Council authorizes outreach group for $55M police‑headquarters proposal amid legal concerns and public pushback

Norwich City Council voted to establish a group to coordinate public information and outreach around a proposed police‑headquarters financing ordinance that, if sent to referendum and approved by voters, would authorize borrowing roughly $55 million to convert a former bank into a police headquarters.

Resolution #6 directs the Public Safety Committee, the city manager and relevant staff to "continue to collaborate in support of public awareness for referendum." Council members said the step would ensure community information sessions before any referendum. "That is what resolution number six provides," President Prom Deluchia told the meeting as he explained the committee's public‑information role.

But several councilors and members of the public pushed back on timing and legality. Alderman Nestrom warned that appointing a standing committee to carry outreach once an ordinance is referred to referendum could be interpreted as advocacy and potentially violate state restrictions on municipal use of public resources for referendum campaigns. A motion to postpone the resolution while Corporation Counsel and bond counsel did additional review failed; the resolution passed 5–2 (Alderman Nash and Alderman Nestrom opposed).

Public comment during the discussion was heated and focused on the size of the proposed borrowing and on transparency. One speaker charged council had purchased the building "under the cover of darkness," while another reminded the room that the referendum and final borrowing decision would be for voters on election day in November: "it will be ... on election day in November that you will decide whether or not the city will borrow $55 million," a city official said.

Next steps: council scheduled a public hearing and first reading of the bond/ordinance for Aug. 17. If the ordinance is certified and sent to referendum, the outreach group established by resolution #6 would coordinate informational sessions; council members said they would seek further legal clarity on permissible uses of city resources after an ordinance is referred.