The Fair Rent Commission of Middletown, Connecticut, convened on August 17, 2026, at 7:06 PM, adjourning at 10:20 PM. The meeting addressed several complaints, stipulations, and a bylaw amendment. Commissioners voted to dismiss one complaint for lack of jurisdiction, approved two stipulations, tabled two other matters, and amended the rules for reviewing new complaints.
So on the meetings order at 706, the first thing on our agenda is public comment, and anybody from the public would like to speak. I'd like to say a member of the public. Something happened yesterday that has to be fixed. We were given nearly 600 pages of documents that were relevant for tonight. That cannot be done again. One I I was under the understanding that the parties had to exchange documents a week before the hearing. We shouldn't be getting 250 pages of documents the night before. See this manual, which was 350 pages. No pointing out what was relevant, nothing. It was an abuse of our time. From way back to the second time they were here, and and I think it's another abuse of our time. Now something's has to be done about this to I I don't know if it was strategic on the part of the party who dumped 250 pages so that there'd be a record on appeal that you know hadn't been fully digested by the commission. I I don't know, but it can't go on like this. I uh well, yeah, you know, as you probably saw the dates of the emails were very close to the time that we forwarded the information to you. Um I don't my senses if you're if you're curious as to my impression, I'd be happy to share that. But uh my sense is that it wasn't intentional in a sense, but the notices do tell both sides. Um and and and it particularly this month, um whatever reason it appeared both sides had trouble getting things in a week ahead of time. So you know on various matters. It might make sense at some point, maybe not at this meeting, but to have discussion about changing our bylaws and rules about having documents submitted so last minute, whether they're not counted or how we go about that, so it doesn't happen as much. I mean, for my what I tell parties when they tell me or council, when they tell me that they're gonna get me something after the one week is that it's within the just the discretion of the commission as to whether they will admit those documents with respect to the to a hearing, if there's gonna be a hearing on a matter. One of the matters you'll note um did submit you know a significant amount of information, but then there was a stipulation, and the only reason they submitted it late is because they had counted on the fact I believe that the stipulation was gonna go through it and did, but they didn't want to be flat voted if it if for some reason the stipulation did actually happen. But umetheless, the uh I think they they might cite communication issues on their end in terms of of having received the notice in the office that prepares for these things. But any event, you know, I think your point is well taken. But what I tell the parties and council is that if it's late, you can still submit it, but it's up to the discretion of the commission as to whether the commission will entertain uh admitting those documents uh or not. We have I I might want to speak on this as well, if if that would be okay. Um as uh yeah, a respondent. We also had the same frustration in the sense that um we were notified, we got the notice of the hearing 48 hours before. And it was definitely not it was not something that was done intentionally. Um we had actually had quite a few conversations with Philip because we felt very um yeah stressed and um wanted want to do our best to put our best foot forward that we are bringing information and be fully transparent with our information but we were also a bit yeah uh blindsided in the sense that we were not received we didn't get the physical moments of the hearing until 48 hours before is that true no well from their perspective it it is true that I s at at uh uh miss uh I don't know if I've saying this right Gagain Gaggane uh's request. Gegan, yeah. Yeah, I sent a uh copy of the notice to them a couple days ago, but that notice had previously been mailed and emailed to one of their colleagues on July 31st. Yeah, we received the notice in the mail on the sixth. So, you know, we obviously wanted to get those documents to you guys as soon as possible, um, and just be fully transparent as Jennifer said with the case and what was at hand. Um obviously we would have gotten it to you earlier had we received that paper notice earlier, and we were trying to get to a better solution with Philip to get you those documents earlier, but definitely no ill intention based on that. Yeah, and that that particular matter, I believe, is is one of the ones that will have a stipulation. Uh yes. So next on the agenda we have correspondence. Or the minutes, obviously. Actually, next on the agenda we have the approval of minutes from the June 8th, 2026 regular meeting. Do we have a motion to approve those minutes? Second. Any discussion? All in favor. Aye. Any opposed or abstain? The minutes are approved. Now we have slides. Absolutely, you're correct. Thank you. Um I don't have any correspondence to report uh that is not um you know a complaint or or something that you've already seen.