March 6, 2022 CRC Update from the Chair
Greetings East Hartford,
Here is a brief update on where things stand with the Charter Revision Commission.
First, I’d like to thank the town for your support over the last two months. As you may be aware, my father passed away at the end of December, which caused the commission to pause while I focused on my family. I truly appreciate the support of my colleagues on the Commission and the public during what has been an extraordinarily difficult time.
The Commission returned with a very productive workshop on February 17th and met again on March 3rd. The candid conversations have led to a great deal of progress, as we approach the conclusion of the process with a deadline of April 30th, 2022 to submit a draft report of recommendations to the Town Council.
Our next Public Hearing/Workshop is scheduled for Thursday, March 10th. This is a rather important date for all of us as we will be discussing term lengths for the Mayor and Town Council. Please be advised that all recommendations made by this Commission must be approved by the public in order to take effect.
The following meeting scheduled for Tuesday March 22nd, is our anticipated date to release the first public draft of the Commission’s findings.
We encourage and look forward to your feedback on these issues as it is essential to the process. Our current meeting schedule is as follows:
Thursday, March 10; Tuesday, March 22; Thursday, April 7; Thursday, April 21; Tuesday, April 26. Note that depending on our progress not all dates in April may require a meeting.
Every meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall and held in Town Council Chambers; starting with a Public Hearing and concluding with a workshop session for the Commission to discuss outstanding issues. These meetings are open to the public and I encourage your engagement and attendance. For those unable to attend in person, you can also participate remotely via Microsoft Teams or watch live on Channel 5. Full details are available on the CRC calendar through the following link: Charter Revision Commission Calendar
The Commission is grateful for the participation and thoughtfulness of the community throughout this process, and we hope to continue our thorough and bipartisan examination of these issues as we conclude our work.
Best,
Don Bell