Monroe CT250 committee cancels May Day-in-the-Park and fife-and-drum presentation, declines Waterview dinner plan

The Monroe CT250 committee voted during its meeting to cancel several large event plans and to decline a private-dinner fundraising option, citing tight budgets and limited volunteer capacity.

Committee members voted unanimously to cancel the Day in the Park scheduled for May 9, saying the group had not raised funds or assembled the teams needed to run a large daytime event. The group also agreed to discontinue pursuing a formerly penciled fife-and-drum presentation after members said funding and availability could not be secured.

The committee rejected moving forward with a proposed Waterview dinner package that had been priced by the venue at about $85 per person with a recommended sale price of roughly $100 to cover costs; the chair called for a hands-up poll of members on the three proposed dates (March 14, March 28 and April 11) and a majority indicated they could not commit to selling enough tickets, so the proposal was not approved.

Members repeatedly emphasized practical limits: several said they lacked the personal networks to guarantee the 75-person minimum the venue required, and others pointed to calendar conflicts that would limit participation on proposed dates. Committee members also noted that most of the commission’s planned projects are zero- or low-cost and that the town’s leftover bicentennial funds cannot simply be reallocated to this effort without finance office approval.

Procedurally, the group also approved the Dec. 4 meeting minutes by voice/hand vote earlier in the session. No formal roll-call tallies were recorded for these votes in the meeting transcript.