Recap Of Ridgefield Board Of Selectpersons Meeting On Sept. 4

• Congratulations to Fire Lieutenant Christopher Alward on his promotion to Captain! After undergoing interviews with the Fire Chief & Assistant Chief and the Fire Commission, the BOS voted unanimously to approve the promotion.
• 66 Grove Street is being considered as the new facility for the Alternative High School and the 18-22 Students. Both programs are currently housed in spaces that are at maximum capacity and no longer meet the needs of the students. A Public Hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, September 12th at 5pm and a Town Meeting is set for Wednesday, September 25th at 7:30pm for the approval of the lease. In addition, the BOS voted to request an 8-24 referral* from the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) for the project.
  • *Section 8-24 of the Connecticut General Statutes requires that municipal improvements, including the purchase of land, be referred to the PZC for review before any local action is taken. The PZC is responsible for the preservation of Ridgefield’s Plan of Conservation & Development (POCD). Learn more.
• The Ridgefield Historical Society is interested in leasing and taking on the restoration of the Old Branchville Schoolhouse. Once restored, the Schoolhouse will be used as an exhibit and community space. An anonymous donor has verbally committed to a very generous donation that will cover a sizeable portion of the restoration costs. In addition, the Historical Society had already set in place a 3-5 year plan with the help of grants and other donations that would cover the costs if needed. There will be a Public Hearing on September 12th at 5pm and a Town Meeting on September 25th at 7:30pm for the approval of the lease between the Town of Ridgefield and the Historical Society.
• The Board voted to approve the Cultural District as an Advisory Group to the Town. Assigning the Cultural District as an Advisory Group instead of a committee allows members who don’t live in Ridgefield to be involved. Several people who were an intricate part of the group that achieved Ridgefield’s designation as a Cultural District do not live in town but are passionate about Ridgefield and eager to continue their involvement.
• The property owner of a parcel of land on Ketchum Road would like to donate a portion to the Town for Open Space. The Conservation Commission has reviewed the land and is in support of accepting this donation. A phase 1** will also be conducted. A Public Hearing is set for September 12th at 5pm and the Town Meeting will be held on September 25th at 7:30pm.
  • **A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment looks into the environmental conditions that could impact the value of a property and can help identify problems, if any, with contamination of the land.
• The Deer Hunt Properties for the 2024-2025 season as presented by the Deer Management Implementation Committee were approved. The list of properties can be found here.
• The Town is currently accepting applications for the Senior Tax Credit Committee. The Committee will assess the current tax credits and recommend changes. If interested email torfirstselectperson@ridgefieldct.gov.
• According to the State, municipalities are required to adopt a local ordinance declaring who determines In Line of Duty Deaths. If an ordinance is not put in place, the decision will be left to either the Chief of Police or Fire. The proposed Ordinance for Ridgefield will read that the Director of Human Resources in conjunction with the respective Chief will make the determination. A Public Hearing and Town Meeting will both be held on September 12th starting at 5pm.
• The Forms of Government Task Force has requested to be designated as an official Town Committee, which would require them to adhere to the BCC guidelines and Charter rules and regulations. One of these regulations mandates a minority representation, which the BOS did not consider during interviews for the task force. The Board will look into this further before making a decision.

Want to know more? Watch the full meeting here.