It's a good thing in a city as large, or as small (you decide which we are) as Norwich, we have people of all kinds with the time and talent to share so that we can all benefit from so many individual efforts.
This afternoon at two, and I mention it more as a matter of complete inclusion as I suspect it's most likely to become an executive session/hearing, in City Council chambers is a "Special Meeting of the Committee of the Council" that may, or may not, have anything to do with this locally published news story but certainly has a great deal to do with the right of personal privacy for any (and all) public employees. The Committee of the Council reports back to the full City Council at its next regular meeting, Tuesday, 6 September (Labor Day is the 5th) so we'll all know when we all know.
At five, you have choices. In Room 335 of City Hall, it's a regular meeting of the Ethics Commission while in Room 210 it's a regular meeting of the Redevelopment Agency with a presentation by Mayor Nystrom as part of his continuing initiative to build support for consideration of infrastructure improvements in the Shipping Street area as a means to expand the city's grand list and enhance the community's quality of life.
Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 in the Central Office Conference Room of the Norwich Public Schools at 90 Town Street, across from the Norwichtown Green, it's a regular meeting of the Board of Education Policy Committee. The note about the meeting is on the city's website as the school's site has, its last posted minutes, the meeting from last September. Yet another not so friendly reminder Public Act 08-3 is not a suggestion, but state law.
At four, perhaps (they're only held when requested so check with the City Clerk), is a regular meeting of the Building Code Board of Appeals in the Planning Department conference room at 23 Union Street. The municipal website's notes on the Board show ALL of the members' appointment expired a year and a half ago and there's hardly even a rumor of meeting minutes in this decade (sounds really dramatic, doesn't it?).
The Harbor Management Commission meets at five in the City Manager's office (Room 219) in City Hall. I found the agenda for their July meeting but no minutes of that meeting on the city's website. I'd assume the HAC has been an integral part of the discussion on measures to enhance the value of the Downtown Harbor area, but the Feast of the Assumption was last week, so your guess could be as good as mine (maybe better).
At six in the Planning Department's Conference Room at 23 Union Street is a special meeting of the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), Commission on the City Plan (CCP). If you attended Saturday's One City Forum, you'll be more than interested in the role the Plan of Conservation and Development plays as a road map to the Next Norwich, and here's their June meeting minutes so you have a snapshot of where they are in that process. I'll note 39,981 (estimated) Norwich residents weren't at the Saturday meeting though it didn't stop an online reader from rising early Sunday morning to comment on the news report of an event they didn't attend.
Wednesday morning into the early afternoon is the Norwich Outdoor Farmers' Market in Howard T. Brown Park from ten until two for fresh fruits and vegetable as well as the creative offerings from a growing number of artisans and local merchants.
Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 in the Norwich Public Schools' Central Office there's a meeting of the Board of Education's Building and Space Committee (the cancellation reference is to the March meeting; I think we can take that down now). On the Board's website, it's the usual 'no soup for you' approach to the posting of agenda or most recent meeting minutes; I do so admire the consistency of non-compliance with state law.
At five thirty in the Latham Science Center conference room on the campus of the Norwich Free Academy (NFA), the NFA Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting to formally hire a new Head of School (some of the meeting will be in executive session though certainly not the announcement itself and hopefully none of the celebratory pony rides).
Also at five thirty in the Planning Department conference room is a regular meeting of the Board of Review of Dangerous Buildings whose meeting minutes are few and far between on the city's website, perhaps because their meetings are less frequent than announced (I don't actually know) though I just realized the public meeting a few weeks ago on the Greeneville and Buckingham Schools disposition and demolition was with the Public Works and Capital Improvements Committee and NOT the Board of Review so how dangerous does a building have to be to get a drink around here?
At six thirty, in the same place and with the same folks, it's a regular meeting of the 751 North Main Street Advisory Committee who seem to have last met six months ago, unless the city's website is out of date (my keyboard lacks a tongue in cheek font).
At seven, the Golf Course Authority has a regular meeting in their facilities on the New London Turnpike. Their July meeting minutes are right here and remember to sign your scorecard before leaving.
Thursday morning at seven thirty in their offices at 77 Main Street, it's a regular meeting of the Norwich Community Development Corporation whose minutes aren't available on the city's website, but should be as a matter of course and public law. It's easy enough to get them by sending a note to here. In light of the role NCDC plays as the city's municipal developer, it's worth your while if you have the time to attend a meeting, I'm sure.
As the summer days draw down, it feels counter intuitive to head indoors to attend municipal meetings but there's lots to be done and never help for all of it. So maybe this is the week you roll up a sleeve and lend a hand by becoming a volunteer or perhaps just someone who attends a meeting and let your neighbors know you appreciate their effort and assistance in working to maintain a piece of the pie.
-bill kenny
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