Happy Friday! This week we have many items to share, so this newsletter is a bit longer than usual.

On Monday, August 19^th, we begin some construction in Town Hall. Our front office (Michele Hayes’ office) and the mailroom will be closed, or have limited access, for the next two weeks. Both of these rooms are in need of a painting and wood floor replacement. Michele will be on vacation for these two weeks, so the public will be redirected to Katie Balocca’s and my office via the Town Clerk Hallway. We will be posting signage to aid with directions. Thank you in advance for your patience, the project is planned to be completed by August 30^th.

Speaking of Town Hall, we would like to welcome Glynis Houde as the newest member of the Town Hall staff. Glynis is the new assistant to our Building Inspector, Mark Wayland. Glynis recently retired from Lyme-Old Lyme High School, where she served as the guidance officer administrator for 18 years. We learned a fun fact about Glynis during the interview process – she was a carpenter for several years of her life! We are so happy to have her as part of our team.

The Sound View accessible parking spots project has gone out for bid. Bids will be accepted until September 11^th, at 1PM. We will have a public bid opening at that time. Once a bid is accepted, we will hold a Town Meeting for funding approval. Please remember that this project came about due to an ADA complaint, and we are working with the Department of Justice to comply with federal regulations. Nathan Jacobson and Associates, our town engineer, is working with us on the project.

Our Public Works Director, Ed Adanti, has informed me that they will begin repaving Sill Lane on August 21^st. Sill Lane is a little over 2 miles long and is used by many residents of Lyme and Old Lyme. Griswold Avenue will also be included in this paving so expect some delays on both roads. This project is expected to complete by September 6^th.

There have been many questions regarding the Amtrak Bridge project and how it will impact our local traffic. I have reached out to my contacts at Amtrak and will provide more specific answers as soon as I have them.

This week I want to remind you to complete the town survey. Your participation will allow us to save on advertising costs for legal notices. The survey’s primary purpose is to understand seasonal residents’ off-season newspaper access and subscriptions. Our current ordinance requires posting notice of town meetings in major newspapers during the months of November through May. We want to make sure the ordinance matches the newspapers you rely on for Old Lyme town meetings. By understanding where our residents get their news, Old Lyme departments and commissions can better evaluate where to send press releases or information on upcoming activities and events. We hope you will take the time to participate; it takes approximately 4 minutes to complete.

REMINDERS:

The Assessor would like to remind residents of the ongoing data collection and property inspections for the 2024 Revaluation. Munival Data Collectors and Reviewers are currently in the areas of: KINNER AVE, SHORE RD, SMITHS NECK RD, BUTTONBALL RD, HEFFLON FARM RD, HOMESTEAD CIR, LITTLEFIELD DR, BAILEY RD, JOHNNYCAKE HILL RD, MILE CREEK RD, TOWN LANDING RD, FOGGY MEADOW LA, MEADOW LA, OLIVIA LA, PINE RD, STRAWBERRY LA, CHADWICK DR, CHAMPLAIN DR, CROSS LA, DEER RIDGE, VICTORIA LA, LEE DR, CAULKINS RD, DEVITT RD, JOEL DR, KATHERINE RD, MCCURDY RD, NOYES RD, BROWNS LA, CHANTICLEER LA, COBBLERS LA, HASTINGS LA, NOTTINGHAM RD, SALT KETTLE LA, WYCHWOOD RD. - For more information on data collection and revaluation please visit the REVALUATION NEWS FLASH.

Water Bill: Gerry McDermott of CT Water Company sent us this reminder this morning; Over the past few years, we’ve seen a significant increase of lawn irrigation in our service areas. With that, customers often have questions when they receive their water bill. We created a video to help our customers understand how to calculate the cost of watering their lawn.

I have proclaimed August 22^nd as MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE DAY, in honor of General Lafayette’s visit to Old Lyme on August 22, 1824.

Here are some special events you may want to include on your calendar for the week ahead.

• Hamburg Fair – The annual fair opens Friday at 5PM and runs until Sunday at 5PM. 
• RiverCog will be holding their next hazardous waste collection on August 17^th from 9-1. This collection will be hosted by the Town of Deep River. 
• The Old Lyme Historical Society will celebrate the 200^th Anniversary of General Lafayette’s Visit to Old Lyme with a breakfast on Thursday, August 22^nd from 8-9AM.

Enjoy getting ready for school and don't forget it's the annual sales tax-free week!