Cromwell Town Council holds brief public hearing on food, health, and peddling code updates.

Town Council · Meeting of May 27, 2026

CT CROMWELL — Cromwell Town Council closes a five-minute public hearing on a six-chapter municipal code overhaul. The May 27 hearing, opened and adjourned by 5:04 p.m., covered proposed amendments to Town Code Chapters 137, 146, 150, 151, 189, and 178, with Council Member Jamin DeProto moving both to close and to adjourn the hearing, seconded by Al Waters and Brian Bonneau respectively, on unanimous voice votes. The only public comment came in writing from Matt Blanchett, a member of the Cromwell Events Committee, urging that an exemption from peddling-and-soliciting rules currently available to farmers market vendors be extended to all town-approved events, including Riverport Festival.

A staff reminder confirmed the ordinance on file reflects previously Council-approved health license fee increases: Class 2 rising to $175 and Class 3 to $225.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 559 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of May 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

CROMWELL — May 27, 2026 — The Cromwell Town Council opened and closed a public hearing in under five minutes Tuesday, taking comment on a package of amendments to six Town Code chapters covering food establishments, health standards, landlord registration, housing standards, sanitation, and peddling and soliciting.

The hearing, which ran from 5 p.m. to 5:04 p.m., drew a single written comment. The Council then adjourned the public hearing and recessed to its regular meeting, set to begin at 5:10 p.m.

The Full Story

The notice of public hearing, dated May 14, 2026, and published in the Hartford Courant on May 17, listed amendments to Town Code Chapters 137, 146, 150, 151, 189, and 178. The most procedurally active item at the hearing was a staff reminder about previously approved fee adjustments tied to the health-standards chapters. An unidentified council or staff member noted, on behalf of the Health Director, that the proposed ordinance reflects only the changes the Council had already approved: a Class 2 fee set at $175 and a Class 3 fee set at $225.

The council chair — identified in the transcript only by the salutation "Mr. Mack" — briefly questioned whether the published hearing notice carried the old fee amounts rather than the council-approved figures, then was reassured that the ordinance on file contains the approved numbers.

"We're only looking at Class 2 to go to $175 and Class 3 to $225 based on Council's [prior action]." — [No timestamp available] — unidentified speaker reminding the Council of prior approved amounts

The sole public comment, submitted in writing by Matt Blanchett of 27 Meadow Road, Cromwell, addressed the proposed addition to Chapter 178, Peddling and Soliciting. Blanchett wrote on behalf of the Cromwell Events Committee, of which he identified himself as a member, asking that any exemption currently available to farmers market vendors be extended to vendors at all town-approved events, including the Riverport Festival.

"Establishing consistent requirements across the Town-approved events is both practical and beneficial, particularly with such exemptions enable us to attract a broad and diverse range of vendors. This, in turn, enhances the experience for all attendees." — [No timestamp available] — Matt Blanchett, written comment read into the record

Council Member Jamin DeProto moved to close the public hearing; Council Member Al Waters seconded. The motion carried on a unanimous voice vote. DeProto then moved to adjourn the public hearing; Council Member Brian Bonneau seconded. That motion also carried unanimously, and the hearing was declared adjourned at 5:04 p.m.

Why It Matters

The six-chapter ordinance package touches nearly every commercial health and food-service license category in Cromwell, as well as the rules governing who may sell goods at public events. For event vendors, the proposed Chapter 178 amendment would extend an existing farmers-market exemption town-wide, potentially lowering barriers for vendors at events such as Riverport Festival. For food-service businesses, the fee adjustments already approved by the Council — Class 2 rising to $175, Class 3 rising to $225 — would be codified once the ordinances are formally acted upon at a subsequent regular meeting. No vote on the ordinances themselves was taken at the public hearing.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Close the public hearing Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Adjourn the public hearing Tally: Approved unanimously

Source

Cromwell's community access TV: Town Council meeting, May 27, 2026