Darien Selectmen To Review Pension Rules, Sewer Funding, Great Island Updates

DARIEN, CT — Darien’s Board of Selectmen is scheduled to consider changes to the town’s pension reemployment rules, funding for sewer system improvements and several items related to the town-owned Great Island property during its upcoming meeting Monday night.

The Board of Selectmen will meet Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m. in Room 206 at Darien Town Hall. The meeting will be held in person, according to the agenda. A public comment period is listed, with speakers limited to three minutes.

One of the major items on the agenda is a discussion and possible action on proposed revisions to the town’s pension reemployment provisions. Town Administrator Jennifer Charneski is seeking guidance from the board on updating rules governing when retired employees can return to work while continuing to collect pension benefits.

Town officials are proposing replacing the current rule — which allows retirees to earn up to one-third of their prior salary without suspending pension payments — with a new hours-based standard allowing retirees to work fewer than 20 hours per week on average without suspending benefits. The proposal is intended to simplify administration and create a more uniform standard across retirees, according to a memo from Charneski to the board.

The board will also review a proposal from the Darien Police Association that would allow retired police officers to return to certain non-sworn town positions full-time while continuing to receive pension benefits. Charneski noted in her memo that the approach is not widely used in Connecticut municipalities and may raise concerns in town about the perception of "double compensation," or "double dipping."

The DPA has urged residents to support their proposal in social media in recent weeks.

"The proposal would allow retired officers to serve in a structured capacity — helping fill hard-to-staff positions, supporting emergency communications, and enhancing safety in our schools — without affecting their earned pension benefits," the DPA said in a Facebook post last month. "Community support matters. Residents who value public safety are encouraged to attend or reach out to the Board of Selectmen to express support for a fair and transparent discussion."

Stamford allows retired police officers to return to non-law enforcement roles while continuing to receive pension benefits.

"This model has proven successful, retaining experienced personnel without financial downside," the DPA says in its proposal.

Infrastructure funding is another major item on the agenda. The board is scheduled to consider a $1,705,500 increase to the appropriation and bond authorization for the town-wide sanitary sewer system project, bringing the total authorized funding to $6,402,800. The additional funding would support continued rehabilitation work and the next phase of engineering investigations to identify inflow and infiltration in the sewer system.

Town officials say the work is intended to reduce excess water entering the sewer system and lower the amount the town pays the Stamford to treat wastewater.

Several items related to Great Island, the approximately 60-acre waterfront property purchased by the town in 2023, are also on the agenda.

The board is scheduled to consider a resolution reducing the project’s appropriation and bond authorization by $2,304,999, lowering the total authorization to $89,466,367 to reflect updated cost estimates for acquisition and post-closing improvements.

The selectmen are also expected to receive an update on the Great Island Early Access Project, which involves improvements designed to allow limited public access to the property while long-term planning continues.

In addition, the board may discuss and possibly take action on the creation of a Great Island Building Committee, which would oversee future capital planning and development at the site.

Other items scheduled for discussion or possible action include increasing the size of the town’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability from five to seven members, a $6,000 capital reserve transfer for a Great Island topographic survey, and a discussion on bike and scooter safety in town.

The full agenda and associated materials can be found here.