Clinton Town Council Regular Meeting - March 18, 2026

The Clinton Town Council met in regular session on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting included one public speaker, approval of minutes, four line-item transfers, a detailed financial report, town manager and chairman reports, and council liaison updates. No agenda or minutes were available for this summary; it is based solely on the raw transcript.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Paul Melanson, chair of the Board of Police Commissioners, of 10 Old Orchard Road, urged the council to restore funding for a dedicated school resource officer at Elliott Middle School in the FY 2026-27 budget. He read the commission letter, which said one sworn SRO currently covers three school campuses, described this as a critical single point of failure, and emphasized the preventive benefits of SROs including mentoring, early intervention, and juvenile review board support. He said the financial impact on taxpayers would be minimal and argued that Clinton voters should have the opportunity to decide the question, adding that hope is not a method for school safety.
• A letter from Emily Roy was submitted as correspondence; the council chair stated it had been received and would be attached to the minutes.

Minutes and Appointments

• Minutes of the March 4, 2026 regular meeting were approved on a motion, with one abstention.
• Minutes of the March 12, 2026 special budget meeting were approved; an abstention was noted.
• No appointments or reappointments were on the agenda.

Line Item Transfers

• A transfer of $125,480 from contingency and employer social security contribution accounts to the winter maintenance activity fund was approved for overtime, snow plowing, sanding, and salt. Discussion noted the transfer reduced contingency to zero for the remaining three months; staff said vacant salary lines and underused budget lines could be used if unexpected needs arose. The motion carried.
• A transfer of $40,000 from the CIP revaluation line item to harbor management dredging permitting professional services was approved. This was the professional-services portion of the previously approved $540,000 CIP dredging allocation, with a separate larger dredging appropriation expected to come back later. The motion carried.
• A transfer from town hall maintenance salaries to town hall maintenance overtime was approved to cover overtime for town hall events. Rental revenue covers the related activity but cannot be credited directly to the overtime account; the newly filled full-time position was expected to reduce future overtime. The motion carried unanimously.
• A transfer of $125,000 from vacant salary and fringe-benefit accounts, including IT and human services clinician positions, to legal was approved. Discussion noted the original legal budget was $125,000, the projected year-end need was $250,000, the prior year had also reached $250,000, and the next year's budget was set at $150,000. Costs included more than $20,000 in FOIA work, labor and union matters, land-use and assessment appeals, training, and election-related legal issues. The motion carried.

Finance Report

• Bob presented the March 18, 2026 fund balance report and reviewed the annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.
• Unassigned fund balance was projected at $14,176,598 at June 30, 2026, approximately 21 percent of the roughly $68 million total budget, or about 20.6 percent. A $1 million use of fund balance was reserved in the upcoming budget.
• Town-wide net position increased by about $4 million over the prior year, which Bob said indicated the town was continuing to invest in itself.
• For grand list 2023, the town levied $52.9 million in taxes. After lawful corrections, the adjusted collectible amount was $52.4 million, of which $51.9 million was collected, for a 99.05 percent collection rate.
• Pension and OPEB trust funds held about $28 million. Additions to the pension fund exceeded benefits paid out by more than $2 million, though the pension plan remained underfunded at roughly 60 percent funded; Bob noted the employee contribution will be reduced after the police pension move to the state and that future statements will show that change.
• The cultural and recreation revolving fund had about $454,000 in fund balance, received $221,000 in fees, and spent $180,000 on program operations, leaving about $40,000 for the year. A council member requested a more detailed report on those expenses at a future meeting.
• Board of Education capital project accounts had an available balance of $299,228, including about $30,000 from completed projects with savings highlighted by staff.

Town Manager's Report

• The 19-hour human services clerk position was recently filled by Alyssa Calingo and she is expected to start within about a week.
• The HR audit of town compliance and practices has started and is expected to take about three months; results will be shared with the council.
• Landfill capping has been at a standstill for more than two years, but after a call with DEEP and the project representatives, an update will be given to the town council on April 1. Work could begin as soon as May.
• The Veterans Affairs Commission Coffee and Conversation event is moving forward, with a planned survey and a March 26 event; Rick was thanked for spearheading it.
• The senior-center related project is on track for construction starting in June; the lease is being finalized, including septic and grass-use terms, and a public statement will be issued once a firm construction window is set.
• No nonprofit has come forward to organize town fireworks; a group would need to be a nonprofit so donations would be tax-deductible.

Chairman's Report and Council Discussion

• The library building committee is pursuing a state construction grant; the letter of intent is due in June and the application in September. If awarded, it could cover up to 50 percent of the total project cost, not to exceed $1 million. The committee is also preparing for potential state and federal grant opportunities.
• On Flock license-plate-reader cameras, outside counsel indicated jurisdiction over data management is likely the police commission. The State of Connecticut is considering House Bill 5449 and Senate Bill 4 concerning data retention. Flock's testimony said data is deleted after 30 days but a cloud backup exists; proposed legislation would shorten retention to seven days, with a possible compromise of 14 to 21 days, and retention would continue for active criminal investigations. The council discussed cross-state data sharing and indicated it likely should wait for state law before acting.
• For the upcoming automated traffic camera hearing, no council members reported receiving public questions or letters. Deputy Kane has prepared an eight-minute presentation to be shown at the hearing, and there was discussion of also preparing a similar explainer on Flock cameras.
• The council discussed scheduling a special workshop after budget season, possibly in June or July, to review the leadership guide, mission and vision statements, and council goals. Town manager performance evaluation discussions are expected to begin in executive session after the May 20 evening meeting.
• An inventory of resources at Andrews Memorial Hall, including lighting and sound, is still in progress; staff are waiting for a written walkthrough report on the sound board.

Liaison Reports

• Planning and Zoning approved an affordable housing project at 5 Liberty Place with 24 units, 8 of which will be affordable. A DPW storage unit at Nod Road was also approved. The board completed ethics training.
• The Economic Development Commission asked that a draft job posting for an economic development coordinator be shared if the position is included in the budget; the commission has potential candidates in mind.
• No report was given from Parks and Recreation.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the March 4 and March 12 meeting minutes.
• Approved all four line-item transfers: $125,480 for winter maintenance, $40,000 for harbor dredging permitting, the town hall maintenance overtime transfer, and $125,000 for legal expenses.
• Scheduled an April 1 update on landfill capping.
• Confirmed upcoming March 26 veterans event and an automated traffic camera hearing next week.
• Expected next steps include the library grant letter of intent in June, a possible council workshop later in the summer, and a May executive session on the town manager evaluation.

Adjournment

• A motion to adjourn was made, seconded, and carried.