Fairfield Metro, Penfield And More Addressed In Kupchick's State Of Town Speech

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield’s first selectwoman set her eyes on the future when she delivered her annual state of the town address Monday, touching on development projects, infrastructure improvements, staffing changes, and the state of the coronavirus pandemic in Fairfield.

“I am looking forward to a new year filled with hope and promise for Fairfield,” First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick told the Representative Town Meeting during her speech, delivered via Webex.

One development expected to make progress in 2022 is the long-stalled Fairfield Metro train station project. The site is pending sale to a new developer, according to Kupchick, and, after decades of waiting, residents may begin to see progress on the plan to add residential units, a hotel, and office and retail space to the property. Construction could start later in the year, she said.

“I am excited by the conversations that I have had with the new developer about connecting the Metro Center corridor to our downtown,” Kupchick said. “Fairfield has been waiting a really long time for this site to be developed and I look forward to seeing shovels in the ground.”

Work is also set to begin in the spring on the first phase of the flood-mitigation efforts at Rooster River, thanks to federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Another major undertaking to be addressed in the coming year is how the town will handle the remediation of Penfield Pavilion. The venue sits atop contaminants associated with the Fairfield fill pile, which was at the center of a corruption scandal that came to light when town officials were arrested and charged in 2019.

“Unfortunately, millions of tax dollars will be needed to clean up the mess,” Kupchick said, committing to fully complying with the law as the town handles the contamination, as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency violations related to the pavilion.

Kupchick touted the Board of Selectmen’s approval Monday of her $342.7 million Fairfield budget for 2023, which she said eliminates irrelevant positions and creates new ones that better serve the town.

She was also optimistic about the coronavirus pandemic, noting that as of Monday, face masks were optional in Fairfield schools, and lauding the wide availability of vaccines.

“While COVID will not disappear for a while, it is a relief to know that we can now treat it similarly to the flu or another virus,” she said.

Following Kupchick’s speech, Democratic Caucus Leader Liz Zezima delivered a rebuttal, in which she called on town leaders and residents alike to take steps to protect one another from the spread of the virus.

“While we have met the challenge with resolve and perseverance, it is heartbreaking to see the damage COVID has done to our community and our economy,” she said.

Regarding the first selectwoman’s staffing decisions, Zezima criticized the past addition of a chief administrative officer, a position Zezima said has been costly and has not improved transparency to town meeting members as promised. The issue is part of a larger problem of ineffective spending and poor accountability on the part of the Kupchick administration, which the Democrats have been working to address, Zezima said.

“To date, we are disappointed that we do not receive timely, transparent and thorough information needed to approve new expenditures,” Zezima said. "We must insist the return on this investment includes strict adherence to best practices, so that our financial stability is not put at risk."