Resident urges Tolland to post agendas, add Zoom links and form energy siting committee

Lise Letellier, a Tolland resident, asked the Board of Selectmen to post agendas and minutes for all town departments and committees on the Town website and calendar to increase transparency and reduce the need for in-person visits to Town Hall.

Letellier told the board she also wants Zoom links and dial-in numbers included on the Town calendar so members of the public can join meetings while they are in progress, and she requested that the website add a subscription option for agendas (in addition to the existing minutes subscription) so residents receive timely notifications.

Citing the Open Meeting Law, Letellier said a public body may require callers to register for access information if the meeting notice provides clear instructions, but stressed that the public must be able to gain access up to and throughout a meeting and cannot be forced to register in advance.

Letellier also asked the Selectmen to appoint an Alternative Energy Siting Committee to review and revise the town’s solar bylaws. She recommended the review cover solar, battery energy storage systems (BESS), wind and other potential industrial or commercial energy installations, with the aim of ensuring the bylaws protect the town’s environmental interests.

Bill Magni responded that the proposal sounded "anti-solar," prompting Letellier to say her intent was not to oppose solar outright but to ensure the town’s bylaws are comprehensive enough to protect Tolland’s environment. Selectman Steven DellaGiustina noted the town's tradition of allowing open discussion on such topics.

The Selectmen said they would take Letellier’s requests under consideration; no formal vote to form a committee was recorded in the meeting minutes.