May 17, 2019

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Daily News Updates @ www.GreenwichSentinel.com

FRIDAY, May 17, 2019

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RTM Approves $444 million Budget

The Briefing Room

By Richard Kaufman S The Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation has approved the spending of $23,000 to strengthen the town’s cyber security defense. The funds will go towards identif ying weak nesses in networks used by the Board of Education and town libraries. Cyber Defenses, which works with Greenwich’s Information Technology Department, will handle the work. S For a f if th consecutive yea r, Greenw ich Hospita l has achieved Healthgrades 2 019 O utst a nd i ng Pat ient Experience Award, placing the organization among the top 15 percent of hospital’s nationwide for patient ex per ience. Hea lthg rades evaluated hospital performance based on patient experience surveys submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The 32 survey questions focused on patients’ perspectives of their care, including cleanliness and noise levels in patient rooms, physician and nurse communication, and whether they would recommend the hospital to friends or family. S With the start of pool and b e ach s e a s on days aw ay, sw im safety advocates, elected of f icials, public policy and health experts, school officials, youth sports coaches, as well as leaders of community groups, including those from faithb a s e d , p a r e n t , a d vo c a c y and recreation-related organizations, will discuss and develop a goal-oriented, time-bound community action plan to improve water safety in Fairf ield County a nd prevent d row n i ng. A roundtable discussion will take place on May 23 at the YMCA of Greenwich. S The Town of Greenwich celebrated National P o l i c e We e k t h i s w e e k . The community joined off icers, their friends, and t hei r fa m i l ie s i n a day of le a r n i n g la st we eke nd at Greenwich Police Department Headquarters. On hand were several of the Departments vehicles including a patrol car, motorcycle, Special Response Unit truck , and others. Children played in a bouncy castle, and tours were given of the police station. For more on Police Week, go to policeweek. org S The Town of Greenwich, Department of Public Works, Engineering Division, will be commencing a bridge replacement project on Sunshine Avenue in Riverside beg inning on Wednesday, May 29. For more information, go to greenwichsentinel.com S T he G r e e nw ich Pol ic e Depar tment is continuing to investigate the unsolved death of a baby boy who died on May 16, 1986. The baby was found deceased inside a dumpster of an apartment building on Mason Street i n Dow ntow n Greenw ich. The Medican Examiner concluded the baby was killed shor t ly a f ter b ei ng b or n . The State of Connecticut is offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of t he p er s on or p er s on s responsible. Contact the local tip line at 203-622-3333.

On Monday night, shortly before midnight, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) approved a $444 million, 2019-20 town budget, along with a $51 million capital budget, by a vote of 149 in favor, 30 opposed, with two abstentions. Although few cuts were made, the spending plan was adopted without funds to find a site for a new Northwest Fire Station. The budget represents a 2.98 percent increase in the mill rate, which is used to determine property and vehicle taxes. This marks the 18th consecutive year in which the rate of increase was under 3.5 percent. Last year's budget was $421 million with no increase in the mill rate, but rising health care costs and other factors led to an increase in spending for '19-'20. "This budget maintains valued town services at the community desired level, and prov ides a responsible capital investment pla n ," accor d i ng to B o a r d of Estimate (BOE) and Taxation Chair, Jill Oberlander, in her budget message. "It continues support of high quality schools within Board of Education established class size guidelines, performs state of good repair investment and necessary improvements in town and school infrastructure, and funds important planning and risk management initiatives." Most debate centered around the proposal for a new Northwest Fire Station.

RTM members voted 102 to 91 to delete $100,000 for due diligence in f inding property for a joint fire and Greenwich Emergency Services (GEMS) facility. The RTM did approve $75,000 of to conduct a study of fire safety coverage. Nearly 40 people signed up to speak on the matter. Lucia Jansen, chair of the RTM's Budget Over v iew Committee, brought the motion to cut the $100,000. She emphasized that the town has not conducted an independent f ire study since 1989, and that the town needs new data on f ire safety before moving forward with property due diligence. "This ready, fire, aim planning approach has not served us well in the past," Jansen said. Jansen remarked that after the study is complete, which she said could be after 12 to 16 weeks, t he BO C wou ld welcome t he recommendations. "In fact," Jansen continued, "the BOC would state right now up front, that we would support an interim appropriation if necessary to implement the recommendations prior to the normal budget cycle." Rob Perelli-Minetti, chair of the RTM Finance Committee, agreed with Jansen and urged his fellow RTM members to support the cut. "It's important to understand that this is not a vote against a Northwest station. It's a vote to understand the entire town's fire situation," Perelli-Minetti said. RTM member, Louisa Stone, said it's time to stop stalling.

In 2016, the RTM voted against the purchase of property at Fairview Country Club on King St. that would have housed a joint station for fire and GEMS. "The need for a Northwest fire station has been studied and studied and studied," she added. RTM member Bob McKnight, said the project is "simply long overdue" and those in District 10 deserve to be safe. "It's purely a public safety issue. I don't think any family in the town of Greenwich should go to sleep at night feeling less secure and less safe than any other family or any other district. Not in the town of Greenwich." First Selectman, Peter Tesei, has tried to secure a new Northwest fire station for several years. He spoke in support of the $100,000 appropriation, alongside Assistant F i r e C h i e f R ob e r t K i c k , a n d Selectman Sandy Litvack. Earlier this year, Tesei and fire officials presented a report on the need for a Northwest Fire Station. The report analyzed response times and inadequate fire coverage. "Despite attempts to distract from the core issue, I believe it is abundantly clear there exists a def iciency in travel time in Northwest Greenwich. The town has been discussing this issue for the last two decades, and for nearly ten years, my administration has pursued a solution to this problem. There is no legitimate excuse to further delay action," Tesei said. "You have been prov ided the information needed to make a

decision.” RTM member, Michael Spilo, questioned the data from Tesei and fire officials, and said there are problems with fire coverage in other parts of town, not just Northwest Greenwich. Another topic that garnered debate on involved Greenwich High School and Cardinal Stadium. A motion to reduce $500,000 from the $3.9 million set aside for the repair of Cardinal Stadium's bleachers and press box, and the preliminary design, engineering and site work for handicap accessibility improvements, park ing, team facilities and bathrooms, failed to carry by a vote of 68 in favor, 113 against with two abstentions. Wy n n McDa n iel, Cha i r of District 7, brought the motion to cut $500,000 forward. She said that while her district supports the Cardinal Stadium renovation and the fixing of unsafe bleachers and adding bathrooms and team storage facilities, there were serious concerns about phase 2. "Phase 2 is not just about Cardinal Stadium, but a major reconfiguration of the GHS campus, including adding almost 100 new parking spaces and a new campus e nt ra nc e on t he Po st Ro ad ," McDaniel said. Other speakers said phase 1 would only fix the bleachers and press box, and making the cut would hamper future plans for the project. "When you start cutting the A&E money for phases two and three, you're cutting the very things

that need to be done," said Susan Fahey, chair of the RTM Education Committee. Kim Blank, chair of the RTM Education Committee, opposed the cut and said there have been plenty of opportunities for the public to learn about the project. "The project is planned in three phases, and this motion would cut A&E work for the later phases. To me, this is penny wise and pound foolish," Blank added. "Even if you don't want to do all of the components of the full plan, at minimum you should understand the full plan before moving ahead with earlier phases. If you don't, you might wind up doing things in phase 1 that will make future phases harder and more expensive.” Board of Education chair, Peter Bernstein, said there will be more opportunities in the future for public input. Elsewhere, the RTM voted 128 in favor, 62 against with one abstention to reduce the salary increases from 2.5 percent to 2 .0 for 55 tow n and Board of Education management confidential employees. The entire reduction totaled $38,567. The RTM also voted 118 in favor, 67 opposed, to cut $200,000 for a second propane fueling station for Greenwich's Fleet Department. RTM members felt one tank is sufficient, and that it wouldn't make sense to commit to another tank when another environmentally friendly option to fuel the fleet could be available in the future.

ECFF, GPC Ready for Some Good Chimes By Richard Kaufman "Good Chimes" will be had by all on Saturday, May 18, at the Arch Street Teen Center, and for a good cause. The Emily Catherine Fedorko Foundation (ECFF), which was formed by Pam and Joe Fedorko following the tragic death of their 16-year-old daughter, Emily, in a water tubing accident off the coast of Greenwich,

in 2014, is hosting a fundraising event called "Good Chimes," to raise awareness about boat and water safety, and funds to help honor Emily. I n N o v e m b e r o f 2 01 8 , t h e E C F F pa r tnered w ith the Greenw ich Point Conservancy (GPC) in its project to restore the Tod's Point Chimes Building. Money raised on Saturday will go towards restoring the building's chimes

mechanism and bells, which will be known as "Emily's Chimes" once the restoration project is complete. A water safety center, which will provide education, advocacy and awareness of boating and water sports safety, will be housed at the base of the Chimes Tower. "With the Chimes Building, we will have a permanent home that honors Emily and gives back to the community," said Pam and

Joe Fedorko. GPC President, Chris Franco, said the Conservancy is happy to be partnering with Pam and Joe Fedorko, and the foundation, on the project. "We think that the restoration of the historic chimes and tower will be a big benefit for the community, as well as a

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Women Owned Greenwich

Fueling Female Entrepreneurship Through The Power of Networking, Part 2 The Sentinel sat down with committee members including: Cathleen Blood, Jennifer Deinhart, Marie Turkel, and Charlotte J. Walker.

By Michelle Moskowitz

Sentinel: WOMOG is committed to collecting and reporting on femaleled businesses in town. Why is this so important, and can this reporting be used to improve both the local and state’s economy?

Founded in the summer of 2017 and run by an all-volunteer group of steering committee members, Woman Owned Greenwich (WOMOG) represents a diverse group of female business owners.

with the Business Development Off ice of the Town of Greenwich, for starters if there was one! Greenwich currently lags behind other communities in this regard. While we have the First Selectman’s Economic Advisory committee, they are not doing the work of an actual economic development officer. Most other towns in Fairfield County, the town of Fairfield, for example, have an office of business development. Reporting on women-owned businesses is something that the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) does on a statewide level. We’re drilling down to analyze the unique situation in Greenwich.

Cathleen Blood: With 99 members, I feel we finally have enough data to start looking at trends, growth and underr e p o r t i n g s t at i s t i c s . We h ave d at a showing that the quantity of women owned businesses in Greenwich is underreported. We’d love to have a conversation Mar ie Turk el: It ’s so i mp or t a nt about the contribution of women-owned businesses to the Greenwich economy because it is under-reported. Often women

are doing so much on their own, such as running a business, taking care of family and keeping up their social relationships, and reporting data falls to bottom of the list. Women-owned businesses are already improving the local/state economy. Charlotte Walker: We suspect, but cannot yet prove, that women-owned businesses may be the life blood of employment and employment growth in Greenwich and the state of CT. This is an important story to tell. Sentinel: What is the most rewarding outcome you have witnessed thus far and what is the most surprising? Marie Turkel: Most rewarding is that I’ve become friends with many of these women. I root for them to succeed not

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The Last Stop on Tolling Information By Paul Silverfarb While the Town of Greenwich’s budget was being discussed and voted on Monday night, there was another key event in Town Hall, as the tolling issue facing Connecticut took center stage. Greenwich State Reps Fred Camillo and Livvy Floren joined State Rep. Laura Devlin (R-Fairfield) and State Sen Henri Martin (R-Bristol) for a town hall informational forum on tolls i n Con necticut. The event i n Greenwich was the last of the 21 town hall forums that Delvin and Martin hosted. “ Tra n sp or t at ion R a n k i n g

GreenwichFirst.com NMLS # 510513

Members Sen. Henri Martin and Rep. Laura Delvin are well versed and balanced in their accurate articulation of the facts,” Floren said. “The Greenwich/Stamford audience was decidedly anti-tolls as an additional tax; the presentation clarif ied documented data and explained the ramif ications of tolling.” Martin and Delvin showed maps of the original plans for tolling stations throughout the state and showed the most updated map with less tolls. In addition, the cost for tolls and other associated costs, including Connecticut already having the seventh-highest gas tax in the country, were discussed.

“This forum was an opportunity for the public to hear a set of facts that they may not have heard before,” Camillo said. “It wasn’t about changing people’s minds about tolls. We just wanted people to be aware of the facts so they could make up their own minds. Tolls are a big issue. Once they are up, they’re up.” In the forum, the Republicans chatted about their Prioritized Progress plan, an alternative to Lamont’s plan to place tolls along the Merritt Parkway, Wilbur Cross Parkway, Interstate 95, Interstate 84 and Interstate 91. According to the Connecticut State Republicans website,

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Prioritize Progress is a t ra n sp or t at ion f u nd i n g pla n that works within current state resources to provide $65 billion for transportation infrastructure projects over the next 30 years. It relies on no tolls and no tax increases. It guarantees a steady, predictable f low of money for transportation infrastructure. Patrick Sasser, who started the No Tolls CT organization and resides in Stamford, was at the event. “The toll for ums are ver y informative and give people an idea of what the costs could look like in regard to the tolls,” Sasser said. “They also talked about their

Prioritized Progress and it gives people an understanding what Republicans are pitching.” A little over an hour after t he sta r t of t he for u m, State of Connecticut G overnor Ned Lamont, who is also a resident of Greenwich, stopped in to listen to the presentation and to some of the questions from people in attendance and spoke for a few minutes about the tolling debate. “The biggest difference we have up in Hartford right now is that prioritized progress says we’re going to put it on the company credit card,” Lamont

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