East Haddam meeting approves consultant and survey payments and moves to Phase 2 of village plan

At a town meeting in East Haddam, the chair said the panel would move into Phase 2 of the village master plan and members approved several vendor and survey payments needed to keep work on schedule.

The chair said Phase 2 will include writing form‑based code, conducting more robust traffic studies with live data, and engaging property owners and developers; "Phase 2 is where the rubber meets the road," the chair said. The chair said a kickoff presentation by Tommy will be scheduled at the July 9 meeting to assign roles and outline next steps.

Jeff, who delivered the finance report, reviewed potential funding sources and told the group that East Haddam does not qualify for the Connecticut Community Investment Fund 2030 under the state's eligibility criteria. "East Haddam does not qualify," Jeff said, citing measures the state uses—per‑capita income, adjusted net grand list per capita, percent of aided children receiving temporary family assistance, unemployment and population density—as reasons the town’s score fell short.

Jeff also described an alternative funding option, the Connecticut Municipal Development Authority (CMDA), noting a difference in program rules: CMDA financing, he said, can be used for projects without a state requirement that rental housing include an affordability set‑aside.

John Carter reported on environmental work with the town’s consultant, saying BHB will prepare a background report on naturally occurring arsenic for submission to the state commissioner and that the consultant hopes to complete the report by the end of July. Once the report is approved, the consultant will finalize remedial recommendations, which could include capping affected areas.

On financial business, members approved payment of an appraisal invoice for $3,000 and accepted an invoice from VHB for the remainder of Phase 1 work (the chair said this invoice does not include outstanding environmental work). The committee also approved two survey invoices from Dutch & Associates, listed at $3,500 and $3,000 respectively. The chair said the town requested and received approval for a $50,000 capital allocation and explained that bills required to be paid in fiscal 2026 would be paid from operating funds so the town would not need to return those appropriations.

During the meeting the chair asked whether the first selectmen had voted to join the CMDA; Todd, a selectman, said the selectmen had postponed action until all three members could vote but indicated they expect to join at the selectmen’s next meeting.

Before adjourning to executive session to discuss real estate matters, the committee briefly reviewed a project map and entrance details. The body voted to enter executive session and invited the finance board liaison and the first selectman to attend.

The panel scheduled a Phase 2 kickoff for the July 9 meeting and the next regular meetings for July 9 and July 23.