In a Feb. 4 letter, Lathrop responded to the council's Jan. 16 8-5 vote to support the Preston site south of the former Norwich Hospital. The council did not, however, exclude the college's consolidation at its existing Thames Valley campus in Norwich.

Council Chairman and North Stonington First Selectman Nicholas Mullane sent a letter detailing the vote, with a copy of the approved resolution, to Gov. John G. Rowland on Jan. 22, and also urged the governor to bring closure to the issue.

Norwich officials have been adamantly against the college relocating outside the city and many have supported its consolidation along Norwich harbor.

Rowland also has renewed interest in a previous plan that suggested relocating the college to the block between Chestnut and Franklin streets.

The only plan currently being studied as the college's probable future site is the Thames Valley campus on New London Turnpike, however, because the state community college board of trustees unanimously endorsed the site.

Main goal

With the main goal being to keep the college in Norwich, former City Manager William Tallman, who attended the Jan. 16 council meeting, voted against the resolution. Lathrop did not attend and instead wrote a letter to the members expressing his disappointment with their decision.

"It is surprising and disappointing that an organization whose purpose is to foster the regional cooperation so vitally needed in eastern Connecticut should instead engage in cannibalizing a member town's assets," he wrote.

At Wednesday's meeting, Mullane informed other members about the letter and said he would respond, but did not say when, how or what he would include in the response.

Instead, he said Norwich is an important part of the council and he hoped to continue the city's relationship as a council member and work with Lathrop on regional issues.

Lathrop, who did not attend Wednesday's meeting, also informed the council in his Feb. 4 letter that he would not be able to attend the meetings for the "indefinite future" because of the "press of business."

Lathrop said Wednesday the city intends to remain an active member of the council and that Acting City Manager Richard Podurgiel would attend the meetings.

"We will have representation. I just won't be there," Lathrop said.