Middletown Rent Commission Meeting – July 13, 2026
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Middletown Rent Commission Meeting – July 13, 2026
The Middletown Rent Commission met on July 13, 2026 at 7:01 PM. The session included jurisdictional reviews, stipulation orders, an executive session, and several tenant complaints against landlords. The meeting adjourned at 8:41 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: The minutes from the May 27, 2026 special meeting were approved unanimously.
Discussion Items
- Order of Agenda: A motion to move up old business/new business was approved.
- Nestor Matter: A request for continuance was reported; the matter was tabled to August 12, 2026.
- Williams Matter: Attorney Carlson reported that the tenant had moved out and returned keys. The commission voted to dismiss the complaint as moot (5-0, with Commissioner Calvo absent? Actually roll call: Cowboy, Cronenberger, Bell, Rosenthal all aye; no opposition). The complaint was dismissed.
- Jurisdictional Reviews:
- Two Carabetta-managed properties (Baroa/MOTA vs. Real Fee, and Jacobs vs. CR Rose Gardens) were accepted for jurisdiction unanimously.
- Seven complaints against Alpha Capital at 142 South Main Street (Kennedy, Connery, Ball, Karaton, Foy, M Foy, Schneider, Francis, MD Foy) were considered. The commission accepted jurisdiction on all seven via a single motion, with Commissioner Connors recusing from two cases and abstaining from the vote. The motion passed 4-0 (one abstention).
- A new complaint (Odar Bar) was added to the agenda and accepted for jurisdiction.
- Lynch Matter: A stipulated order was presented setting rent at $1,390/month from July 2026 through March 2027, with repairs completed. Both parties affirmed the agreement, and the commission accepted the stipulation unanimously (roll call: Rosenthal, Cronenberger, Calvo, Fennel, Gonishov all aye).
- Russo Matter: A stipulated order was accepted, setting rent at $1,600/month from July 2026 through March 2027, with repairs to the floors by September 30, 2026. Attorney Carabetta confirmed acceptance. The motion passed unanimously.
- McPherson Matter: A stipulated order from May 29, 2026 was reviewed. The tenant, Mr. McPherson, requested an extension to vacate (beyond the agreed September 30, 2026 date) due to the eviction being removed from the record later than expected. The commission noted that it could not amend the signed stipulation. After a recess, the tenant accepted the original terms. The commission accepted the stipulated order unanimously (roll call: Rosenthal, Codenberger, Calvo, Fennel, Gonishov all aye). Compliance with paragraphs 1-5 was noted, with items 6-7 (vacating and security deposit) remaining open.
- Executive Session: The commission entered executive session at 7:58 PM to discuss legal issues and employee staffing. The session lasted until 8:41 PM and was approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Dismissed: Complaint against Williams dismissed as moot.
- Jurisdiction Accepted: All complaints against Carabetta properties and Alpha Capital (142 South Main Street) were accepted; a new complaint (Odar Bar) was also accepted.
- Stipulations Approved: Three stipulated orders were accepted (Lynch, Russo, McPherson).
- Executive Session: Held for legal and staffing discussions.
Meeting Transcript
On the meetings of order at seven oh one, but first and the public comment anybody from the public would like to be on some wants an approval of minutes from the May 27th, 2026 special meeting. We have a motion to approve those minutes. I make a motion. Any discussion? All in favor. Any opposed or abstain? The minutes are approved. Next we have correspondence. So I'll motion that we move up the old business part of the agenda or the new business so we can get through everything. Well instead of that would be quite the I guess the only thing I'm concerned about. I might have spoke too soon about that. The only thing I'm concerned about is I'm pretty sure attorney care that uh a couple of the parties will be here by remote. So I'm not sure why they're not. Um but we could address people like the Nestor matter. We could address possibly the Williams matter, because the people for both of those um here at the I'm not sure that there's uh I don't know. So then that's the amendment though other members. And Williams, I think is the last one. So I'll end the motion and that's there in the William's link up on the agenda. Well we have second. I'll second. Any discussion? All in favor. Uh any opposed or abstain? We meet you. So next on the agenda we have the next there's plane. Uh so the only report on Nestor is that um the there was a request for continuance um respect to that matter. And uh you know that was something that you said would be okay. So I did report that to the parties in council. Um are here uh and uh and then and told them that that would be moved on the agenda to the August twelfth. I think uh if you like a table. So we'll table the reconsideration hearing. Said that the Williams learned correct. Um I see a couple of new parties have uh announced uh here. Um I do see uh attorney Carlson um and you're here on the uh Williams matter, is that correct? That is correct, yes. I'm here. Okay, and I see with you from the middle town housing authorities uh the director uh as well as the deputy director, is that correct? That is correct. Um I do not see Miss Williams. Uh however believe if you turn it Mr. Carlson, uh there would be a statement as to why that makes it go ahead. Yeah, thank you. I'm sorry, I just want to make sure you're ready. Uh yeah, so um after our last meeting, I did have a discussion with Miss Williams. She mentioned to me that she was uh moving out of the apartment, and she was looking really just to get through sort of the end of June to uh her son's graduation, and that was her plan anyways to move out. And so uh she did drop off the keys. She turned in the keys at the end of June and has moved out of the apartment. Um we we you know she never signed the agreement that we came in that we had last time that said we were gonna withdraw the notice to quit against her. We you know, we still have withdrawn the notes to quit. We never proceeded with any eviction against her.
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