JANUARY IN NEW FAIRFIELD VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 || JANUARY 2023

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We wish you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR! We all look forward to a fresh start full of possibilities with the new year and resolve to eat healthier, spend less, volunteer more, take additional time for family and friends and look for ways to improve.

If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity as part of your resolutions, you can find volunteer opportunities in the community on the NewFairfield.org website Make-A-Difference page:

There are many resources on NewFairfield.org should you want to get involved or need assistance. We ALWAYS welcome your phone calls in the Selectman's Office if you have any questions, concerns or if we can help in any way that we are able.

Here's to 2023 - we hope it is off to a good start and an overall good year for all of you!

The First Selectman's View from Town Hall

Happy New Year - I wish you all health and happiness in 2023! As we begin the New Year, I’m pleased to announce that New Fairfield has received a $2.1 million Congressionally Directed Spending Grant through Congresswoman Jahana Hayes to update our aging Emergency Radio Communications System. This funding will allow New Fairfield to upgrade its emergency communications infrastructure to current standards, including 3 radio antenna sites, 116 portable radios, and 72 mobile radios.

Our project is one of 15 community projects sponsored by Congresswoman Hayes, and I offer many thanks to her and to her staff for including this project in the federal appropriations bill. I would also like to thank our Communications Advisory Committee for their technical assistance and I look forward to working with them to complete this project. I am optimistic that we will continue to have a productive 2023!

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 16th

On this day, we honor Dr. King and reflect on what he taught us and still inspires us to do. This is also a National Day of Service and it encourages us to honor his legacy and volunteer to help improve our community. As previously stated, you can view the New Fairfield "Make-A-Difference" page for some ideas of where you can volunteer or the Americorps website for additional volunteer opportunities.

Make-A-Difference

Americorps

From Martin Luther King, Jr.'s address at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963:

"So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

Town Hall will be closed on January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday.

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Veterans Association January Meeting

The next New Fairfield Veterans Association General Membership Meeting will be on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at the Senior Center at 7:00 p.m.

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TAX BILLS ARE DUE JANUARY 1, 2023

The last day to pay without penalty is February 1, 2023

Tax bills due January 1, 2023 for real estate and personal property were all mailed in June 2022. Motor Vehicle Supplemental bills were mailed in December 2022. The last day to pay without penalty is Wednesday, February 1, 2023. There are numerous ways to make your payment:

1. PAY ONLINE at www.newfairfield.org

To pay by echeck from your checking or savings account there is a $1.25 service fee. To use a credit or debit card there is a 2.5% service fee.

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2. PAY BY MAIL

Make check payable to: New Fairfield Tax Collector or NF Tax Collector. Mail to: Tax Collector, 4 Brush Hill Rd., New Fairfield, CT 06812.

If a receipt is desired, a self-addressed stamped envelope must also be sent with your payment.

Be sure your envelope is postmarked on or before February 1st to avoid penalty. When mailing payment, please be aware that the US Postal Service postmark determines timely payments.

**Warning about electronic bill payment / telephone bill pay services:**

These services may not mail your payment when you expect them to! You assume the risk of your payment arriving late if you choose to use these services. These payments come to us without a postmark, and because of this, they must be RECEIVED in the office on or before the last day to pay in order to be considered timely. Any payment received by mail after the deadline is considered late and will be charged statutory interest unless a legible timely postmark is stamped on the envelope.

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3. LOCAL BANKS COLLECTING

Between December 5th and February 1st, you may also pay at the two local bank branches listed below. They will only accept payments for the January 2023 installment due. You must bring the entire tax bill when making the payment. One receipt will be returned to you and the other forwarded to the Tax Office. You need not be a customer of the bank. • Savings Bank of Danbury - 100 Route 37 • Union Savings Bank - 24 Route 39

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4. DROP BOX

You may deliver your payment to the secure drop box installed on the back of Town Hall. It must be in the box before 5:00 p.m. February 1st to avoid penalty.

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5. PAY AT TOWN HALL

Tax payments are accepted at the Tax Collector’s Office in Town Hall Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. until noon.

Please be aware that failure to receive a bill does not relieve the taxpayer of their liability for payment of their taxes or delinquent interest. If you have any questions about your tax bill please contact the Tax Office for assistance.

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Email: taxcollector@newfairfield.org

Visit: www.newfairfield.org. In addition to making payment online, you can view your account as well as reprint your bill.

Call the office: (203) 312-5620

BUDGET WORKSHOPS BEGIN

The Budget Workshops begin the second week of January. Each Town Department presents their proposed budget for review and discussion. You can find the dates and times for the meetings on the January calendar on NewFairfield.org, or below. The meetings will all be virtual and the Zoom links will be on the agendas that will be posted to the website.

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Many Thanks to All of the Homeowners Who Shared Their Beautiful Holiday Decorated Houses with the Town

JANUARY PROGRAMS AT THE SENIOR CENTER

The Senior Center is offering some informative and helpful programs in January:

-FREE Memoir Writing Demo: Friday, January 6th at 10:00 a.m.-

Do you have a story to tell? Come to this FREE introduction class and instructor, Tom Ciccarone will demonstrate how he can assist you with getting your work organized, submitted and published or simply into a volume that you will treasure and love to hand down to your family during the 6 week follow up classes.

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-Climate Change: Thursday, January 12th at 1:30 p.m.-

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges we face and will be our grandchildren’s challenge as well. In a warmer world, weather events will be more severe, sea levels higher, and people will be displaced. We must meet this serious situation with both our heads and our hearts. But there is hope. The study of climate change is developing very quickly. Significant new information is coming out—literally—every day. Dr. Stephen “Mitch” Wagener of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Western Connecticut State University will speak on our changing climate and the impact it has on our Earth.

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-AA Really Works: Wednesday, January 18th at 1:30 p.m.-

Whether you are concerned for a friend or family member or just want to know more about the organization that has helped more than 2,000,000 people since 1935, there will be something for you to appreciate in this presentation. Two representatives of Alcoholics Anonymous will be here to tell their stories and to answer any questions that you may have about AA.

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-P.T. Barnum with Mike Allen: Wednesday, January 25th at 1:00 p.m.-

Born in Bethel, PT Barnum became an internationally renowned showman. Learn about his early days in Bethel, how he built his fortune in New York City, his later involvement with the circus and his life in Bridgeport. Also, you can hear a rare recording of Barnum himself, as captured by Thomas Edison.

CAR SEAT SAFETY

Now that the cold weather has arrived, we all want our children to be warm and we bundle them up to protect them from the harsh winter temperatures. But did you know that the heavy coats may cause their car seats to fit improperly and create an unsafe situation?

Bulky coats can jeopardize a snug fit in a car seat harness. Dress your child in layers and put a coat over the properly-fitted harness for added warmth. If you have questions, please contact our own Nationally certified car safety seat installer, NF Police Officer, Doug Lange at 203-312-5702.

For more information on car seat safety, please click below:

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PROGRAMS TO HELP WITH HEATING COSTS

You may be eligible for help with heating costs. Please see the available programs and income eligibility below:

Open Enrollment Access Health CT

The Open Enrollment period for Access Health CT continues through January 15, 2023. Access Health CT is Connecticut’s official health insurance marketplace, where you can shop, compare and enroll in quality health and dental plans. It is also the only place where you can qualify for financial help to lower your costs, and if eligible, enroll in free or low-cost coverage through HUSKY Health Programs (Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)) or the Covered Connecticut Program. If you are interested in getting health coverage, you can shop, compare and enroll in 2023 health insurance options. If you need coverage that starts on January 1, 2023, you must complete your application by December 15, 2022. If you submit an application between December 16, 2022 and January 15, 2023, your coverage will begin February 1, 2023. Some people can enroll in health coverage at any time of year; contact Access Health CT to see if you qualify. For more information, visit www.accesshealthct.com

PLEASE POST YOUR HOUSE NUMBER!

Our first responders remind everyone to please make sure that your house number is visibly posted on your house. Because mailboxes are not always located directly in front of an address, it is critical to identify the house itself. If you live on a Town road, it is also important to report missing street name signs to Public Works as soon as possible, and if you live on a private road to make sure that your Association is aware of missing signs. These simple steps will ensure that police, fire and paramedics can find your house quickly in times of emergency.

WINTER PARKING ON TOWN ROADS

Wintertime Parking Ordinance

Reminder! Please make sure to move cars parked on Town roads prior to inclement weather events. Parked cars make it difficult, and at times impossible, for Town crews to remove snow and ice from narrow Town roads.

New Fairfield Ordinance, Sec. 9-27 “Wintertime Parking,” requires the following:

(a) There shall be no parking on any town road at any time while the town or its agents are engaged in snow plowing, sanding, ice control, or any other weather or storm related emergencies to keep or make the public roads of the town in a safe, passable condition. Parked is defined as having at least one (1) tire of the vehicle in question in contact with the paved portion of the road, without a driver in the vehicle, for any length of time.

(b) Violations of this section are subject to a fine of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) which shall double if not paid within fifteen (15) days. Vehicles found to be in violation may be towed at the owner’s expense in addition to the fine. Appeals may be made under the process established by the Board of Selectman

(Ord. of 2-14-67(1), § 1, 2; Ord. of 3-14-95)

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Mailbox Replacement Policy

It is the policy of the New Fairfield Department of Public Works that if any mailbox or post is damaged as the result of snow removal operations, the responsibility for making repairs shall be borne by the property owner. The Department of Public Works will not be responsible for mailbox damage from snow being discharged by snow removal equipment.

When a mailbox or post is damaged as a result of direct contact with our snow removal equipment, the following steps will be taken.

1. The Highway Foreman will inspect the mailbox/post to determine the cause of the damage.

2. The Highway Foreman will determine who is at fault (improper installation of mailbox, or plow operator error).

3. Following investigation, the mailbox or post will be repaired or replaced if the plow operator is found to be at fault.

Decorator mailboxes and posts that receive direct contact from snow removal equipment will be replaced with a standard mailbox and post.

*The majority of mailbox and post damage is the result of improper installation or maintenance. A properly installed and maintained mailbox will withstand the snow removal operations that occur during the winter months.

*It is uncommon that a mailbox comes in direct contact with snow removal equipment. The average number of mailboxes that come into direct contact with snow removal equipment during a snowstorm is less than one percent. Non contact mailbox knockdowns may average more then one hundred or more per snowstorm.

*The Public Works Department will assist elderly or impaired property owners with repairing damage to their mailbox or post.

A Reminder that Frontier Fiber Internet Will Be Coming to New Fairfield

You will be seeing work being done around Town in the coming months. Frontier will be working to extend their fiber services to residents and businesses in Town with this Fiber Optic Project.

If Frontier (Parkside Utility Construction, LLC on Behalf of Frontier Communications) will be working in your area, they will place one of these door hangers on your door to let you know.

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TOWN HALL HOURS

Town Hall is open Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m.-12:00 noon. Holidays when Town Hall is closed are posted on the website calendar and on the doors of Town Hall.

You can find the phone number of each department in Town Hall on the Town website, NewFairfield.org, or you can call the Selectman's office and be directed to the department you would like to speak with.

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The Library has its own newsletter and you can subscribe to it here:

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Senior Center Newsletter

The Senior Center also has a newsletter and you can find it, as well as their calendar of daily events, here:

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Events Calendar

Town events can be found on our Events Calendar. If you have a Not for Profit fundraising event to be held in town-please send us the information and flyer to be included on the Events Calendar.

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Meeting Calendar

The calendar for the Town of New Fairfield board and commission meetings can be found at:

Please join us at our meetings to find out what is going on in New Fairfield in further depth. The calendar will let you know if the meeting is in person or will provide the Zoom link, if it is remote. We look forward to you attending the meetings and welcome your participation.

Thank you for reading the New Fairfield Newsletter.

Town of New Fairfield, 4 Brush Hill Road, New Fairfield, CT 06812

NewFairfield.org