HeatSmart through December, but lives on through CHEER

 Introductory video to HeatSmart. This program formally operates through December, but will be available through 2022 with the help of our local CHEER program. 

HeatSmart

City Hall Reindeer Have a Guardian

 

Inland Wetlands to Deliberate on New Road, 5 Houses Near Old Mill Road

The Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency will continue its consideration of an extension of Nathan Hale Road, and the construction of 5 new houses. Nathan Hale crosses Phedon Parkway, which is off of Old Mill Road. 

The 5 lots are part of a 9-lot subdivision originally approved nearly 100 years ago, in 1928. The development would move the wetlands along the west side of the development area creating a new channel that can handle a 100-year storm to replace the existing drainage swale. A new pond will be created on the southern side of the property. 

The Agency first heard the application at its September meeting, and held a special meeting to conduct a site visit later that month. The public was given opportunities to speak at the September, October, and November meeting.  Nearby residents expressed concerns that the development would make existing drainage issues worse, the developer assured them that the proposed changes would actually improve drainage.  

At its November meeting, the Agency closed the public hearing, but kept the item open to be discussed and voted on at its meeting this Wednesday. 

Inland Wetlands and Watercourses.
Wednesday, December 1, 7PM. 
In-person only meeting, Council Chambers. 

City Government Public Meetings This Week

Municipal government meetings this week, all meetings are open to the public:

• General Counsel Commission, special meeting. Tuesday, Nov. 30, 5:30PM, via WebEx (see agenda for details). The agenda includes an update on the recruitment of an HR specialist.  Agenda
• Finance and Government Operations Commission. Wednesday, Dec. 1, 6PM, via WebEx (see agenda for details). This commission discusses significant items that will appear on the next meeting of the Common Council. Agenda
• Inland Wetlands and Watercourses. Wednesday, Dec. 1, 7PM. Agenda is not posted yet.
• Zoning Board of Appeals. Thursday, Dec. 2, 5:30PM, via WebEx (see agenda for details). The ZBA considers whether to grant a variance to the zoning code. It will consider one application to build a handicap ramp and walkway within the property set backs at 13 Wall Street, and another to build a shed within 5 feet of the property line at 181 West Street. Agenda

Free Screening of Contagion with Panel Discussion, December 11 at 3pm

We are excited to announce that The Elements: An Annual Environmental Film Series, is starting up again with a special Saturday afternoon screening and panel discussion!  

Contagion will be the featured film, followed by a discussion highlighting the connection between environmental disturbance and pandemics, as well as technological and historical perspectives, with Wesleyan professors Fred Cohan, Ishita Mukerji, and William Johnston. The event will take place on Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 3pm, at the Goldsmith Family Cinema at Wesleyan University. The cinema is located at 301 Washington Terrace, Middletown, CT.  

As always, the film is open to the public and free of charge. Wesleyan is a vaccinated campus and full vaccination is required to attend. In addition, masks must be worn in all indoor spaces.  Please preregister at ctrivercoastal@conservect.org, and complete this form prior to attending.

We hope you can join us for our first film in almost two years! For more information, phone the Conservation District office at 860-346-3282.

Also--please share/post this announcement!

The Elements: An Annual Environmental Film Series was begun in 2015. The series is co-sponsored by the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, Middlesex Community College, Middletown Garden Club, The Rockfall Foundation, and Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts, College of the Environment, and College of Film and the Moving Image.  Contagion is the 22nd film in the series. Previous films include: Elemental, Watershed, Dirt! The Movie, Chasing Ice, The End of the Line, The True Cost, Dukale's Dream,  Xmas Without China, Merchants of Doubt, Racing to Zero, Forgotten Farms, A Plastic Ocean, Just Eat It, Comfort Zone, Sacred Cod, Death By Design, Growing Cities, Anthropocene,  The Human Element, Ice on Fire and Artifishal.

 

 

 

 

 

Oddfellows Playhouse Announces Circus Auditions

 Oddfellows Playhouse and ARTFARM announce auditions for Circophony Teen Circus’s mainstage Circus-Theater production, The Things That Go Creep...

Auditions will be held on Wednesday, December 15, 6 - 8 pm, at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington Street in Middletown. They are open to all young people ages 12 - 20. Prior circus experience is not required, but some background in physical training, dance, movement, sports, parkour or performance can be helpful.

Auditioners are asked to arrive a few minutes early to complete audition paperwork, to dress to move, plan to stay the entire two hours, and to prepare a short performance piece that showcases your skills and personality (one minute maximum). Everyone who auditions and commits to the rehearsal and production schedule will be cast in the show.

Rehearsals will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 6:00 - 9 pm starting January 4, 2022. There will be Technical rehearsal & daily rehearsals, Feb 26 - March 2. Performances will be March 3, 4 & 5 at 7 pm; March 5 at 2 pm at Oddfellows Playhouse.

The Things That Go Creep..., directed by Circophony Director Allison McDermott, is an original circus theater piece inspired by classic horror films. The Show will include acrobatics, movement, juggling, balancing, stilting, unicycling, comedy and other circus skills. This is a great opportunity to stretch your personal limits in a supportive, non-competitive environment, get serious circus training, and be part of creating a new and imaginative show. 

To register for the audition, or for more information, call (860) 347-6143 or email info@oddfellows.org. Tuition for Circophony is $300. Financial aid is available for anyone who needs it. No one is turned away for inability to pay. Circophony Teen Circus provides rigorous circus training and performance opportunities to young people, and is a collaboration between Oddfellows Playhouse and ARTFARM.

If you are unable to make the audition date, please contact info@oddfellows.org to set up an alternative audition date!

Happy Thanksgiving 2021!

Comfortable, Healthy, Energy Efficient, Renewable

 

City of Middletown Announces Grants for Agricultural Initiatives

The Middletown Commission on Conservation and Agriculture announces grant funding to support development of agriculture and farming in the City. The Commission is accepting proposals for this grant funding as part of Middletown’s broader efforts to promote agriculture. Grants will be awarded up to a maximum of $25,000, until all available funds have been allocated.  The source of the funding is the most recent Open Space and Recreation Bond, approved by the Middletown residents in 2020. As recommended by the Commission on Conservation and Agriculture, bond funds may be utilized for agricultural uses and improvements.

The grant funds are intended for projects that will improve current farming operations; develop new farming initiatives; improve food access and distribution; support infrastructure needs; implement sustainable agricultural practices and emerging technologies; and promote community education about farming. We will have a special interest in supporting beginning farmers, veteran farmers, and farmers from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities.

Examples of projects we will fund include:

·         New equipment or repairs for existing agricultural equipment

·         Repairs, additions or renovations to buildings and infrastructure used for agriculture

·         Purchase of land for agricultural purposes

·         Purchase of livestock  

·         Expansion of, improvements to or development of community gardens or CSAs

·         Development of new markets for sale of agricultural products

·         Consultant expense associated with new agriculture start-up and investments

·         Technical assistance for conservation planning and implementation of new practices, including local match required for other grants

·         Diversifying agricultural operations

·         New agricultural business opportunities  

To apply for a grant, please contact James Sipperly, Environmental Planner with the Middletown Department of Land Use, to request an application form at 860-638-4593 or James.Sipperly@middletownct.gov.  The deadline for submitting applications is December 30, 2021, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. 

 

Methadone Clinic Denial Overturned in Court

The Middlesex District Superior Court has ruled that the Planning and Zoning Commission in October of  2020 improperly denied approval to a methadone clinic on Washington Street. Judge Rupal Shaw said that the City Charter and the bylaws of the Commission violate State statutes which state that approval requires a simple majority. 

The Planning and Zoning Commission has 7 seated commissioners, and the Charter states, "A quorum shall consist of six commissioners and decisions shall be taken by affirmative vote of no less than five commissioners."  The Root Center's application was denied because it received only 4 affirmative votes.

The state statute on Planning and Zoning reads, "Such regulations and boundaries shall be established, changed or repealed only by a majority vote of all the members of the zoning commission..." The city attorney argued that this language does not prevent towns and cities from specifying a higher standard, and zoning regulations are a local concern. Judge Shah disagreed, she cited a variety of higher court rulings about interpreting state statutes, one of which reads, "Where the words of the statute are plain and unambiguous the intent of the [drafters] in enacting the statute is to be derived from the words used.” 

The Commission has until December 2 to file an appeal. It meets with the Chris Forte, the city attorney representing it on Tuesday, November 23 at 7PM. All of these discussions will be in executive session, to discuss the litigation. 

If the Commission does not appeal the decision, or fails to win such an appeal, it must revisit the Root Center's application for a methadone clinic. 

The application process had two parts, a legislative change to the zoning map to allow a Substance Abuse/Mental Health (SMH) floating zone to be applied to the Washington Street site, followed by a site plan review to evaluate whether the Root Center's plans conform with the requirements of a special exception for the SMH zone. Because the Commission considered the application to apply the SMH floating zone to have been denied, it unanimously voted to deny the site plan review. 

If the court's decision stands, the Commission must now consider the much more narrow question of whether the site plan conforms with the requirements for a special exception within the SMH zone. 

Notes: The author was Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission at the time of the Root Center application, he voted in favor. This story has also been covered by CT Examiner.

NEW COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOTS ELIBILITY FOR EVERYONE AGES 18 & ABOVE

NEW COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOTS ELIGIBILITY FOR EVERYONE AGES 18 & ABOVE

 

Superintendent’s Attorney Requests Review of City by State NAACP

The Attorney for Superintendent of Schools Michael Conn3r has written to  Scot Esdaile, President of the Connecticut NAACP, to request its involvement in an investigation of how the city has handled the investigation of allegations made against Conner and other leaders in the schools administration. 

Attorney Thompson suggests that members of the Common Council are motivated by disagreements over the vision and direction of education, not by the anonymous complaints, "Some city officials despite having no authority over this matter has sought to inject themselves into this process in such a way as to possibly impede the Board of Education’s investigation and to castigate Dr. Conner’s character and reputation."

Thompson goes on to say about city officials, "Some of [their] recent statements imply that Dr. Conner is not worthy of due process..." 

The letter suggests that the Middlesex County NAACP Branch does not have the independence necessary to conduct an investigation of the potential racial implications of the city's actions. The Middlesex County NAACP is headed by Faith Jackson, who works for the city as Director of Equal Opportunity & Diversity Management.

The full text of the letter is below the break.