If 2018 was a year of change for Clinton, then 2019 can be called a year of growing pains. The year began with the town preparing for a change in its form of government, underwent a contentious election cycle, and ended with the seating of the first Town Council as well as the hiring of an inaugural town manager.

Along the way there were stories both controversial and celebratory in Clinton. Here are highlights from year:

January

On Jan. 10, the findings of the Route 81 Corridor Study are presented to the public at a presentation held in the Morgan School cafeteria. The study calls for improvements to sidewalks, signage, traffic flow, and pedestrian lighting along the corridor.

On Jan. 23, Board of Selectmen (BOS) member Phil Sengle resigns from his role as a member of the Board of Police Commissioners after months of undergoing accusations of having a conflict of interest. Rob Derry is appointed to fill his spot thanks to a deal between Sengle and the Republican Town Committee.

Peter Neff retires as director of the Department of Public Works.

February

Close to 100 people crowd into the Green Room at Town Hall on Feb. 4 to attend the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) public hearing over proposed zoning changes that would allow for the possible construction of an indoor recreation complex in Clinton’s I-2 Zone. The changes are significant due to the effect they have on the property located at 30 Old Post Road, which caused controversy in 2018. The proposed changes are adopted later in the month.

The Clinton Police Departments joins departments in Branford, Guilford, Madison and State Police Troop F in Westbrook to collect diapers, wipes, and money to benefit Bare Necessities, Inc., a local organization that assists families in need.

The BOS appoints The Town Manager Search Committee (TMSC). The bipartisan group includes Dennis Donovan, Carrie Allen, Hank Teskey, Anselmo Delia, Sengle, and Tim Guerra. Sengle is named chairman of the group. (See sidebar for more).

As budget season approaches, interim Finance Director Linda Savitsky announces that she is leaving Clinton for a position with for the State of Connecticut. The BOS appoints assistant treasurer Sue Cunningham to fill her position.

March

In an effort to better recognize and promote Clinton’s many artistic endeavors, the BOS votes to establish an Arts District. The district will span west from the Liberty Green Historic District to North High Street, as well to Hull Street and the Unilever Factory to the north.

Attendees pack The Morgan School auditorium on March 20 to listen to Nicole Hockley, the cofounder of Sandy Hook Promise and the mother of one victim from the Sandy Hook shooting give a presentation on assisting community members identify and get help for people who may be at risk of harming themselves or others.

April

Marking the end of years of restoration work, recreational shellfish beds reopen in Clinton for the first time in decades.

First Selectman Christine Goupil announces that the town will save $758,000 in debt service over 15 years due to the restructuring of several bonds.

Voters give the Board of Finance an earful over the proposed education and town budgets at a public hearing on April 10. The proposed budgets are a town budget of $18,606,312 (a $505,115 or 3.11 percent increase) and an education budget of $36,509,956 (a $985,901 or 2.78 percent increase).

News that popular summer lunch staple Sal D’s won’t return in the summer ignites a firestorm on social media, with some people accusing town leaders of allegedly pushing out the Voss family that runs the stand. The bid for the town-owned property is instead awarded to the proprietors of Rocky’s Aqua.

Clinton’s Senior Citizen Task Force distributes surveys to gauge what services seniors are aware of, what services they use, and why they do or do not use the various services offered in Clinton.

May

On May 4, residents officially say goodbye to the 87 year-old Pierson School at the Pierson School Community Day. At the end of the month the BOS appoints Mike Hornyak, Goupil, Selectman Carol Walter, John Allen, Mary Ellen Dahlgren, Don Hansen, Christy Pontillo, and Heidi Hayes to the Pierson Future Use Committee to help find new uses for the property.

Applause breaks out in Town Hall on May 8 when voters approve both the proposed town and educations budgets at the first referendum. The approved town budget is $18,606,312 and the education budget is $36,509,956. The total budget is $55,156,268, a 2.88 percent increase from current spending. The mill rate is set at 31.25, which represents an increase of 0.71 mills or 2.3 percent. In addition to the two proposed budgets, a $10,700,00 appropriation for various capital improvement projects is also approved. The town budget passes by 1,502 to 1,371. Meanwhile the education budget passes 1,471 votes to 1,417. The total number of votes cast is 2,891 which represents a voter turnout of 29 percent of registered voters.

The new CVS store was a lightning rod of controversy for many residents during 2016 and 2017 opens on May 12.

Department of Public Works employee Todd Hajek is named the new director of the department.

Long-planned (and delayed) upgrades, to Clinton’s train station finally begin. The cost of the project is $12 million, and construction is estimated to be completed around January 2021.

A judge in Middletown ends nearly three years of litigation when he rules against the PZC over the failure of a former member, Carl Neri, to properly recuse himself during a public hearing in 2016. The town spent close to $12,000 defending Neri’s improper actions.

June

On June 12, voters approve taking $32,000 from the contingency fund to hire Strategic Government Resources to assist with the town manager search.

June 12 is all sunshine and smiles as members of the Morgan School Class of 2019 receive their diplomas.

Starting on June 28, a free-to-ride trolley service begins making its way around town on weekends, linking visitors to the outlet mall with many of Clinton’s other attractions. The attraction runs until the fall and is dubbed a success by the organizers of the Clinton Economic Development Commission, the Clinton Placemakers and Clinton Chamber of Commerce.

The inaugural Michael BonTempo, Jr., Volunteer of the Year award is handed out on June 24 by Partners in Community. The award is named after BonTempo, who was a longtime health teacher at Jared Eliot Middle School.

July

From July 9 to 11, a representative from the firm hired to help find Clinton’s first town manager listens to public feedback about the qualities they value in a town manager.

The Republican and Democratic town committees announce their respective slates for the upcoming municipal election on July 16. The slates are led by the candidates for Clinton’s first Town Council. Goupil, Jack Scherban, Guerra, and Dara Onofrio lead the Democratic ticket while the Republicans nominate Walter, Donovan, Chris Aniskovich, and Mark Richards.

On July 23, news breaks about the sale of the vacant Unilever headquarters on John Street. Seven different parcels of the property are sold for a total of $100,000, according to records filed in the assessor’s office. Michael Massimino is listed as the principle owner of the site.

The Green Party announces its endorsements for the 2019 elections, headed by Town Council candidate Eric Bergman.

August

Reports of an argumentative Aug. 7 BOS meeting alarms some members of the community. During the meeting Selectman Walter refuses to leave the room without a legal opinion stating she must do so when union contracts are discussed in executive sessions. The meeting ends early and with expletives exchanged. On Aug. 15, the town’s labor attorney rules that Walter must recuse herself, which she says she will do.

The number seeking a spot on the seven-member Town Council grows to 11 thanks to successful petition efforts by Leah Saunders and Jane Scully Welch to appear on the ballot as unaffiliated candidates.

The town is saddened to learn of the passing of former longtime Clinton Chamber of Commerce executive director Ellen Cavanagh.

September

On Sept. 9, the PZC approves a proposed zoning exception to allow for commercial indoor recreation use on the main level factory floor of the building of the Unilever property.

An anonymous donor helps the Clinton Police Department with an offer to donate a fully equipped 2018 Ford Police Interceptor for the K-9 unit to replace an earlier car that had become unusable.

On Sept. 25, the BOS votes to sign an agreement with Valley Shore Community Television to allow for the recording of BOS meetings. The meetings are broadcast on channel 19 and 1070 and online at www.vsctv.com and the town website.

October

At an Oct. 2 BOS meeting, the board announces that the Morgan Trust owns 63 percent of the land on the Pierson property including the land underneath the building itself. In light of this, the trust wants to receive 63 percent of the gross profits from any sale of the land.

The town fills a key vacancy on Oct. 21 when it hires Kathy King to become the wetlands enforcement officer, blight officer, and zoning enforcement officer-in-training. King receives unanimous approval, though some town officials are upset at the length of time it took to fill the position.

On Oct. 30, Clinton Police Chief Vincent DeMaio rejects a contract offer from the town and continues to work without a contract while waiting for negotiations to resume.

November

A Harbor News article about a press policy that requires all media requests for comment to be forwarded to the First Selectman’s Office raises some eyebrows on the eve of the election. Following the article’s publication, the town backs off its earlier stance.

On Nov. 5 Clinton voters elect their first Town Council. Voters choose Republicans Walter, Aniskovich, Donovan, and Richards; Democrats Goupil and Guerra; and Green Party candidate Bergman. Aniskovich, Goupil, Walter, and Donovan will serve four-year terms, while Richards, Bergman, and Guerra will serve two-year terms.

On Nov. 19, changes to the town’s charter voters approved in 2018 officially go into effect, meaning the town changes from a BOS form of government into a town council form.

On Nov. 20, the council appoints Peter Neff to be the interim town manager and Aniskovich to be the council chairman.

The town announces James Chandler, Kyle Coleman, and Karl Kilduff are the three finalists for the fulltime town manager position.

December

Winter arrives in Clinton on Dec. 1 when the first flakes of the season fall during the 24th annual Christmas in Clinton event.

The three town manager finalists attend the final round of interviews and a public meet and greet on Dec. 3 and 4. On Dec. 11, the council unanimously approves a motion to hire Kilduff. He agrees to a three-year contract that pays an annual salary of $165,000. His first day will be on Jan. 6, 2020.

The Town Manager Search Committee

In order to facilitate the voluminous amount of work associated with the change in government from a board of selectmen to a town council/town manager, the town appointed Dennis Donovan, Carrie Allen, Hank Teskey, Anselmo Delia, and Selectmen Phil Sengle and Tim Guerra to the Town Manager Search Committee (TMSC). Sengle was named chairman and the group was charged with coming up with a list of town manager candidates for the town council to interview when it becomes seated in November.

As part of the process, the TMSC sent out and vetted requests for proposals for a professional search firm to help the town. The TMSC chose Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to assist with the switch. On June 12, Clinton voters approved an appropriation of $32,000 to hire SGR.

SGR and the TMSC held a series of public meetings to answer questions and gauge qualities the community wanted in a town manager. The TMSC spent the summer working on a brochure to advertise the town and writing a job description. Once the job was posted the TMSC received close to 50 applicants, and whittled the list down to a final three. The three finalists were invited to a final round of interviews in early December.

The Town Council chose to unanimously hire Karl Kilduff to be Clinton’s town manager and thus ended the TMSC’s charge.