This week the Board of Selectmen began their budget hearings with department managers, along with a few guests from the Board of Finance. This process provides an opportunity for questions on various line items and gives us additional time to seek documentation and quotes before the budget is finalized. Budget hearings will continue on January 12^th and 26^th.

The Board of Selectmen had their regular meeting on Monday evening. We will be creating two new committees to begin in February. The first committee will be given responsibility for the Halls Road Sidewalk project. They will report directly to the Board of Selectmen. We hope that some residents might be interested in applying to serve on this committee.  

We will also be establishing the Old Lyme Strategic Resiliency Committee. This is made possible by a fully funded grant that the town received last month. We hope to include representatives from all town departments to help us develop this plan. We will also be looking for a few community champions that are interested in this type of work.

Applications for both committees will be available in early February.

Amtrak informed us today that they will be mobilizing a night crew onsite beginning Monday, January 19^th. This crew will be performing drilled shaft operations and will be working from the shaft platforms located in the river. This activity is not expected to generate significant noise. The nightwork operations will be occurring onsite for the foreseeable future.

For those of you who are following the Armstrong Bridge project on Route 156, this week the contractors have continued placing Wetland Material and raking it to grade. They also worked to finish placing River Bed Material downstream. Eagle Fence has continued to install the guiderail this week. They anticipate finishing this project before summer begins and then they will start on the Four Mile River Bridge immediately.

A few quick reminders:

• Public Works will be picking up Christmas Trees that are placed along the roadside next week. Please place your trees on your lawn near the curb.
• Monday, January 19^th is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This is a federal holiday, so Town Hall and the Transfer Station will be closed. The Transfer Station hours will remain the same for Saturday, January 17^th and Tuesday, January 20^th.
• The Waste and Recycling Committee Survey will be close soon, please take a minute to share your ideas on how to save the Town money processing our household trash and recycling.

All my best,

Martha