Finance Committee moves 'Rest of River' cleanup to top priority and asks for town resources for monitoring and advocacy

After public comments and committee discussion about Housatonic River contamination and economic risks to riverfront neighborhoods, the finance committee voted to move the "Rest of River" cleanup from tier 3 to tier 1 and to revise the strategic-plan language to retain town resources for monitoring, evaluation and advocacy.

Members framed the change as both protective and proactive: several speakers said the river remediation will have far-reaching impacts on property values, tourism and long-term municipal costs. One member argued the town should not treat the issue as a distant concern and called for advocacy alongside monitoring: "retain town resources to assist with monitoring, evaluation, and advocacy," the motion's revised language states.

The motion passed unanimously, with the committee asking staff to reflect the new priority in the packet to the select board and to consider referral to appropriate town staff for follow-up and coordination with regional stakeholders.

Next steps: forward the amended wording to the select board and request staff to identify staff resources and an advocacy plan; consider invitations for regional partners to brief the committee in a future session.