OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Town Council Regular Meeting - May 20, 2026

Town Council — Wednesday, May 20, 2026
BodyClinton, Connecticut
SessionTown Council
DateWednesday, May 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 41:26

Transcript — Verbatim
0:41

Welcome everybody.

0:44

Like to call this meeting to order.

0:45

This is the town council regular meeting, Wednesday, May 20th, 7 p.m.

0:49

Pledge, Dennis, if you'd lead us with the pledge.

1:02

Under God.

1:04

Liberty and Justice.

1:07

Thanks, Dennis.

1:12

All right, next item on the agenda is visitors.

1:14

Do we have any visitors that'd like to speak?

1:16

Come on up.

1:17

Please state your name, dress.

1:20

Um, before you speak, I want there's a standard clause I always say.

1:24

During the public comment, the council will listen without reply.

1:28

This approach ensures fairness and order while showing respect for your input, which we value and will consider carefully.

1:34

If a response or action is needed, the town manager will follow up after the meeting where the council will place the matter on a future agenda.

1:40

Thanks.

1:42

So before I begin, do you have anything you want to say?

1:48

I do not.

1:50

Okay.

1:51

So I got an email from you on the 19th.

1:55

A little odder, please.

1:56

So I got an email from you on the 19th, and it states, I've attached the most recent email responses from town officials clearly stating that the issues you raise have been addressed.

2:06

I did not provide an additional response because the appropriate town officials, the authorized individuals responsible for these matters, already responded to you directly.

2:15

It appears that you do not agree with their response, which is certainly within your right.

2:19

However, from the town's perspective, this matter has been handled.

2:23

So what's interesting about that is I spoke to someone from the state, and his name is Frank Conti.

2:30

And according to him, he has spoken to the town building inspector, and he's drafting a letter.

2:37

And it has to be reviewed by the state because you didn't take care of it.

2:43

And you're just shaking your head.

2:46

So from the town's website, what is the building inspector's job?

2:51

The building inspector is a building official who receives building permits, application, reviews buildings, site plans, directs the applicants to other agencies, answers questions on the building's process and works to protect the town and the public's general health, safety, and welfare.

3:09

So according to you, it was already taken care of, even though it wasn't.

3:23

That under those guidelines, you guys aren't allowed to talk.

3:27

So is this our current town charter?

3:29

2023.

3:31

Yeah.

3:33

So who hires you?

3:36

Is it the town council?

3:39

According to this, yeah.

3:41

And who fires you?

3:43

The town council.

3:46

So why wouldn't she be able to speak to you?

3:48

You misunderstood.

3:49

You misunderstood.

3:50

That's not what that's not what it says.

3:52

It says they may not speak to directly to the town employees.

3:57

To the town employees.

3:59

They can only say they they go through me to speak to the town department heads in the town report.

4:05

So what have you done to do that?

4:07

Okay, I'm not interacting.

4:09

I'm just letting you know that you misunderstood what she said.

4:12

So I'll give you guys just a little bet.

4:16

So you guys have till June 30th to fire her.

4:20

If you don't, I will go to the state and I will go to the federal government, and I will make sure you lose every penny of funding you get for anything.

4:29

And you just had a budget referendum.

4:32

For what?

4:32

Clipping 500,000 off your budget, but you're supposed to get what?

4:36

467,000 from the state?

4:40

I will contact them and let them know that you don't put children's safety in mind, and you don't do anything about it.

4:48

You just brush it to the side and you just smirk.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Budget Equity Analysis█████████████████████21%
Procedural█████████████████17%
Public Engagement█████████████████17%
Fiscal Sustainability██████████████14%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████13%
Parks and Recreation██████████10%
Economic Development██████6%
Public Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Town Council Regular Meeting - May 20, 2026

The Town Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Key actions included approving a Board of Education budget of $44,288,204 to be sent to referendum, appointing a new Beautification Committee member, reappointing auditors, and approving a line item transfer for the upcoming referendum. The council also heard public comment from a resident expressing strong dissatisfaction with town leadership, received financial updates on several town funds, and reviewed reports from various departments and committees.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes: Approved minutes from the May 6, 2026 regular meeting and the May 18, 2026 special meeting (unanimous).
  • Appointment: Appointed Susan Dellenbao to the Beautification Committee for a term ending June 30, 2028 (unanimous).
  • Auditors: Reappointed PKF O'Connor Davies as the town's auditors for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026 (unanimous).
  • Line Item Transfer: Approved a transfer of $4,200 from line items for probate court renovation ($2,200) and bank fees ($2,000) to the Register of Voters part-time wages line to cover costs of the May 27, 2026 referendum (unanimous).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • A resident spoke at length, alleging that the town building inspector and town manager had failed to address concerns regarding children's safety. The resident stated they had contacted the state and that the state building inspector was drafting a letter. They demanded that the council fire the town manager by June 30, 2026, and threatened to report the town to state and federal authorities to cut all funding if this did not occur. The resident expressed that the town is poorly run and that the council does not prioritize safety. The council chair explained that during public comment, the council listens without reply.

Discussion Items

  • Board of Education Budget Recommendation: The council reviewed the education budget for FY 2026-2027 after a special meeting on May 18, 2026, where an additional cut of $500,000 was made. The recommended budget totaled $44,288,204, covering operations, debt service, and capital expenditures. The council voted unanimously to recommend this budget and send it to a referendum on May 27, 2026.
  • Town Manager's Report:
    • Memorial Day parade scheduled for Monday, May 25, 2026, with a weather backup plan.
    • DLT will hold a public information meeting on June 4, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. regarding the Waterside Lane Bridge project; renderings will be posted on the town website.
    • The Clinton Trolley service launches this weekend; brochures are available.
    • Pearson construction timeline: closing expected in early September 2026, construction lasting approximately 15 months, with lease-up starting in winter 2027/2028. Summer concerts at Pearson will proceed this summer, with lineup announcements soon.
    • The EDC coordinator position (29 hours per week) was posted publicly.
  • Finance Report (Bob Tate):
    • Revenue and expenditure budgets show no significant changes. Interest rates remain stable.
    • Contingency account is depleted.
    • NIPS Program Fund: Balance over $45,000, funded by a state surcharge on small alcohol bottles, used for solid waste improvements and litter reduction (e.g., sweeper brushes).
    • Shellfish Fund: Balance approximately $28,000, from shellfish license fees, used for seed/shell planting and water quality monitoring.
    • Parks and Rec Activities Revolving Fund: Balance reported as $534,000 (beginning balance $364,000, revenues $139,000, expenses $127,000). Soccer activities are profitable, while other activities operate at a loss. Council discussed potential long-term uses for the accumulated balance.
    • Historical Preservation Fund: Balance $38,000, used for document preservation in the town clerk’s office.
    • Open Space Acquisition Fund: Balance $34,000. Bob Tate proposed transferring appropriations from the CIP fund (fund 60) into this fund for consolidation.
  • Council Discussion: Discussed the possibility of a food truck at the beach. The town manager stated that any such arrangement would require an RFP process, and there is no anticipation of a food truck this summer. The Parks and Rec Commission would be involved in any recommendation.
  • Chairman’s Report:
    • Noted a BRICK grant opportunity for the town.
    • Rob Derry was commended for weeding, planting, and installing new stone under picnic benches at the town arena.
    • ARPA funds set aside for beach revitalization; dredging planned for winter.
    • Permits for the observation deck and other SHIP grant projects are in progress; Planning Director Abby will provide updates at the June 3 council meeting.
  • Town Council Committee Liaison Reports:
    • Planning and Zoning: Special meeting scheduled in two days to address changes under the new housing bill. The June meeting will hear a special exemption request for the proposed Aldi site on East Main Street and a land division at Pearson.
    • Police Pension: Fund is approximately 58% funded with 40 members (1 active). Fiducian manages investments and has outperformed the discount rate. A 10-year plan aims to reach full funding.
    • Police Department: Minor overage of about $4,500 in the marine account for the boat; year-end line item transfers will cover it.
    • DPW: Budgets are in good shape; snow removal overages will be adjusted via line item transfers in June. Fields and landscaping are being prepared for Memorial Day.
    • Economic Development Commission (EDC): Ribbon cutting held at Cafe NOLA with ~30 businesses attending a chamber event. Dale Krupp consolidated over 100 action items from Connecticut Main Street and EDC studies into actionable tasks for economic development.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved all consent calendar items unanimously.
  • Recommended the Board of Education budget of $44,288,204 and sent it to referendum on May 27, 2026 (unanimous).
  • Moved into executive session on personnel matters (unanimous).

Meeting Transcript

Welcome everybody. Like to call this meeting to order. This is the town council regular meeting, Wednesday, May 20th, 7 p.m. Pledge, Dennis, if you'd lead us with the pledge. Under God. Liberty and Justice. Thanks, Dennis. All right, next item on the agenda is visitors. Do we have any visitors that'd like to speak? Come on up. Please state your name, dress. Um, before you speak, I want there's a standard clause I always say. During the public comment, the council will listen without reply. This approach ensures fairness and order while showing respect for your input, which we value and will consider carefully. If a response or action is needed, the town manager will follow up after the meeting where the council will place the matter on a future agenda. Thanks. So before I begin, do you have anything you want to say? I do not. Okay. So I got an email from you on the 19th. A little odder, please. So I got an email from you on the 19th, and it states, I've attached the most recent email responses from town officials clearly stating that the issues you raise have been addressed. I did not provide an additional response because the appropriate town officials, the authorized individuals responsible for these matters, already responded to you directly. It appears that you do not agree with their response, which is certainly within your right. However, from the town's perspective, this matter has been handled. So what's interesting about that is I spoke to someone from the state, and his name is Frank Conti. And according to him, he has spoken to the town building inspector, and he's drafting a letter. And it has to be reviewed by the state because you didn't take care of it. And you're just shaking your head. So from the town's website, what is the building inspector's job? The building inspector is a building official who receives building permits, application, reviews buildings, site plans, directs the applicants to other agencies, answers questions on the building's process and works to protect the town and the public's general health, safety, and welfare. So according to you, it was already taken care of, even though it wasn't. That under those guidelines, you guys aren't allowed to talk. So is this our current town charter? 2023. Yeah. So who hires you? Is it the town council? According to this, yeah. And who fires you? The town council. So why wouldn't she be able to speak to you? You misunderstood. You misunderstood. That's not what that's not what it says. It says they may not speak to directly to the town employees. To the town employees. They can only say they they go through me to speak to the town department heads in the town report. So what have you done to do that? Okay, I'm not interacting.

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