East Haddam committee approves well bill and moves ahead with firehouse outreach ahead of referendum

The Firehouse Committee on June 16 approved two project invoices and set a timetable for public outreach as work continues on the proposed East Haddam firehouse.

A written update read to the committee said the new No. 2 well for the project was drilled to about 440 feet with 20 feet of casing. "Stufford's estimates yield it will at least yield the designated target of 10 gallons per minute," the committee reported from an email the panel identified as coming from Chris Till, the well designer. Members said Higgins Electric had been asked to provide temporary power to support on‑site testing and that contractors were coordinating a meter hookup to measure flow.

The panel approved an invoice related to the well from Dufford for $20,452 — about $452 more than the $20,000 previously authorized — after members said most of the overrun was for electrical work needed to complete the installation. The motion to approve the charge was made, seconded and carried.

David, speaking for staff, told the committee that drawings for the project are approximately 98% complete and that the remaining tasks are front‑end logistics: allowances, excavation and geotechnical work. "We're pretty much there," he said, adding the next step is finalizing allowances so the team can produce a complete estimate in time for a board of finance review in July.

Committee members discussed possible adjustments to allowances and the need to present an accurate total to the board of finance before the town moves toward a voter referendum. Valerie and other members said they want to keep the currently targeted September referendum date; the committee noted scheduling constraints that could delay action until January if the timeline slips.

Much of the meeting also focused on public outreach. Nicole volunteered to produce a one‑page FAQ and said she could post a link to the public‑hearing materials on the town website within minutes if the committee provided the facts and slides. Members agreed on a mix of tactics — a short FAQ, social media posts, short video walk‑throughs showing building deficiencies, and staffed tables at community events (including the 250th celebration and local markets) — to help residents understand the project's scope and the case for replacement.

Committee members described recurring structural and operational problems at the existing station — long‑standing water intrusion, limited training and gear‑wash space, code and accessibility shortfalls, and equipment and vehicle size constraints — and said architects and engineers advised that bringing the current building up to modern emergency‑services standards would not be practical. The committee discussed using a call‑volume map to visually demonstrate service impacts if the station were shut or limited, but members also raised privacy concerns about geocoded address points and asked staff to produce a static, non‑identifying graphic for distribution.

The committee also approved consultant invoice 26611 to Silver Petraelli, recorded in committee materials as approximately $5,379.52, for construction‑phase documents and printing of public‑hearing boards and related materials. The motion to approve that invoice was made, seconded and carried.

The committee scheduled a short working session to finalize the FAQ and outreach plan, to coordinate with bond counsel and with the board of finance timetable, and to ensure the facts and visuals are ready for distribution before any public vote. The meeting adjourned following that scheduling discussion.

The committee did not record roll‑call vote tallies in the transcript for the invoice approvals; motions were stated, seconded and announced as carried.