Board of Selectmen - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone. I'm going to start this meeting. Hold on one second. To begin this special meeting, the Board of Selectmen on July 13, 2026 at 530. In attendance, we have Selectman John Misham, Selectman Jim Lampos, and First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker at the table. We have many invited guests here tonight. And It's a special meeting. We're not revising the agenda, but we are making a motion so that everyone will have some time for public comment to just move the zoning issue to number four under number six. And we have three really quick pieces of information. We have our future garden people here. Three very quick things to do that we'd like to get done. One is the town meeting minutes, town warning for our meeting next week. We'd just like to get those quickly approved. And then we can spend the remainder of the time on the zoning issue. So I'm going to ask for a motion from one of our select people to whoever would like to move bullet point number four under number six, new business to the fourth number. So we're going to move zoning to number the fourth position and have Blue chair, the warning and referral to planning as numbers as the ABC or 123. And then we would also split public interest if there's any public comment on those first three small issues. So then we'll open up public comment and continue public comment after those three issues. So could I have a motion from one of you to that effect? Or would you just like to say

Sure, I'll make a motion to switch the 24 for property sale. Last position to the second position zoning to the 4th position under number 6. Thank you.

Every second on that.

I was a second but there was a further. The discussion about public comment.

You need to and your manager agenda to include that public comment will come continue

I'll amend my motion to include that public comment will continue for the zoning discussion. Seconds. Thank you.

Any further discussion? Okay. Can I have a proper vote? All those in favor?

If you're online, can you mute, please?

All those online should be muted. Thank you. Thank you. Any further discussion? Hearing none, I'll call for a vote for that motion. Signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed? Abstained? Motion carries. Thank you. Okay. We received a lot of information, communications, correspondence over the last two weeks. Those will all be included in the minutes of the meeting. Jen will have those. And so I'm gonna open up this right now for public comment for those three items, the food share garden, the warning, or the 8-24 referral for planning for property sale. Is there anyone in the audience who has a comment on any of those three items? Seeing none. Is there anyone online who has a comment on any of those three items?

food, chair, garden, town meeting for the 8-24 referral.

Seeing none, we will move on to approval of the regular Board of Selectmen meeting minutes from June 15th. Can I have a motion on that, please?

Make a motion to approve the regular Board of Selectmen meeting minutes for June 15th, 2026. Second. Oh, second.

Okay. Any further discussion? Changes? Corrections revisions? I have none.

I've known.

Okay, call for a vote. All those in favor of approving the minutes of our regular meeting June 15. Please signify by saying aye. Any opposed? Any abstention? Motion passes. Thank you. Okay, next up, food share garden. We have a request from the food share garden. I'm going to read this because there's a lot of people in the audience. Dear select persons, representing the board members of the Lime Old Lime Food Share Garden, we are writing to request approval to install a drilled well for the purpose of irrigating our garden, which is situated on land provided by Park and Recreation at Townwoods Park. The FoodShare Garden, a Lime Old Lime FoodShare Garden Incorporated is a 503C nonprofit entity has been growing and donating fresh vegetables to local food pantries for charitable distribution since 2021. To date, we have been grateful beneficiaries of the water resources provided by the existing irrigation system that supports the playing fields at Townwoods Park. However, increasing our independence from that source would enable the Lime Old Lime FoodShare Garden to extend its growing season and have greater control over our specific water needs. As such, we consider it very important to our growth and sustainability to maintain our own well. We intend to finance, contract, and maintain such a well through our donation stream and endowment. Our intended contractor requires us to have approval by the owners of the property. Pending approval, we would begin the contracting process as soon as possible and anticipate that work would commence and conclude in the November-December 2026 timeframe. Please let us know our next steps in the process and thank you for your consideration. signed by Sheila McTeague Ward, Secretary of the Blue Share Garden. Is there anything else that any, I know you have two reps here. Is there anything else that you would like to say?

I would be happy to answer any questions.

Okay. I also have shared this. Christy Zellick is also sharing this with her up in Lyme. I don't know if you were there. You were there. All right. So any questions?

Yeah. What's the need for capacity that you need? What's your need for capacity or how are you lacking in capacity?

The way things stand now, the source of the water gets turned on around the beginning of May, but our growing season begins at the beginning of April. It gets turned off sometime in September. We'd like to extend that through October, November. We'd also like to have control over the quality of the water that we're drawing and control over the mechanics of getting that water rather than depending on the goodwill of parks and rec. The contractor that we've spoken to is the same contractor that installed the wells out there already. They're familiar with the property. They're familiar with the groundwater situation. They've given us an idea of how deep a well we have to go. We haven't solicited an estimate yet because we're waiting for you guys to let us read like that.

So I don't know if that answers your question. It does. Thank you. And I appreciate all the work you're putting into it. Thank you.

So can I get a motion to approve their request to do their own well?

I'll make a motion to approve the request for an independent well for Lime Old Lime Food Share. I will second.

Any further discussion? Any further questions? I'll call for a vote. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. Got it, Jen. Okay, the next thing on it is the approval of the warning for the town meetings on July 21 2026.

Just a one changes where there, there was just a move up a word from legal, but everything is for proof to approve revision approved revisions, we took out the two.

So We both saw it. We sent it out on Friday. Nothing's changed for those three types of topics. So can I get a motion to approve the warning so this can go in the paper tomorrow?

I'll make a motion to approve the warning for the town meeting. Second.

Any further discussion? Hearing none, I'll call for a vote to approve the warning for the town meeting on July 21st, 2026. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Any abstentions? Sorry. Okay. Motion passes. All right. Next up is, as we were preparing to do the closing for the sale of the two lots at 130-1 Whippoorwill Road for the Habitat for Humanity, it was found that prior to our town meeting in 2024, a piece of paperwork that was forgotten Basically, it is an 8-24 referral to planning for the property sale. And although they went to planning and asked for permission, they didn't actually have the paperwork. Therefore, it's a simple form that says as the planning commission that Mr. Nat just says that we approve it, which we did because it already went to town meeting. So we're sort of doing a sidestep that was not approved and didn't know that Habitat for Humanity needed this paperwork to do the closings. So we're filling in the gaps so that we can have the closing done. So can I have a motion to approve the 8-24 referral to planning?

I'll make a motion to approve the 8-24 referral to planning. Second.

Any further discussion? Hearing none, I'll call for a vote. All those in favor of the 8-24 referral to planning, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Any abstention? Motion passes. Thank you. Okay.

The microphone's closer to you. Sure. A lot of people are having a hard time hearing.

Better?

Yes.

Okay. Okay. So now, thank you. We have gotten through our three pieces of business that we desperately needed to do. And now we're going to open up public comment again for our appointment of replacement for zoning board vacancy. I want you to know that we are on a tight time limit tonight because zoning meets at 6.30. So public comment will end at 6.20 and we would like you to keep your comments as short as possible. If you've written a letter, it will be in record. We have all received them. The last batch that was sent out was Katie was about 4.10, 4.15. We all have copies. So the first thing is public comment from the audience. and then we will go to public comment online. So if you're online, please continue to mute yourself, and we will recognize you after public comment from those people in the audience. If there's anyone here that would like to speak, please raise your hand, and we will call on you. Sloan?

Just state your name and address. Sure.

Sloan Dannen. Excuse me. Sloan Dannen, Hour 35, Ben Franklin Road. Can you sit there just so that the mic will pick you up?

Sure. Thank you, Sonia.

This will be entered into the record for that, right? Yep. I am 100% in favor of Mike Barnes being appointed to a permanent zoning commission seat. To not appoint him is purely a power grab by the Democratic Town Committee. Having been an alternate on the zoning commission for four years, then losing to Mike Fogliano last November, I personally know the commitment the job requires, particularly in light of the perfect storm of new state housing regulations, coupled with the ongoing rewrite of the old line zoning regulations. This arduous process begins with scrutinizing many definitions in an effort to minimize unintended consequences, which there will be. Never mind the technicalities of a particular regulation, which can completely change the meaning on one word. This is no time for on-the-job training, i.e. Bonnie Ream Schneider, when there's a highly experienced candidate in Mike Barnes. His qualifications and commitment are incontrovertible. As the only alternate interested, he should be moved up to the position. The Board of Selectmen must be bound by common sense within the regulatory framework that demands what's best for the town's resident. First and foremost, put purpose ahead of politics. Appoint Mike Barnes to the Zoning Commission.

I saw someone else on this side of the room that had their hand up first. Yes, go ahead. Sorry, Robin. Morning. Robin. Afternoon.

I guess so. Robin Breeding, 81 Neck Road, Old Lyme.

Good evening.

I just really would like to speak for- Pull the mic closer down. Having watched Mike go through the entire process of the overlay, I feel like I watched somebody with a lot of integrity really look carefully at the documents at hand and really, really understand what was going on at a very high level. I think we need with what's going on in this town right now, there's so much happening. We need somebody with that kind of experience who really not only does he have the harbor management experience to go with everything, he has all the zoning experience. The guy is a juggernaut. He's fabulous. And he's an independent. We need an independent on the committee right now, an unaffiliated voter. You have three Democrats. You have one unaffiliated and one Republican. And Mike left the unaffiliated seat. And Paul Orzel is Democratic endorsed. We need an independent, unaffiliated voter to fill that seat, to have some balance on this committee. I'm afraid if we don't. Because Mike will vote his own mind. He won't vote a D or an R. He will vote you right here.

Jennifer Guy, 48 Connecticut Road.

Just what I'd like the others to address obviously this issue And say that the outgoing member was an independent that was voted By the town and we should respect that and honor that and vote in another independent There is an imbalance on the board if we do anything other than that Also with the rewriting of the regulations and and stuff. We need someone with experience right now who can actively help benefit and is operationally ready as opposed to someone who is not. And really the primary duty of and responsibility you have is to the residents of Lyme and not to a political party or appointing a Democrat just for that reason.

Did you get name and address, Jen? A guy, A-G-H-A-I.

Thank you.

Tim, we're reading yours into record. We're going to read yours into record. Jen was gonna do it. Do you wanna do it yourself? Okay, so then come on up and then is it okay if we don't, you're gonna read it in entirety Or do you want Jen?

I said your remarks.

Okay. Do you still want Jen to read yours into record? If she wishes.

I mean.

Well, yeah, you asked for that. It's up to you. Yeah.

Okay. So. I'm going to have a little different slant.

Okay.

Jim Grizzle, Grizzle Point, O-Line. You, the Board of Selectmen, have an important decision to make. Who will be the next regular member of the Zoning Commission? On the one hand, you have a six-year alternate, active and competent. He knows the score. The other, member of the public who has really no zoning experience. Past Board of Selectmen practice has been to elevate alternates to fill regular positions unless there's some extenuating circumstance that would disqualify them. In O-Line, we know it's hard to attract volunteers. Emergency services and boards and commissions struggle to get volunteers. So as alternates who are volunteers, it only seems fair to elevate them when possible. If you don't, why would they want to stay around? If the board doesn't want to make Michael the new, it sends a message to all volunteers that perhaps The town wants them, but maybe not all the time if there's some other motive. I think the answer is simple. Don't select an inexperienced person. Promote a well-qualified, proven alternate to be your next regular member.

He deserves it. Anyone else on this side of the

Mike Presti.

Good evening, Mike Presti, Levin Meadow Lane. I just wanted to mention that I am the sitting chair of the Harbor Commission, and I've relied upon Mike Barnes's counsel, his expertise, and basically just his candor to get things done within our own commission. We've advanced a lot of projects recently, and it's because of his hard work and his knowledge when it comes to not just marine water life, but it also comes to the zoning of the habitats and the anything that touches the water here on Old Lyme. So I think it would be a great disservice to this town if we would pass him over for someone who's inexperienced and someone who does not have the passion that he does have. You can say a lot of things about Michael Barnes, but you cannot say he's just passionate. He loves this town. He wants to serve this town. I think we should let him serve this town.

Thank you. Anyone else? Diane? Diana Prince, Three Rose Lane.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'm here simply because I care deeply about our town and community input in important decisions that can have lasting impact on our town. I encourage the Board of Selectmen to appoint Mike Barnes to fill the vacant seat on the Zoning Board. As the current unaffiliated alternate, Mike has already demonstrated his dedication, commitment, and genuine interest in serving the town of Old Lyme. His record reflects a commitment to thoughtful public service and to the community. While I recognize that the Board of Selectmen has the authority to make this appointment, having the authority to act does not diminish the value of listening. Community input is an essential part of good government. It strengthens our democratic process, promotes transparency, and builds trust between elected officials and the residents they serve. Appointing someone who has already earned the confidence of many residents through his service would provide continuity, recognize demonstrated commitment, and send a clear message that public service, experience, and community support matter. I respectfully ask you to consider not only the authority you have to make this appointment, but all the voices of the people you represent. Listening to your constituents is not a political act. It's the foundation of effective and accountable local government. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Anyone else from this? I will now move to this side. Is there anyone over here? Mr. Archibald?

Robert Archibald, 28 Witchwood Road, Old Lyme, Connecticut. Yeah, we would prefer Mike Barnes. He was already voted on as an alternative. He shows up to everything. We're a small town. Getting people to show up to anything is quite difficult. He already does it. He seems to understand the regulation. That's going to be essential now that they're changing more regulation for home building. He understands the river system. He has a young family. He seems to want to do well. It seems crazy to me not just to pick the next man up who already shows up and knows what they're doing.

Is there anyone else on this side of the room? Denise?

Are you reading your letter into?

No, okay. Denise Savageau, I'm at 4 Hillwood Road East, Old Lyme, and I also serve on the Zoning Commission. I am here to recommend Bonnie Riemenschneider and have her appointed. Bonnie comes to us with a wealth of experience, not only on the Board of Selectmen, as a Selectman, and as the first Selectman for over 16 years. During that, she chaired River Cog. That's our regional planning agency. That's our Council of Government. That's the folks who do the regional planning, and we're going to be working with them very hard during this next couple of years as we look at the Housing Growth Plan, Public Act 25-1, and affordable housing. Additionally, she served on the Old Lime Affordable Housing Group organization, which merged into the Hope Partnership. So she knows affordable housing. This was the strength that Mike Fogliano brought to us, is understanding what's happening at River Club, understanding what's happening in terms of affordable housing, and some of the barriers to putting in affordable housing. And she brings that strength to us. She understands the town. She knows the processes. She knows how to listen. And importantly, she knows what she doesn't know. I think it's really important for us to be looking at that. As someone who had to run for elected office and serve on the zoning commission, my role as a zoning is not to be political. And I'm concerned that by saying that someone's an unaffiliated voter, that they're not political, is not correct. We need to appoint who is going to do the best job for us. We have three Democrats, two that are serving on the Zoning Commission, and one as an alternate. That's the makeup right now. That is not overloaded with Democrats. We have two unaffiliated alternates. We have one unaffiliated who is our chair, who was endorsed by both the Democrats and the Republicans when he ran for office. And we have one and a Republican. So saying that we need to be looking at political parties, I disagree. I think we need to be looking at who is going to serve the town the best. That's whether they're unaffiliated. We don't have to fill it down affiliated with an unaffiliated. We don't have to fill it down with a Dem. We need to look at who can serve us best. And I'm looking at who understands what we need. And the role that Mike Fogliano played and the information that he brought to us is exactly what Bonnie can bring to us. Like I said, she knows the town. She played this role. And as a professional in land use, I'm very concerned about making sure that we have someone who understands all of that and has this relationship with River Cog and understands the affordable housing piece. And so with that, I wanna make sure that people understand that when they get on the commission, you vote the way you need to vote. I made the motion. to vote to go against adopting the Halls Road legislation. I didn't vote a political party. I voted what was best for the town. And I know everybody's there to do the same. I respect all of the alternates on the board, including Mike. They come, they prepare, they do their job. But I don't think that any of them have the level of expertise that Bonnie is going to be bringing to us as someone who really understands the town, the town needs, knows how to listen, understands the process. Right now we're having a public meeting, you're having a public comment period, you're not responding, you're not engaging back, you're not questioning what I'm saying. And I think understanding that role, because right now what we're doing in terms of getting public engagement is in a listening, and not to be there to be speaking as we're collecting data on changing the regs. And what I did say in my letter was, I think this is a really important piece of what we need to do. And because of what she brings and what we have lost, that's what I'm looking at. So thank you.

Thank you, Denise. Is there anyone else on this side of the room? Or do you want me to go there first?

Is there anyone online that would like to speak? Anyone online? If so, raise your little hand, your chat hand, if you want to.

Katie is monitoring. I don't see anyone online that is raising their hand.

Oh, Chris, Roy. Chris.

Hey, Martha. Yep, Chris Roy here. Hi, Chris.

I know, and I just want you to know that your letter is going to be read into record in a minute.

Okay. Yeah, I just wanted to confirm that. Thank you.

Yep. Is there anyone else online? Okay. Jen, there are three letters that asked to be in. So if you would read the author, if they provided the address, you can put it in. We can get it later.

And then we'll have those as well. From Julie and Ron Malloy.

Dear First Select Woman Shoemaker, we are writing to request your support for appointing Lawrence as a regular member of the Zoning Commission. We appreciate his depth of zoning knowledge, his dedication to the commission and the town of his independent, thoughtful perspective. We believe he would make an outstanding regular member of the Zoning Commission and ask that you support him in his willingness to serve the town in this role. We would like this letter read into the record at the upcoming meeting for this appointment. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Julie and Ron Malloy. Tim, do you want me to read yours?

No. Sure. You asked for it. We can read it. All right.

I urge the members of the Old Line Board of Selectmen to elevate Michael Barnes, currently a zoning commission alternate, to become a regular member of the zoning commission. First, Michael has served as an alternate for six years, and as such, he is very familiar with all matters with which the zoning commission is dealing. As a seasoned and effective alternate, it is appropriate to elevate him because that is one of the key reasons boards and commissions have alternates, to become regular members when a regular membership becomes vacant. Second, as Michael is an unaffiliated voter, elevating him to become a regular member will eliminate the appearance of politics over competence. During my dealings with Michael and other town issues, I have found him to be very knowledgeable about the issue at hand and very willing to work hard for the benefit of the town. With the significant issues presently facing the zoning commission, I urge the board to elevate Michael to a regular member. Temporis will PS, I respectfully request this email be read to the board of selectmen under communications. Dear members of the Board of Selectmen, I am pleased to offer my wholehearted recommendation for Michael Barnes' appointment to the regular seat on the Old Line Zoning Commission, recently vacated by Michael Fuliano. Mr. Barnes is an Old Line native, born and raised here, schooled here, and now raising his own young family here while running multiple businesses in town. That depth of personal investment in this community is evident in everything he does, and it is precisely what makes him such a mindful voice on matters of land use and long-term planning. Mr. Barnes has served as an alternate on the zoning commission since February, 2020, and is currently in his sixth consecutive appointment. Across roughly 100 regular and special meetings, he has maintained an attendance record of approximately 97%, a standard of reliability that speaks for itself. He arrives prepared, engages thoughtfully with applicants and legal counsel, and has developed a breadth of familiarity with old lines, the zoning regulations, coastal development considerations, and land use history that would take any new appointee years to match. With the commission currently midway through a comprehensive zoning regulation rewrite, that institutional knowledge is not a luxury, it is a necessity. What distinguishes Mr. Barnes is his careful methodical approach to the commission's work. He reads the materials, asks clarifying questions, and takes seriously the idea that zoning language, once adopted, carries lasting consequences for property owners and residents across the town. During deliberations on the Halls Road Overlay District, he worked through the details of proposed standards with the kind of care that helps the commission arrive at well-considered durable decisions, examining infrastructure constraints, affordability provisions, and the practical implications of building scale and footprint requirements. More recently, during the commission's review of state mandated middle housing changes, he offered constructive observations about ground floor commercial requirements and their real world effects on development outcomes, prompting a productive discussion that led to a more nuanced and workable regulatory approach. His civic contributions extend well beyond the Zoning Commission. As a long serving member of the Harbor Management Commission, Mr. Barnes was a primary driver behind reestablishing and opening the Brushnet Creek Waterfront Park. And he has successfully secured multiple grants to improve the town's waterfront access facilities for residents. As someone who owns and operates businesses right here in Old Lyme, he also brings a practical understanding of how land use policy affects the local economy and the working families who depend on it. A perspective that enriches the commission's deliberations and ways that are genuinely difficult to replicate. Mr. Barnes serves as an unaffiliated member and his record reflects that independence in the best possible sense. He evaluates each matter on its merits, brings no outside agenda to the table and has consistently demonstrated that his loyalty is to the residents of Old Lyme. A zoning commission term runs five years, more than twice the length of a selectman's term. And the decisions made during this current regulatory rewrite will shape this town for a generation. I can think of no one better prepared or more genuinely committed to getting those decisions right. I respectfully urge the Board of Selectmen to appoint Michael Barnes to the seat. Respectfully submitted, Christopher Roy, 11 Wildwood Drive.

Okay, so- Martha, I sent in a-

Another letter today in light of Bonnie Rehm-Snyder's nomination that has to be read into the record.

Okay. Just so you know, Chris, I was told by lawyers that only public hearings, again, you can request, but we don't have to read them in, but I will look for that quickly. We have them all here. Hold on. I didn't see that that was a request to read in. I only saw the letter.

Because there's been a lot of stuff coming in. Hold on.

You have it? Would you like to read the one that came in today?

Thank you for filing through. Do you want to give it to Jen? Do you want to read it yourself?

Well, Jen, why don't you just continuity?

Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.

I don't think you do.

Dear members of the Board of Selectmen, I write opposition to the reported consideration of Bonnie Rehm-Snyder for appointment to the Old Line Zoning Commission. The Board has before it a candidate of exceptional qualification in Michael Barnes, an Old Line native, multi-business owner, and six-year alternate with a near 97% attendance record and deep working knowledge of the town's zoning regulations, coastal development rules, and the current regulation rewrite that is already well underway. Bypassing Mr. Barnes in favor of any outside appointment at this moment would be difficult to justify. Bypassing him in favor of Ms. Rimsider is indefensible. The public record raises serious and unresolved questions about Ms. Rimsider's fitness for public trust. In July 2019, she resigned as chairwoman of the Connecticut Port Authority at the explicit request of Governor Ned Lamont following reports that the authority had paid her daughter $3,000 for photographs hung in the state office, a transaction she herself acknowledged was a mistake. The state auditor simultaneously confirmed that a whistleblower complaint alleging management misuse of funds at the authority was pending. But note one. These are not minor or technical-ish lapses. They are precisely the kind of ethical failures that disqualify a candidate for a quasi-judicial role in which residents must have confidence that every decision is made with undivided loyalty to the public interest. O'Brien was in the middle of its most consequential zoning regulation rewriting over 15 years. This is not the moment for a learning curve, and it is certainly not the moment to install someone whose record of public stewardship has been publicly called into question. The board has the right candidate already prepared, already seated, and already doing the work. I urge you to appoint Michael Barnes and to decline Ms. Rehm-Snyder's consideration entirely.

Respectfully submitted, Christopher Loy. Hey, is there any other comment from online? think we've handled everybody. That will close public comment.

Sorry, Michael.

Sorry. All right. Good evening.

Michael Barnes for the record 451 Shore Road. I am the current zoning alternate that I've been in place now for about 2300 days. of my life. Yeah, excuse me.

I do this because I love old time.

I'm sorry. So basically, Denise brought up some very good valid points that I'd like to articulate on is that The experience that they're looking for and the river cog and all these other great things that accomplishments that Bonnie has. And I respect Bonnie. I'm friends with her children. I've known her a long time. A lot of respect for her. But she doesn't know zoning. And it's great that she did all those other things in the past years. But for the last six years, I sat behind this table to do this job, which is the zoning commission. And I feel that I have put in the work. I put in the hours, put in the time. And you guys know me. As far as when there's something that I'm going to research and study, I will go down the rabbit hole until the rabbit hole doesn't exist anymore. And that's what I have to bring to this town. And right now with the zoning rewrite going on, the implications are actually why I arrived at the zoning commission in the first place. So back in 2007, during the last zoning rewrite, my neighbors and specifically Kathy Clark Veterinary Hospital That was a byproduct and an unintended consequence of the last zoning rewrite, whereas her property was zoned commercial, C30, and it was rezoned back to residential R20. So there was 18 specific properties that were picked out along the Shore Road corridor that those people, if they didn't read the newspaper on one specific day, they didn't know they were losing their property rights. The unfortunate unintended consequence for those people were they have commercial properties, they have commercial mortgages, but now their properties are considered nonconforming. Kathy Clark Vet Hospital has been in this town for over 65 years in that location as a commercial property. She no longer has the rights of a commercial property owner because her property was rezoned to the residential property. That is a perfect example of an unintended consequence of when you take property rights and you dissect them and you change them, people lose something. Sometimes people gain something. But what I'm concerned about is what O'Lyme as a whole has to lose during the rewrite that we're in right now. And if you look at the Halls Road overlay, that was a zoning rewrite. Albeit it was a zoning amendment, but in essence, it was a zoning rewrite that we were adapting a whole new textbook to our zoning regulations, similar to what we're doing right now. We're in the edit mode of our zoning book. Last year was a trial run of a zoning rewrite. And I'll be honest, it didn't go very well. I think that the content that was presented, while verbally expressed, it was great, but the narrative didn't match the text that was submitted as the record. A lot of that text, The problems within it or the areas that I saw that were concerning were areas that people didn't even take the time to read. And that's my concern is that I take this so serious that I don't want to have unintended consequences. I don't want to have a bunch of more properties like Kathy Clark where they lose their property rights along with the rewrite. I think that between harbor management, my tenacity on Horse Neck Creek, the Bow Bridge, the efforts that I put in across all platforms of the community, I will go to the end of the world to try to find out additional information to help the public make informed decisions. Now, while Bonnie has all these credentials for the past, we could still use that knowledge. That knowledge is not going to go to waste if she's an alternate. If she wants to be an alternate, I think that's a good stepping stone for her to step into the community. But For us just to adapt Bonnie Rehm Schneider, because she had these past experiences, we don't know what she's going to be like as a zoning person. She might be the best. She might be the worst. I have no idea. I have nothing to go off of besides of her record and her zoning record doesn't exist. So as far as her abilities, we can still use that data. Just like me as an alternate, I've been able to share my knowledge base that I had for the last 20 years in zoning and zoning land use decisions. I've been able to afford it to the commission, and nothing's going to stop her from being able to afford that same knowledge base. So I would please encourage you to give me the opportunity to do what's right for this town. And I love this town like no other. I would never take time away from my young family to put it here if it didn't mean something.

So please consider it. Okay.

So we have finished public comment and we are moving on to possibility of making a motion to move forward with the replacement for the zoning position that was left vacant by Mr. Poliano when he relocated to another town. So it's open to both of you to discuss or whatever you would like to do.

Well, I will make a motion to nominate Michael Barnes for the regular zoning seat that is currently open.

Okay. Can we have a second?

I'll second.

Okay. We're open for discussion. So any further discussion on this matter?

Do we want to have all nominations before us, before we vote?

We could do it that way. You want to nominate open to make two motions and have two open motions on the floor?

I'll nominate Bonnie Rehm-Snyder for position on zoning.

Okay, can we have a second on that? I'll second that. Will the votes be open for discussion? Okay, we have two nominations on the floor and two motions. We'll have to vote on them individually. we'll do yours first then yours, but meanwhile, open discussion.

Uh, I'll start, um, you know, I, I, we had a, a huge outpouring of letters for, for both, for both candidates. And, um, there were some very good points made on, on both sides. And it's certainly true that, uh, Ms. Rehm-Snyder has a wealth of municipal knowledge and experience. I'm not going to take that away from her. But to the point of some other people, it doesn't relate to zoning experience. And to me, zoning can be technical. It requires a great understanding of the regulations. And before us is a candidate that's experienced that and done that for the last six years. He's has excellent attendance. I'm told it's 97%. I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna doubt that because I've served on other, I've served on a committee with Mike. So I know, I know what it's like to serve on a committee with Mike. We're in the middle of the regulations rewrite. It's not time to, to pull a second stringer. And I'm not trying to, make any disparaging remark. My point is that Mike has been there for the entire rewrite. He's up to speed for the rewrite. We don't need, regardless of who it is, we don't need to try to get someone else up to speed for the rewrite. Mike is unaffiliated. Mr. Fogliano was unaffiliated. There's been discussions about endorsements. Mike won't ask for an endorsement. In his independent spirit, He doesn't want one. I've had that conversation with him. I will say a lot of the letters had references to needing a team player. And I found this a little ironic on our 250th anniversary of our founding of our great republic that this seemed to be so important aspect to a commissioner. Our republic wasn't founded on everyone being on the same page. It was founded on debate and differences of opinion and then reaching a consensus. And I know that Mike can do that because I've served on a committee with him. We need that independent person that's going to look at it the way Mike looks at certain things. And that's why I am nominating him for the position.

Okay.

I don't disagree with you, John. I mean, a lot of that's very well said. Oh, sorry. I said I don't disagree with John. That's well said. A lot of people here today are here to support Mike, and I appreciate that because I've known Mike for a little bit. I've talked to him a lot, and I agree with John. all of the qualities that people see in Mike and support in him. He's a good man, and I've supported him in my votes as alternate when I've received pretty fierce blowback for it, but have gone back again and again and supported him because I think he does bring something very valuable to our town, and he's a good man. So regardless of what pressures I had to... to not vote for him, including the zoning chair and certainly many of my supporters. I did believe in Mike and still do, and I think he has a bright future in this town, and I'm glad he's involved in this town. I think he brings a lot to our town. I disagree with some of the characterizations of Bonnie Rehm-Snyder. I've known Bonnie also for a very long time, and I've known her as a very, very dedicated public servant. a very intelligent public servant who ran this town very well. She was very popular. She spent 16 years on this board, eight of them as first select woman. She chaired River Cog for two years and was asked to stay on for an additional year, even though their terms only run two years. And in that time, she developed a very comprehensive sense of how town government works, how regional concerns are addressed through town government. And I have found that her understanding of all aspects of the town and how they fit together is pretty much unparalleled. I mean, maybe Tim is the only person in this room that would be comparable, because Tim also ran this town for a long time. And I've looked to both Tim and Bonnie for advice and counsel, and they are always very wise in that. Uh, so the inexperience slap against Bonnie, I don't think is justified. I think she's very experienced. I think she's very intelligent, uh, knows how to draw people in, um, knows how to listen. And that's a great strength of hers. Um, also I want to address, uh, Chris Roy brought up and we see online these, these allegations, uh, and, you know, both, uh, Mike and Bonnie are controversial. I mean, I'm not, you know, I don't think there's any point in saying they're not. They're very controversial. Bonnie, I think, and I think a lot of the controversy against Mike is unfounded. Again, I supported him. And I think the controversy against Bonnie was, some of it was unconscionable. I mean, that was unproven allegations that came from one reporter who had an agenda against the State Peer Project. And When that played out, Bonnie was exonerated. That went to a full investigation and she was exonerated. But you don't hear about that. You know, her name was cleared. And while it was happening, I thought it was the reporter from the day was really out to lunch. And I still do. But somehow that allegation stays out there. And I think it's unfair to bring it up again, but people will. And that's the way it is. But so I in terms of the controversies of surrounding both candidates, I don't think they play into it. Partisanship. I think we have to take that question head on. I agree with everybody that partisanship or party shouldn't be what drives a decision. And it shouldn't be how we select candidates. And I have often, to the chagrin of my party, gone up against it. And I've often disagreed with Bonnie, and I disagree with Mike on a lot of issues. I mean, you know, when it comes to, you know, wetlands, you know, I mean, you can look at wetlands as protecting the environment, you can look at it as property rights, you know, when storage units, the beach, you know, you can look at it as... Jim, we have six minutes. Okay, I'm done. Sorry, I'm going to have to cut short. So anyway, with partisanship, I'll say this very quickly. there was an election in November and the Democrats won every seat. And one of our candidates couldn't take her seat, even though she's very popular on both sides. And anyone who knows Diane Linderman likes Diane Linderman. She couldn't sit on the board because it was determined that if you run on a ticket and you win on that ticket, you are that party. So we have unaffiliated candidates that were seen as being Democrats. They said for the purposes of the election, they're Democrats. For the purposes of minority representation, they're Democrats. But now we're told, oh, unaffiliated is unaffiliated. Well, now when it came time to kick one of our winning candidates off the board. And this is not to say that the candidate who took her place is not a great candidate. She is. It's not making a judgment on that. It's just a few months ago, that seemed to be very important to the Republican Party. And now we're supposed to dismiss it. So I think it's appropriate to look at that as a secondary argument. consideration that the people did vote across the board for these candidates and who most represents Mike Fuliano's policy position. The way Mike Fuliano expressed himself to the voters when he was elected. And I think Bonnie is closer to that. So it's not going to be a popular decision in this room. I understand that. And, you know, and it's not I think they're both terrific candidates, to tell you the truth. Martha?

I thought you were taking my time.

Sorry.

Okay. Okay, so I agree that we have two very good candidates that would like to be on this position. I'm sorry, this mic is evidently...

It's on, but it's not on.

Well, then somebody turned it down because it should be. These are separate mics. They're not that mic. Okay, so we have two very good candidates up for this position, and I appreciate that both of them have volunteered to be considered for this position. But as the first select woman, I have to take into consideration other factors. And one of the things that I did in January was that I voted against the chair's recommendations for alternates, and I voted for Mike. And at this point in time, the chair has written again another letter, and he has asked that his recommendation is for Bonnie to be seated. And one of the roles, questions, the paragraph that I would like to read is, the role of being a zoning commissioner is inherently one of being part of a team. While each individual member may have particular interest and talents, each individual agrees to subordinate their interest to the role and function of being a commission member. No member of the commission should consider themselves to be a subject matter expert or possess the unique credentials necessary to evaluate an applicant's merit, be it a business or an individual. And he goes on to state some other issues. So at this point in time, and I know that you'll all request this letter and it will all be part of the minutes package, but I am going to support my commissioner's viewpoint on this. So we'll call for a vote first on Mike. All those in favor?

Can we, are we done with this?

No, I'm sorry. Go ahead. But we have to.

Yes, there are two good candidates. There's only one that's a current alternate. And this has happened before where you've decided to pass over the alternate for someone who is not even seated. And it took all of a month to backfire. So, you know, every year we're out searching for volunteers to fill seats. And we're sending the wrong message by passing over an alternate that's been doing the work. Okay. Certainly.

We need to call for a vote at this point in time. So all those in favor of supporting Michael Barnes to move to the full-time position, signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Nay. Any abstentions? None. All those in favor of appointing Bonnie Rehm-Snyder to the full-time position? full position on the zoning board, signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed?

Nay. Martha and Jim, you should be embarrassed of yourselves.

The extension motion passes. We need a motion to adjourn at 6.30.