Voluntown Town Hall

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE YOGA CLASS BEING HELD ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21ST HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

• Make sure your pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations! The number one way rabies is spread to humans world wide is by the bite of an infected dog.
• Make sure you communicate to kids that if they find a  wild animal that they do not touch it. visit the CDC rabies website that is designed for kids. 
• If you suspect a wild animal might be infected with rabies, call the DEEP Emergency Dispatch at 860-424-3333. Keep everyone and pets away from it.
• For more information on rabies, visit the DEEP website. 

At their regular meeting on July 10, 2019 the Voluntown Planning and Zoning Commission rendered the following decision:

Application #031319 Text Amendment Change to permit beer and brew pubs in the Village District within the Town of Voluntown.

APPROVED.

Effective the day after the date on which this notice is published.
Dated at Voluntown, CT this 15th day of July, 2019.

Scott Davidson, Chairman

From the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) :

If a bear is seen in your town or neighborhood, leave it alone. In most situations, if left alone and given an avenue for escape, the bear will usually wander back into more secluded areas. Keep dogs under control. Stay away from the bear and advise others to do the same. Do not approach the bear so as to take a photo or video. Often a bear will climb a tree to avoid people. A crowd of bystanders will only stress the bear and also add the risk that the bear will be chased into traffic or the crowd of people.

More info about black bears on the DEEP website.

The Voluntown Recreation Commission is sponsoring a Tricentennial Coin Design Contest. Residents of Voluntown of all ages are encouraged to submit a design for one side of a 2 inch coin that will be produced for sale and sold during Voluntown’s Tricentennial Celebration in 2021 as an item of memorabilia. Designs must be submitted no later than September 30, 2019. Please review all of the Rules in the link below. Paper copies of the rules, as well as copies of the submission form are available in the Town Clerk’s Office and at the Voluntown Public Library.

Tricentennial Coin Design Rules

Tricentennial Coin Design Submission Form

View or print PDF version here. Please contact the Project Manager, with any questions and to request information as to exactly what the sign plan is, especially if you own property on a sharp corner on a state road. This project is planned for 2022/23.

The following CT DOT Media Release is in regards to the LED Relamping of the State Owned Traffic Signal in Voluntown at Rte. 138 & 165.

GET INVOLVED IN TOWN GOVERNMENT

This is a municipal election year.  We are starting a series of articles that will explain a little about the election process, and provide information on the municipal offices that are up for election or appointment this year. 

• There are currently several volunteer opportunities in town, please visit the town website for more information on volunteering.
• View previous articles in this series here.

Spotlight on the Zoning Board of Appeals

Posted on April 8, 2019

The Zoning Board of Appeals currently meets on the 1st Monday of the month at 7:00 PM when there is an agenda. Appeals may be taken to the Zoning Board of Appeals when it is alleged that there is an error in any order, requirement, or decision made by the Zoning Enforcement Officer or the Planning and Zoning Commission, or when a variance is sought from the provisions of the Zoning Regulations. A variance may be permitted if the Board finds that an unusual hardship because of conditions especially affecting a parcel of land, but not affecting generally the district in which it is located.

Purpose

The Zoning Board of Appeals was created in accordance with Title 8, Chapter 124, Section 8-5 of the Connecticut General Statutes. The responsibility of the Board is to hear and decide appeals where it is alleged that there is an error in any order, requirement, or decision made by the official charged with the enforcement of chapter 124 or any bylaw, ordinance or regulation adopted under the provisions of this chapter and to hear and decide all matters including special exceptions and special exemptions under section 8-2g upon which it is required to pass by the specific terms of the zoning bylaws, ordinance or regulations in harmony with their general purpose and intent and property values solely with respect to a particular parcel of land.

Currently Serving

Wendy K. Gauthier- Chairman
Edward W. Grenier
* Arthur Ivanic
* Karen Anderson
* Vacancy
* Alternate- Cheryl Sadowski
* Alternate- James Gauthier
* Alternate- Vacancy

The * indicates the terms that end this November and positions that will appear on the ballot.

Election Information

This year three (3) full member candidates and three (3) alternate member candidates will be elected to the Zoning Board of Appeals on November 5, 2019. At the Democratic and Republican Caucuses to be held the week of July 16- July 23, 2019, each party is allowed to endorse three (3) full and three (3) alternate candidates. All six (6) full and all six (6) candidates will appear on the ballot, along with any resident that chooses to petition to be added to the ballot. For more information on petitioning, please contact the Town Clerk.

Friends of the Voluntown Library Newsletter: Volunteers Needed

We could use some help!

Sadly, our graphics consultant, Paula Jordan-Gluck is moving on to new ventures and will no longer be able to do our graphics. We owe so much to her for guidance and input in keeping our newsletter attractive and informative.

The Friends of the Voluntown Library Newsletter is looking for someone (or two) who can help with the graphics collected for the ads that pay for printing and for soliciting and collecting for the ads themselves. These are volunteer positions.

The newsletter is printed six times a year. The major work is done for the May/June issue when all ads are renewed or replaced. After that, only new ads are included.

If interested, please contact Anne Olsen at 860-376-2370 or Diana Ingraham at jingraham1@comcast.net.

Anne and Diana

Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council:  Alternate Representative Volunteer Needed

The Voluntown Board of Selectmen are seeking a resident volunteer to be appointed as the Alternate Representative to the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council.  Stewardship Council members should be prepared to represent the Town and provide communication between the Stewardship Council and the Board of Selectmen. The Stewardship Council is expected to meet at least once bimonthly. If you are interested in being appointed to the Stewardship Council as an Alternate, please submit a request  in writing to the Board of Selectman by May 1st. Requests can be emailed to jzelinsky@voluntown.gov, or dropped off at the First Selectman’s Office. For more information on the Wood Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers, visit their website: http://wpwildrivers.org/ For more information on the Stewardship Council (see Chapter 7) visit here: http://wpwildrivers.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/WandSStewardshipPlanFINAL.pdf

Cable Television Advisory Council of Southeastern CT: Representative Volunteer Needed

The Voluntown Board of Selectmen are seeking a resident volunteer who is interested on being appointed to the Cable Television Advisory Council of Southeastern CT. Information on the CTACSC can be found below. If you are interested in being appointed, please submit a request  in writing to the Board of Selectman by May 1st. Requests can be emailed to jzelinsky@voluntown.gov, or dropped off at the First Selectman’s Office.