This is the first in an ongoing series of notes on Board of Selectmen meetings, written by Selectman Robert Lessler, a Democrat, and Selectman Kristi Sogofsky, a Republican, who will alternate covering meetings. Lessler wrote the first submission, and Sogofsky will write the next one. Board of Selectmen meetings take place at 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month in the conference room at Town Hall, unless otherwise noticed. The notes are intended to keep residents informed about the work of the board if they aren’t able to attend the meetings themselves. Meeting dates, agendas and minutes are posted on the town website, eastonct.gov.
Members David Bindelglass, Kristi Sogofsky, and Robert Lessler were present. The minutes of the Feb. 6, 2020, meeting were approved.
Three members of the public offered comments approving of the new table arrangement for the Board of Selectmen meeting room, suggesting the town committees are not doing a good enough job to recruit candidates for appointed boards and commissions, making it easier to locate board and commission openings on the town website, recommending the Road Commission be reconstituted, advising that the Aspetuck Land Trust may be interested in partnering with the town to purchase the South Park Avenue property and that grant money for this purpose may be available, however, the application for a grant is due by June 1; also expressing concern about 5G coming to Easton, criticizing various Board of Education policies and programs, and asking that board and commission meetings be streamed on the town website.
The board approved tax refunds to Toyota Lease Trust for three different customers of theirs and to Suzanne Chludzinski.
The board noted that there are openings for appointed seats on the Agricultural Commission, Board of Ethics, Conservation Commission, Insurance Commission, SWCT Regional Recycling Operating Committee, Board of Assessment Appeals, Cemetery Committee, and for Measurer of Wood. Anyone interested should contact one of the town political party committees or the First Selectmen’s office.
The selectmen adopted a charge for the Committee on the Future Use of South Park Avenue. In addition, the following members were named to the new committee: Jeff Becker, John Cunningham, Andy Kachele, Tara Kahn, Lisa Keane, Elliot Leonard, Ross Ogden, Robert Schrage and Dwight Senior.
The selectmen discussed efforts to enhance video distribution of meetings of boards and commissions. They are working on streaming meetings on the town website. Videos would be available for about a year before being archived. It would require about $5,000 in the current budget year and $5,000 per year thereafter to get this endeavor up, running and going.
The selectmen discussed the need for a social media policy for the town as various town agencies use social meeting to promote their work. Several versions of such a policy were presented and will be further considered at a future meeting.
The selectmen discussed interest in adopting a moratorium on the installation of 5G technology in town due to assorted health and safety concerns. Materials and draft documents were distributed to the board and will be further considered at a future meeting.
