The Essex Board of Selectmen (BOS) took action on several items at its regular meeting held on Sept. 2. These items pertained to a proposed ordinance combining the town’s planning and zoning commissions, the speed limit on River Road, and an Equality Act resolution.

P&Z Ordinance

The BOS moved a proposed ordinance that would combine the town’s Planning Commission with its Zoning Commission to a public hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

The selectmen discussed the process for approving the ordinance, citing the need to explore how to hold a town meeting to vote on the proposed ordinance later in the fall under the safety restrictions mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

River Road Speed Limit

The board also voted to set the speed limit on River Road, from Book Hill Road to the Deep River town line, to 25 miles per hour. This decision was made after discussion at an earlier board meeting in the spring regarding inconsistent speed limits along the length of the road. The board had previously solicited input from the town’s Resident State Trooper Mark Roberts on the decision.

Equality Act Resolution

In a sign of support for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, the BOS unanimously adopted an equality act resolution at the meeting. LGBTQ+ refers to a community of persons identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other terms.

John Board, who spoke at the meeting, is spearheading an effort to get all municipalities in Connecticut to adopt the resolution, which endorses the federally proposed Equality Act.

“I currently chair New Britain Pride, which is the city’s LGBTQ+ outreach organization. One of the things that I’m doing by myself, as an offshoot of this, is encouraging all different municipalities around the state to adopt a resolution supporting the act and the LGBTQ+ community,” said Board.

Board founded New Britain Pride, which is a nonpartisan advocacy and educational awareness organization for the LGBTQ+ community, in 2017.

Essex is the fourth municipality in the state to adopt the resolution. By adopting it, the BOS agreed to recognize that LBGTQ+ rights are human rights and are constitutionally protected, that all residents should be treated fairly and equally regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and that the town must strive to ensure that the promise of equality is realized for all.

The Equality Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019. This bill would amend the federal Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The U.S. Senate received the bill on May 20, 2019, but no action has been taken on it.

Board, by telephone after the meeting, said that he has been “redoubling this effort” for state-wide municipal adoption of the resolution after the United State Supreme Court’s decision in the civil rights case of Bostock v. Clayton County this June.

In this case, the court said that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees against discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Once I saw the vote come down [to pass the Equality Act in the House], it was a bipartisan vote, as well as the Supreme Court in favor of upholding the Civil Rights Act, that sort of redoubled my motive and drive to get as many municipalities as possible to adopt the resolution,” said Board.