Darien Selectmen To Review Draft Plan Of Conservation And Development, $393K In Transfers

DARIEN, CT — The Darien Board of Selectmen is scheduled Monday to receive a presentation on the town's draft Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) and consider nearly $394,000 in budget transfers for legal expenses, public safety overtime and other costs.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 10, at 7 p.m. and will be held virtually via Zoom. Public comment is listed on the agenda.

The draft POCD will be the subject of a presentation at the beginning of the meeting. The Board of Selectmen has been asked to provide comments on the plan to the Planning Commission by Sept. 23.

The board is also scheduled to discuss and take possible action on four fiscal year 2026 transfers totaling $393,625.

The largest is a proposed $312,988 transfer to cover Town Counsel expenses incurred during the fiscal year. According to the meeting packet, the most significant legal expenses included $265,149 for tax appeals, $114,575 for a pedestrian easement case and $102,171 for blight matters and foreclosures. The money would come from balances in regulatory counsel, labor counsel and medical insurance accounts.

The selectmen are also scheduled to consider transferring $47,501 to cover higher-than-budgeted police patrol overtime and Detective Bureau holiday pay. The Police Department attributed the increased patrol overtime in part to staffing shortages that required officers to fill vacant shifts to maintain minimum staffing.

Another $25,246 transfer would cover Police Communications overtime and shift differential expenses. According to the meeting packet, staffing shortages resulted in increased overtime as dispatchers filled vacant shifts to maintain minimum staffing levels.

The board may also approve a $7,890 transfer from part-time wages to the Fire Marshal's full-time salary account.

Two bid waiver requests involving the Police Department are also on the agenda.

The board is scheduled to discuss and take possible action on a request to continue using Specialty Warning Systems for the up-fitting of three replacement police vehicles in fiscal year 2027. The Police Department said the work falls within its approved capital budget.

The selectmen will separately consider waiving bidding requirements for $18,069 in repairs to two Police Department boilers. The town is seeking to use its existing boiler maintenance vendor for the work after problems were identified with the burners and related components.

The agenda also includes an update from the Sidewalk Advisory Committee, as well as an executive session to interview a candidate for the Zoning Board of Appeals. The board is scheduled to consider appointing an alternate member to the ZBA for a term expiring June 30, 2029.

Other agenda-review items include the town's inventory of charter and ordinance changes, an update on the agreement with Post 53 and an update to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Committee's charge and membership.

You can view the full Board of Selectmen agenda and associated materials here.