Cromwell Town Council Approves Two Manager Appointments, Ratifies Police Union Contract

Town Council · Meeting of July 8, 2026

CT CROMWELL — Cromwell Town Council confirms two manager appointments and ratifies police union contract. The council voted unanimously at its July 8 meeting to confirm Molly Martinez, a seven-year assistant assessor from Westport, as the town's new assessor, and Charles Epstein, a longtime resident and fire commissioner, as emergency management director, replacing Kevin Vandersloot, who resigned upon moving out of state. The council also ratified a tentative collective bargaining agreement with NAGE Local RI 121, the local police personnel union, following a closed executive session.

A four-member town manager search committee was approved — with one abstention — comprising the mayor, Board of Finance Chair John Ireland, HR Director Amanda, and Planning and Zoning Vice Chair Mike Cannata, working alongside a recruitment firm operating under a $10,000 spending cap. The mayor distributed a state consent order fining the Mattabasset District $65,000 for failing to conduct required annual emissions testing in 2025, with a follow-up meeting with district officials set for July 20.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 879 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of July 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

CROMWELL — July 8, 2026 — The Cromwell Town Council approved the town manager's appointments of a new assessor and a new emergency management director, ratified a police union contract, and launched a search committee for a permanent town manager at its regular meeting Wednesday, wrapping up in under 90 minutes.

The council voted unanimously to confirm Molly Martinez as town assessor. Martinez brings seven years of experience as an assistant assessor for the town of Westport and holds a certified assessor credential. The council also unanimously approved Charles Epstein as the new emergency management director, replacing Kevin Vandersloot, who resigned after moving out of state. Epstein is a longtime Cromwell resident who previously served in emergency management for the state sheriff's service and currently serves as a fire commissioner and lieutenant in the fire police.

The Full Story

The council moved efficiently through a full agenda that also included commission and staff reports, two board appointments, a review of a state enforcement action against the Mattabasset District, and a discussion on whether Cromwell could form a fair rent commission — a question that turned out to have a clear legal answer.

On the fair rent commission question, Town Manager Tony — whose surname was not captured in the transcript — reported that state statute 7-148B authorizes fair rent commissions only in municipalities with populations of at least 25,000. Cromwell falls below that threshold, meaning any commission formed here would have no enforcement authority over landlords. The inquiry arose after a resident contacted the council about a near-doubling of her apartment rent. The mayor said he would follow up with the resident about rental assistance programs available through town hall.

"She had gotten into researching fair rent commissions under 7-148B about forming a fair rent commission." [00:00:00] — The mayor, introducing the item

After a brief executive session beginning at 7:52 p.m., the council emerged at 8:13 p.m. and voted to ratify a tentative agreement with NAGE Local RI 121, the union representing local police department personnel. The vote was not recorded as unanimous in the transcript, but no dissent or abstention was noted from the floor.

The mayor presented the council with a consent order dated May 26, 2026, issued by the State of Connecticut against the Mattabasset District. According to the document, the district failed to conduct required annual emissions testing on June 23, 2025, resulting in unmeasured nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emission rates. The state fined the district $65,000 and ordered remediation. The mayor said he has a meeting scheduled with Mattabasset on July 20 to discuss odor mitigation and air quality efforts and invited council members to attend, provided fewer than four members participate to stay within open-meeting guidelines.

"They find it's easier to pay the fine than it is to fix the problem." [00:00:00] — Council Member Al Waters, on the Mattabasset District's pattern of regulatory violations

On the town manager search, the council approved a four-member search committee composed of the mayor, Board of Finance Chair John Ireland, Human Resources Director Amanda — surname not captured — and Mike Cannata, vice chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission and a local business owner. The search firm contract, already signed, carries a $10,000 spending cap before the firm must return for additional council authorization. Council Member Paula G. Luna abstained from the vote.

Why It Matters

The appointment of a new assessor carries direct fiscal weight: the assessor's office produces the grand list from which all property tax revenue flows. The outgoing emergency management director's replacement comes as the town has already faced two recent stress events — a prolonged heat wave and significant flooding — underscoring the operational need for the position. The Mattabasset consent order, meanwhile, keeps a long-running environmental dispute in the public record: residents on River Road and members of the local boat club have raised concerns about water quality during flooding events, and the council is pressing federal officials for support on broader Connecticut River pollution from Massachusetts facilities. The next concrete step is the July 20 Mattabasset meeting.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Amend the agenda to add Sandra Weston application under item O-1 Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approve amended agenda Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approve town manager's appointment of Molly Martinez as assessor Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approve town manager's appointment of Charles Epstein as emergency management director Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approve tax refunds, items one through nine Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Appoint search committee for town manager position (mayor, John Ireland, HR Director Amanda, Mike Cannata) Tally: For: 6, Against: 0, Abstain: 1, Total: 7

- Vote: Approve June 10, 2026, regular meeting minutes Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approve June 25, 2026, special meeting minutes Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Appoint Michael Becker to Inland Wetlands Agency and Sandra Weston to Cultural District Commission Tally: Approved (one abstention noted)

- Vote: Enter executive session to review NAGE Local RI 121 police union contract Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Exit executive session Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Ratify tentative agreement with NAGE Local RI 121, Local Police Department Personnel Union Tally: Approved (voice vote, no dissent recorded)

Source

Cromwell's community access TV: Town Council meeting, July 8, 2026