Easton selectmen create temporary Affordable Housing Advisory Committee; First Selectman to appoint members

The Easton Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to create a temporary Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to advise the board and other town bodies on housing planning and related issues.

At the Jan. meeting, selectmen Nick D'Addario and Kristi Sogofsky proposed the new, five-member advisory committee with three alternates; initial appointments will serve until a permanent commission is established by ordinance. The board directed the First Selectman to circulate the committee charge, solicit candidates, and consider party affiliation, resumes and letters of interest before making appointments.

First Selectman Dan Lent said the committee will be advisory and used for planning and coordination across town boards. "I encourage everyone to look at the initial school budget posted online," Lent said earlier in the meeting while discussing budget pressures; board members linked the housing discussion to concerns about population, infrastructure and watershed impacts.

Selectman Nick D'Addario said he disagrees with recent state legislation on affordable housing and urged the committee to advocate for Easton’s interests in Hartford, focusing on population, infrastructure and watershed considerations. "The 8002 is not a fit for Easton," he said during public remarks recorded in the meeting minutes.

The board's motion to adopt the advisory committee passed unanimously. The board said it will circulate the committee charge publicly and accept candidate materials for consideration at an upcoming meeting.

The advisory committee is intended to advise town leaders and prepare recommendations ahead of drafting the ordinance for a permanent commission. The First Selectman will announce initial appointments once candidate materials have been reviewed.