East Lyme schedules July 1 town meeting to consider PFAS-removal designs and multiple bond measures

The East Lyme Board of Selectmen on June 17 voted unanimously to schedule a special town meeting for Wednesday, July 1, at 7 p.m. at East Lyme Town Hall to consider several bond and appropriation resolutions including design funding for PFAS removal facilities and a set of larger capital projects.

At the meeting the chair read a formal notice listing a resolution to appropriate $372,000 for design of a new PFAS removal facility adjacent to the existing East Lyme Well 1A/6 water treatment plant and a separate resolution to appropriate $378,000 for design adjacent to Well 4A. The notice also listed resolutions making aggregate appropriations totaling $3,974,425 for various public improvements and $586,701 for Board of Education capital improvements, each accompanied by authorization to issue bonds to meet the appropriations.

"I think we already discussed this before and it also went through the Board of Finance," the chair said during the scheduling motion, describing the July 1 date as a procedural step to allow voters to consider the measures.

The board moved, seconded and approved placing the items on the special town meeting agenda by voice vote, recorded as 4-0-0. No debate or roll-call votes were recorded in the transcript on the appropriations themselves; the June 17 action scheduled the public meeting where the resolutions and bond questions will be considered.

The resolutions listed in the meeting notice frame the actions as both "to receive communications" from the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance and "to consider and act upon" resolutions appropriating the specified sums and authorizing bonds and temporary borrowings pending issuance.

Next steps: the town will hold the special meeting on July 1; residents will be able to hear presentations, ask questions and vote on whether to approve the listed appropriations and bond authorizations.