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WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW
Who are we, what do we
do, where are we located, when do you come to us and how
do we do our job'? These are questions asked on a daily
basis. This is an attempt to provide an informational
packet to you, our residents, taxpayers and guests to
assist you when you visit Town Hall and to endeavor to
answer your questions. If there is something which we
cannot assist you with, we will direct you in the right
direction. If there is a question to which we do not
know the answer, we will get it for you. We are here to
serve you.
WHO
ARE WE?
My staff consists of my
two assistants Lesley Blais, who has been in the office
for approximately seventeen years, and Karen Galbo who
was appointed in February, 2001. Each of these ladies
works on a part-time basis and are invaluable to me in
the performance of their duties. I as your Town Clerk,
am grateful to have been appointed to the position in
1982 to fill a vacancy and to have been re-elected to
the position in the ensuing years.
WHAT DO WE DO?
Our most Important
function is to provide customer service. Invariably,
people who do not know what agency to go to in Town Hall
will come to the Town Clerk's Office to seek information
or direction. We attempt to provide that to them. Our
duties are varied and many.
LAND RECORDS
One of our primary
functions is the recording and processing of land
records. We accept the document for recording, stamp it
with the date and time, calculate the recording fees and
collect a State conveyance tax and a Town conveyance tax
according to the sales price. In this regard, one of
our functions is acting as the Tax Collector for the
Connecticut Department of Revenue Services. For this we
receive no compensation.
Fees for these Services
are set by the Connecticut General Statutes as are most
fees we collect. At the present time, there is a
$43.00 charge for recording page one of a document, with
an additional charge of $5.00 for each additional page.
If the document is a taxable conveyance of property, we
must assess an additional $2.00 charge for the
recording. A Connecticut Real Estate Conveyance Tax
Return must accompany the deed when it is recorded. The
return must be complete and accurate. We assess the
charge for the tax and attach the check which is made
out to Commissioner of Revenue Services to the form.
This must be forwarded to the Department of Revenue
Services in a timely manner. If there is no price
stated in the deed, a Town Conveyance Tax form must
accompany the deed, stating the price paid.
Next, we assign a volume and page to the
document, stamp it with the conveyance tax collected and with a "received for
record stamp" showing date and time of receipt. We darken all seals so they
will show up in scanning. The document is then indexed into our computer system
and a list is run off. It is edited and corrected, then run off and put into a
daybook, which is a chronological index of documents. At the end of the month,
this index is alphabetized and entered into our Grantor/Grantee Indices. These
are the master indices for all documents recorded in our office. Accuracy and
consistency is of the utmost importance.
Next we scan each
document. After scanning, we are able to print the
document and put it into a hard-cover book in the vault
for immediate use. The customer is also able to view the
document on the computer screen and to make copies of it
also. At the end of each month, the data is sent
electronically to ACS, our computer vendor who handles
data for Town Clerks around the country. At ACS, they
process the data and put in onto microfilm which is then
stored in an underground facility called Iron Mountain
in New York State for safekeeping. Documents are now
processed so quickly that the originals can be returned
to the attorney, the bank or buyer very quickly,
sometimes the same day.
There are numerous
types of documents which are processed on the Land
Records, i.e. Warranty Deeds, Quit Claim Deeds,
Mortgages, Releases of Mortgage, Assignments of
Mortgage, Lis Pendens, Attachments, Mechanics Liens,
Judgment Liens, Tax Liens, Sewer Liens, Water Liens,
Declarations, Foreclosures and many, many more.
MAPS AND SURVEYS
There are statutory requirements
for the filing of maps. Once a map or survey is filed, it never leaves the
office, except for microfilming. There are regulations concerning materials,
printing process, signatures and seals on a map or a mylar as it is commonly
called.
Maps are also entered into the computer system
for indexing purpose. We maintain an index by Map Title and by Street. At
this time, we have approximately 3900 maps on file. After we have accumulated
about fifty maps, they are sent out for microfilming. The maps are returned to
us in two days. Two sets of aperture cards accompany these maps. One is put
away for safekeeping. The other set is for the publics' use in viewing the map
on our Map-Reader Printer. This machine allows viewing or printing. The cost
of a map print is $5.00.
FLOOD MAPS
Flood maps are stored
in the Town Clerk's vault. These are referred to by
title searchers and homeowners and delineate the one
hundred year flood plain for properties.
RETENTION SCHEDULES &
DISPOSAL RECORDS
The Town Clerk's Office
maintains a Retention Schedule for all departments.
Copies relating to each department are dispensed to the
Department head with instructions as to how to dispose
of records in the proper way. This process involves the
Department Head, the First Selectman and the Public
Records Administrator of the State of Connecticut. A
strict record is kept of what is to be disposed of.
This record is recorded on the Land Records as a
permanent record of disposal. Many offices do this on a
yearly basis. This is the only way most paperwork can
be destroyed.
NOTARY PUBLIC
Notary Pubic services
are provided by your Town Clerk and your Assistant Town
Clerk, Ms. Galbo.. The Executive Assistant to the First
Selectman is also a Notary Public.
When notarizing a document, the Notary is
required to see a photo ID if the person is unknown to her. A passport or
driver's license would be acceptable. A Social Security card would not. If a
Notary is uncomfortable with the document, she is not required to notarize it.
We do not notarize wills or blank documents in Town Hall. We advise our
customers that wills should be executed under the guidance of an attorney. There
is no fee for residents and a $2.00 fee for non-residents
A resident wishing to become a Notary Public
may receive, from our office, an application and a Notary handbook. Once the
application is processed by the applicant, it is forwarded to the Office of the
Secretary of the State in Hartford with a $60.00 fee. When it is received back
by the applicant, it is brought into our office where the oath is given and a
signature card is signed and put on file with the Town Clerk. There is a
statutory $10.00 fee for this service. We keep a card file of all Notaries who
are residents of East Lyme.
FISH & GAME LICENSES
This Office administers
the sale and accounting of game licenses for the State.
A Town Clerk may have agents who can sell licenses
evenings and weekends. A strict accounting is kept of
licenses sold and moneys received. The agent returns
the sold licenses and the money collected to the Town
Clerk monthly so it may be forwarded to the Department
of Environmental Protection in Hartford.
Licenses are sold daily in the Town Clerk's
Office. They are many types of licenses. Hunting licenses are strictly
monitored. If an applicant presents a hunting license which has been procured
in any of the past five years, he is issued another one. However, if more than
five years have passed since he held a hunting license, he must then take a
course prescribed by the DEP. The Town Clerk maintains a listing of these
courses for the entire State.
There are no special requirements for fishing
licenses. Anyone of the age of 16 or more must have a license to fish. We also
carry all forms of licenses for Non-Residents (residents of other States).
Fees for licenses are set by State Statute. Of
the fee collected, only $1.00 goes to the Town, the rest to the Department of
Environmental Protection in Hartford.
The Town Clerk's Office also dispenses deer
hunting permits and archery permits, pheasant tags and duck stamps. Archery
permits are issued by the State but the application may be picked up at our
office. Lost licenses may be replaced by a simple form obtained in the Town
Clerk's Office. There is an administrative fee of $1.00 for the Town Clerk and
a $6.00 fee for the State of Connecticut. The Town Clerk will issue a temporary
five-day license while the paperwork is being processed by the State.
WRITS, SUMMONS & COMPLAINTS
The Town Clerk accepts
service for the Town for all complaints, suits, etc.
Once accepted, the original is stamped with date of
receipt. A copy goes to Town Attorney, the First
Selectman and the Department involved. This is a public
record and is open for public inspection.
DOG LICENSES
The month of June is
when all dogs in Connecticut are to be licensed. We
process approximately 1500 dog licenses per year. Post
card reminders are mailed out at the end of May as a
reminder to those who have previously licensed their pet
that it is time to do it again.
When a dog is acquired, the new owner has
thirty days in which to license it. All dogs of the age of 6 months must be
licensed.
In order to license a dog, a current
certificate of rabies vaccination MUST BE presented. This certificate is
provided by the Vet. Also, if a dog is neutered or spayed, that certificate is
presented to us. A rabies tag is not acceptable.
Fees for registering your dog are $8.00 for a
neutered or spayed dog and $19.00 for an unaltered dog. If a dog is not
registered in a timely fashion, a $1.00 per month fee is assessed. This is a
statutory fee and must be collected by us.
If a dog's tag is lost, a replacement may be
purchased for $.50. Also, if a dog was licensed for the current year in another
Connecticut Town, a license for the same year will be issued for S1.00. The
paper license must be presented as proof of registration.
TRADE NAME
CERTIFICATES
Anyone conducting
business in East Lyme under a name other than his own
needs to file a Certificate of Trade Name. The
applicant must first go to the Zoning Office. Once that
it is done, he comes to our office and for an $5.00 fee
places the name of his business on file. All those
conducting or transacting the business must sign the
certificate. The information from this document is then
indexed in the Land Records and the Trade Name Book and
becomes part of an alphabetical index of businesses.
LIQUOR PERMITS
Anyone selling liquor
in the State must have a liquor permit displayed on the
premises. The Liquor Control Commission of the State of
Connecticut issues a liquor permit to the applicant.
This must be brought to the Town Clerk for filing and
stamping. A fee of $2.00 is collected. A copy of the
permit is made for the Town Clerk’s records. The
original certificate is returned to the applicant and
must be displayed at the place of business.
VETERANS' DISCHARGES
All veterans should
have their original discharge papers or DD214's filed
here. They must first go to the Assessor's Office to
fill out the proper form and to see if they qualify for
the exemption on their taxes. The Assessor's Office can
let them know if they do. There is no charge for this
service. The document is copied into a permanent record
book and indexed in an alphabetical index for easy
reference.
VITAL STATISTICS
The Town Clerk's Office
is the repository for all vital records - births,
marriages, deaths, civil unions, adoptions, burial
certificates, cremation permits. If the "event"
occurred outside of East Lyme, the original is filed in
the Town where it occurred and a copy is filed here for
reference. If the "event" occurred in East Lyme, the
original remains here and copies are sent to the Town of
residence of the party or parties involved.
A request for a birth record is strictly
regulated. It must be handwritten or typed and must be accompanied by a photo
ID of the person making the request. Birth records may be viewed by certain
family members, title searchers and attorneys and the head of the municipality,
but copies may only be obtained by certain members of the family or a lawful
representative and registered Genealogical Societies. A full size may be
obtained for $10.00 and a wallet size for $5.00.
A birth certificate of an adopted person may be
issued; however, the original birth record remains sealed unless ordered opened
by the Court.
A certified copy of a death certificate, a
marriage certificate or a civil union license may be issued if the event
occurred in East Lyme or if the decedent or applicant was a resident of the Town
of East Lyme. The fee for a certified copy is $10.00.
Marriage licenses are
issued for marriages taking place in East Lyme or if one
or both of the applicants reside in East Lyme. Blood
tests are no longer required. The fee for the license
is $30.00 with $19.00 of that going to the State of
Connecticut.
Upon issuance of the license, the applicants
are advised to give the license to the person performing the ceremony. The
license will ultimately be returned to the Town Clerk where it becomes a
permanent record. A certified copy may be obtained for a fee of $10.00.
Civil union licenses which became law on
October 1, 2005 have the identical guidelines as marriage licenses.
Copies of all vitals which take place in
Connecticut are sent monthly to the Department of Health of the State of
Connecticut where records for the entire State are kept.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, PUBLIC
MEETINGS
It is a requirement of
the State of Connecticut that citizens be given proper
notice of all public meetings. Each year, by January 1,
all boards and commissions are required to present to
the Town Clerk a calendar of their upcoming schedule for
the year. These become their Regular Meetings.
If however, during the year, it is necessary to
call a Special Meeting, in other words a meeting which does not appear on that
regular schedule, it may be called with only 24 hours advance notice. Notice of
the date, time, place and purpose must be filed. Only those items appearing on
the notice may be discussed.
Motions of a meeting are to be filed within 48
hours and minutes of the meeting within 7 days. As these are received by the
Town Clerk, each is stamped with the date and time of filing. They are then
filed away and become a permanent record of the Town.
Copies of all minutes may be obtained for a fee
of $.50 per page.
Two bulletin boards are
maintained to inform you of upcoming meetings, one in the lobby of Town Hall and
an identical one in our office. Other notices of interest are posted
there also.
ELECTIONS
The Town Clerk's
functions regarding elections are many and varied.
The Town Clerk prepares
the ballot for the voting machines and for the absentee
ballots. An official list of candidates is prepared and
forwarded to Secretary of the State. The Town Clerk
must keep the Secretary of the State informed as to any
vacancies in an elective office whether by death or
resignation. This is vital to the integrity of the
balloting process. She also notifies the Secretary when
a vacancy in an elective office has been filled.
Chairmen of Town
Committees must be kept informed of many things in the
months preceding an election. They need to know what
offices are open in order to find candidates to fill
those slots.
Absentee ballots are
issued by this office. There is an application process
first, then if all is in order, the ballot may be
issued. Ballots are returned to the Town Clerk for
delivery to the polls. There is a strict accounting of
all absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots
issued.
It is the
responsibility of this office to order all supplies
needed to hold an election or a referendum.
On Election Night, the
Town Clerk must be in her office to receive the results
of the voting from the three polling places. The votes
are tallied by the Head Moderator and Town Clerk before
the official numbers are released. By State Statute, it
is the Town Clerk's duty to declare a person elected.
Simply because someone receives more votes than another
does not mean that he is elected. Minority
representation must be taken into consideration so that
not too many persons of one party control a board or
commission.
The results of these
elections are then put into a permanent record book for
posterity.
The same goes for a
referendum. The Town Clerk prepares the petition form
after a written request has been received to adjourn a
Town Meeting to the voting machines. Upon receipt of
500 signatures of registered voters or taxpayers on the
last completed Grand List with a minimum assessment of
$1,000, the Town Clerk notifies the assembly at the Town
Meeting that the meeting will be adjourned to the voting
booth at a date and time to be set by the Town
Meeting. The results are tallied in the same way as a
regular election.
Voter registration
cards are obtained in this office. These are used as a
means of identification to prove that the person is a
citizen. The name is checked on the voting list, the
card filled out and the Town Seal affixed over the Town
Clerk's signature.
TOWN MEETINGS
The Town Clerk is the
recording clerk for all Town Meetings. She is
responsible for providing the Moderator with the tools
needed to conduct the meeting, for taking the minutes
and for recording the minutes. This record is then
recorded in a permanent record book.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Connecticut Campaign
Finance Laws require each candidate for a municipal
office to either register a candidate committee with
this office and appoint a campaign treasurer who
periodically discloses campaign finance activity or to
file an exemption form, if that applies. The majority
of candidates file the exemption form. Those running
for First Selectman usually have their own committee and
if they receive or expend more than $1,000, it is
necessary to file. Any questions as to legalities and
responsibilities may be directed to the Office of the
Secretary of the State, Campaign Finance Division.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
Justices of the Peace
are endorsed by the Town Committees. For a short
period, unaffiliated voters are allowed to apply to
become a Justice. Justices must then come into the
Town Clerk's Office to be sworn in and to prepare a
signature card for fling. This card shows not only
their legal signature but shows their term of office.
The Town Clerk prepares a list of Justices which may be
given to applicants for marriage licenses. A handbook
is given to the Justice. This book shows what duties
they may perform and also contains a few samples of
marriage ceremonies. This office maintains a separate
list of Justices of the Peace who will perform marriages
or civil unions.
MISCELLANEOUS
The Connecticut General
Statutes are housed in the Town Clerk’s Office. Many
people come in to use them for reference. We also have
copies of Annual Town Reports dating all the way back to
the 1800's. These are a great source of information.
Town Meeting record books start in 1839, the year East
Lyme was incorporated. TM Volume 1 was rebound and
deacidified in 1989, the year of our one hundred
fiftieth anniversary. The act incorporating the Town is
contained in this volume so it is a valuable treasure.
WHERE ARE WE LOCATED?
The Town Hall is
located at 108 Pennsylvania Avenue, Niantic and is a
beautiful building with lovely grounds. There is a
pavilion located to the rear of the building. This
structure is used for picnics and other activities. On
the fourth of July weekend, there is an Art Show and
Lobster Fest on the grounds. Thousands of people come
from everywhere to take part in the festivities held
here.
WHEN DO YOU COME TO US
Anytime!! We are here to
serve you. We are happy to answer your questions at any time.
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WHO DO I SEE FOR……….?
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FIRST SELECTMAN: |
a complaint, a
compliment, a request to be put on the agenda for a Selectmen's meeting,
for any number of things, too many reasons to go into in this format |
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ASSESSOR |
for a street card,
information of your assessment; info on tax exemptions, circuit breaker,
elderly exemptions, to view or receive a copy of the tax map |
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TAX COLLECTOR |
to pay your taxes, to
get info on back taxes
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PROBATE COURT: |
anything to do with an
adoption, a change of name, a will or the handling of an estate, a
conservatorship, a passport application |
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FINANCE OFFICE: |
to get payroll
information, billing information, budget data and all financial
information |
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TREASURER: |
Town Department Heads
turn over all moneys to this office where it is deposited in the proper
accounts and invested |
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PLANNING DEPT: |
to subdivide a property,
to get invaluable data on land use
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ZONING DEPT: |
info on zoning usage,
what's allowed and what is not, what can be located on a particular
piece of property and what cannot; new business registration |
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ZONING BD OF APPEALS: |
handles disputes brought
in regards to zoning, such as variances and special uses |
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CONSERVATION: |
matters concerning
wetlands
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SANITARIAN: |
handles septic
information and concerns, inspection of restaurants and is involved with
problems in river associated with shellfish |
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BUILDING OFFICIAL: |
inspects new
construction and remodeling for compliance, issues building permits |
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PUBLIC WORKS: |
This office consists of
the head of Public Works, Town Engineer, Conservation Officer, Sewer
Engineer and answers questions regarding those areas. |
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HIGHWAY DEPT: |
located on Roxbury Road
- handles trash, snowplowing and maintenance of highways |
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REGISTRAR OF VOTERS: |
here to assist you in
registering to vote, keeper of voting lists for the entire town and
election officials charged with procuring poll workers and all those
affiliated with the voting machines and for the maintenance of the
machines |
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WATER & SEWER DEPT |
anything to do with
either water mains, sewer mains and anything related to them. Water &
sewer bills may be paid in this department. |
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FINANCE DIRECTOR |
deals with anything to
do with Town finances, budgets, appropriations
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OTHER DEPARTMENTS
LOCATED-ON SOCIETY ROAD IN EAST LYME COMMUNITY CENTER |
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PARKS & REC. DEPT: |
handles the sale of
beach passes, recreation programs for the Town and the various parks and
playing fields, trips to ball games |
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LIBRARY: |
speaks for itself
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COMMISSION
ON AGING: |
located in the Nicholas
Parahus area of the building, handles all programs for the elderly,
maintains buses and transportation and offers trips for the seniors |
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YOUTH CENTER: |
a recreational area for
young teens, programs are offered, dances held
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FIRE MARSHAL AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
CENTER: LOCATED ON BOSTON POST ROAD
FIRE DEPARTMENTS: LOCATED ON BOSTON POST ROAD,
GRAND STREET & W MAIN STREET
POLICE DEPARTMENT: LOCATED ON PENNSYLVANIA
AVENUE NEXT TO TOWN HALL
SUPT. OF SCHOOL OFFICES: LOCATED ON BOSTON
POST ROAD
EAST LYME HIGH SCHOOL: LOCATED ON CHESTERFIELD
ROAD
MIDDLE SCHOOL: LOCATED ON SOCIETY ROAD
FLANDERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: LOCATED ON BOSTON
POST ROAD
LB HAYNES SCHOOL: LOCATED ON SOCIETY ROAD
NIANTIC CENTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: LOCATED ON
EAST PATTAGANSETT ROAD
PROBATE COURT: NEXT TO TOWN HALL IN “TOWN HALL
COTTAGE”
RESISTRARS OF VOTERS: NEXT TO TOWN HALL IN
“TOWN HALL COTTAGE”
This booklet is an attempt to acquaint you with
the services offered by the Town of East Lyme. It is in no way a complete
accounting of what each department or agency does but just a general idea to let
you know in which direction to go to for information. Our most important
function is to serve you, the public, in an efficient and courteous manner. If
at any time, we can assist you or answer any of your questions, please let us
know. Our office hours at Town Hall are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00
PM and the first and third Thursday of the month until 7:00 PM by appointment.
The main switchboard number at Town Hall is 860-739-6931.This is an information
publication of the Town of East Lyme, Office of the Town Clerk.
Esther B. Williams, CMC
Town Clerk
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