The four-day week at Town Hall has been busy with meetings for early voting preparation, various monthly meetings, and even some discussions on summer festivities that we all look forward to as the weather turns a bit more fall-like.

The Board of Finance met on Tuesday evening. Finance Director Anita Mancini prepared an estimated net total of return to surplus from FY 24/25 of $1,474,699. Please remember this is before the auditors make adjustments. Our annual audit has begun, and Anita is expecting to have it completed by the end of December.  

IT Manager Tom Meyer has informed me that the refresh of computers at the Old Lyme Police Department was completed successfully this week. This means all our PC’s have been successfully upgraded to Windows 11. 

I have also been informed that a few residents have had issues with their wells due to the lack of rain. I am providing the following information that you might find helpful. This is the link to the Water Planning Council's Drought Information Center. Here is another link that provides some valuable information on water conservation. The US Drought Monitor indicates that the southeast CT Shoreline is in a moderate drought and that it is likely to persist.

Voting Information

The Registrars of Voters, Catherine Carter and Jen Datum, asked that I provide the following voting information to residents of Old Lyme.

The Municipal Election will take place on Tuesday, November 4. 

• The polls will be open from 6:00AM to 8:00PM 
• The polling location is the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School gymnasium located at 53 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT.

Early Voting runs from October 20 – November 2 from 10:00AM – 6:00PM with the exception of Oct. 28 and 30, when the hours are 8:00AM – 8:00PM. Our early voting location is the Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall at 52 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, in the meeting hall on the first floor. Park in front of the building, or in reserved spots in the rear. Handicap accessible parking is in the rear lot. This educational flyer provides additional details. 

Absentee Ballots are available now through the Town Clerk’s office. 

More information is available on the Town’s website.

If you have questions about voter registration or voting, contact the Registrar of Voters office at 860-434-1605 ext. 226.

If you have questions about absentee ballots, contact the Town Clerk's office at 860-434-1605 ext. 220 or 221.

Town Meeting

Please note that there will be a Town Meeting on Tuesday, October 22^nd at 6:00PM. There are two items on the agenda.  

1. That the TOWN OF OLD LYME, CT grants the request by the Point O’ Woods Association, for purposes of Connecticut General Statutes §7-372 only, their consent to POW for issuing bonds pledging the security of POW in the amount of up to $275,000.00 for the purpose of restoration and rebuilding of the boat basin bulkhead. POW is a separate taxing district situated within the limits of the Town of Old Lyme. The Town is not liable at law for any debt of POW, and its consent to this bond issue does not and cannot be interpreted to mean that the Town is now assuming or shall ever have any obligation to assume any or all of the obligations to be created by the bond issue.  Please remember that the first phase of this project was completed between 2022-2025.  

Copies of a brief description of the project proposed by POW are available in the Town Clerk’s office and on the Town of Old Lyme website: oldlyme-ct.gov

2. To approve the transfer of $43,050 from Municipal Refuse Single Stream Recycling Fund to Transfer Station Contracted Services.

Amtrak Bridge Project Update

This week we had an update on the Amtrak bridge project. Our contacts at Amtrak wanted residents to be advised of ongoing and upcoming marine construction activity within the Connecticut River.  They have provided us with this bulleted list.

• Marine Work & Barge Presence: Significant marine construction continues across the full width of the river. Barge-mounted operations are active and will persist through the fall and winter.
• Temporary Regulatory Markers: ‘Danger Work Area’ and ‘Slow No Wake’ buoys remain in place north and south of the bridge. These buoys will be removed by the end of October for the winter season and replaced with signage mounted on barges and piers. They will be reinstalled in spring 2026.
• Channel Restrictions:
  • A vertical clearance restriction of 100 feet and a width restriction of 115 feet are now in effect due to aerial cable installation across the channel.
  • Occasional channel closures may occur during barge operations through the moveable span.
• December 2025 Movable Span Shutdown: A temporary shutdown of the movable span is anticipated in December. During this period, marine traffic will be limited to vessels that can pass under the bridge without requiring the span to be raised. Specific dates and durations will be shared in future updates.
• Construction Platforms & Fender System: Platforms are being installed adjacent to the new bridge. Demolition of the south fender system has begun, with a temporary fender system to be installed during construction.

New Employee

We welcome Julie Carlos as our new Land Use Technician, who began work at the Town Hall this week.

A Few Reminders

• Our annual Trick or Treating in the Village will take place on October 31^st.  Please make a candy donation to LYSB by October 27^th. LYSB will distribute the candy to residents on Lyme Street.  
• The Town Hall Meeting Hall is being used for Early Voting for the next two weeks. Please check signage near the main stairs for meeting room information.  

Great News

And great news to end the week!  

• The Old Lyme Fire Department announced that they are the recipient of a FEMA 2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grant in the amount of approximately $260,000. This grant will allow them to replace their Forestry 38-2, a 1956 Dodge Power Wagon. Many thanks to Jared Flagg, the OLFD Chiefs, and other officers who worked so hard on this grant. Thank you to Chief Mike McCarthy for his leadership of our Old Lyme Fire Department.   
• Congratulations to Lyme-Old Lyme High School senior Chase Gilbert who won her 4^th Shoreline Conference girls XC Championship yesterday, while also setting the course record. She beat her previous times and came in two minutes before the 2^nd place winner. We applaud all the students who took part in the race.  

All my best, 
Martha