TOWN HALL HAPPENINGS

Hello Weston! First Selectwoman Sam Nestor here with some Town Hall updates and news.

Please know that moving forward we will be sending out status updates and BOS meeting recaps. Of course, everyone is welcome to zoom into our meetings which are always posted on the town website. Documents, recordings, and minutes are available on our website HERE.

All Covid-19 updates will be sent separately. Link HERE for recent updates.

Roadwork: To keep those informed and avoid any inconvenience due to road closures we are sending regular updates on the roadwork going on in town. This year more than $1 million dollars is being invested to repair and upgrade our roads. We are working with engineering and planning consultants, the Beta Group, on these improvements. Steep Hill Road is complete. Godfrey Road West from the intersection of Newtown Turnpike to the intersection of Georgetown Road starts today and should be done Wednesday. The next set of roads to be completed include: Lords Highway East from the intersection of Richmond Hill Road to Davis Hill Road, Farrell Road from house number 30 to the intersection of Good Hill Road and Langer Lane from the intersection of Georgetown Road to the Wilton town line. Work on Good Hill Road Ext. will be from the intersection of Good Hill Road to the dead end while work on Marshall Lane will be from the intersection of Langer Lane to the dead end.  The last road to be milled and paved is Tobacco Road from the intersection of Lords Highway to the dead end. 

Food Trucks: The town has formally sent out requests for food trucks to submit qualifications, proof of operator’s licenses and health department certificates to be received by 8/16 so that we may approve specific vendors as early as 8/19. Dates, times, and locations will be posted after we have selected the vendors. Click HERE for the RFQ

Dog Park: The BOS recently received an adjusted plan for the town dog park. We requested this alteration out of cost concerns. The dog park proper remains the same. The lot and drive are adjusted and is now significantly less expensive as well as less disruptive; the access road is now 2/3 smaller using an existing dirt road (thus fewer trees to be removed). In terms of next steps, the tree warden will develop a planting plan and tag trees to be removed. We anticipate more cost adjustments from the designers. I will keep you apprised of the project’s progression given the amount of community interest in seeing our dog park come to fruition.

Fromson-Strassler Sale: The BOS will hold a fully remote public hearing on August 19^th at 7:30 concerning the Town of Weston possibly selling the town owned parcel to the Aspetuck Land Trust, Inc. The property, commonly known as the “Fromson Strassler Property,” is comprised of 85.879 +/- acres of vacant and unimproved land. Aspetuck Land Trust Inc will purchase the Fromson-Strassler property for the purchase price of ONE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED FORTY THREE THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS. The meeting will consist of a presentation from the Town, a presentation from Aspetuck Land Trust, and then public comment. The BOS will then vote on a day to hold a special town meeting for discussion purposes and a machine ballot vote on the topic of the sale. 

Lachat Offutt Center: Negotiations continue with neighbors near Lachat Farm. As such, the Planning & Zoning Commission Special Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, August 4, and the Conservation Commission Special Meeting/Public Hearing scheduled for Thursday, August 5, to discuss the proposed Offutt Education Center at Lachat Town Farm were both postponed. The future dates of those meetings will be based on scheduling and results of ongoing negotiations. Lachat programming is continuing. Please visit https://www.lachattownfarm.org/for more information on the Education Center and programs. 

Weston is going for Silver! Sustainable CT Silver that is! On Thursday, Stephan and I passed the Town of Weston - Pollinator Friendly Resolution (link HERE for the Resolution) to recognize the plight of pollinators, and to encourage more homeowners to adopt pollinator friendly practices on their property. It also provides 20 points towards Sustainable CT Silver Status. Sustainable CT is a voluntary certification program to recognize thriving and resilient Connecticut municipalities. Independently funded, Sustainable CT provides a wide-ranging menu of best practices. Municipalities choose Sustainable CT actions, implement them, and earn points toward certification. Currently Weston is one of 45 Towns in Connecticut to meet Bronze Status. This status allows access to grants as well. For more information on the Pollinator Pathway, please visit: https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/

To sign up to the pollinator pathway, please visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVXbtzv9Dr3dOO9xsthggrMXsurpvC0QlFEgJ1ySZvulcoAg/viewform

Explore Valley Forge: August 21, 9-11:30 am. The Parks and Recreation department will organize the return of this outdoor community gathering. In years passed this has been a great way to get families outside to walk, run, bike, scooter or skate along scenic Valley Forge Road. The road will be closed to vehicular traffic for this event so that we may safely enjoy the morning. We ask that participants park at Moorehouse Farm Park and walk down to the intersection of Newtown Tpk. and Valley Forge Road. The Town of Weston encourages all participants to wear helmets when biking, etc. Check out their Flyer (Click here)

Economic Injury Disaster Loan Update: SBA is currently accepting new COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications from all qualified small businesses, including private nonprofit organizations. As of July 29, 2021, Connecticut entities have received $2.5 billion in Economic Injury Disaster Loans comprising 36,998 loans. Full data report here: EIDL data.  The following link is a synopsis of the COVID-19 EIDL, Targeted EIDL Advance, and Supplemental Targeted Advance. All of this information and more can be found here www.sba.gov/EIDL. Indeed, These COVID-19 programs are extended through the end of the year. New applicants can apply here: EIDL Application or call 1-800-659-2955.COVID-19 EIDL applicant portal where you find information about your application status.

Home Business | Work from Home Survey: Keep your eyes open for a survey that will be asking about work from home/commuting and employment questions which was developed by the Economic Vitality Committee & Survey Research Committees. This data serves to supplement the information we received from the 2018 survey. Given the influx of new residents and changes in work from home status since Covid, we need to see how this has impacted our community. This data provides information to be used for grants and other ways to support the small business community. 

Grants: The BOS recently approved acceptance of a $16,023 Library Grant as part of the federal American Recovery Act Plan for the Weston Public Library. A portion of this funding goes towards Sunday cleaning which will allow the Library to open on Sundays from Sept 12 to the end of March, 2022. The remaining dollars fund items such as Mobile White Board Partitions, Air Purifiers, Solar Charging Stations, Lockers, Multi-Device Charging Station and PPE. 

New Volunteers: Stephan and I have appointed a number of new volunteers for important Town Boards due to vacancies created by folks stepping down. Thank you to David Felton, James Carlon, Michael Imber, and Jamie Zeppernick for stepping forward to fill these vacancies.