Posts

Showing posts from June, 2022

The Public Deserves to See the Trash Outsourcing Report

Image
Art generated by AI following author's prompt: Report locked in safe The Enfield Town Council is considering a consequential issue: outsourcing our public works trash removal service. However, the town has not released the consultant's report, which likely examines the pros and cons of such a move, even as the Council begins its budget deliberations. The town council authorized the hiring of the consultants in November, 2024. On April 7, 2025, the Town Council discussed the report in executive session. I submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for a report copy this week. The Town Manager's office responded that the report is still in draft format and is not eligible for public disclosure under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act. I was also told: "The contract has not provided us a completion date at this time." That means the report could be withheld from the public indefinitely. Draft is not an automatic exemption This was my response: "My un...
Read more

Enfield Square redevelopment proposal on the way

Image
Enfield Square, June 2022 The owners of Enfield Square are preparing to present a redevelopment plan for the mall.  There are three "concepts" being considered by the town and the mall's owner, the Namdar Realty Group, according to the Enfield Economic Development Commission (EDC). These concepts aren't public. That something is in the works for Enfield Square came to light in January when the town surveyed residents for their opinions on the mall redevelopment. The ideas in this survey ranged from strip malls and big-box plazas to concepts that combined retail, residential, and entertainment. They also included high-density development, with parking garages and buildings as high as eight stories.  The EDC's minutes from May reveal this:  -- The "concept plan" for the mall was expected to be submitted in early June, and a progress meeting with the state and mall owner was set for around that time. -- The Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) will appro...
Read more