Town Council actions, July 8: council approves enrollment in ChargeSmart program, joins insulin pricing litigation and raises extra-duty police vehicle fee

The Cheshire Town Council approved several resolutions and procedural items at its July 8 meeting. Action highlights and outcomes follow.

Votes at a glance

- Consent calendar (Resolution 070825-1): Council approved the consent calendar as presented. The motion passed unanimously by those present.

- Approval of minutes: The council approved minutes for the June 10, 2025 regular meeting and the July 1, 2025 capital budget workshop; the motion carried unanimously.

- ChargeSmart program participation (Resolution 070825-2): The council authorized the town to participate in the ChargeSmart program and directed staff to draft a commitment letter and self-assessment necessary to enroll. The resolution passed unanimously. Charging Smart (a Clean Cities/municipal technical assistance program) requires no financial commitment at the bronze level and offers technical advisement for EV readiness.

- Insulin pricing litigation (Resolution 070825-3): Council authorized engagement of counsel to participate in multi-district litigation concerning alleged insulin pricing schemes on a contingency basis as presented. The resolution states the town would participate with no upfront cost; the motion passed unanimously.

- Police extra-duty vehicle fee (Resolution 070825-4): The council amended the fee for the use of a Cheshire police vehicle at extra-duty job sites from $30 per hour to $35 per hour pursuant to Town Ordinance §14-3(h). The council formalized the increase consistent with the adopted budget; the motion passed unanimously.

- Tax appeal settlement (Resolution 070825-5): The council authorized execution of a stipulated tax-appeal settlement between the town and Sarah J LLC for property located at 1257 Peck Lane and directed the town attorney to execute the agreement in the form presented; the motion passed unanimously.

Context and next steps: Several items had been discussed in previous meetings (ChargeSmart and the insulin litigation engagement had earlier committee or staff review). Charging Smart participation requires modest staff time for a self-assessment; insulin litigation participation is contingency-fee based, with firms already representing other Connecticut municipalities. The council took no action on the energy performance contract on July 8; that item will return for further detail and possible action in August.

Ending: All listed resolutions were adopted by unanimous vote of the members present at the July 8 meeting; no roll-call tallies naming individual councilors were provided in the public meeting record.