The Clinton Town Council held a regular meeting on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. in the Rose Room. The meeting included public comments, routine approvals, software contract authorization, fund transfers for capital repairs, updates on infrastructure projects, adoption of strategic plan elements, discussion on filling a vacant council seat, and personnel actions.
Good morning. Today is Wednesday, August 5th, 2026. It is 8 a.m. in the Rose Room, and I call the town council meeting to order. Dennis, will you lead us in the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. You're welcome. Item number two on the agenda that's been posted. Visitors. Do we have any visitors that would like to speak? Please come to the table and state your name, address and uh a standard format that we disclose is that we will not respond to you. We're just only here for the from the public because it's not an agenda item. And if there's actions that's necessary, the council will either convene and act later or the town manager will get back to you. Okay, thank you. My name is Maureen Wellman. I live on Waterside Lane. I'd like to make a statement in regards to the Waterside Lane Bridge Project. A few years ago, the Connecticut Department of Transportation won a historic preservation award from Preservation Connecticut for its work in rehabilitating the 1940 era Lake Avenue Bridge over the Merritt Parkway in Greenwich. Here is a direct quote from then CT DOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti. Quote An award of this nature illustrates and underscores the DOT's commitment to historic preservation as well as our ability to partner with local and statewide organizations to keep our history alive and our highway safe while staying as true to the original design as possible. End quote. This partnership would collaborate in order to repair the Waterside Lane Bridge in a way that would continue to remain sympathetic to the original design, as have all the other restorations throughout the past 400 years. In the commissioner's own words again, quote, to keep our history alive and our highway safe while staying as true to the or to the original design as possible. Thank you. Great, thank you. Thank you. Would you like to speak? Yes. My name is Barbara Blanco, and I also live on Waterside Lane. A lot has been said already, but I would just like to say that the Waterside Lane Bridge is a community asset. There aren't too many streets in this town where you can walk and feel the serenity that you can feel walking down Waterside Lane in across the bridge to the beach from dawn to dusk. Clinton families enjoy it. A two-lane bridge with cars passes passing both ways changes everything. Thank you. Thank you. Any other come? Morning. How are you? So you guys all know why I come here each week. Um I actually met somebody who works for another town. Um, and they're having an issue with our town manager. Um, and he clicked me into the fact that citizens can sue the town regarding the town charter. So our town charter has a very specific set of qualifications that the town manager is supposed to have. Um she doesn't have those qualifications. So technically, anyone can sue you to have her removed, and there is precedent to have town officials removed based on the town charter because the town charter is law. So is it worth me spending $350 to file a lawsuit to get my ones base back? It might be. So you might want to reread your charter and the deadline that I gave you. Because it was very specific.