Update from The First Selectman's Office
Update from the First Selectman’s Office.
I’d like to start this newsletter by thanking the unsung heroes of our ever-reliable Department of Public Works for getting our streets cleared of snow before dawn after the recent storm. If you read the most recent newsletter, I hope you enjoyed learning everything that the DPW does for Wilton. We’re going to continue to highlight the various departments that make our town operate. These profiles will be under the banner, “How Wilton Works,” which you’ll see below. Today, we’re excited to share all about Wilton’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Board of Selectman Proclamation
Your Board of Selectmen began their most recent meeting by signing the Wilton Civility, Respect and Understanding Proclamation. This was a formal declaration of the board’s commitment to civility as it pursues any town business. Every Selectman enthusiastically signed the proclamation and encouraged all board members across town government to show their support by signing their names to the document. It was especially appropriate to underline Wilton’s dedication to these policies days before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. As Dr. King said, “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” Town Hall will be closed on Monday, giving all of our Town employees an opportunity to mark this solemn day in a way that is meaningful to them.
Update on Revaluation Letters
After a two-week delay to review and assure the accuracy of the mandated revaluation of commercial and residential properties, notices are now being printed and mailed. They will start arriving in Wilton mailboxes late next week.
2025 Budgets
The Town Budget season is soon upon us, and a schedule has been agreed upon for each government department to submit their proposals for review. As the process unfolds, the town website will post all of the proposed budget numbers, schedules of all meetings, special meetings and hearings, as well as questions from the public, and corresponding answers from the Wilton Town Government. After all the BOE, BOS, BOF public hearings are held, voters will be asked to approve the budgets on May 7 at the Annual Town Meeting, and on May 11 at the Saturday adjourned vote. Don’t forget the vote on Wilton’s new brewery ordinance that will also take place on these dates.
How Wilton Works
Wilton’s Parks and Recreation Department has three main areas of concentration: the Dial-A-Ride service, the 400 acres of public parks and buildings they manage, and the recreation programs they run for everyone in town, from toddler play to luncheons for our Senior Citizens.
Most of the Rec programs are run from the Comstock Community Center and are so popular that our Parks and Rec Chief, Steve Pierce, clocked over 90,000 people coming through Comstock’s front door last year. This year, Comstock is on track to exceed that number. Even though there’s a class or program for almost any interest, Parks and Rec is always willing to expand their offerings if there is enough public demand. They invite the public to contact them with ideas (email link here). This is, in fact, how Wilton’s new Cricket League got started.
But the work of Parks and Rec covers so much more. Did you know they are the department keeping our town festive with seasonal decorations all year long? Not to mention all of the events that bring our town together, from the Memorial Day Parade, the 4th of July celebrations, the Hay Ride with Santa, and the concerts on the Town Green. In the summer, they run the swimming pond and grounds at Merwin Meadows, which means they hire the lifeguards and keep the park ready for visitors. Speaking of parks, they have thirty-one ballfields, 12 tennis courts, the high school track and stadium, the Kristine Lily field, the grounds around all of the town buildings like Town Hall, the grassy areas along Route 7 that run through Wilton, to look after. Phew.
But the Dial-A-Ride Service is a special highlight of Parks and Rec because it is indispensable to our most vulnerable neighbors. From Monday through Friday, seniors, anyone physically unable to drive, as well as intellectually challenged adults, can get the transportation they need to downtown Wilton for $1 each way. Dial-A-Ride allows them to shop at the grocery stores, get to a job, visit their doctor, and, in general, remain a part of life in Wilton. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Dial-A-Ride offers trips as far as Norwalk for just $2 each way. Staying active and independent is key to anyone’s quality of life, and Dial-A-Ride from the Parks and Rec Department makes this possible for so many.
Thank you to the Parks and Recreation Department for keeping Wilton hopping. We’d like to invite Director, Steve Pierce, and his staff, to please: Take a Bow.
New Board Members
We’d like to welcome Wilton’s new volunteer board members, and those members whose re-appointments were approved at the most recent board meetings:
Matt Knickerbocker, Wilton’s Town Administrator, was reappointed to serve as representative to the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA), the regional waste management and recycling authority, for a three-year term. I will serve as a voting alternate.
Kevin Smith and Forrest Close will serve as the BOS liaisons to Trackside Teen Center‘s Board of Directors.
Tom Shimko was appointed to the Economic Development Commission.
John Hall was reappointed to Wilton’s Fire Commission.
Kathy Dhanda was appointed to the Inland Wetlands Commission.
Thank you to all of these friends and neighbors. Your service to Wilton is greatly appreciated. More volunteer positions are available and I encourage anyone who is interested to search through the options by clicking here: OnBoard2 | Town of Wilton CT.
Winter Storms
Our first snowfall of the season did not last long, but more is likely to come. When the next snow hits, Steve Pierce, of Parks and Rec, asks that private citizens not shovel any of it off of our playing fields. The shovels are damaging the turf, which takes a great deal of money and effort to repair. Thanks to all of you who wished to help, but it’s more helpful to leave this to the pros.
In preparation for future storms, it’s recommended that generators be serviced annually, and that you have adequate fuel on hand. Check your battery supplies to ensure that you have what you may need to light lanterns and candles, which are always safer than open flames. When using alternate cooking methods, like camp stoves or portable stoves, please be cautious and use them outdoors. 3-4 days before a storm, it’s recommended to do an inventory of your supplies and make sure your preparedness kit is well-stocked. 1 day before the storm, fill your bathtubs with water for non-potable needs.
There will be many instances of downed trees throughout the town and, very often, utility lines will be brought down with them. Many of these utility lines will be power lines that remain energized on the ground. As these downed trees are reported to emergency services, responders will use barriers and/or caution tape to warn of the danger. Warning tape and barricades are there for your safety. DO NOT MOVE barriers and do not go through, or around, these barriers. If these barriers are moved, the next person may think it is now safe for them to pass. Treat every downed wire as if it is live.
Check Eversource.com for updates on power outages and to report any problems. You can also alert the Town of any issues by clicking SeeClickFix .
Town Hall Interns
Three Wilton High School students reached out to Town Hall administrators asking if they could intern with us, and learn more about how their local government works. Alexis Shukovsky, Madeline Shukovsky and Meredith Sullivan will be with us on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. We’re happy to have their help and hope they find their time at Town Hall interesting.
We are headed into a very busy year, and I look forward to updating you on projects like the building of the new Police Station, as they take shape. In the meantime, I hope we all enjoy a thoughtful Martin Luther King Jr. Day, taking this opportunity to hold this great leader’s legacy in our actions and in our hearts.
