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The What

The What: This Week in Southwest Connecticut

The What is your look around southwest Connecticut for the week of January 30.

The What: This Week in Southwest Connecticut
Enjoy the last few days of January! Photo by Kelly Prinz.

Monday, January 30

Happy Monday! Across southwest Connecticut, school districts and local municipalities have been adding resources and supports to address the mental health crisis affecting our communities, particularly students. But with budget season here, many programs and services  are being evaluated to see if they can continue, as many have been funded with federal grants.

For students in need, schools are one of the best resources to provide them with resources and support through social workers, school psychologists, school-based health centers, and more. Across the region, schools have been adding to the available resources to help address the growing need.

Learn more.

A graphic describing the Mental Health Crisis Facing Our Young People
A look at how the mental health crisis has impacted students across the country. (Courtesy of Westport Public Schools)

This piece is a follow-up to our three-part mental health series published in May, which explored what are the mental health issues impacting southwest Connecticut, how service providers are responding to the crisis, and how you can access resources/get involved with helping address this issue.

Many communities around the region are also getting into their budget discussions this week. Check out our piece on the region’s current year budgets to see what each community did last year.

Let’s see what else is happening around the region this week.

Stamford

The Board of Education will receive budget presentations from various departments including: School Development; Teaching and Learning; Intervention and Student Support; and Facilities at its meeting on Tuesday, January 31 at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, February 2, there will be a Public Budget Hearing at 8 p.m. on the proposed Board of Education budget.

Other meetings this week include:

Norwalk

The Planning & Zoning Commission is hosting a capital budget public hearing at its meeting on Wednesday, February 1 at 6 p.m. where residents can weigh in on the city’s planned capital projects for the upcoming year. The commission will also continue its review of the proposed plans for Norwalk High School, after delaying a vote to get more information about how solar panels and other green infrastructure could be included on the property.

Other meetings this week include:

Fairfield

The Board of Selectmen will meet on Monday, January 30 at 4 p.m. and vote on an agreement with Habitat for Humanity to “build four units of affordable home ownership housing at 244 Greenfield Street.”

Other meetings this week include:

Greenwich

The Greenwich Sustainability Committee is hosting a special event called A Farmer’s Perspective on Food & Climate Change on Tuesday, January 31 at 12:30 p.m. The event will feature Steve Munno, the farm manager at Massaro Community Farm in Woodbridge, CT. This informative discussion will be held at Coffee for Good.

Other meetings this week include:

  • Monday, January 30: Energy Management Advisory Committee at 4 p.m. | Town of Greenwich History Presentation by Missy Wolfe at 4 p.m. | Board of Health at 6:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, January 31: BET Budget Comm. Meeting Day 1—BOE Operating & Capital at 9 a.m.
  • Thursday, February 2: Conservation Commission at 7 p.m. | FS Sustainability Committee at 11 a.m.

Darien

The Board of Selectmen will have three special budget meetings this week to review the requests from the town’s departments. On Monday, January 30, beginning at 5:30 p.m., the board will review budgets for: Board of Selectmen; Town Administrator; HR; Finance; Treasurer; Tax Collector; Legal Counsel; Probate; IT; Registrar of Voters; Town Clerk; Beautification; Celebrations; Planning & Zoning; Harbor Master; Building; Human Services; Senior Center; Youth Services; and Health. On Tuesday, January 31, starting at 5:30 p.m., the Board of Selectmen will review the budgets for: Parks & Recreation; Police; Public Works; Library; Employee Benefits; and Risk Management. And on Wednesday, February 1, starting at 7 p.m., the Board of Selectmen will review the budgets for: Fire Marshal; Disaster Preparedness; Darien FD; Noroton FD; Noroton Heights FD; Fire Commission; and EMS.

Other meetings this week include:

Westport

The Board of Education will receive an update from mental health service provider Effective School Solutions (ESS) on its work so far this school year at its meeting on Monday, January 30 at 7 p.m. ESS was brought in by the district last year to help address some of its students’ mental health needs. Learn more about the program and how other districts and communities are working to address mental health in the region.

Other meetings this week include:

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

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