[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:27] Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the September 2,026 Board of Selectman meeting.
[0:37] You've had to have an emergency. The door to my right, the audience's left is the main, means of egress, up to the rear of the town hall, if for some reason you choose to go another way. The hallway straight down the back, would put you out by the firehouse, or up the stairs behind the wall, with the clock on it through the double
[0:59] doors and outward put you out in front of the town hall, with that said, please rise for
[1:07] the pledge.
[1:09] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and it's just a republic of
[1:15] a British stance on nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all.
[1:32] And as my phone just dinged in my pocket, remember to shut your phone to
[1:46] start on my left
[1:47] there tonight. Good evening, Mitch Goldblatt. Bill Crowe.
[1:53] Jack Randler. Oh, and weaver town council. And any secretary to the board?
[1:58] Judy Smith.
[1:59] Pigeationally. Okay.
[2:02] So nobody has not left us yet. Thank you.
[2:05] Public participation. Public participation is for any item that is not in the agenda item.
[2:10] We allow two minutes per speaker on any item.
[2:14] Well, you're first tonight, holy moly.
[2:22] Tom Paisano, 523, Fairway Road, Orange Connecticut, for those of you who don't know me,
[2:26] but 40 years ago, we started Orange Soccer Association, and I've been in the presence
[2:30] ever since.
[2:32] So I appreciate all them help through the years.
[2:34] I just wanted to come up here to recognize Chris Small, Chris Small, works with Park
[2:40] and Rick, and he took it on his own to patch some pot holes on what have you at the
[2:47] at Fred Wolfe and it's nice they did that. They don't have anything in their budget and it's
[2:54] too much to a long stretch to ask highway department because they don't have money to
[2:58] pave their streets. This particular fiscal year so we had to do it we can't. It was not
[3:05] successful so long reason I'm saying that in a negative sense is because I'm sure myself
[3:11] and all of the board members will be getting some sort of emails from parents because they're
[3:16] start this week going there as they did last last year of fall for their soccer practice in games.
[3:25] So we can do what we can do better. I know we can probably do something in this next fiscal
[3:31] budget. Either part in REC or how we department, but I'm not asked Donnie for you. He's helped us
[3:39] before there. So thank you. Then just for what it's worth in case you get emails. Thanks.
[3:45] Just in response to that, that's definitely not correct.
[3:52] They have the ability to reline those lots if they needed to.
[4:02] If it was broad, I have not been to that property since the slow and steady development was
[4:09] taken away from me and turned over to engineers to do it.
[4:15] So I couldn't tell you, but I can go down there and take a look, but to say they don't have money is not correct, because they definitely do and we can do better at that time, so I'll take a look at it because when I was doing it, you never had that problem.
[4:30] So, what the will handle it? Is there anybody else?
[4:33] Yes.
[4:36] But you're not going to go long-wind it on flock tonight, right?
[4:38] I'm going to be...
[4:39] I got two minutes.
[4:43] Eric Meason, three simply, was a road.
[4:45] I just wanted to check in real quick, and just make sure that I clarify a public perspective
[4:50] that has, it's told me a little bit since our last meeting, right?
[4:54] Because the mayor of New Haven came out and said, oh, don't worry, we don't use flock we use and then named one of the competitors.
[5:00] I want to be very clear that when we say that we're worried about these cameras, we don't mean that we're just worried about flock.
[5:04] We're worried about axon, and all of the others, motorola, all the competitors, recore.
[5:09] When we say we don't want them, we're saying it like you might ask for a clean-ax when you mean a facial tissue.
[5:13] And I would advise that you don't just look at the sales flyer, that they're selling you,
[5:19] but also look at what these companies are saying to their investors and the people behind the room.
[5:23] Because, for example, one of these companies that's involved in these sorts of surveillance activities,
[5:29] Anthropics Security Program Manager has recently said,
[5:32] the goal would be transforming operations from reactive information together in proactive and predictive
[5:37] and preventative threat engagement and management.
[5:39] And that is the kind of 24-7 AI powered and opticon that we are speaking against that we are worried about.
[5:46] Where they're saying, yes.
[5:48] Oh, you gotta use a good word if we're going to invoke, you know, or well.
[5:52] You know, that's what worries us that we're putting these systems into place that are one software update away from streaming all the data into what they're actively telling their investors they are working to develop right now.
[6:05] that is what they're aiming at, and that's why we need to be careful with these systems.
[6:10] Okay, thank you.
[6:11] And my response to that will be, we responded to flock because that was who our contract was with.
[6:20] But I also think that our police department, our board of select men, and many others,
[6:31] whether it be flock or any of those other names that he just mentioned, we understand that
[6:39] there's a problem in a concern with this, so we wouldn't be entering into any agreements
[6:46] with any of the others as well as flock.
[6:50] Like I said, you were talking to Jim Haragrement was with flock, so that's why we refer it
[6:54] However, the police and this board have learned their lesson that there's a lot of concerns
[7:01] that surfaced after this started to bubble and so that wouldn't happen and you would
[7:10] know about it because this board would know about it.
[7:13] It's not something that the chief or myself individually would be party to.
[7:21] at some point though we are going to proceed we put it on slow roll at the moment.
[7:30] My direction to Attorney Weaver. Some people don't understand the difference and I didn't understand
[7:37] the difference quite honestly in the beginning between the red light cameras, which are a traffic
[7:42] speed and light running camera, and the flock camera, which is just continually taking photos of
[7:48] every vehicle as it's clicking by. The red light cameras are selective. They are for
[7:56] speeders and for light runners and if and when we do consider that to install those, those
[8:05] will be done and I am an advocate for those, but in select locations root 34 at Dogwood
[8:14] Dog Burn, Race Pro, possibly even out in front of what we call Mike Skorage by the junior
[8:21] high. You know, all the main intersections over there, and possibly up on Marshall,
[8:33] where
[8:33] you go up and then there's the light by UI, and that was not so bad with runners, but
[8:37] the next one. There's a lot of runners. It would be select locations. You're not going
[8:42] to see, like, no-for-did, where they have, what did I hear there? 96 cameras or something all over
[8:49] their city. That is not happening in orange. That's not happening. But if you've had friends
[8:57] or family that have been in accidents injured or killed as I for one have on Route 34,
[9:06] you understand the need for those. People are like, well, there was some commentary on social
[9:12] media. Well, we need more police presence there. Police need to do more. If a police officer
[9:18] pulls over one car that runs through the red light. By the time he pulls that car over,
[9:25] license registration runs the information, writes the ticket, etc., etc., you've lost an hour,
[9:33] whereas a red light camera can do 5, 10, 15, whatever the number may be in minutes and it's recording
[9:41] them. So it is to enhance safety and speed control, traffic control, not to hinder it in that
[9:52] case. The flock one, just clicking everybody's plate, as it goes by so that you might
[9:57] yet somebody who caused a crime or something, that's slip. So there's a big difference
[10:05] there that people have to understand. And they have to be used judiciously and sensibly
[10:11] A lot of complaints have come in and know for it about Woodruff Road.
[10:15] Anybody who's familiar if you go Old Tavern Road, take a left on to Woodruff Road.
[10:19] You're now in Millford and our speed limit is 35 as soon as you're heading down Woodruff
[10:24] Road.
[10:25] It's 25 and people are getting nailed there, constantly.
[10:32] It's really ridiculous.
[10:33] It's a boulevard of a road, so you have to be sensible about it, but anyhow those are my
[10:40] thoughts.
[10:45] Trust me, Eric.
[10:47] You will be the first one to understand that.
[10:50] Yes.
[10:50] Come on up.
[10:54] Absolutely.
[11:02] Randy Swire's 721 North Green Breyer.
[11:05] I can't talk in right at the same time.
[11:09] First of all, thanks.
[11:10] I know I've been bombarding you guys with some emails.
[11:12] I appreciate you responding to that.
[11:15] Just because in the past month there's been a lot of towns
[11:18] we've had similar forms, the term pause has been used a lot for all these different government
[11:25] systems.
[11:26] I just wanted to clarify, when we last month, when we voted to pause, because you know,
[11:32] millford said pause and they took down select cameras, but when we said pause, we're not
[11:36] expanding further on those ALPR camera numbers, we're just keeping steady at the number
[11:43] that we have.
[11:43] to not even installing the ones that weren't installed yet.
[11:48] Understood.
[11:49] That is a complete flat stop.
[11:52] Because then November, this board
[11:55] has got to discuss that amongst our six here.
[11:59] And the contract runs out, the end of December, oh, and was it?
[12:04] Was it not?
[12:04] Yeah, it's for one year of term that ends in December,
[12:08] and was in 20 seconds or something in the 20s.
[12:10] So at our November meeting, this group,
[12:13] because we've heard so many people so much,
[12:16] that I think the information is there
[12:18] and they have to decide, you know,
[12:21] is this a plus or a minus?
[12:23] But at this point, no more of being installed or anything.
[12:26] It's when we say pause, it's flat.
[12:30] Yes.
[12:31] Question on that.
[12:31] Because make sure we're all understanding the same thing
[12:34] and we answer Randy's question appropriately.
[12:38] We paused for the time being, the new, additional flock cameras that we had voted on, I think, in July or something like that.
[12:47] Correct.
[12:48] But there were, or still are, other cameras, flock cameras in this town that have not been paused.
[12:54] Am I correct?
[12:54] The ones about the highway are still functioning.
[12:56] I'm going to make sure there's no misconception that we don't have any cameras working in the town of Orange with flock or Recore,
[13:05] whoever it is, we still do, we just didn't add to it
[13:09] as we had voted on in July.
[13:11] I'm pause those.
[13:13] I'm going to make sure, on the same page,
[13:15] and there's no misconceptions here.
[13:17] And there are two that we're existing already.
[13:19] There are three things.
[13:21] There's two.
[13:21] There's two.
[13:22] The contract was for five, but only two,
[13:25] if I recall my conversations, that she
[13:27] for installed.
[13:28] And how long have we had the ones that we've already had?
[13:31] Two years.
[13:32] They've been there two years.
[13:34] I don't know if that's two minutes, I'll just quickly add, you know, I am okay with these
[13:41] cameras that catch crime specifically, right, that are, you know, school bus cameras is
[13:46] another great example, right, you know, they only go off once the red lights are flashing,
[13:51] so there's no ambiguity in which data is being collected.
[13:55] So you're saying crime, you mean speed or light runners?
[13:58] Yeah.
[14:00] So just not.
[14:01] I just said there's the two different.
[14:03] Yeah, I understand that.
[14:04] I mean, I've gotten snagged on what you're
[14:06] if myself seems a little bit, you know,
[14:09] I think I helped pay for some of the no-for-it-school districts,
[14:11] renovations, but I'll all spare that, Grant.
[14:14] So, thank you.
[14:15] All right, thank you, Randy.
[14:16] It's anybody else?
[14:17] If not, anybody at the table?
[14:20] Yeah, just briefly, on behalf of my family,
[14:23] I just wanted to thank friends and family
[14:26] who came to my mom's celebration of life.
[14:29] We were humbled by the turnout and we just thank everyone for being there. So thanks again
[14:36] Okay, sure. These days October 24th
[14:41] I just want that people know. Okay
[14:44] Anybody else
[14:45] And we have a couple things here
[14:47] We lost one good
[14:49] Member of our community Linda Cantor. I don't know if any of you know her
[14:54] She lived on Wellington Drive for many years. They suffered a Catholic catastrophic house fire there
[15:00] Number, when I was in the fire department a hundred years ago and she was on our park and rec commission for years and years was a wonderful, wonderful family and she was a wonderful lady and was a great asset to our community and unfortunately her time has come.
[15:19] So our thoughts are with the cancer family on that.
[15:24] And let's not forget what's coming up.
[15:26] Mr. Foyer always thinks the carnival is the most wonderful time of the year.
[15:30] I have to disagree, the Orange Country Fair, which is not this weekend coming.
[15:37] The following weekend, the Friday night, it starts with people bringing in entries.
[15:42] There's a pickup truck pull, and then the main part of the fair is Saturday and Sunday.
[15:49] Friday night is there's no admission charge and the lower food tap will be serving, a limited
[15:58] menu but we will be serving. I start preparing food. I think this Saturday, one week before
[16:04] I have over a thousand pounds of pork to cook and 300 pounds of chicken and a lot of
[16:10] lot of other stuff so Steve Beckman's already salivating over there. So yeah the fare will be here
[16:16] It's the best thing in the world for orange.
[16:22] OK.
[16:22] We have a memo from the town clerk.
[16:27] Mrs. Shaw, the town clerk is currently
[16:29] accepting applications for absentee ballots
[16:32] for the upcoming state election on November 3rd, 2026.
[16:38] Absentee ballots will be available
[16:41] beginning October 2, 2026. Please contact the town clerks office with any questions you may have.
[16:50] In addition, please note that early voting will take place from October 19th through November 1st
[16:58] at the town hall. Please visit the town's website for additional information including early voting hours.
[17:06] Just so they start taking the absentee ballot applications, but it sounds like they're going
[17:13] out on October 2nd is what I read that document.
[17:20] The Orange Visiting Nurses event for our seniors in the community Friday, September 25th,
[17:31] from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Community Center, they have blood pressure screening,
[17:35] vision screenings. Information product giveaways, refreshments, and raffles. That is on Friday,
[17:42] September 25th from 10 a.m. to noon.
[17:49] Then we have funtober at the fairgrounds.
[17:53] Is Sunday, October 25th, 2026 from 1 to 330 p.m. It's a trunk or treat with free raffle ticket
[18:04] back in candy with vehicle registration, prizes for the best decorated vehicle. I think that
[18:12] to register your car to participate. It is 203-891-478-4 and I think the lion's club might even
[18:28] have a car, trucker treated at that with that.
[18:31] Instead of giving out turkeys, give out candy.
[18:37] I have one last thing that the world is on fire around here with all these, they're not
[18:46] all kids, young people, very young people, middle-aged people, the e-bikes, e-bikes and
[18:54] scooters. Those, like those vespos scooters are up and down the poster. I actually saw
[19:01] this a state trooper had when pulled over on the parkway the other day. But they're out
[19:06] driving in the lanes as if they're a full-fledged vehicle like any other car or Harley Davidson.
[19:12] They aren't. But the kids on the e-bikes and the deckboards and these type of things,
[19:20] it's absolutely frightening. A lot of these kids are young. They have no knowledge of the
[19:27] road and road safety. It's to the point of being scary.
[19:35] And I've yelled at kids, spoken to kids,
[19:41] a resident here in town sent the board a couple emails with challenges about it.
[19:48] You know, and parents out there, you're buying these kids, these bikes and means of transportation.
[19:57] And you're just letting them go.
[19:58] Here you go honey, you got to help it.
[20:00] Get on it and go.
[20:02] Please educate your children.
[20:04] We had one young person already hit on the post road.
[20:08] got banged up in suffer life for limb, but got pretty banged up.
[20:18] So Officer Lendizio, I think he's one of our sergeants, he set me the information I asked him
[20:26] before and he emailed it to me. And so we have this, but at least all of the information about
[20:34] the e-bikes, the rules and regulations, the different sizes and all, Mr. Hackman, you
[20:40] Would you like this, maybe you could do something with it?
[20:44] All right.
[20:45] I will, and we'll email you a copy of this.
[20:48] Maybe we can get something in the paper, I mean, but please, parents, please, you've heard
[20:55] me say this month after month.
[20:59] Let's keep our children safe just because they have a helmet on their head.
[21:03] That doesn't offer a lot of resistance to somebody coming down the road in their F350.
[21:08] You know, I mean it, please, let's think about that a little bit.
[21:17] That's true, otherwise it's very good, you're right.
[21:24] Minutes to consider an act on the minutes of the August 12th, 2026 meeting, or any errors
[21:30] emissions or corrections, if so, state, page and paragraph,
[21:39] all in favour?
[21:40] Aye.
[21:41] Post, stain, unanimous.
[21:43] New business, item number one, to consider and act that and request for the Lions Club to
[21:49] wave the customary rental and custodial fees for their annual Thanksgiving dinner schedule
[21:55] for Sunday, November 29th, 2026 at the High Plains Community Center and Mr. Muddit is here
[22:02] from the Orange Lions to put a pitch out there for this.
[22:06] Yes, Michael Muddit, for 12-Vergy Road Orange Connecticut, trustee with the Lions Club and
[22:13] Every year the lines are delighted to provide a Thanksgiving dinner the Sunday after Thanksgiving primarily for the seniors of Orange, but no one has turned away.
[22:25] And if a senior brings a grandchild, there is welcome as anybody. We love.
[22:30] During this every year, and I believe last year we miscounted, we believe this is our 40th year doing this.
[22:38] So we're hoping to have a few extra decorations or something just to make it special.
[22:44] It makes one of the wonderful things about the town of Orange.
[22:49] And this year, we've actually, I would like to thank the Orange Foundation, give us a grant to help pay for this.
[22:55] because it's with cost of food and everything else's prices are going up and it's getting expensive.
[23:02] But the orange foundation said they love to help us out and they gave us a nice grant to help to
[23:07] fright-free a lot of the costs, but so with the help of the board, if they can wave our fees,
[23:15] we'll be home free and we're ready to start working at it. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.
[23:21] Motion approved, all-favor, both,
[23:25] staying unanimous.
[23:28] Item number two, to consider an act on request
[23:31] to approve the tax refunds totaling $28,325 and $66.
[23:40] Any questions on that?
[23:42] I've agreed, didn't want to make a donation.
[23:46] What?
[23:46] I said, I've agreed, didn't want to make a donation to us.
[23:49] Yeah, right.
[23:49] They do three and a half million a year, so.
[23:53] Motion approved.
[23:54] Second.
[23:55] OK.
[23:56] All those in favor?
[24:00] The next one is to review of proposed housing growth plan working group.
[24:07] All ones going to address this one.
[24:10] I think the zoning commission acted on it.
[24:14] And now it's.
[24:15] Yeah, so this is a second part last meeting.
[24:17] you guys voted on the traffic district, that's one part, but real briefly for the board's benefit
[24:25] in the public. Public Act 25-1, which was enacted in the special session last year, requires
[24:32] all municipalities to adopt and submit for approval to the Office of Policy and Management
[24:37] Housing Growth Plan. What's a housing growth plan? It's a document that needs to be prepared
[24:43] that demonstrates and explains how a municipality is going to plan for and implement changes
[24:50] in their housing stock and how they're going to increase housing opportunities.
[24:55] A municipality has two options.
[24:57] You can either adopt the local Council of Governments Plan or it can create its own plan.
[25:03] The deadline for orange is to submit its own plan or go with the South Central Council
[25:08] government's regional plan is June 1, 2020, 9. I know that's a far time away, but this is a
[25:16] lengthy process. The act required OPM to issue guidelines on the form and level of detail
[25:24] that are required for a housing growth plan. OPM issued preliminary guidelines in May,
[25:30] and then revised guidelines in July of this year, and the revised guidelines suggested that
[25:35] municipalities form a working group to develop these housing growth plans, and that was my
[25:40] recommendation to the first selectment. The recommendation from OPM was a committee consisting
[25:47] of five to ten members of the community to help the guy the planning process, and that committee's
[25:54] task will be the developed housing growth plan for the town. Again, real high level, there's
[25:59] four components to the plan, the developer land inventory, what land and town can be developed
[26:04] for housing. What are the state and regional housing needs assessments that will be
[26:09] promulgated by OPM later this year? A suitability analysis that this committee will have
[26:14] to do that and what type of housing is suitable for the available land stock that we have
[26:19] and then ultimately putting it together with recommendations that implement it. So with that,
[26:24] I'm happy to answer any questions, but again this is OPM's recommendation that towns form a work
[26:29] committee. The legislation doesn't say what bodies have to approve the plan before
[26:37] submit to OPM. My suggestion at this point in time would go before PNZ and this board
[26:44] to submit to OPM in 2020.
[26:46] So, with that, I'll answer any questions or just a quick one for your own.
[26:52] You mentioned the sense of entrepreneurial council governments that have they already started to work on the template or is that some we have to wait for before you look at it.
[27:04] So they have the same June 1st deadline and they have to let when they ultimately publish theirs they have to give the municipality 30 days to tell the cog whether you want to join the cog plan or do your own.
[27:21] So unfortunately, I don't think we can just sit back and say, oh, is the cod plan going to be suitable for orange, which is one of the reason why I'm recommending a working group.
[27:34] And we're supposed to go into an executive session.
[27:40] Oh, yeah.
[27:40] I think the most of you are working really fast, proposed by the First Electon, which would include
[27:46] you to sit in front of you, called Fathlete St, with Galaxy Ackon or Sean Harsha.
[27:52] Sorry.
[27:53] Make a motion.
[27:55] Thank you.
[27:56] Make a motion.
[27:56] We approve the proposed housing growth plan working group that's been proposed by the First
[28:01] Electon with the members being Judy Smith, Aussie Parenti, Paul Kaplan, Santo Galatio,
[28:07] and Sean Hartchorn. Ask a quick question. Jim, is that Santa Galatio to a senior junior?
[28:14] Junior. Santa Galatio to a junior. Very good. That's the motion.
[28:21] All clear? All right. I'm just trying to find out where the attorney is.
[28:29] The pass is, thank you.
[28:35] So any hour is supposed to go into executive session with Attorney Ryan at three items.
[28:41] The first item is a memorandum of agreement concerning employment evaluation and health
[28:48] of a official and a disability pension application, physical exam, a tentative agreement with
[28:57] dispatch or union, which is opening up to them, I think, John Wright for it so that they can
[29:02] join the eight.
[29:05] Okay, tell me to go one minute.
[29:08] HSA plan, which the town has implemented, HSA health insurance plan, and the police union has
[29:17] it, offered to them,
[29:21] and either of the other unions such as dispatchers tonight, and non-union,
[29:29] yet. So that'll leave a couple more unions to negotiate with. And then there's a release agreement
[29:36] for a settlement or a pending for old injury claim. Those are the three items, but now we have to wait
[29:43] the labor attorney. So in the meantime, if anybody has any questions,
[29:52] take five minute
[29:55] recess, Lauren. Motion to move into executive session.
[30:00] Okay, motion is made to move into executive session by Mr. Goldblad at a second.
[30:05] What is that?
[30:06] Such a number of time with our clear counsel.
[30:10] So, and we went into executive session,
[30:13] Mitch made the motion, Judy made the second at 7.35.
[30:17] And we're now out of executive session at 7.58, it looks like up there.
[30:26] So we were in executive session.
[30:29] We discussed three items, as I had said, and there's a possible vote on a memorandum of
[30:34] agreement on a settlement, a possible vote on a tentative agreement between the town and
[30:41] the dispatcher's police dispatch union, regarding an HSA health account, and a possible
[30:48] vote on a release agreement.
[30:50] Those three items were discussed in executive session, and conclusion was positive, is there a motion to be made on those?
[30:59] First one is a motion to accept and approve a union memorandum of agreement, and to authorize the first
[31:06] select and execute a set agreement.
[31:13] Motion is made as there a second.
[31:15] Okay.
[31:16] All in favor?
[31:16] Aye.
[31:17] Post.
[31:18] Stay in unanimous.
[31:20] Item number two.
[31:21] Yeah, I can make a motion to accept and approve the tent of agreement, the dispatcher
[31:25] Union for an HSA agreement, and to authorize the first document execute, such agreement.
[31:32] Second, motion made in second bid.
[31:35] Any discussion?
[31:36] Seeing none all those in favor?
[31:38] Aye.
[31:38] Pose.
[31:39] Stay in unanimous.
[31:41] Item number three.
[31:42] Yeah, I make a motion to accept and approve release agreement into authorize the first
[31:46] to execute set agreement.
[31:48] Motion is made, second is made, all in favor?
[31:52] Aye.
[31:52] Aye.
[31:53] Opposed?
[31:54] abstain?
[31:56] Enanimous?
[31:57] Because their motion to adjourn is their motion to adjourn at eight o'clock.
[32:02] Motion is made to adjourn.
[32:03] We are adjourn at eight o'clock.