Norwich Council adopts CDBG allocations, reappoints wetlands commissioner; Waller Lane easement postponed

NORWICH, Conn. — The Norwich City Council on July 7 adopted the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation recommendations for fiscal year 2025 and approved the reappointment of Annabelle Caswell to the Inland Wetlands, Watercourses and Conservation Commission, while postponing action on an easement over a discontinued portion of Waller Lane to the council’s next meeting.

The council opened a public hearing on the CDBG year‑one plan and then received a community development memo and later voted to adopt the allocation recommendations. Both the motion to receive the memo and the final resolution were approved unanimously in separate roll‑call votes recorded as 7‑0.

Why it matters: CDBG funding decisions guide federal community development dollars that the city and local nonprofit partners use for housing, infrastructure and related programs. A 5‑year consolidated plan shapes how the city proposes to use those funds during the plan period.

Key outcomes and votes: Council roll calls recorded Mayor Nystrom and six aldermen voting in favor of the CDBG actions and the other formal items listed below. The council also approved minutes for its June 2, June 9 and June 16 meetings by unanimous roll call.

Public comment: David Addis of 109 Whittington Avenue addressed the council during the citizen comment period on two resolutions on the agenda. Addis repeatedly demanded to know who would benefit from the proposals and at one point said he no longer felt legally obligated to provide his name or address before identifying himself. He asked, “Exactly who are these proposals benefiting?” and criticized the council’s motives. No other members of the public offered comments on the CDBG plan or the two resolutions.

Appointments and easement: The council voted 7‑0 to reappoint Annabelle Caswell as a regular member of the Inland Wetlands, Watercourses and Conservation Commission. On the easement matter — a proposed city acceptance of an easement over a discontinued portion of Waller Lane for use as a public right of way — the council, at the request of corporate counsel, voted 7‑0 to postpone action to the council’s second meeting in July.

Executive session: The council voted to enter executive session, citing “Connecticut General Statute sections 1 dash 2 1 dash 200 subsection 6” (as read into the record) to discuss the acquisition or disposition of real estate and to review preliminary drafts of related proposals and confidential commercial or financial information. The city manager, comptroller, Norwich Community Development Corporation executive director and corporation counsel were invited to attend portions of the executive session. The council returned to open session and stated for the record that no votes were taken during the executive session.

What the motions said (as recorded): The transcript records motions and movers as follows — to receive the community development memo: moved by Alderman Singh, second Alderman Gould (recorded elsewhere in roll calls as “Gold”); to bring the CDBG allocation recommendations to the floor: moved by Alderman Gould (recorded as “Gold”), second Alderman Hayes; minutes adoption: moved by Alderman Gold, second Alderman Hayes; reappointment of Annabelle Caswell: moved by Alderman Singh, second Alderman Gould; motion to postpone the Waller Lane easement to the next meeting: moved by Alderman Gould, second Alderman Singh; and motion to enter executive session: moved under the cited Connecticut General Statute language. All recorded final votes on these items were 7‑0.

Council membership on the record: Mayor Nystrom; President Pro Tem DeLucia; Aldermen Nash, Hayes, Betancourt, Singh and Gould (the transcript intermittently records the name as “Gold/Gold” in some roll calls). The meeting record shows the votes as unanimous on the listed items.

Next steps: The easement item will return to the council agenda at the next regular meeting in July for further consideration. The CDBG allocation recommendations adopted on July 7 will guide the city’s year‑one subgranting and program decisions under the five‑year consolidated plan.

Votes at a glance: • Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) memo received — motion moved by Alderman Singh, second Alderman Gould: adopted 7‑0. • Resolution: CDBG allocation recommendations, fiscal 2025 — moved by Alderman Gould, second Alderman Hayes: adopted 7‑0. • Minutes (June 2, June 9 and June 16, 2025) — moved by Alderman Gold, second Alderman Hayes: adopted 7‑0. • Reappointment — Annabelle Caswell to Inland Wetlands, Watercourses and Conservation Commission — moved by Alderman Singh, second Alderman Gould: adopted 7‑0. • Resolution: Accept easement over discontinued portion of Waller Lane for public right of way — motion to postpone to next meeting, moved by Alderman Gould, second Alderman Singh: adopted 7‑0. • Motion to enter executive session pursuant to the statute read into the record — adopted 7‑0. No votes were taken in executive session.

(All motion language and vote tallies are drawn from the council’s July 7 meeting record.)