Old Town Hall (Directions) 611 Old Post Road Fairfield, CT 06824 Sullivan Independence Hall 725 Old Post Road Fairfield, CT 06824 203-256-3000 Find additional contact info here
7/2/2021 - 7.2 TOWN UPDATE Happy 4th of July, Fairfield! "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." For 245 years, Americans have celebrated the birth of our nation on July 4th. The Declaration of Independence is a document I think every American should take the time to read at least once a year to remember the foundation of our country. You can view the text here. I am excited for the return of Fairfield's fireworks display this year and look forward to celebrating Independence Day with our community. Click below to see last week's email with information on closures, traffic patterns and drop offs that will impact the process of arriving to and departing from our beaches as we celebrate Independence Day. Due to inclement weather on Saturday, the fireworks display has been moved to Monday, July 5th. Check the local news and Town social media for further updates. FIREWORKS INFORMATION AND TRAFFIC GUIDE COMMUNITY NEWS 4TH ANNUAL DIAPER DRIVE Last week, I was truly humbled at our community's generosity when so many of our residents donated diapers to families in need at my 4th Annual Diaper Drive with State Representative Laura Devlin. I want to give a shout out to the Child’s Garden, Moms of Fairfield, Connecticut, and Al DiGuido of Saugatuck Sweets Fairfield for helping make this year's drive our most successful yet! GRAND OPENING Last week I was excited to officiate the grand opening of Floor & Decor, a specialty retailer of hard-surface flooring. With their original warehouse store in Atlanta, GA, this is the first location in their nationwide expansion. Ricardo Narvaez, the store’s Chief Executive Merchant, shared that “Floor & Decor is thrilled to open their doors in Fairfield and offer unmatched service and quality flooring at unbeatable prices." *Floor and Decor Photography by Doing It Local TOWN OF FAIRFIED 2021 COMMEMORATIVE POSTERS On Wednesday, we turned the page on the year that we just experienced, by celebrating all our community has to offer through artwork we commissioned by local artist Paul Sigel. Paul is a Ridgefield-based artist, who's art pays homage to the great 1930s poster artists, who emphasized the simplicity of design with no unnecessary details. The commemorative posters celebrate summer 2021 and capture four scenes of Fairfield – Town Hall, the Burr Mansion, Southport Harbor and Penfield Beach. These can all be seen today on streetlamps in downtown Fairfield. For more information on purchasing a poster click here. TOWN GOVERNMENT TAX BILLS & REVALUATION As you may have read from my newsletter updates over the last year, 2020 was a revaluation year for the Town of Fairfield. The Connecticut General Statutes requires each town to do a revaluation every five years. Revaluation notices were mailed the week of November 30, 2020 and updates were provided on the website throughout the process, https://www.fairfieldct.org/taxassessor. The notice mailed to you indicated the prior town assessed valuation from the 2015 revaluation and the new proposed assessed value from the 2020 revaluation. The letter also provided instructions on how to schedule an informal hearing with Municipal Valuations to get more information on your valuation. There was also a process for which residents could appeal their assessment before the Board of Assessment Appeals in March. Unfortunately if you did not submit an appeal in the required time frame, set forth in the statute, you will have to wait until next year to file an appeal. You can find more information here: https://www.fairfieldct.org/assessmentappeals Please know that as First Selectwoman, I have no authority to make changes to anyone's revaluation. The process is established under State statute. There is tax relief available in Town for the elderly and disabled, you can read about here: https://www.fairfieldct.org/taxrelief FILL PILE & REMEDIATION In my June 18 newsletter, I provided an update on the remediation work happening in Town. We have made progress on several sites since then. The remediation work at Lake Mohegan, Osborne School and Southport Beach is complete. Mill Hill School is in progress and should be completed over the next week. Remediation work will then begin at McKinley School, and Jennings Beach for an area around a water line that's north of the parking lot. This work will not have an impact on residents or disrupt use of the beach. I will provide updates as we continue to make progress in the clean-up of contaminated sites. BOS & RTM APPROVES POLLINATOR PATHWAY Fairfield’s Board of Selectmen and the Representative Town Meeting have approved a resolution encouraging Town residents to become part of the Pollinator Pathway Northeast program, a voluntary program which seeks to make gardens and lawns throughout our region more protective and nurturing for the pollinator species – including bees, birds, butterflies and other pollinating insects. All of which, are so critical to maintaining a healthy and diverse environment. Pollination remains essential for most of the food we eat, but at the same time, many pollinator species are in decline. The decline is rooted, among other factors, in destruction and fragmentation of native habitat, diminishing native plants due to invasive species, pesticide use, and the dominance of lawns, which offer no benefits to pollinators and other wildlife. Among the steps that residents can take to tip the balance back towards valuable pollinators are reducing your lawn size, planting native and pollinator-supporting plants, and enriching soil by avoiding pesticides and using organic yard-care practices. I want to thank the Fairfield Forestry Committee (FFC) and the Sustainable Fairfield Task Force (SFTF) for proposing this resolution. COMMUNITY FOREST QUESTIONNAIRE The Fairfield Forestry Committee is seeking public input, relative to updating the Town of Fairfield Community Forest Management Plan and setting priorities for managing Fairfield's "Community Forest". Please click on the link below to participate in a brief survey. FAIRFIELD FORESTRY QUESTIONNAIRE I hope you'll take some time to review additional Town information and upcoming events, including the reading of the Declaration of Independence by the Daughter's of the American Revolution (DAR) on the 3rd of July and the Pequot Library's Annual 4th of July Bike Parade and Lawn Games, by scrolling below. Happy 4th! Brenda L. Kupchick Fairfield First Selectwoman FAIRFIELD COVID RESOURCE PAGE Scrolling below you can find additional events, information and resources organized by the following categories: Community Events Town Events July Updates Town Services Community Resources COMMUNITY EVENTS DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: READING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE July 3 at 10:00 AM at the Old Academy rain or shine! PEQUOT LIBRARY'S ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY BIKE PARADE AND LAWN GAMES July 4 from 10:00 AM-12:30 PM starting at the Five Corners in Southport Village. Bring your decorated bikes, scooters, and wagons, and celebrate Independence Day with us! For more information, click here. CPR/AED TRAINING FOR THE LAY PERSON July 17 from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM at the Fairfield Regional Fire School. $50 per person (includes textbook and certification card). Register here. ANNUAL SIDEWALK SALE & STREET FAIR Saturday, July 17 join us for this summer's hottest deals at the Fairfield Sidewalk Sale & Street Fair to be held, rain or shine from 10AM-4PM, in downtown Fairfield with free admission. For more information, click here. FAIRFIELD FARMER'S MARKET The Fairfield Farmer's Market will be open on Sundays from 10-2 until October 2nd. The Greenfield Hill Farmer's Market will be open Saturdays from 10-1. For more information click here. FAIRFIELD POLICE SUNSET 5K July 21 at 6:30 PM... Details HERE UPCOMING TOWN EVENTS Friday July 2, 2021 at 7:00pm – Comedy Night at Penfield Pavilion Saturday July 3, 2021 at 9:15pm – Independence Day Fireworks Show Sunday July 4, 2021 at 10:00am– Farmers Market at Sherman Green *Monday July 5, 2021 at 9:15pm – Independence Day Fireworks Show Raindate Wednesday July 7, 2021 at 10:15am – Peanut Butter Jam featuring Les Julian Wednesday July 7, 2021 at 6:30pm – Concert at Sherman Green featuring The 5 O’Clocks Thursday July 8, 2021 at 6:30pm – Concert at Sherman Green featuring Back Beat Friday July 9, 2021 at 6:30pm – Sand Jam Movie Night featuring The Croods Saturday July 10, 2021 at 6:30pm – Concert at Sherman Green featuring The Cameos Sunday July 11, 2021 at 10:00am– Farmers Market at Sherman Green Sunday July 11, 2021 at 5:00pm – S’mores Sunday at Lake Mohegan Sunday July 11, 2021 at 6:30pm – Concert at Sherman Green featuring Steve D’Agostino Wednesday July 14, 2021 at 10:15am – Peanut Butter Jam featuring Ryan Sanangelo Thursday July 15, 2021 at 6:30pm – Concert at Sherman Green featuring 1 Stop Pony PARKS AND RECREATION WEBSITE JULY UPDATES PRIDE MONTH Last week, for the third year in a row, the Town of Fairfield raised the pride flag in front of Town Hall, which serves as a reminder that our community will stand against discrimination of any kind. ROAD CONSTRUCTION AT THE TRANSFER STATION Construction is underway on Richard White Way from 7 AM - 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Residents should expect delays, and when possible, plan trips to the transfer station Mondays and Saturdays. Next week the water and gas companies will be relocating their utilities and the pile driver will be driving steel sheets at the WWTP, to protect the neighborhood from flooding. Neighbors should expect to feel some vibration from this work. BIRD FEEDING HAULT FOR SUMMER The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection recommends that you remove birdfeeders and bird food from late March through November, due to increased reports of black bear sightings in heavily populated residential areas -- 24 specific sightings in Fairfield. Anyone who sees a bear in Fairfield can contact animal control at 203-254-4857. If the animal is behaving aggressively or refusing to leave a residential area, people should call the police department at 203-254-4800. For a list of simple steps to avoid conflicts and problems with black bears, click here. TOWN SERVICES RENTERS REBATE PROGRAM The Assessors Office is now accepting applications for the Renters Rebate Program. Applications are accepted between 9am and 4pm. The deadline to apply is October 1, 2021. Generally applicants need to be 65 years of age as of December 31, 2020 or be disabled, have income not exceeding $37,600 if single or $45,800 if married and have resided in Connecticut for one year prior to applying. Details can be found on the Assessors website here https://www.fairfieldct.org/rentersrebate or on the State of Connecticut’s site here https://www.fairfieldct.org/rentersrebate. PROPERTY TAX BILLS | A Message from the Tax Collector Property Tax Bills were mailed out on June 25th The 2020 Grand List property tax bills that become due on July 1, 2021 will be mailed out on Friday, June 25th. The Tax Office is open to the public and no appointment is necessary. Once the bills are mailed, you may also look up your bill and pay online by visiting fairfieldct.org/taxpayment. Payments with an original bill coupon can also be made at any People's United Bank location, beginning Thursday, July 1st. You do not need to be a customer. Please note that according to State Statute, tax payments are due July 1st with a grace period until August 2nd. Interest begins to accrue on Tuesday, August 3rd at a rate of 1 1/2% per month, dating back to July 1, 2021. Click here to read Frequently Asked Questions regarding tax payments. 2021 BEACH STICKERS The 2020 Beach/ Transfer Station Sticker expired 12/31/20. Don't wait to buy your 2021 Sticker. RENEW your sticker online for 2021. You can also renew by fax, mail or in person at Parks & Recreation. DOG LICENSING Dogs six months of age or older must be licensed by July 1st each year. A current rabies certificate is required. Licenses may be purchased by mail, via lobby dropbox or at the Town Clerk’s Office, Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM beginning June 1st. Renewals are now available online. To apply for the license by mail, send the required certificates to Betsy Browne, Town Clerk, 611 Old Post Road, Fairfield CT 06824, along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. https://www.fairfieldct.org/doglicense HOUSING NEEDS SURVEY The Town is updating its 2014 Housing Plan and 2016 Plan of Conservation and Development - both of which look at the current and anticipated future housing needs in Fairfield. The survey is an opportunity for Fairfield residents to provide input about their housing experiences and feedback about housing options that Fairfield might consider. I hope you will take 5-7 minutes to complete the survey which can be found here. BIGELOW CENTER FOR SENIOR ACTIVITIES Reopening date – Monday, July 12th!! Click here to view the Reopening Packet. Please note the important changes taking place with the reopening and registration process. There will be priority registration for Fairfield residents and you must pre-register for ALL classes, activities and events—unfortunately, no walk-ins at this time. We can’t wait to see everyone. Safety for all members, our staff and instructors is a priority! Please click here for the July Newsletter. Registration for Fairfield Residents Only for classes and activities begins on Monday, June 21st at 9:00am. Registration for non-residents begins on Monday, June 28th at 9:00am. Bigelow Center for Senior Activities Membership – Did you know that you have to renew your membership EVERY year? The 2021/2022 Bigelow Center Membership renewal is underway and the form is now online! Forms can be completed and submitted online via the town website. https://www.fairfieldct.org/bigelow/membership. Paper copies are also be available for pick up at the Bigelow Center. The Bigelow Center for Senior Activities welcomes Jennifer Henry as our new Activities Coordinator! Jennifer is a lifelong CT resident with experiences in event planning and world class travel, preschool teacher and a mom of three girls. We are thrilled to have her as part of our team! FAIRFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARIES Library Express Service offers opportunities for quick browsing and checkout at both of our libraries. The Fairfield Public Main Library building is open Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9am - 5pm and Tuesday & Thursday 9am – 7pm. Woods Branch building is open Monday & Wednesday 9am - 7pm and Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9am – 5pm. Both Main and Woods are open Saturdays 1pm – 5pm. Learn more about Library Express service. Facemasks are required for everyone (ages 2+) entering and using the Children’s Department in both Fairfield Public Library buildings. As of July 6th, masks are optional for fully vaccinated patrons in all other areas of our library buildings. This update is in accordance with the Town of Fairfield Health Department and the recommendation of the CT Department of Public Health. Visit CT Department of Public Health for further information regarding settings where there is likely to be a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people (including children younger than 12 years).. 2021 Summer Reading Challenge for ALL ages, children, teens and adults! Register NOW online. All ages are invited to enter our “Writing” Contest. Tell us a tale in words or art about an aspect of your culture or a family tradition. Entries should be no more than 750 words or in an artistic medium of your choosing. See details here. FPL 30 Day Sketch Challenge! During July, submit your daily sketch via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and tag us #fplctsummer2021 or email to: submissions@fplct.org. We’ll send you back the daily activity code for you to earn points in our Summer Reading Challenge (for teens and adults). Complete all 30 challenges to earn a badge and 5 bonus raffle ticket entries! All levels welcome – give it your best shot and show us what you can do! Every day a NEW theme! Fairfield Public Library continues to offer 24/7 access to their digital collection of books, music, magazines, movies and databases. Visit the Library Event Calendar to find a wide and varied assortment of Library Programs. Updates are shared via our website, newsletter and social media. SOCIAL SERVICES The hardest part to getting help is reaching out to make the call to the Social Services office. We are here to help. Please call us at 203-256-3170 Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM for more information about financial assistance programs. EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE: If you have been financially impacted by COVID-19, and are struggling to pay your rent and utilities, you may qualify for financial assistance through a new program opened up on March 15th called UniteCT. Additional information, and the application portal, maybe found at www.bit.ly/UniteCT or you may call 1 844-864-8328. Eligible applicants include both eligible renters as well as landlords on behalf of eligible tenants. BNT HOUSING COUNSELING SERVICES - BNT (Building Neighborhoods Together) provides ongoing education and services designed to build financial skills and promote housing security, such as one on one credit counseling and benefits access (i.e. screenings to help determine available resources, as well as referrals to job training and placement programs). Call for more information: (203) 290-4255 EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT The Emergency Broadband Benefit program provides a discount of up to a $50 per month toward broadband service for eligible households. The benefit also provides up to a $100 per household discount toward a one-time purchase of a computer, laptop, or tablet if the household contributes more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase through a participating broadband provider. A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria. Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail-in application. Additional information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit is available at www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit, or by calling 833-511-0311 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. any day of the week.) Not in a Crisis but Needing to Connect? Talk to a peer counselor at Soundview Warmline, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, seven days a week. Call 800-921-0359. Pequot Library: We're Here, We Care – Pequot Library offers curbside pickup by appointment and limited browsing hours from 3-6pm on Mondays & Wednesdays; 10am-6pm on Fridays; and 2-4pm on Saturdays. During browsing hours visit us to check out a book or view our display John James Audubon's Birds of America: A Return to Pequot Library, on view from February 4 - May 2. Outside of browsing hours, enjoy digital programs like story times, author talks, book clubs, and more! Get details on our website and social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Sign up for Pequot Library's Digital Digest eNewsletter or contact our Chief Librarian for personalized book recommendations. COMMUNITY RESOURCES Behind in your rent or mortgage? Are you behind in your rent or mortgage? Operation Hope may be able to help. Please contact Brenda at 203-292-5588 x225 or email her at blobdell@operationhopect.org. All inquiries are confidential – they are there to help! Struggling to make ends meet? Reminder: Operation Hope’s Food Pantry is here to serve all Fairfield residents. We are open at 636 Old Post Road Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 12:00 and Thursday from 4:00 to 6:00. Please let them help you with groceries and other basic necessities! Operation Hope Food Pantry Operation Hope has in-person openings for meal servers this summer to help our neighbors in need. All meals are served at our Community Kitchen at 50 Nichols Street, Fairfield, next to the police station. Servers must be 18+. Lunch and dinner are served Monday through Friday. The commitment can be once a week for the entire summer or for a portion. If interested, send us an email at info@operationhopect.org. Please indicate your level of commitment, as well as your preference for lunch or dinner. RECYCLING DO'S AND DONT'S | SUSTAINABLE FAIRFIELD TASK FORCE Fairfield pays close to $700,000.00 a year for our recycling programs, but a lot of our Town recycling is contaminated - in other words there are multiple items in the blue bins that CAN NOT Be recycled. Our recycling processor says that close to 25% of our recycling is contaminated - sometimes it is as simple as residents putting their recycling into plastic bags (which the processor then treats as waste even though the materials inside might be good recycling containers). Learn More: Do's and Don'ts of Recycling What else can be recycled in Fairfield? FAIRFIELD BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE The Town of Fairfield Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee has been working to encourage walking and biking for transportation, recreation, exercise and quality of life. Working with multiple town departments we have established bicycle routes, installed bicycle repair stations, worked to improve pedestrian infrastructure, and authored the Town of Fairfield Complete Streets Policy (approved by the Board of Selectman in 2018). With more and more of our citizens using our roads, we would like to provide you with some important safety reminders for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. View the document here. GET INVOLVED! TOWN BOARD AND COMMISSION VACANCIES You can also visit our Boards and Commissions page to learn more about roles and responsibilities: https://fairfieldct.org/boards Interested in giving back to our community? Want to have a voice in shaping Fairfield? The Town relies on the hard work of citizen volunteers who are appointed to provide guidance and governance on various Boards and Commissions. The list of vacancies for Boards and Commissions are on the Town Website. Be sure to check back often as the list is updated as positions become available: https://fairfieldct.org/vacancies To learn about the application process, please click here: https://fairfieldct.org/appointmentprocess EMERGENCY ALERTS | WHEN IT MATTERS MOST Get alerted about emergencies and other important community news from the Town of Fairfield, CT by signing up for the Fairfield Alert system. This system enables us to quickly provide you with critical information in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods and other emergency situations. You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more. You pick where, you pick how! If you were previously registered with us on the CodeRed system, you must sign-up again by following the instructions below, in order to continue receiving Emergency and Community alerts from the Town of Fairfield. How to sign up? Click here. PREVIOUS UPDATES: June 18 June 4 May 21 May 14 May 7 April 30 2020 Archives Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to receive my update directly here. Copyright © 2021 Town of Fairfield, All rights reserved. 203.256.3030 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Archives
The 2020 Grand List property tax bills that become due on July 1, 2021 will be mailed out on Friday, June 25th. The Tax Office is open to the public and no appointment is necessary. Once the bills are mailed, you may also look up your bill and pay online by visiting fairfieldct.org/taxpayment. Payments with an original bill coupon can also be made at any People's United Bank location, beginning Thursday, July 1st. You do not need to be a customer.
Please note that according to State Statute, tax payments are due July 1st with a grace period until August 2nd. Interest begins to accrue on Tuesday, August 3rd at a rate of 1 1/2% per month, dating back to July 1, 2021.
Click here to read Frequently Asked Questions regarding tax payments.
You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more. You pick where, you pick how!
If you were previously registered with us on the CodeRed system, you must sign-up again by following the instructions below, in order to continue receiving Emergency and Community alerts from the Town of Fairfield.