We have had a busy week in Town Hall with a new floor being installed in our main office and mailroom and a flurry of residents coming in to claim their home plans. At this time, we have returned approximately 250 home plans to their current owners. Please remember that the last day for pick up is Tuesday, September 3^rd. Remaining plans will be shredded later that week.

We held our Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday and Board of Finance on Tuesday. Recordings are available on the Town’s website (and YouTube channel). Next week on Wednesday, August 28^th we will have an update on the Sound View Sewer Project with a presentation by the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) at 7PM. This meeting is scheduled to be held in the Town Hall Meeting Room, however, please check the website the day of in case we've had to move the location. 

Yesterday morning I attended the Old Lyme Historical Society’s breakfast, honoring the Bicentennial visit of General Marquis de Lafayette and his breakfast with Richard McCurdy. The event had approximately 50 attendees of all ages. It was a wonderful way to start the day.  

Next week, we will have our first Road & Public Safety Committee meeting on Monday, August 26^th. This will be an introductory meeting for all the members.

On the same subject, I received notice this week that the RiverCOG Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Comprehensive Safety Action Plan is being developed to provide recommendations on enhancing road safety and reducing traffic-related injuries and fatalities across the region. The Action Plan will identify safety issues through a comprehensive evaluation of current infrastructure, crash data, and feedback from the community and stakeholders. Recommendations will center on projects that improve the design and functionality of streets to accommodate all users, implement best practices from similar regions, and foster safer, more accessible transportation networks. This plan will also develop strategies for ongoing project prioritization, ensuring that safety improvements are continuously updated and effectively implemented, ultimately creating a safer and more connected region for all residents and visitors.

• There will be public engagement sessions happening at pop-ups in Cromwell this evening and Clinton on Saturday (8/24). In addition, there is an interactive map where we’d like to see people flagging areas that should be studied. Please share the information above and use these graphics to participate and add your feedback.
• For more information please visit the project website at https://www.rivercog.org/plans/ss4a/ and share your safety concerns at https://bit.ly/rivercog-map

Many of you have asked about the Amtrak CT River Bridge Project and the work schedule. I reached out to my contacts at Amtrak and this is their response.

AMTRAK WORK SCHEDULE

• Start Date - Mobilization to begin first week of September. Preliminary startup activities.
• Workday Schedule - Current plan is M-F 7AM-3:30PM. Please be advised these are typical work hours. Schedule may vary as subcontractors are brought on for various operations. Night and weekend work will be required at certain phases of the project.
• Parking - Main parking area will be at a property off Roamtree Drive in Old Saybrook. Amtrak’s contractor will shuttle employees to the site from there. There may be minimal parking at Ferry Landing.
• Ferry Landing Access - Plan is to utilize access road off Route 156 (17 Shore Rd.) for East side project access and construction activities whenever possible. The project will have access via temporary easement at Ferry Landing.

REMINDERS:

• Committee Appointments are available for the Waste & Recycling Committee as well as the Road & Public Safety Committee. The latter is looking for representatives from the Four Mile River Road area.
• Trinity Solar will have a representative, Robert Wolfe, in town on Wednesdays and Saturdays during the months of September and October. Robert will be working from 10AM to sunset and will have a letter of introduction with him.
• The Rogers Lake Draw Down is scheduled to begin September 16^th.
• Parks and Recreation is sponsoring another Pickle Ball Tournament on September 15^th - registration required.

Although August has not come to an end, our Region 18 Staff and students are returning to school. Staff returned this week and students begin their school year on Tuesday. Be aware that school buses, students and parent drop offs will affect traffic on town roads. Please adhere to speed limits and be extra cautious in school zones. We wish all our students, parents and teachers a great school year.