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
11/4/2022 - 11.4 TOWN UPDATE Dear Fairfielders, Happy November! I hope you had a nice Halloween with your families. As we head into the last two months of the year, Fairfield has a lot of upcoming events, some new and some returning. I will continue to update you every other week on what's happening in Town and hope you will take a few moments to browse through this week's update. As a reminder, Tuesday, November 8th is Election Day. Below, I've included information on voting, and also the ballot question regarding our Town's Charter. What's in this week's newsletter? Election Day Information Fall Leaf Pick Up & Pumpkin Composting We're Hiring! Honoring our Veterans Restaurant Week Happening Now Drive-in Movie at Lake Mohegan New Businesses ELECTION DAY TUESDAY VOTING If you will not be able to make it to the polls on Election Day – November 8, 2022 – you may vote by absentee ballot. The Town Clerk’s Office will be open on Saturday, November 5th from 9 AM to 12 noon to vote by absentee ballot. If you will not be able to make it to the polls on Election Day – you may vote by absentee ballot. Absentee Voting is permitted in the State of Connecticut for any of the following reasons: • Physical disability • Illness • Absence from town of residence • Religious tenets which forbid secular activity • Active US Military Connecticut does not participate in Early Voting. In order to vote absentee, you must meet one of the criteria listed above. Absentee voting in Connecticut is a two-step process. A completed and signed application must be filed with the Town Clerk before a ballot is issued. Election Day Registration will be held at 611 Old Post Road on Election Day November 8th. WHERE DO I VOTE? Polls will be open from 6 AM – 8 PM. Please note, your polling location may have changed. Click here to check your polling location. You can view the sample ballot for Tuesday's election here. Make sure you check which State Representative District you are in, displayed in the top right corner. CHARTER REVISION QUESTION ON THE BALLOT Residents will have an opportunity to cast their vote on proposed changes to the current Town Charter in this year’s election. These revisions were supported by the bipartisan Charter Revision Commission by a unanimous vote, and passed the Board of Selectmen, after 37 public meetings that lasted for over a year. The Town Clerk has released the "explanatory text" of the charter revisions per State statute that summarizes the document for residents into two pages. The ballot question, as well as this explanatory text, can be viewed here and will be available at your polling location. I hope you will take the time to read and inform yourself before casting your vote. TOWN GOVERNMENT NEWS ACCESSORY DWELLING APARTMENTS WORKSHOP The Town is committed to providing a range of sensible housing options to meet our current and future housing needs. I encourage Fairfield residents interested in learning more about accessory apartments and recent changes to our zoning regulations to attend this important workshop. The Town of Fairfield will hold a workshop on accessory dwelling units (ADUs), more commonly known as accessory or “in-law” apartments, "she-sheds" or "granny pods", beginning at 7:00 PM on Monday, November 14, 2022, at the Fairfield Museum & History Center, located at 320 Beach Road. The workshop is free and open to the public and is being co-hosted by the Town of Fairfield Affordable Housing Committee and Fairfield Senior Advocates. During this informative one-hour workshop, participants can learn more about accessory dwelling units and recent changes to the Town’s zoning regulations that make it easier to establish one. The program will include a moderated panel discussion of key design considerations and permitting requirements in the Town of Fairfield to establish an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), as well as information on benefits, potential costs and common pitfalls that homeowners should avoid. Panelists are expected to include Planning Director Jim Wendt and local architect Marc Andre, among others. Though the workshop is free, we ask those interested in attending to pre-register here: https://bit.ly/3fdQ6LO. Light refreshments will be provided. FALL LEAF PICKUP Visit www.fairfieldct.org/leaves for more information. The Town of Fairfield is encouraging residents to compost this fall’s worn-out jack-o’-lanterns and other decorative pumpkins, so that they eventually turn into useful nutrients that will support future growing seasons. Residents can either drop off pumpkins (as well as other yard and garden waste) at We Care Denali, 295 Richard White Way, or place them in their leaf bags for pickup by the Town. If you live in Greenfield Hill, you must call to schedule a leaf pickup at (203) 256-3177. Before composting, pumpkins should be cleaned of any candles, wax, paint, decorations or anything else “unnatural.” WE ARE HIRING The Town of Fairfield is seeking to fill several critical positions including in the HR Department, a Licensed Social Worker in the Police Department, Director of Purchasing and more. Click to view the current openings. FAIRFIELD'S FIRST RESPONDERS FAIRFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT RESEARCH COLLABORATION On October 26th and 27th, Alicia Feller, CEO of Southwest CT Mental Health System, and Captain Edward Weihe, Fairfield Police Department Field Services Bureau Commander, partnered with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) Forensics Division to facilitate a pilot program research collaborative. The research collaborative, called SIM (Sequential Intercept Model Mapping), is the first of its kind in Connecticut. It included stakeholders from a wide range of disciplines and providers from state and local mental health and addiction resources, hospitals, universities, criminal justice systems, and parole. The collaborative conducted a two-day workshop at the Fairfield Police Department, and analyzed a virtual pathway of individuals who have been arrested, adjudicated, and released while experiencing co-occurring mental health and/or substance use disorders throughout the process. The goal of analyzing this process is to identify gaps in immediate services and long-term care, brainstorm and prioritize solutions, and engage in the construction and implementation of those identified solutions. The objective is to reduce recidivism, suicides, and overdose deaths by making basic needs for survival and recovery readily available. The Fairfield Police Department will continue to partner with DMHAS and the research collaborative for problem-solving and to measure progress and success. I applaud the Fairfield PD for this initiative and consistently being at the forefront of these types of partnerships for the benefit of our community. FAIRFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT SENIOR CITIZEN SMOKE DETECTOR REPLACEMENT PROGRAM Thank you to our Fairfield Fire Department for completing their annual Senior Citizen smoke detector battery replacement program this October. Each October, units from all five firehouses visit our Seniors and assist with battery replacement for their smoke detectors. The program allows members of the Fire Department to get out in the community in a non-emergency situation to visit with our residents, and more importantly, ensure that they have working smoke detectors in their homes if they should need them. The Fire Marshal’s office provided the following statistics from this year’s program: Number of Homes visited – 211 Number of Batteries Changed – 782 Faulty/Broken detectors replaced with new devices – 46 THANK YOU FAIRFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT I want to acknowledge the work anniversaries for members of the Fairfield Fire Department. I sincerely appreciate their dedication to our community. Please click here to view the recent work anniversaries. VETERANS DAY HONORING OUR VETERANS Words cannot describe the debt of gratitude that is due to our Nation's Veterans. Next Friday, I hope you take the time on Veterans Day, either alone or at our Annual Veterans Day Ceremony, to reflect on the sacrifices made on our behalf. On November 11th, at 11 AM near the Veterans Wall of Honor, on the Town Green at 611 Old Post Road, Fairfield's two local American Legions will host our Annual Veterans Day Ceremony. The ceremony? will be held rain or shine. The dress code for Veterans attending the ceremony is blue and gray, and Post Commanders should bring unit colors and stand. KIWANIS FIELD OF VALOR? To honor our Military Veterans and those men and women actively serving our country, the Kiwanis Club of Fairfield is hosting its 6th annual Field of Valor by displaying U.S. Flags. The ceremony will be held at 2 PM on November 6th at Jennings Park, across the street from Bob's Shopping Center. I have attended the Field of Valor Ceremony for the past six years, and it is a great way to honor our Country's heroes. The Field of Valor will include more than 200 full-size (3'x5') American flags and will be on display to commemorate Veterans Day on November 11th. This display will be created in Jennings Park from November 6th through the 19th. To purchase a flag in honor of a veteran or someone currently serving, click here for more details. Fairfield Ludlowe High School’s Music Department invites you in “A Salute to Veterans”, A Concert Honoring All Who Have Served. The program will be held on Thursday, November 10th at 7:30 PM in the FLHS Nancy Larsen Auditorium and will include patriotic performances by the upper-level band, choir and orchestra ensembles, as well as guest veterans from Lt. Owen Fish Memorial American Legion, Post 143. The concert is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there! COMMUNITY NEWS FAIRFIELD RECEIVES SUSTAINABLE AWARD Fairfield is among five towns in Connecticut that earned distinction as the first cohort of Sustainable CT Climate Leaders. The program was piloted in 2022 to support the acceleration of municipal actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changing climate. Through the successful implementation of multiple climate actions, the five towns that earned distinction as the State's first Sustainable CT Climate Leaders: Fairfield, Glastonbury, New Britain, Stratford, and West Hartford. I would like to thank Sustainable Fairfield Task Force (SFTF) Chair Bob Wall and member Mary Hogue for accepting the award on behalf of Fairfield and recognize the entire SFTF for the excellent work they do on behalf of our community. GERMAN EXCHANGE STUDENTS VISIT TOWN HALL Selectman Tom Flynn spoke to German exchange students on Wednesday, October 26th about town government and Fairfield’s history during their visit to Sullivan Independence Hall. From October 20th to November 3rd, Fairfield Prep families hosted 20 German students and 3 chaperones from Überlingen, Germany. The exchange program, which has been at Prep since 2018, allows the US school to connect with a fellow Jesuit school in the Black Forest, which is located close to Überlingen. HUNGARIAN FREEDOM FIGHT On October 23rd, the Magyar Studies of America commemorated the annual anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Freedom Fight. Each year, members of our area’s Hungarian community join together to honor the 1956 freedom fighters by placing a wreath over a memorial which is located behind Independence Hall. This remembrance ceremony is held in memory of the Hungarian heroes of 1956 and to reaffirm the international principles of justice and freedom which unite and inspire us. As a proud Hungarian, I proclaimed October 23, 2022, as National Hungarian Freedom Fighters Day. You can read the proclamation here. Tibor Király Timea Zsedely & Daniel Palinkas REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION SURVEY MetroCOG and the Town of Fairfield invite you to take the Regional Transportation Survey. Your feedback will help to ensure community priorities are included in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) https://bit.ly/travel-2050. CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS. CHECK YOUR BATTERIES. As we change the clocks back an hour before going to bed tomorrow, the Fairfield Fire Department would like to remind everyone to also make sure they change the batteries in their smoke detectors. COMMUNITY EVENTS ENCHANTED CASTLE Last week, it was exciting to celebrate the opening and return of the Enchanted Castle presented by the Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County! The Enchanted Castle, located at the Burr Mansion at 739 Old Post Road, was open for residents to enjoy until October 30th. UPCOMING EVENTS DRIVE IN MOVIE NIGHT TINY MIRACLES FOUNDATION Starting today, November 4th through November 18th, Parag Patel, owner and operator of Turnpike Spirit Shop, is hosting a fundraiser for The Tiny Miracles Foundation. In addition to the round-up bucket where patrons can "toss their change" for a good cause, he will donate 10% of sales of selected products into the bucket. The goal of this charitable event is to raise money to assist families with children who were born prematurely. Parag is hoping the community will come out and support this charity because one in every ten births are premature, and every life matters. If our money can help a family bring another gift into the world, then that's the best gift ever. For more information on this cause, please click here. RESTAURANT WEEK Last chance! The 11th annual Fairfield Restaurant Week runs through this Sunday, November 6th. For more information and to view participating restaurants, please click here. There are more upcoming events you can see by scrolling down below. BUSINESS It's always exciting to welcome and support new businesses in Fairfield. Our local business' success is Fairfield's success. OPTIMAL HEALING CENTER OF CONNECTICUT The Town recently welcomed Optimal Healing Center of Connecticut PLLC with a ribbon cutting. Optimal offers medical weight loss support, infusion therapies, Botox & fillers, laser hair removal, manual lymphatic drainage & post-op care, facials, micro-needling, clinical peels, vaginal rejuvenation and more. ADVANCED EYECARE OF CONNECTICUT Last week, the Town joined Dr. Katie Brogan of Advanced EyeCare of Connecticut to welcome them with a ribbon cutting. For more information, please call (203) 292-8101 or click here. Photos by Mike Lauterborn I do my best to identify news and announcements that may be helpful for our residents. I hope you will scroll through the resources and more upcoming events below. I hope you have a lovely weekend. Brenda L. Kupchick Fairfield First Selectwoman SAVE THE DATES FRIENDS OF FAIRFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNUAL BOOK SALE Fairfield Public Library and The Friends of the Library are pleased to announce The Friends’ “Big Autumn Book Sale,” being held at the Main Library in Fairfield from November 18th – 20th. Nearly 10,000 gently-used books and DVDs for all ages and interests will be available for purchase, with most priced at only one or two dollars. There will also be a small selection of unique items priced a bit higher, but no more than ten dollars each. Pop-up specials will feature a free book – in the highlighted genre of the day – with your purchase. All money raised by this sale goes into supporting the Fairfield Public Library’s many programs and services, which are offered free to the public. Browse, buy, and support your local Library! Hours for the book sale are as follows: Friday, November 18th, from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM Saturday, November 19th, from Noon – 4:30 PM Sunday, November 20th, from 1:00 – 4:30 PM For more information about the book sale or to learn about becoming a member of The Friends of Fairfield Public Library, please click here. NOVEMBER UPDATES COVID-19 UPDATE The CDC uses “Community Level” indicators, which focus on the presence of severe illness as indicated by hospitalization-related data to determine prevention steps. Please visit the CDC website for the current level of Fairfield County. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19, you may be eligible for oral COVID-19 medications. For a list of Test to Treat locations in Fairfield, please visit the Test to Treat website. If you have any questions, please speak with your primary care physician. For COVID testing in the area, please visit our website. To access free COVID testing at one of the state-sponsored testing sites, please click here. For vaccination locations, there are numerous sites available in Fairfield and nearby, as well as daily walk-in clinics in many Towns. The bivalent booster has been approved by the FDA under EUA. The Health Department has been conducting bivalent booster clinics and are working on setting additional clinic dates. Please continue to check our social media accounts and our page for updated information here. INVASIVE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) adults are out this time of year. If you confirm a population on Town property, please notify this Department at (203) 256-3071. Information related to the SLF from CTDEEP is available here, and from USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, here. The Conservation Department has been in correspondence with the U.S. Forest Service, CT Agricultural Experimental Station (CAES) and the Town's Tree Warden regarding the SLF. An informative flyer from the CAES can be found here. RATE CASES Aquarion Water Rate Case There has been a recently-filed rate case of the Aquarion Water Company before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). I have submitted comments to the PURA Executive to expressing my opposition, which you can view here. Aquarion is proposing an inclining block rate structure for single-family, residential customers. This tiered approach would result in smaller increases for efficient/average-use customers. Inefficient/high-use customers would see a larger increase at the top two rate tiers. On September 8th, the first public hearing was held in person, with many in attendance opposed to this increase. You can read the article in the CT Insider covering the topic here. As of October 25th, all public hearings on Aquarion's rate change application were finalized. With the compiled public comments from all three meetings, PURA will make a decision. In most recent news, the AARP has joined Connecticut residents in opposition to Aquarion's rate increase. You can read more about their stance in CTNewsJunkie. UI Rate Case United Illuminating (UI) has filed a motion to amend its rate schedule. This rate increase would raise an individual's total bill by 4.9% per year regardless of their rate class. PURA has scheduled four public comment hearings in this proceeding that I recommend residents attend: Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at 5:30 PM IN-PERSON City of New Haven City Clerk Hearing Room, 200 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06510 (directions) Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at 12:00 PM VIRTUAL MEETING Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 7:00 PM VIRTUAL MEETING OPERATION HOPE | FOOD PANTRY Operation Hope’s Food Pantry is open all Summer to all Fairfield residents on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM and Thursday from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM. Items can be dropped off at 636 Old Post Road between 9:15 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. During the month of November, Operation Hope is in need of the following items: Ensure/Boost Canned Chicken & other meats(spam, etc) Dried Potatoes Canned Fruit Juice Adult Diapers Shaving Supplies Deodorant Soap & Body Wash Paper Towels & Toilet Paper Peanut Butter Jelly & Honey Pasta Sauce & other tomato products(diced, paste, etc) Coffee & Hot Chocolate Pancake Mix & Syrup Oatmeal & Cereal Thank you for considering a donation to help them feed our hungry neighbors! COMMUNITY CLASSES Community classes are to be held at the Fairfield Regional Fire School, 205 Richard White Way. If you have questions regarding any of these courses, please contact (203) 254-4708, or email frfs@fairfieldct.org. Heartsaver Layperson CPR/AED Certification Tuesday Evening, November 15th 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM $50 per student FAIRFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARIES Please note: Both branches of Fairfield Public Library are now open from Noon – 5:00 PM on Saturdays and from 1:00 – 5:00 PM on Sundays. Other hours are Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM and Fridays 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Special holiday hours: Both locations of FPL will be closed for Veteran’s Day on Friday, November 11th. In addition, the Libraries will close at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, November 23rd, and remain closed on Thursday and Friday, November 24th and 25th, for the Thanksgiving holiday. New at Main Library: bike repair station! The Library is excited to announce the addition of a Dero bike repair station at the Old Post Road entrance of Main Library. It comes with a pump and multiple tools, acting as a bike stand to make any repair easy. The addition of the station aligns with the Library’s goal of being a hub of lifelong learning, and we hope it will serve both new and current users while promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle among our patrons. From October 15th – December 10, 2022, the public can view the current show from the Bruce S. Kershner Art Gallery, “Moving Lines.” This show features the work of Charles Douthat and Mary Manning, and can be viewed during regular Library hours at Main Library. The Library continues to offer a mix of in-person and virtual programming at both locations for children, teens and adults. Please view our online calendar of events on our website (www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org) to see the offerings and reserve your spot! Fairfield Public Library offers 24/7 access to its digital collection of books, music, magazines, movies and databases. Information services are available in person, by phone (203- 256-3160), by email at eref@fplct.org, and via text messaging (text askfplct to 833-232-4100). PEQUOT LIBRARY We are open for browsing! Visit Monday – Friday, 10 AM – 6 PM, Saturday 10 AM – 4 PM, and closed on Sundays from July on. Drop in during browsing hours to check out items from our circulating selection, see our latest exhibit in the Perkin Gallery, or view treasures from our Special Collections. Now on view: The Lure of the Garden: The Enduring Desire to Work and Shape the Land Whether for pleasure or practicality, humanity’s relationship with the soil has been sustained since we quite literally planted roots as a species over 6,000 years ago. The Lure of the Garden invites visitors to explore the enduring desire to shape and cultivate the land, from the propagation of the “three sisters” – corn, beans, and squash – by Native Americans, to garden clubs, war-era Victory Gardens, and community and pollinator gardens. With materials dating back to the 1500s, the Monroes and the Wakemans, founders of the library, sought to curate a collection that would be democratic — of use to all classes of society from the financier to the farmer. Pequot Library’s Special Collections reflect the changing tastes, styles, and purposes of gardens, as well as their enduring lure. (On view in the Pequot Library’s Perkin Gallery from June 23, 2022 – February 5, 2023). For more programming, visit Upcoming Events – Pequot Library. 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. PREVIOUS UPDATES: October 21 October 14 Charter Explanatory Text September 30 September 16 Archives Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to receive my update directly here. Archives
Happy November! I hope you had a nice Halloween with your families. As we head into the last two months of the year, Fairfield has a lot of upcoming events, some new and some returning. I will continue to update you every other week on what's happening in Town and hope you will take a few moments to browse through this week's update. As a reminder, Tuesday, November 8th is Election Day. Below, I've included information on voting, and also the ballot question regarding our Town's Charter.
FAIRFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT SENIOR CITIZEN SMOKE DETECTOR REPLACEMENT PROGRAM Thank you to our Fairfield Fire Department for completing their annual Senior Citizen smoke detector battery replacement program this October. Each October, units from all five firehouses visit our Seniors and assist with battery replacement for their smoke detectors. The program allows members of the Fire Department to get out in the community in a non-emergency situation to visit with our residents, and more importantly, ensure that they have working smoke detectors in their homes if they should need them.
The Fire Marshal’s office provided the following statistics from this year’s program:
HONORING OUR VETERANS Words cannot describe the debt of gratitude that is due to our Nation's Veterans. Next Friday, I hope you take the time on Veterans Day, either alone or at our Annual Veterans Day Ceremony, to reflect on the sacrifices made on our behalf.
On November 11th, at 11 AM near the Veterans Wall of Honor, on the Town Green at 611 Old Post Road, Fairfield's two local American Legions will host our Annual Veterans Day Ceremony. The ceremony? will be held rain or shine. The dress code for Veterans attending the ceremony is blue and gray, and Post Commanders should bring unit colors and stand.
KIWANIS FIELD OF VALOR? To honor our Military Veterans and those men and women actively serving our country, the Kiwanis Club of Fairfield is hosting its 6th annual Field of Valor by displaying U.S. Flags. The ceremony will be held at 2 PM on November 6th at Jennings Park, across the street from Bob's Shopping Center. I have attended the Field of Valor Ceremony for the past six years, and it is a great way to honor our Country's heroes. The Field of Valor will include more than 200 full-size (3'x5') American flags and will be on display to commemorate Veterans Day on November 11th. This display will be created in Jennings Park from November 6th through the 19th. To purchase a flag in honor of a veteran or someone currently serving, click here for more details.
The concert is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!
REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION SURVEY MetroCOG and the Town of Fairfield invite you to take the Regional Transportation Survey. Your feedback will help to ensure community priorities are included in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) https://bit.ly/travel-2050.
I do my best to identify news and announcements that may be helpful for our residents. I hope you will scroll through the resources and more upcoming events below. I hope you have a lovely weekend.
Information related to the SLF from CTDEEP is available here, and from USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, here. The Conservation Department has been in correspondence with the U.S. Forest Service, CT Agricultural Experimental Station (CAES) and the Town's Tree Warden regarding the SLF. An informative flyer from the CAES can be found here.