Ridgefield Town Government Week-In-Review Jan. 18, 2024

**News Release Submitted by Town of Ridgefield**

Jan. 19, 2024

This past Wednesday, the BOS met for their second meeting of the month. Here are the highlights:

Dick Aarons, Peter Killie, William Peatt and Wayne Floegel were all reappointed as Town Constables. Congratulations!!

~ A little bit of history: During the 18th and much of the 19th Century, the constable was the enforcer of Connecticut and town laws. In the 18th Century at least, the post was considered the second most important in town, behind the selectmen. Constables were elected at the ATM and later at semi-annual municipal elections well into the late 20th Century, although by then their powers had diminished. After Ridgefield voted to establish a police department with overseeing Police Commission in 1955, constables were used mostly for directing traffic at emergencies. - written by Jack Sanders in the Ridgefield Encyclopedia

The Commission on Aging had a busy 2023 with the revamp of the Senior Directory, and the creation and distribution of a Senior Survey with over 2,000 responses. The COA has been working on ways to keep seniors engaged and informed. On their radar for future projects are increasing transportation, continuing to explore forums to keep seniors informed, raising awareness and resources for mental health, and more!

The Commission on Aging meets once a month at Town Hall. All are welcome to attend.

Budget season is almost upon us! To prepare, the ECDC presented a detailed report of their budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Ridgefield Library and the Town of Ridgefield have been working on a revised agreement with the goal of streamlining the document to reflect current Library operations. The last update to the agreement was in 2012 after the Library renovation. Because the agreement has fundamental revisions, they must be approved by the people at a Town Meeting. The BOS voted to set a Public Hearing and Town Meeting on Wednesday February 21, 2024.

~ A little bit of history: The original building, called the E.W. Morris Memorial Library, first opened its doors on June 22, 1903 and has been a huge part of the community ever since. Today, the Morris Building, which is the Library’s designated quiet space, has several different areas that house a variety of offerings including poetry, plays and literary criticism; fine and performing arts collections; a meeting space, and the Library’s periodical collection.

Effective February 1, 2024, all Board, Committee and Commission members as well as Town Employees will be required to use a Town issued email address when conducting Town business. This will be nothing new for Town Employees who already follow this policy, however many of the BCC members use personal email addresses which can compromise network security and hinder FOIA requests.

A recent State Statute now requires any municipality with a population of over 25,000 to implement a Fair Rent Commission. The BOS have discussed this at several meetings and do not feel that a Fair Rent Commission makes sense for Ridgefield. They will invite our State Representatives for a meeting to discuss the reasons why they are not on board.

In response to a petition to revise the Town Noise Ordinance that was submitted (and later withdrawn) in 2023, the Board will be forming a Task Force that will research the pros and cons of gas powered vs electric powered leaf blowers.

If you are interested in joining the Task Force, email selectman@ridgefieldct.gov

The Board will be appointing a Committee that will explore the idea of implementing a Town Manager position with the purpose of helping the First Selectperson run the town. The position would relieve the First Selectperson of some of the day to day administration allowing for more time to focus on legislation, community engagement and advocating for the needs of our town. A Town Manager would also create a smoother transition for newly elected First Selectpersons.

If you are interested in joining the Committee, email selectman@ridgefieldct.gov