Mayor Molly Spino

Here are the agenda and link to Tuesday's Regular Meeting of the Board of Finance held at 5:00.

https://www.torringtonct.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07212026-823?html=true

Here are the agenda and link to Monday's Regular City Council Meeting held at 6:30.

https://www.torringtonct.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07202026-819?html=true

🇺🇸 Support Our Local Veterans This Saturday!

The Torrington Veterans Service Office invites the community to its Open House on Saturday, July 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 33 Coe Place (Fuessenich Park behind the Armory).

Stop by to enjoy complimentary food and desserts while learning about the veteran focused and civic organizations serving our community. Representatives from the Soldiers’, Sailors’ & Marines’ Fund (SSMF) will also be available to share information about the resources and assistance they provide to Connecticut veterans.

Be sure to bring your returnable bottles and cans! Every 10¢ deposit collected will help support the Torrington Veterans Service Office and the vital services it provides to local veterans.

Whether you’re a veteran, a family member, or simply want to support those who have served, this is a wonderful opportunity to connect with local organizations and give back to those who have given so much.

Today we had the opportunity to personally thank the dedicated men and women of our Police Department, Fire Department, Street Department, and Water Pollution Control Authority by delivering pizzas to each department in appreciation of their incredible work during this past weekend’s storm.

They put in long hours to keep everyone safe, clear the roads, and restore services. We’re truly grateful for everything they did for our community.

A very special thank you to Vinny's Restaurant & Pizzeria for generously donating 36 pizzas and 4 salads for our city staff. Your kindness and support of those who serve our community is greatly appreciated!

As we continue recovering from the recent storm, the City of Torrington has scheduled two special collections to help residents with cleanup.

Storm-Related Woody Vegetation Pickup
July 13–17

Public Works will collect storm-related woody vegetation, including tree limbs, branches, brush, shrubs, bushes, leaves, bagged yard waste, and small logs. Please have these items placed neatly at the curb by Sunday, July 12.

Please do not include lumber, construction materials, stumps, root balls, dirt, household trash, or other non-vegetative debris.

Storm-Related Bulk Waste Pickup
July 20–24

USA Hauling will collect storm-damaged bulk items such as lawn furniture, fencing, fence materials, and other household items damaged by the storm.

A Storm Bulk Waste Permit is required for this collection. Information on how to obtain a permit will be released before the collection begins.
Please remember:
• Limit of one pickup truck load per household.
• Hazardous waste, paint, batteries, and items not related to storm damage will not be collected.
• USA Hauling will determine whether materials qualify as storm-related.
• Regular bulky waste collection will be suspended during the week of July 20–24.

Please keep woody vegetation and bulk waste in separate piles, and do not block sidewalks, roadways, fire hydrants, utility poles, or storm drains.

Thank you for your patience as we continue our recovery efforts. We appreciate everyone's cooperation, along with the hard work of our Public Works Department and USA Hauling, as we help get our community cleaned up.

If you have any questions, please contact the Public Works Department at (860) 489-2234.

Our emergency response team continues to work collaboratively around the clock to address the impacts of Saturday’s storm and ensure the safety of our community.

I have been in communication with the Governor's Office, Congressman John Larson, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, our U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, and our State Representatives Jay Case and Joe Canino to keep them informed of the City's needs and to ensure Torrington has the support and resources necessary for recovery.

Our emergency responders, Public Works crews, utility partners, and other agencies remain actively engaged in responding to residents' concerns, clearing roads and ensuring streets are safe and passable, and supporting ongoing power restoration efforts throughout the City.

City Hall will be open during normal business hours for any resident who needs a safe place to charge electronic devices or spend time while power is being restored.

We are also developing a citywide debris removal plan. As soon as the schedule and details are finalized, they will be shared with all residents. We would also like to remind residents that while the City is responsible for clearing trees and debris that obstruct public roads and maintaining public property, the removal of trees and debris located on private property is the responsibility of the property owner. We appreciate your understanding as City crews continue to prioritize public safety and restoring access throughout Torrington.

Thank you to everyone for your patience, cooperation, and support of one another during this recovery effort. We will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available.

Send a message to learn more

The City of Torrington is under an official Local State of Emergency. This Declaration takes effect immediately upon ex*****on and shall remain in effect until terminated in writing by the Mayor or Acting Mayor, or as otherwise provided by law.

All emergency services personnel, public works crews, and other essential City staff have been activated, and additional resources have been requested through the State of Connecticut.
Residents are urged to shelter in place and avoid all unnecessary travel. Numerous roads are closed, and hazardous conditions remain throughout the City.

Please be patient as our crews work throughout the day to address immediate life safety concerns and make affected areas safe. Once emergency response operations have established safe conditions, utility companies will be able to begin power restoration efforts.

We appreciate your cooperation and will continue to provide updates as conditions change.

CITY OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT
DECLARATION OF LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY

Issued by:

Mayor Molly E. Spino
Mayor, City of Torrington
and
Acting Mayor Anne L. Ruwet

City of Torrington

Date: July 5, 2026

DECLARATION

WHEREAS, the Mayor is the duly elected Chief Executive Officer of the City of Torrington, and the Acting Mayor is authorized to exercise the powers and duties of the Mayor as provided by the City Charter when acting in that capacity; and

WHEREAS, Chapter 517 of the Connecticut General Statutes, including but not limited to Sections 28-1, 28-7, 28-8a, 28-9, and 28-22a, authorizes municipalities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and authorizes the Chief Executive Officer of a municipality to declare a local civil preparedness emergency when conditions warrant; and

WHEREAS, actual or imminent conditions exist within the City of Torrington that threaten life, public health, public safety, public property, municipal infrastructure, critical facilities, public utilities, transportation systems, communications systems, and the orderly operation of local government; and

WHEREAS, these conditions require the immediate coordination and deployment of municipal personnel, equipment, emergency services, and resources beyond those utilized during normal governmental operations; and

WHEREAS, it is necessary to activate all available emergency management resources and to preserve public peace, health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City of Torrington.

NOW, THEREFORE,

We, Mayor Molly E. Spino and Acting Mayor Anne L. Ruwet, by virtue of the authority vested in the Office of the Mayor under Chapter 517 of the Connecticut General Statutes, including but not limited to Sections 28-7, 28-8a, 28-9, and 28-22a, do hereby declare that a LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY exists within the City of Torrington.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

1. The City of Torrington Emergency Operations Plan is hereby activated.

2. All City departments, officials, emergency responders, volunteers, and employees are directed to take all actions necessary to protect life, property, critical infrastructure, and the continuity of essential governmental operations.

3. The Emergency Management Director shall coordinate emergency response activities with the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), the Northwest Hills Regional Emergency Management Office, neighboring municipalities, utility providers, and all other appropriate agencies.

4. The City is authorized to utilize all available municipal personnel, vehicles, equipment, facilities, supplies, and financial resources reasonably necessary to respond to this emergency.

5. Mutual aid is authorized to be requested and provided pursuant to applicable Connecticut law, existing mutual aid agreements, and regional emergency management procedures.

6. Emergency procurement of goods, services, equipment, materials, and contractors necessary to protect public health and safety is authorized, consistent with applicable Connecticut law and the City Charter, with appropriate documentation maintained for all emergency expenditures.

7. All City departments shall maintain complete records of emergency expenditures, personnel hours, equipment usage, contracts, and disaster-related costs to facilitate reimbursement through any available state or federal emergency assistance programs.

8. The Mayor or Acting Mayor may issue such additional emergency orders as are necessary to preserve public health, safety, and welfare during the duration of this Declaration.

DURATION

This Declaration shall take effect immediately upon ex*****on and shall remain in effect until terminated in writing by the Mayor or Acting Mayor, or as otherwise provided by law.

This Declaration shall be filed with the Torrington City Clerk, transmitted to the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), the Northwest Hills Regional Emergency Management Office, the Torrington City Council, and such other agencies as appropriate.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF,
We have hereunto set our hands on this 5th day of July, 2026.

CITY OF TORRINGTON
Molly E. Spino
Mayor
Anne L. Ruwet
Acting Mayor

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Last night’s storm left significant damage across Torrington, with the East End and North End appearing to be the hardest hit. We are continuing to assess damage throughout the city, and our crews have been working through the night to restore safe conditions.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to our Torrington Fire Department, Torrington Police Department, EMS, Street Department, WPCA, Emergency Management, and our partners at Eversource for their tireless efforts. Many of these dedicated men and women worked overnight in difficult and dangerous conditions to respond to emergencies, clear roads where possible, extinguish fires caused by downed power lines, keep our pump stations operational, and restore essential services.

I also want to give a huge thank you to the residents who immediately stepped up to help one another. Throughout the city, neighbors were out in the middle of the night and early this morning clearing trees from driveways, helping open roads, checking on one another, and lending a hand wherever it was needed.

At this time, there are numerous roads blocked by trees and downed power lines, particularly in the East End and North End. Please avoid these areas if possible and never approach or drive over downed power lines. They should always be treated as live and extremely dangerous.

Eversource crews are actively working to restore power and clear downed wires so our Street Department can safely remove trees and reopen roads. Approximately 1,900 customers remain without power.

The Street Department worked until 3:00 a.m. before taking a short rest and is back out this morning continuing cleanup efforts. The WPCA has generators operating at multiple pump stations to maintain service, and crews are continuously refueling them.

The City Pool will be closed today due to storm cleanup.

Thankfully, there have been no reported injuries. While the storm also caused flooding at the Police Department and damage to the North End Fire Station, our first responders have continued serving our community without interruption.

Thank you to everyone for your patience and cooperation as recovery continues. Please use caution if you must travel, avoid closed roads, and allow our emergency crews the space they need to work safely. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

Happy Fourth of July, Torrington.

Following the severe storm that just passed through our area, emergency services, the Torrington Street Department, and Eversource are actively out in the city assessing damage, clearing roadways, identifying downed trees and power lines, and continuing to respond to calls for service.

At this time, the latest report we have shows approximately 2,000 power outages scattered throughout the city, including areas such as Winthrop, Newfield, Pine Ridge, Albrecht, Laurel Hill Road, Hillside, and New Harwinton Road, among others. Several streets may also be impassable due to downed trees, wires, or other storm-related hazards.

We are asking everyone to please be patient as crews work through these issues as safely and quickly as possible.

If you do not need to travel right now, please stay off the roads. There are still many unknown hazards, including downed wires, blocked roadways, and traffic signals that may be completely out. As a reminder, inoperable traffic signals should be treated as stop signs. Come to a complete stop and proceed only when it is safe to do so.

If you absolutely must travel, please use extreme caution.

Lastly, please check on your neighbors, especially older residents or anyone who may need assistance. Just because you are safe and okay does not mean they are.

Stay safe, Torrington, and thank you for your patience.

-Capt. Johnson