The What: This Week in Southwest Connecticut
The What is your look around southwest Connecticut for the week of October 17.
Monday, October 17
Happy Monday! We had a great time at the community fair sponsored by the Family and Children’s Agency on Saturday. To our new readers from that event—welcome, and thank you for supporting our work. You can check out our recap video on our TikTok account.
This week is a busy one around the region—for both local government meetings and candidate forums.
Today, the Norwalk, Darien, and Westport chapters of the League of Women Voters are hosting candidate forums, beginning at 7 p.m. in Norwalk City Hall.
The first forum will feature the candidates for 25th State Senate District: State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (Democrat), Daniel Miressi (Republican), and Lisa Brinton (Independent). The second will feature candidates for the 143rd Legislative District: Dominique Johnson (Democrat) and Nicole Hampton (Republican).
If you can’t make it in person, the forums will be recorded and posted on the league’s website.
Let’s see what else is happening around the area.
Stamford
The city’s Zoning Board will meet on Monday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. and discuss upcoming hearings on potentially opting out of the state regulations on accessory dwelling units. See what other communities around the region are doing.
Capital budget presentations are also starting this week at the Planning Board on Tuesday, October 18 at 6:30 p.m. The board will hear from the mayor’s office related to community development; the office of administration; and outside organizations including Bartlett Arboretum, Ferguson Library, Scofield Manor, the Stamford Center for the Arts, the Stamford Historical Society, Stamford Museum, and Soundwaters.
Other meetings this week include:
- Monday, Oct. 17: Operations Committee at 6:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 18: Transportation Committee at 7 p.m. | Board of Education Fiscal Committee at 6:30 p.m. | Harbor Management Commission at 6:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 19: Public Safety and Health Committee at 6:30 p.m. | Stamford Transit District at 3 p.m. | Parks and Recreation Commission at 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 20: State and Commerce Committee at 7 p.m. | Environmental Protection Board at 7:30 p.m.
Norwalk
There will be a special meeting of the Common Council and Redevelopment Agency on Monday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. The parties will meet in executive session to discuss a lawsuit related to development in the Wall Street area. NancyonNorwalk has covered the lawsuits related to the Wall Street Place Development and neighboring properties extensively.
Other meetings this week include:
- Monday, Oct. 17: Fair Housing Advisory Commission at 3 p.m. | Water Pollution Control Authority at 5:30 p.m. | Commission on the Status of Women at 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 18: Fire Commission at 3 p.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m. | Ordinance Committee at 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 19: Planning and Zoning Commission at 6 p.m. | Community Services Committee at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 20: Early Childhood Council at 10 a.m. | Five Mile River Commission at 6 p.m. | Zoning Board of Appeals at 7:30 p.m
Fairfield
The Board of Selectmen will meet on Monday, Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. and receive a presentation from the town’s Forestry Committee on its community forest management plan for Fairfield and a tree survey.
Other meetings this week include:
- Monday, Oct. 17: Solid Waste & Recycling Commission at 7 p.m. | RTM Joint Committee Meeting for All Committees at 7:30 p.m. | Board of Health at 7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 18: Forestry Committee at 9:30 a.m. | Harbor Management Commission at 4:30 p.m. | Housing Authority at 6 p.m. | Board of Finance at 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 19: Fairfield Cares Community Coalition at 8:30 a.m. | Board of Education Facilities Committee at 2:30 p.m. | Parks & Recreation Commission at 7 p.m. | Conservation Commission at 7 p.m. | Water Pollution Control Authority at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 20: Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee at 6 p.m.
Greenwich
The Greenwich Food System Forum will host its fifth event on Wednesday, Oct. 19 called “Just Food: Building an Equitable and Local Food Economy.”
“Our upcoming panel will be a particularly important and inspiring discussion, as we will explore initiatives that are creating pathways towards an equitable, just and regional food system! All of the panelists are leading viable and transformative solutions, right here in Connecticut,” Ali Ghiorse, co-founder of the Greenwich Food System Forum, said in a statement. The forum aims to discuss how local events, such as community and farmers markets, and urban farms can transform the food system.
Other meetings this week include:
- Monday, Oct. 17: BET Budget Committee at 9 a.m. | Board of Estimate and Taxation at 6:30 p.m. | Energy Management Advisory Committee and Planning and Zoning Team at 9:30 a.m. | Energy Management Advisory Committee at 3:30 p.m. | Nathaniel Witherell Board of Directors at 5:15 p.m. | Committees of the Representative Town Meeting: Education Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Finance Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Legislative & Rules Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Public Works Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Land Use Committee at 7:45 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 18: Board of Human Services at 7 p.m. | Citizens Police Advisory Committee at 7 p.m. | First Selectman's Diversity Advisory Committee at 12 p.m. | Committees of the Representative Town Meeting: Health & Human Services Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Parks & Recreation Committee at 7:30 p.m. | Town Services Committee at 7:30 p.m.
Darien
The Board of Selectmen will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 8:30 a.m. to discuss and potentially act on a request from the Board of Education for “care, custody, and control” of town property at 32 Hoyt Street.
The Representative Town Meeting will meet on Monday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. and potentially vote to affirm the planning and zoning commission’s decision to opt out of accessory dwelling unit regulations. See what other communities are doing related to opting out.
Other meetings this week include:
- Monday, Oct. 17: Mental Health Task Force at 9 a.m. | RTM—Public Health & Safety at 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 18: Board of Finance at 7:30 p.m. | Planning & Zoning Commission at 7:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 19: Commission on Aging at 9 a.m. | Zoning Board of Appeals at 7 p.m. | Parks & Recreation Commission at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 20: Five Mile River Commission at 6 p.m.
Westport
The Parks and Recreation Commission will meet on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and receive a presentation of the preliminary capital improvement plan concepts for Longshore Club Park .
Other meetings this week include:
- Monday, Oct. 17: Commission for Senior Services at 10 a.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 19: Conservation Commission at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 20: Commission on People with Disabilities at 9 a.m. | Youth Commission at 7:15 p.m.
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.
Thank you for reading!
If you are interested in being a part of our reporting or just want to share your thoughts, please reach out at coastalconnecticuttimes@gmail.com.
Have a great week,
Kelly Prinz
Founder, Reporter at Coastal Connecticut Times