The What: A Mother’s Day Reflection, Final Budget Votes, Artificial Turf Fields, and more
The What is your look around southwest Connecticut for the week of May 12.
Monday, May 12
Happy Monday! Hope all of you—particularly those of you who are mothers—had a great weekend.
Highlights
This section gives a brief overview of the key items in the newsletter.
- This year was my first Mother’s Day, and I decided to share some personal thoughts on the day and what it meant to me.
- In Stamford, the Board of Finance will officially set the city’s mill rate (which determines your tax bill), the last step in their budget process, while in Greenwich, the Representative Town Meeting will vote on the town’s proposed budget.
- In Norwalk, there will be a Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs Public Hearing on Wednesday, May 14, where the city’s director of recreation and parks will present three types of options for fields at the Broad River Baseball Complex. On a similar note, in Westport, the RTM Environment & RTM Health & Human Services Committees are discussing artificial turf.
Spotlight
This section features our main reporting each week.
This past Sunday was my first Mother’s Day as a new mom and, perhaps in a coincidence that could only happen to a mom, this week is also the official end of my maternity leave from my day job. The wonderfully strange combination of those two moments in time has made me think a lot about what being a mom in 2025 means.
Others have said it before and it's true for me as well—when I became a mom, my world immediately changed. Loving, caring for, and raising my son over the past few months has changed me too.
See how becoming a mom has changed me and how it’s guiding my work here.
This Week at a Glance
This section aims to highlight the most important meetings and news taking place each week.
- In Bridgeport, the Board of Education will meet on Monday, May 12 at 6 p.m. and vote to approve the educational specifications—what the school building needs—for the construction of a new preschool through eighth grade East End Elementary School.
- In Stamford, the Board of Finance will meet on Wednesday, May 14 at 5 p.m. to officially set the city’s mill rate, which determines how much residents and businesses pay in taxes.
- In Norwalk, there will be a Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs Public Hearing on Wednesday, May 14 at 6 p.m. where the city’s director of recreation and parks will present three types of options for fields at the Broad River Baseball Complex.
- Also in Norwalk, the Board of Education will meet on Tuesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. and receive an update from the administration on the work it is doing to adjust the budget. The board received a 4% increase to its budget from last year, but district officials asked for an increase double that size.
- In Fairfield, the Board of Education will meet on Tuesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. and also begin adjusting its budget based on the amount it received from the town.
- In Greenwich, the Representative Town Meeting will meet on Monday, May 12 at 7 p.m. to vote on the town’s proposed budget.
- In Darien, there will be a two-part Great Island Workshop beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. Residents are invited to town hall for part 1 to hear from the design team on new ideas and potential directions for Great Island. The second part will take place on the island starting at 3 p.m. where residents can take a self-paced “discovery tour,” featuring members of the design team stationed throughout to answer questions and gather feedback.
- In Westport, the RTM Environment & RTM Health & Human Services Committees are meeting on Tuesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. to discuss an ordinance related to artificial turf in the town.
Plan Your Week
This section includes a list of meetings, events, and programming happening around southwest Connecticut each week.
Bridgeport
- Monday, May 12: City Council at 7 p.m. | Board of Education at 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, May 15: Fair Rent Commission at 6 p.m.
Stamford
- Monday, May 12: Steering Committee at 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 14: Board of Finance at 5 p.m.
- Thursday, May 15: Board of Representatives at 7 p.m | Environmental Protection Board at 7:30 p.m.
Norwalk
- Monday, May 12: Public Works Committee at 5:30 p.m. | Norwalk Commission on Gender Equity at 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 13: Conservation Commission at 6 p.m. | Charter Revision Commission at 6:30 p.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m. | Common Council at 7:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 14: Strategic Harbor Plan Steering Committee at 2 p.m. | Finance Committee of the Board of Education at 6 p.m. | Ad Hoc Sustainability and Resilience Committee at 6 p.m. | Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs Public Hearing at 6 p.m.
- Thursday, May 15: Five Mile River Commission at 6 p.m. | Charter Revision Commission at 6:30 p.m. | Zoning Board of Appeals at 7 p.m.
Fairfield
- Monday, May 12: Library Board of Trustees at 7 p.m. | Solid Waste and Recycling Commission at 7 p.m. | Water Pollution Control Authority at 7 p.m. | Board of Health at 7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 13: Housing Authority at 6 p.m. | Town Plan and Zoning Commission at 6:30 p.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m. | RTM Rules to Regulate Committee at 7:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 14: Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority at 12 p.m. | Board of Selectmen at 4 p.m. | Police Commission at 4:30 p.m.| Affordable Housing Committee at 7 p.m. | Shellfish Commission at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, May 15: Traffic Authority at 4 p.m. | Police Commission at 4 p.m. | Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee at 6:30 p.m.
Greenwich
- Monday, May 12: Energy Management Advisory Committee at 3 p.m. | Representative Town Meeting at 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 13: Board of Estimate & Taxation Budget Committee at 1 p.m. | Board of Selectmen at 12 p.m. | First Selectman's Diversity Advisory Committee at 12 p.m. | Shellfish Commission at 5:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 14: Operations Planning Committee at 11 a.m.
- Thursday, May 15: Affordable Housing Trust Board and Advisory Council at 3 p.m. | David G. Hawkins, Issues in Protecting Our Climate at 7 p.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m.
Darien
- Monday, May 12: RTM Public Health & Safety at 6:30 p.m. | Representative Town Meeting at 7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 13 Planning & Zoning Commission at 7 p.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 14: Beautification Commission at 9 a.m. | Advisory Committee on Sustainability at 12:15 p.m. | Environmental Protection Commission at 4 p.m. | Blight Review Board at 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, May 15: Five Mile River Commission at 6 p.m.
- Saturday, May 17: Great Island Workshop at 1 p.m
Westport
- Monday, May 12: Board of Education at 9 a.m. | Planning and Zoning Commission at 6 p.m. | Aspetuck Health District at 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 13: Maintenance Study Committee at 8 a.m. | Affordable Housing Committee at 3 p.m. | Zoning Board of Appeals at 6 p.m. | RTM Environment & RTM Health & Human Services Committees at 7 p.m. Discussion about Artificial Turf Ordinance
- Wednesday, May 14: Board of Selectwomen at 9 a.m. | WestPAC at 12 p.m. | Conservation Commission at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, May 15: Commission on People with Disabilities at 9 a.m. | Tree Board at 9 a.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m.
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Please note: All of these agendas and information here are current as of Sunday night. Meeting times and agendas may get adjusted throughout the week.
Have a great week,
Kelly Prinz
Founder, Reporter at Coastal Connecticut Times