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10/11/2023 09:50 AM

Scare the Voters


Old Saybrook Democrats are gaslighting residents into believing Old Saybrook has done little to address coastal concerns.

Over the last 30 years, Old Saybrook has been active with its resiliency efforts. When the courts ordered the town to address potential wastewater contamination of its coastal and riparian waters, the Water Pollution Authority was created. That court order stipulated that we use advanced treatment (AT) technologies on properties that cannot support a conventional septic system, as well as those abutting state waters. AT systems comply with recognized national standards and have the blessing of the EPA. The effort was blocked by both the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the State Health Department.

Old Saybrook was one of the first shoreline towns to create a Sea Level Rise & Climate Adaptation Committee through our Republican-led Board of Selectmen. This led to The Old Saybrook Coastal Resilience and Adaptation Study (2018), funded by a $200,000 Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

In 2022, the town applied/received a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant for $150,000. This project will update OS’s coastal resiliency plan and create plans where none currently exist for Fenwick, Westbrook, and Clinton. The goal is to identify areas where the towns could work together to plan for future shovel-ready resiliency projects that will benefit multiple communities. After all, sea level rise is not just happening in Old Saybrook!

In May 2023, partnering with Westbrook, we applied for a 2023 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – Long Island Sound Futures Fund grant for $300,000 to prepare a Chalker Beach marsh restoration.

The Democrats seem to delight in frightening residents. I guess when you have no plan, scare the voters.

Vote for our Old Saybrook Republicans: proven leadership working for you!

Robert W. Powitz

Old Saybrook