MARCH IN NEW FAIRFIELD VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3 || MARCH 2023

HELLO MARCH-HERE COMES SPRING!!!

March is named for the Roman God of War, Mars, because wars would begin again after the cold, harsh winter. This month ushers in Spring, the Vernal Equinox, on Monday, March 20th and we can look forward to longer, sunnier days! Animals start waking up from hibernation and we hear the musical chirping of the birds! We can all look forward to getting outside, enjoying the sunshine and seeing a daffodil or crocus peak out of the ground.

March marks the one year anniversary of the New Fairfield Newsletter. Thank you for your continued support and kind words!

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The First Selectman's View from Town Hall

Welcome to March! Spring can’t be far behind.

Some news from Town Hall! After 37 years of service in the New Fairfield Tax Office, 29 as Tax Collector, Kerrie Greening is retiring. Kerrie brings a wealth of knowledge to the position, and she is always there to answer any question or concern that a taxpayer may have. We thank Kerrie for her many years of service to our Town and wish her the very best in her retirement. She will be sorely missed!

In light of Kerrie’s retirement, the BOS will be appointing an Interim Tax Collector to serve until the November election. The appointee must have experience in accounting or bookkeeping, have supervisory experience, and be willing to consider running to fill the position permanently in November of this year. Although Tax Collectors are elected in New Fairfield, the job has no political component, and candidates historically have been cross endorsed by both parties based on their knowledge and experience.

The position requires certification over the course of three years under the C.C.M.C. (Certified Connecticut Municipal Collector) program, administered by the CCMC Committee, appointed by the state Office of Policy and Management. Required coursework includes a four – course program; an exam for each course; a comprehensive final examination; and an experience requirement. The courses given include two courses in tax collection law, a course in municipal finance, and a course in Connecticut government, supervision and public relations. Tax collectors who achieve their CCMC designation must re-certify every five years by showing they earned at least fifty hours of continuing education credit at courses approved by the CCMC committee.

If you have questions about the position, please contact the Tax Collector at kgreening@newfairfield.org. If you are interested in being considered for the position of Tax Collector, please send a “Letter of Intent” outlining your qualifications and experience to pdelmonaco@newfairfield.org, khall@newfairfield.org and lbeninson@newfairfield.org.

Many thanks to our State legislative delegation for drafting legislation to provide state bond funding for a police boat for New Fairfield Police. New Fairfield has the most shoreline of the five towns bordering the Lake, and Blueberry, Sand and Pine Islands fall within our borders. Over the past several years, the number of boats on Candlewood Lake and visitors to the islands has increased substantially, creating challenges for CLA, DEEP and NFPD. At the same time, the number of DEEP EnCon police has decreased, leaving Western CT, and Candlewood Lake, with limited law enforcement coverage. Providing New Fairfield Police with access to the Lake will enhance public safety for all who enjoy the Lake during the summer months.

The CLA Marine Patrol is a tremendous asset to all five towns bordering Candlewood Lake. DEEP has delegated the authority to enforce boating laws to CLA, addressing the primary public safety concern on the Lake. In recent years, however, additional public safety concerns have arisen from the increase in the number of boats and people on the water and islands. For example, the islands are not equipped with sanitary facilities, and the resulting unsanitary conditions have resulted in closures by order of the Health Director. Further, unreasonably loud noise late into the night from large crowds gathering on the islands has plagued our residents who live close to the water. And finally, last summer, our police department was called upon to investigate a drowning that occurred in water within New Fairfield’s border without the ability to readily access the water.

Therefore, after discussion with our Resident Sergeant, we agreed that it is prudent to obtain a police boat for the NFPD to provide limited police patrols on the Lake at the busiest times during the summer and to provide immediate police access to the Lake in times of emergency. There is no funding for a boat in next year’s budget, and therefore no impact on taxpayers to acquire a boat. Officers who serve as School Resource Officers come back into patrol during the summer, allowing the department to accommodate these patrols with existing staff. The boat will be maintained by existing staff and stored on Town property. Our officers will work cooperatively with the other law enforcement agencies on the Lake to ensure the safety of all who wish to enjoy Candlewood Lake.

Funds are still available! The New Fairfield ARPA Small Business Assistance Program was established to provide limited, one-time direct financial assistance to eligible New Fairfield small businesses that employ 25 or fewer employees and that have been adversely impacted by the COVID pandemic. The Program is funded through American Rescue Plan Act funds and is administered by the Town of New Fairfield. Grants are intended to aid eligible New Fairfield businesses that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and have a need for funding that will help them become stronger in the current marketplace. The application is accessible by going to the Town website, www.newfairfield.org and clicking on the banner at the top of the home page.

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FISCAL YEAR 2023/2024 TOWN & EDUCATION REQUESTED BUDGET PRESENTATIONS

March 4, 2023

The New Fairfield Board of Finance will hold a Public Hearing to present the FY 2023-2024 Town and Education Requested Budgets.

The Public Hearing will take place on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. in the Community Room at the Senior Center at 33 Route 37.

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St. Patrick's Day Parade

The Ancient Order of Hibernians will be holding their St. Patrick's Day mass and parade on Saturday, March 11, 2023. The mass will be at 9 a.m. at St. Edward's Church and following the mass, there will be a parade led by the Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums Band. All are welcome to march in the parade.

The parade will head down Brush Hill Road to Town Hall where there will be an Irish flag raising. We will be greeted by First Selectman Pat Del Monaco and other dignitaries. All are welcome!

May every petal on the shamrock bring you joy and good luck!

Daylight Saving Time

Sunday, March 12, 2023

We "spring forward" at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 12th. This means that we move our clocks forward one hour. Although we lose one hour of sleep that day, we will have more daylight hours to look forward to!

Friends In Service Here (FISH) offer rides from dedicated volunteers to and from medical appointments and strictly in New Fairfield for non-medical appointments.

Rides are free of charge Monday -Friday from 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and you must schedule the ride in advance by calling 203-312-5627.

Volunteer drivers are also needed for FISH to work. If you would like to get more information about volunteering and helping others in your community, you can call 203-312-5627 or email your name and phone number to:

Fishofnf@gmail.com

Donations are welcome and gratefully accepted and are used "to assist those in need." Donations can be sent to:

Fish of New Fairfield, 6 Bayview Terrace, New Fairfield, CT 06812

Find FISH on their FACEBOOK page:

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HOMETOWN HERO BANNERS

New Fairfield is so very proud of all of the men and women who serve or have served in the military. We are currently taking orders for Military Hometown Hero Banners to honor and recognize hometown Veterans and active duty members of the United States Armed Forces. If you are interested in purchasing a Hero Banner to be displayed in the center of Town annually from Memorial Day through Veterans Day, please submit an application before April 28. After that date, requests will be accepted on a year-round basis and banners will be printed when the required minimum quantity is reached.

Banners will display the official military photo of the service person, as well as their name and branch of the United States Armed Forces. We are asking sponsors to contribute $40 toward the cost of each banner. To qualify for the Military Banner Program, the honoree must be a Veteran or currently serving as an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, and he or she must currently reside in New Fairfield or have an immediate family member residing in New Fairfield (parent, spouse, sibling, son or daughter).

You can complete the form and pay online for a banner, and then email or send in your picture-you can find the form on newfairfield.org, under the Selectmen's Office heading or click below:

You can also print the form or request a form from the Selelctman's office and send it in or bring it to Town Hall. Digital photos, if available, provide the highest quality banner. You may email your photo to: selectadmin@newfairfield.org. Please mail your completed form and $40 check made payable to "Town of New Fairfield" to: Town of New Fairfield, Selectman's Office, 4 Brush Hill Road, New Fairfield, CT 06812

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Funds Are Still Available for Qualified Homeowners Who Need Costly Repairs for Their Homes

IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF FUNDS TO HELP REPAIR YOUR HOME, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION:

You can find more information, the application and information packet on NewFairfield.org under "Our Town" or you can click the button below:

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New Fairfield Parks and Recreation is hiring for Summer 2023!

Lifeguards Wanted!

Are you interested in working at the Town Park/beach this summer and currently hold a Lifeguard with waterfront Skills certification? We are looking for lifeguards to join our team at the town beach! If you are 16 years or older and are interested in training for a lifeguard position-please contact the Parks and Rec office at 203-312-5633 for more information.

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Waterfront Directors Wanted!

If you are Red Cross Certified with Basic First Aid training, this job entails planning and coordinating all park activities, supervision of staff and enforcement of Town Park and Marina rules and regulations. If this sounds interesting and challenging to you-please apply or call the Parks and Recreation Department for more information.

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Outdoor Cinema Assistant Technicians Wanted!

Are you interested in running outdoor movies this summer? We are looking for outdoor cinema assistants to show outdoor community movies- please call Parks and Rec for more information.

You can apply and find more detailed information about these positions on the Human Resources page on www.NewFairfield.org.

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Library Newsletter

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

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Senior Center

Take a look at the Senior Center's beautiful new website where you can find out about programs, events and all that the New Fairfield Senior Center offers, as well as their newsletter:

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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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Meetings 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.

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Thank you for reading the New Fairfield Newsletter.

If you are a New Fairfield not-for-profit organization and would like to include an event in the newsletter, please contact us at: jgreen@newfairfield.org.

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

NewFairfield.org