to two.
Denise Weik then noted the crosswalk count was "dictated to us ... due to the way the funding is."
Tom Weik said he would arrange a field meeting with DOT representatives to walk the site with the board.
The BOS also voted to hire Ramon Zapata Jr. as an additional animal control officer to help cover shifts, with Tom Weik noting he still must complete required training. "I guess they're trying to cover their shifts down there," he said.
Tom Weik reported that a $1,370 grant, secured by the town through the state Department of Social Services' emergency assistance program, will benefit the town's food pantry, adding that the application process is "a lot of work."
The Board also voted on a motion by Denise Weik and seconded by Weiner to approve the town's annual resolution to apply for grants through the State Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Tom Weik said it typically ranges from about $5,000 to $6,000. The motion was passed unanimously.
He noted the Connecticut Educational Network has extended fiber-optic service to the senior center, funded using leftover American Rescue Plan Act money.
"It didn't cost the town anything," he said, adding the project is expected to lower the center's monthly internet cost to about $65.
The First Selectman said replacement bricks for the town hall's front walkway, where a resident's cane recently got caught, are expected to be installed this summer. He added that a banner honoring Captain James Morris has also been installed near Town Hall as part of the nation's 250th anniversary.
