Pictured from left to right: Computer Applications students Liam Dinnan, Chris Lanzarone, Michael Zvon, and Owen Gaydos gearing up for their Google Analytics presentation.
Ridgefield High School students participated in the second annual Business, Family and Consumer Science Symposium on April 1.
Over 160 RHS business and culinary students collaborated with business partners to develop solutions to real world challenges. The symposium also included “Tiger Talks” given by business leaders with a focus on helping students hone their interview skills.
“The symposium was a great opportunity for me to present in a business-like setting,” said RHS junior Walker Pratt. “My team and I had worked for the past few weeks on a pitch to try and win audit business. Getting up in front of hundreds of my peers and presenting our research was seemingly daunting, but my classmates and I have grown more comfortable in this setting thanks to the experience.”
Marketing and computer applications students presented to our business partners on how to utilize Google Analytics to improve website traffic and revenue. Accounting and business law students developed, delivered and scored sales pitches geared to win audit business.
International Foods students developed a menu and food tasting and interior design students completed a competitive analysis on high end home fixtures.
Business partners in the symposium included: Michele Christ, senior manager at PwC; Jennifer Slavinsky, corporate recruiter at Waterworks; and Jill Mango, marketing director at Ridgefield Playhouse.
“I truly enjoyed the experience of working with your students and I am very proud of the work they produced. I hope that it was a valuable experience for your business classes and I hope they will reach out to me in the future with any questions they may have about the wonderful world of public accounting. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to connect the students to skills they will find valuable as they forge their future paths,” Christ said.
Guest speakers included: Tim Washer-comedy writer and corporate speaker; Chandler Mount- Vice President at YouGov; Holly Teutemacher- Vice President of Talent at Priceline; and Brian Berlandi- Partner at Berlandi Nussbaum & Reitzas LLP
The RHS Business and Culinary symposium integrates classroom curriculum with real world application, and brings together talented RHS students and teachers with local Ridgefield business owners to develop solutions to authentic, complex challenges.
Contact RHS business teacher Jesse Peterkin at jpeterkin@ridgefield.org to get involved in the next symposium.
St. Stephen’s Church of Ridgefield recently donated $2,000 to Housatonic Habitat for Humanity in support of its affordable housing mission.
St. Stephen’s Church is one of Housatonic Habitat’s founding supporters. It has donated more than $10,000 since 2007 and participated in many volunteer opportunities.
Housatonic Habitat for Humanity is both a builder and a bank, building affordable homes for working families who might not qualify for a traditional mortgage. In addition, Housatonic Habitat provides home repairs for homeowners who are aging in place.
For more information about Housatonic Habitat for Humanity visit: housatonichabitat.org
Ridgefield police responded to a fire at Ciuccoli Field at Governor Park Saturday, April 6.
Governor Park — the home field of the Ridgefield High School boys baseball team — was set ablaze following a hazardous waste spill around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6.
Ridgefield police and firefighters responded to the baseball stadium after reports gasoline was poured onto the infield to “dry the field quicker.”
“A poor decision was made (and being looked into by the RPD) to ‘dry the field quicker’ and 24 gallons of gasoline was poured and set on fire,” the town posted on its Facebook page.
According to the post, the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was called to the scene. Pete Hill, director of Public Works, was also on the scene with the town’s certified spill response team.
The baseball team’s game was delayed Saturday due to the conditions of the field. The town is planning to excavate the infield, place dirt in a safe container and add fresh, clean soil to the field.
Cops were at the scene of the incident taking pictures. The incident remains under investigation.
With warmer weather in sight, we are approaching the time of year when homeowners and businesses start making plans to undertake outdoor landscaping projects, home improvements, and property repairs, etc. While it is understood that individuals have the right to enhance their properties in these and other ways, it is also necessary and incumbent upon the individual, that the property enhancements cause no harm to the environment, including to unique landscape attributes such as wetlands, ponds, brooks, streams, rivers, and lakes. By understanding the below requirements and working with town officials, property enhancements can be accomplished properly without having a negative environmental impact.
Natural resources, such as wetlands, ponds, brooks, streams, rivers, and lakes (commonly referred to as wetlands and watercourses) are regulated and monitored by the town of Ridgefield through its inland wetlands and watercourses regulations (IWWR). These IWWR regulations, in addition to regulating activities within the wetlands and watercourses themselves, also apply to “upland review areas” from wetlands, and watercourses. The upland review area is a regulated area beyond the edge of all wetlands and watercourses. A property owner may conduct a landscaping project, home improvement, or property repair, etc., within an upland review area only after an inland wetlands application has been submitted and approved and a wetlands permit has been issued and become effective. Any earth disturbance within an upland review area, wetland, or watercourse is considered a regulated activity requiring a permit. Examples of regulated activities are: filling, grading, clear cutting of trees and/or grubbing, installation of retaining walls, patios, parking areas, etc.
There is a substantial amount of floodplain area in the town of Ridgefield that is designated as special flood hazard area (SFHA). Pursuant to the delegation from the state of Connecticut and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Planning and Zoning Commission regulates these areas, through its floodplain management regulations, to aid in preventing loss of life and property damage from floods. An individual may undertake a development activity within an SFHA only after a site plan application for floodplain development has been submitted and approved and a floodplain permit has been issued and become effective. A floodplain development activity is any change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to: filling, grading, paving, excavation, construction, structures within a floodplain, etc. Please note that development activities, which would result in an increase in flood level or act as an impediment within the SFHA, will not be permitted under almost any circumstances.
We are requesting that any individual, with any questions regarding a property enhancement/development activity, within or near a lakeside community, wetland, waterbody, or watercourse, or if you have any questions regarding what is an wetland, watercourse, or floodplain, etc., please contact Beth Peyser, inland wetland agent (203-431-2383) email: wetlands@ridgefieldct.org. Any questions regarding special flood hazard areas should be directed to Richard Baldelli, director, planning and zoning, ZEO (203-431-2768) email: zoning@ridgefieldct.org
Ridgefield High School senior Grace Egan will be running the annual spring break Shamrock Shootout along with her fellow senior and lacrosse teammate Joanna Gengo.
Ridgefield High School seniors Grace Egan and Joanna Gengo will be running the annual spring break Shamrock Shootout — a two-day lacrosse camp for girls in the fourth through eighth grade — at Scotts Ridge Middle School.
The clinic will take place on Monday, April 15, and Wednesday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to noon.
During the Shamrock Shootout, RHS girls lacrosse players will run drills, scrimmages, and fun games for the campers with the goal of everyone learning something new.
All proceeds from the spring break lacrosse camp will go towards the Carey V. Depuy Kindness Scholarship Fund to reward a girls lacrosse senior at the high school who demonstrates kindness just as Depuy did in her life. Depuy, who was captain of the girls lacrosse team, passed away in September 2015.
To register for camp email shamrockshootoutlax@gmail.com or click on this link.
Ridgefield town officials examine the damage done to Ciuccoli Field. On Saturday, 25 gallons of gasoline were poured onto the infield and lit on fire in an attempt to make the field playable for the Ridgefield High School baseball team. A certified emergency response company that specializes in hazardous waste removal dug up six to eight inches of soil from the infield Saturday night and Sunday. The town hopes to have new soil placed on the field Tuesday with the team returning to action possibly next weekend. The police are investigating the incident. — Steve Coulter / Hearst Connecticut Media
Six to eight inches of gas-soaked soil was excavated from the infield Saturday night into Sunday afternoon, and five or six containers of contaminated dirt will be transported from the site tomorrow — Monday, April 8.
What will the damage cost?
“It’s looking like it will cost $50,000 and could even exceed that,” said First Selectman Rudy Marconi Sunday night.
“It doesn’t seem like a lot but it’s a very, very expensive process.”
Marconi was mum on who was responsible for pouring 25 gallons of gasoline onto the home field of the Ridgefield High School baseball team. He indicated that 75 to 100 people witnessed the incident — with some recording it on their cellphones — and that it was still under police investigation.
“They collected quite a bit of evidence yesterday,” Marconi said. “Whether or not someone gets charged, it’s the police department’s decision to make….
“There were plenty of witnesses,” he added. “I don’t know how they ignited it but it could be out there on one of the cell phone videos.”
Marconi said the high school team was scheduled to take on Amity at 11 a.m. Saturday, and when parents from both sides showed up they noticed the field was soggy.
“The basepath — the dirt part of the field — was wet and it was evident that they’d have to relocate or cancel because of the conditions,” he said. “Someone had idea to put gas on the surface. Let it burn to dry up the water and make the field playable.
“Unfortunately, it was not a very good idea,” he added. “In theory it sounded plausible, I guess, to those who participated.”
One thing was clear to Marconi when he arrived Saturday afternoon: Nobody considered the environmental consequences.
“I’m not aware of who exactly it was who got the gas but what we do know is that someone did use some gas around third base and that seemed to work,” he said. “Others then went to get more gas and began spreading it from second over to the third … they lit up that little area and it dried it up. Everyone thought it was working. They thought they could take care of the whole field with gas. … One person said they had done it in the past.”
“It’s been done before, and every situation that’s out there ends with negative consequences,” he said.
“Maybe it worked 50 to 60 years when there were no environmental regulations but nowadays it’s a definite no no.”
Weekend cleanup
Workers from the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) responded to the scene Saturday along with Pete Hill, director of Ridgefield Public Works.
Marconi said officials from the parks and recreation and highway departments were also called, as well as the town fire department.
“It was clear by time all of us were on the scene that it was a contamination issue,” Marconi said.
DEEP employees worked with Hill to find a certified emergency response company that specializes in hazardous waste removal.
“They began digging around 8 p.m. last night and went until around midnight,” Marconi said. “They started first thing Sunday and concluded around 5:30-6 p.m.”
Rest of week
The spill team will transport at least five containers full of contaminated soil off site Monday, Marconi said.
“Samples of remaining soil have been taken and will be submitted to lab first thing in the morning,” the first selectman said Sunday night.
“Hopefully we can get a quick turnaround and begin the repairs and putting in the new soil Tuesday into Wednesday.”
He estimated that the team could return to the field possibly later in the week.
“There were high school games scheduled that have been moved to the opponent’s field Monday and Wednesday,” Marconi said. “We should probably know more by Wednesday I’d imagine.”
Lessons
Marconi said the incident could be used as a teachable moment for people everywhere.
“Everybody is helpful and wants to jump in to get something done,” he said, “but what’s important to remember out of this is that if something doesn’t seem right or doesn’t look right, in all likelihood it isn’t right. I had several people come up to me at the field and say that it felt wrong but nobody said stop …
“I believe one person went over to the police station, and I’m not sure if it was someone from Ridgefield or from the visiting team but the bottom line is you cannot spread 25 gallons of gas on the infield of a baseball field — it’s all clay and it soaks right in.”
Marconi said the one positive from the event was that no one was injured, and no one was in danger.
“First question our insurance company asked was, ‘Is everyone OK?’ and fortunately we could tell them yes — that’s the good news.”
Looking for other areas of optimism, the first selectman said that contamination was limited to the infield and didn’t spread into the grass.
“It was strictly in the dirt and didn’t travel anywhere else, thankfully,” he said. “It was isolated to the specific areas where it was poured and we were able to get it out early before any rain. We had good weather this weekend and that helped limit the potential seriousness of the contamination. If it had rained, the water could have soaked it and spread it more.”
Despite Mother Nature lending a helping hand, gasoline being poured onto a baseball field and lit on fire by a crowd of parents seemed to draw the attention of the town’s insurance company.
“One of the insurance representatives I spoke with this weekend said that in all of the years he’s been in the business this was in the top five ‘wait, what happened?’ phone calls he’s ever received,” Marconi said. “And they’ve received a lot of claims over the years.”
Ridgefield Bicycle Company hosted its annual spring bicycle donation drive last weekend. Over 100 bikes were collected and will be refurbished and distributed to local Fairfield County charities by Northeast Community Cycles. Owner Jacqui Dowd accepted three bicycles from Ridgefielder Scott Kemp.
The town of Ridgefield is looking at a $50,000 environmental cleanup bill after someone poured gasoline on a wet baseball diamond and set it ablaze in an attempt to dry the field quicker.
Nobody has been arrested for starting the fire.
Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi said Sunday night that new soil would be placed on the field later this week.
Baseball coaches examine the fire at Ciuccoli Field. Gasoline was poured on the infield and lit it on fire in an attempt to dry it out. Police have yet to arrest anyone involved. — Alex Fischetti / Contributed
CPR training is available at Ridgefield Health and Wellness Center on Danbury Road through Your Home CPR, LLC.
Your Home CPR trains coaches, managers, umpires, referees, and other volunteers associated with any youth sports league.
The course teaches participants to recognize a life-threatening emergency in an adult or child victim, and act quickly before the ambulance arrives. The cost of the course is $40 and includes a two-year certification from the American Heart Association.
CPR classes begin Monday, April 15, at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 20, at 9 a.m., and Monday April 29, at 7 p.m. Additional dates and times are listed online.
For more information and to register, visit ScheduleCPR.com or call 877-CPR-2-YOU.
Ridgefield Running Company has once again been named one of the top 50 running stores in the United States. The business is now located at 423 Main Street.
“Everything seems to be rented in town, except for the framing place,” said Chairman Arnold Light of the Economic and Community Development Commission (ECDC) on April 1.
Both businesses are owned by Megan Searfoss, who also organizers the Run Like a Mother race every May. The Ridgefield Running Company was recently named one of the best running stores in America.
“She has some kind of a really unique machine that actually does a complete analysis of your foot,” said Devine.
ECDC member Geoff Morris said the store serves as a destination for runners from out of town.
“There are a lot of runs that start and end there, these are people that are coming to Main Street from out of town,” he said.
Also noteworthy for Devine was the fact that the running store is an authorized retailer for Lululemon, the popular brand of athleisure clothing.
“[Searfoss] had it for the running store. She wasn’t authorized to sell it at Everywear on Main, so when she brought the store up, Lululemon comes to Main Street,” Devine said.
That’s something the ECDC can advertise to attract customers to the town, Devine pointed out.
“It’s fabulous it’s delicious — healthy but some things are still indulgent,” said ECDC member Amanda Duff.
“The interesting thing is this is another business opening another location here,” said Devine “Now we’re getting a lot of retailers that are coming here that have locations elsewhere.”
Devine said the former Raveis real estate office is under negotiation, though he declined to say who was interested in the space. Purple Frog remains vacant next door.
The former Rockwell Framing storefront also has an interested tenant, Devine said.
Tequila Escape, the restaurant that replaced 439 Kitchen and Bar on Main Street, is open for business. Tablao is moving into the former Fifty Coins storefront on Main Street, and is expected to open this spring.
Food service jobs could be growing over the next decade in Ridgefield.
Health care and food service jobs are expected to rise in Ridgefield the next nine years while white-collar office jobs are expected to decline, according to a study presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission last week.
The town is expected to add 280 new jobs in health care and 100 new food service jobs by 2028, according to the study. Office positions are expected to shrink by 250 jobs — a 10 percent decline while retail jobs will neither increase or decrease, the survey said.
The numbers were compiled by Camoin Associates, an economic development consultancy based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for the purpose of revising Ridgefield’s Plan of Conservation and Development.
The town currently has around 11,500 jobs in total.
The most popular industries are health care, government, and food service.
“Health care is driven by the aging population,” said Tom Dworetsky, a project manager with Camoin who presented the study to the commission on April 2.
The town is getting older — the number of people over the age of 65 is expected to grow, and younger age groups are expected to remain flat or decline, the study said.
“It could affect workforce availability if you don’t have enough young people” to work at businesses in town, Dworetsky said.
National trends
The growth in food service jobs mirrors the national trend.
“Another fast growing sector is food service. Nationally, people are eating out more … that’s projected to grow,” said Dworetsky.
The lack of growth in brick-and-mortar retail is also in keeping with the national trend, as more and more business goes online.
High-end retailers are doing well, but low-end retailers are not.
“There’s a lot of aging strip malls in the Northeast; those places are not doing well,” Dworetsky said.
The retailers who do remain in Ridgefield mainly cater to local needs, rather than large national brands.
While there is “a lot of retail leakage” — people traveling outside of Ridgefield to buy the things they need, the town’s proximity to the Danbury Fair Mall makes it harder to attract national brands, Dworetsky explained.
Working from home
Office jobs are declining due to a lack of demand, particularly as working from home becomes more viable for small firms.
Ridgefield’s downtown is also not seen as an office destination because of the lack of parking and accessibility, the study said.
The Route 7 corridor of office buildings “lacks amenities and quality buildings desired by office users,” the study said.
There is currently around 70,000 square feet of vacant office space in town.
Arts and tourism
The study suggested that the town should continue to market itself as an arts and culture destination while investing in making the town more accessible to visitors.
Dworetsky noted that “there are over 200 jobs” in the arts in Ridgefield, not including all the industries — such as restaurants — that support the arts.
“It’s an opportunity to market Ridgefield even more regionally,” said Dworetsky. “There’s an opportunity for the town to sort of brand and market the town.”
Infrastructure
The study also recommends investing in a hotel, improving parking, and providing regional busing to transport workers into town.
Better pedestrian access, and bicycle-friendly routes will also help the town.
“Bicycle-friendly routes are another thing that can be done, particularly around the whole theme around arts and recreation — integrating bicycles into that is another way to attract another type of visitor. They come for the trails and then they stop and spend money in the downtown businesses,” said Dworetsky.
The town should also invest in Branchville, the study said.
“Obviously sewer’s an issue there,” said Dworetsky.
The study said Branchville is the “best opportunity” for the town to increase its commercial tax base.
Creating a sewer extension would allow the area to be developed — a region of town that the study said is “highly underutilized.”
With the close proximity of the train station, the area could be developed for mixed-use residential and commercial spaces, with pedestrian access, the study said.
“There is great potential to make it a mixed-use destination, to make it an interesting place that people want to go, and build on that visitor potential,” Dworetsky said.
A photo from the baseball field fire that happened Saturday morning at Governor Park in Ridgefield. Police have no arrested any suspects. — Alex Fischetti / Contributed photo
Who poured gasoline onto the infield of Ridgefield’s Governor Park and lit it ablaze?
Photos on social media show both baseball teams — Ridgefield and Amity — in the dugout Saturday afternoon, and video footage during the fire shows a combination of parents and coaches trying to smother the flames with dirt.
First Selectman Rudy Maroni said the incident was not a premeditated and that he did not believe it to be an act of vandalism.
“I wasn’t there when it happened but I don’t believe it had anything to do with student vandalism,” Marconi said Monday, April 8.
“It was an attempt to correct something — a wet field, and it just wasn’t a smart move at all,” he added. “… I don’t know who the people are who did this but I hope they come forward before legal action is forced upon them.”
“This was a decision that was made right before the game and it was made in order to play the game that day,” he said. “They used gasoline around third base to dry out the field and it worked and that’s when they made the decision to get more gas.”
Bob Alicea, who helped fundraise to build Governor Park, did not respond to several calls and emails from The Press Monday. Athletic Director Dane Street also did not respond when reached for comment.
The Ridgefield Police Department, which is located directly across from Governor Park on East Ridge Road, said its investigation is ongoing and couldn’t confirm whether students were involved in the incident. The police also didn’t want to confirm or deny whether any suspects were town employees.
“The investigation is ongoing and the RPD is attempting to get all of the facts and circumstances of this incident,” Capt. Shawn Platt told The Press Monday. “It would be irresponsible of the Ridgefield Police Department to release any information that is not confirmed as true.”
Platt encouraged anyone from with information to contact Officer Dan Gjodesen at 203-438-6531.
Gordon and Karen Casagrande will lead Battle of Ridgefield tours in front of Casagmo at 550 Main Street on April 27 and April 28.
The Ridgefield Historical Society plans two Battle of Ridgefield walking tours on Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, both from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The tours will be led by Gordon and Karen Casagrande and begin at the Battle of Ridgefield monument in front of Casagmo at 550 Main Street.
On April 27, 1777, the Battle of Ridgefield took place at a barricade on the narrowest part of Main Street, set up by General Benedict Arnold. When the British troops attacked, Arnold had his horse shot out from under him. The Patriots engaged the British in a running battle down Town Street (now Main Street) but the action was over in about an hour. Eight Patriots and 16 British soldiers were buried in mass graves on the Stebbins’ lot (now Casagmo Condominiums). Although the Danbury expedition was a tactical success for the British, their actions galvanized the Patriots, and the British never ventured so far inland again.
The cost of the tour is $5 for members and $7 for non-members. Space is limited. To RSVP or for more information, visit ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org.
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is pleased to announce that Eva Anderson has affiliated with the Ridgefield office. As an affiliated real estate agent, Anderson will provide residential real estate services in Ridgefield as well as the surrounding communities of Fairfield County. Anderson brings with her two years of experience in the real estate industry.
“Eva’s passion for real estate and dedication to her clients perfectly align with the standard of excellence upheld by Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage,” said Beverly Fairchild, Branch Vice President of the Ridgefield office. “We are looking forward to watching Eva grow her existing business as well as new business.”
Anderson constantly strives to build her professional skillset to provide exceptional service to clients. Anderson also specializes in working with buyers, sellers and investors. She assists clients with her background in IT project management, and a psychology degree. Anderson is fluent in English and Norwegian.
Anderson is a member of the Smart Multiple Listing Service, the National Association of Realtors and the Ridgefield Board of Realtors. She is active in her community as well as volunteering in the Ridgefield school system.
The Spring Stroll will return Saturday, May 4, and run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The annual event will feature student and professional chalk artists, a scavenger hunt, and music in front of town hall. Residents will also be asked to decorate lampposts in the village. There will be awards given to the top artists.
There will be roaming hoola-hoopers, stilt walkers, and jugglers.
There will be a “circus zone” at the Lounsbury House.
Yale’s Redhot and Blue jazz-singing group will perform at Ridgebury Congregational Church’s Meetinghouse, Ridgebury Road on Saturday, April 13, from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Redhot and Blue, which was founded in 1977, has expanded its repertoire to include a wide variety of genres, from Broadway hits to the Beatles to Britney Spears.
Tickets are available at eventbrite.com/e/redhot-blue-tickets or at the door.
A 1.24 percent tax hike crowns a nearly $148-million budget package that would boost school spending by over $3 million — but $230,000 less than the school board requested — while approving the selectmen’s plans for no increase in town departments’ budget next year.
Approved on a series of unanimous Board of Finance votes last week, the 2019-20 budget, and an accompanying $4.5 million capital spending plan, will come before Ridgefield voters for approval or rejection at the May 6 Annual Town Meeting and May 14 budget referendum.
“That’s only $200 on the average house,” finance board Chairman Dave Ulmer said of the proposed tax increase.
“But it’s not the only,” he added. “Other taxes are going up.”
The larger tax environment colored town officials’ thinking as they went through this year’s budget process — with the selectmen cutting seven jobs with a retirement incentive and reorganization to achieve their no-increase budget for town departments. Town officials figured many Ridgefielders could be paying more in federal income taxes, due to the new $10,000 limit on the “SALT deductions” for state and local taxes that was part of the federal “tax cut and job act” approved in Washington back in December 2017, and affecting 2018 federal taxes due this April.
Although fashioned as a tax cut, the federal tax bill offset some its rate reductions with other changes — including the cap on SALT deductions, expected to hit hard in areas with high costs of living, high real estate values and high state and local taxes. Ridgefield fits that bill.
“The SALT deal is going to have a big impact,” Ulmer said.
He later explained the math behind his calculation that the 1.24 percent property tax increase would amount to roughly $200 more on a typical Ridgefield homeowners’ tax bill.
“That assumes about an $800,000 assessed home, taxed at 70 percent of assessment, and 27.78 mill rate for around $15,500 tax bill — maybe a little higher than average,” Ulmer said.
“Now you can only deduct a piece of that — and none of the state tax,” he added. “It’s going to be a big hit.”
The numbers
The budget approved by the finance board for 2019-20 totals $147,827,683.
It would allocate $98,193,760 for school operations, a 3.36 percent spending increase, and $38,318,807 for town departments and road repaving, reflecting the “zero increase” town budget passed along by the Board of Selectmen that is actually a slight reduction — the proposed town budget is $4,907 less than the current year’s allocation.
The roads and infrastructure line in the selectmen’s budget totals $1,840,000 — the same as the current year — with $1,765,000 allocated for annual road repairs and repaving, and $75,000 set aside for “ADA” accessibility projects to meet goals of the Americans with Disability Act.
The budget includes $11,315,116 to pay debt service.
“Overall, I get a spending increase of 2.4 percent,” Ulmer said near the end of the finance board’s deliberations. “That’s with roads and debt service.”
The $4,468,620 capital spending plan approved by the finance board, after being passed on from the school board and selectmen, consists of projects and purchases to be financed with borrowing, so they don’t affect next year’s taxes.
In discussion Wednesday night, April 3, the selectmen agreed that the town and school operating budget approved by the finance board will go to the May 14 referendum, along with largest of the capital spending proposals while capital projects and purchases under $100,000 will be put before voters at the May 6 Annual Town Meeting.
Finance board member Dick Moccia listened to school board member Sharon D’Orso Tuesday night, April 2, after the finance board approved town and school budgets with a $230,000 reduction to the school board’s more than $98-million request. — Macklin Reid / Hearst Connecticut Media
School budget
The $98,193,760 school budget approved by the finance board is an increase of $3,193,760 over the current school budget, which is an even $95 million. But it’s a $230,000 reduction from $98,423,760 budget request previously approved by the Board of Education.
The cut trimmed the school spending from a 3.60 percent increase sought by the school board to a 3.36 percent increase approved by the finance board. The $230,000 school cut is exactly half the $460,000 school reduction proposed by the Board of Selectmen in its charter-mandated “non-binding recommendation” to the finance board on school spending. The selectmen’s suggested cut would have meant a 3.1 percent increase in school spending.
After the finance board’s April 2 vote, Board of Education Chairwoman Margaret Stamatis was philosophical about the cut to the school board’s initial budget request.
“I think we can move the district forward. We’re pleased both boards were thoughtful and listened to what we’ve identified as the needs of our district,” she said.
“We respect their process,” she added.
“It’s still $3.1 million more than this year,” Chairman Ulmer said of the proposed school budget.
Ulmer also told the school board that their 3.36 percent increase would inevitably be compared with the selectmen’s zero increase budget.
“That’s not fair, but it’s what people are going to do,” he said.
The motion for the $98,193,760 school budget was made by Amy Freidenrich and seconded by Jessica Mancini.
“When the budget comes out, all those papers, it’s exhaustive,” Freidenrich said, brandishing budget books and spreadsheets she’d done on her own “We take it very, very seriously.”
Freidenrich was impressed with the school board’s argument to add an administrator who would oversee curriculum rewriting and instructional improvement in the “STEM” fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“The STEM, that’s very credible. I feel that needs to get done,” she said.
“I think this is a small reduction to the requested increase,” Mancini said.
Finance board member Dick Moccia wanted to take a bigger bite out of the school board’s request, comparing the reduction from a 3.6 to a 3.36 percent increase to a state law saying municipal budget increases should be held to 2.5 percent.
“I don’t agree with that large an increase. I’d prefer to stay at 2.5 percent,” Moccia said. “… I’ll vote with the majority of the board to allow the people to make the decision.”
With the school increase balanced by the selectmen’s no increase for town departments, the proposed budget would just make that goal.
“Overall, I get a spending increase of 2.4 percent,” Chairman Ulmer said near the end of the finance board’s April 2 meeting. “That’s with roads and debt service.”
Town jobs
During the previous meetings Marconi had pleaded with the finance board, at one point, not to let the selectmen’s hard work getting down to a zero increase be absorbed into increases elsewhere. Between incentivized retirements, job cuts, and changing some full-time positions to part-time, the reorganization that the selectmen worked months on reduced the town workforce by 7.34 positions.
“I understand it,” Marconi said after the finance board’s April 2 voting. “The Board of Finance has made its decision and I’ll go with it, obviously.”
Finance board members seemed a little uneasy with the slight decrease in the town departments’ budget.
“It’s never easy to cut personnel, never easy to make those decisions,” Moccia said.
“I hope we’re not reducing too much,” said Mancini.
“I think we’ve achieved it without cutting any town services,” Ulmer said of the selectmen’s no-increase budget.
“Obviously, you can’t do this two years in a row,” he added. “…Restructuring is something every organization ought to do every four or five years.”
Public support
The idea of letting the people vote on the budget as requested had been a theme for school supporters, who outnumbered tax critics 10-to-3 at the finance board’s March 25 public hearing — and also expressed themselves in a barrage of letters and emails to the finance board.
“Far more letters this year than any other year, supporting the budget,” said board member Sean Connelly.
“Sixty,” agreed Freidenrich.
School board Chairwoman Stamatis had emphasized letting the voters decide in her closing pitch to the finance board.
“Ridgefield values a high quality education system, the economic driver of our town,” Stamatis said. “As elected officials speak about real estate deals falling through upon fears of regionalization and townspeople rally on the steps of town hall for local control, let’s allow our voters the opportunity to show their support of this budget that meets the needs of our local school district and youngest citizens.”
Ulmer told the school board that, despite taxpayers facing the loss of federal deductions, he was reluctant to trim the school increase beyond the $230,000 reduction that took the increase from 3.60 to the 3.36 percent.
“To cut deeper than this I’d be concerned you’d have to cut programs — programs you need,” he told the school board.
“…You’re putting it where it’s needed,” he added, “Special ed, repairs, psychologists, the STEM job.”
Fund balance
To get the projected tax rate down to 1.24 percent the finance board also voted to pull $1,675,000 out of the town’s roughly $14 million surplus fund balance, and allocated that money as non-tax revenue.
The board uses some money from the fund balance as revenue most years, and has a goal of keeping the fund balance at between eight and nine percent of the total annual budget. Part of the logic, Ulmer explained, is that to have the town keep enlarging its fund balance amounted to keeping more and more of the taxpayers’ money.
With a surplus of about $1.3 million projected for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, the fund balance — which serves as a financial cushion for the town — is projected to be $15.4 million at the end of the fiscal year, and that would be reduced to $13.7 million by the $1,675,000 “use of fund balance” allocation built into the proposed 2019-20 budget.
The proposed use of $1,675,000 from fund balance next year compares to this year’s budgeted use of $1.6 million from the fund balance. However, with the surplus projected for the current fiscal year, it’s likely that not all of the $1.3 million currently allocated from the fund balance will actually have to be drawn out.
Ulmer reminded the board that in a fiscal reality where town and school budgets aren’t supposed to run in the red — and therefore shouldn’t be cut too close — the finance board has long regarded the “use of fund balance” to boost non-tax revenue as an sensible way of returning the taxpayers’ money to them.
In making the motion to use $1,675,000 from fund balance, Ulmer said the move would reduce the rate hike needed to support the nearly $148 million in town and school spending from a 1.3 to 1.24 percent tax increase.
“I’m concerned that’s maybe using too much,” Mancini told Ulmer. “But your comment about not holding taxpayers’ money is important.”
“It’s a good balance,” said Connelly.
Supporting the motion, Moccia said he wanted to “keep the tax rate down for — I hate the word ‘senior’ citizens, I like ‘seasoned’ citizens.”
At Pack 126’s annual Blue and Gold Dinner, seven Webelos scouts earned the Arrow of Light. From left to right: Den Leader Mark Hankla, Evan Joyce, Terry Herlihy, Ian Wallace, Jacob Hankla, Hunor Hagen, Caden Shiffer, Liam Bishop, and Den Chief Conor Hankla. The Arrow of Light is the highest award in cub scouting.
Ridgefield High School juniors Timothy Porter, Dylan Zappala and Melanie Kardos.
A trio of Ridgefield High School junior have won a statewide poster contest that encourages residents to become organ donors.
Timothy Porter won third place and $100 for his poster, while Dylan Zappala won the Tony Award and a cash prize of $100. Fellow junior Melanie Kardos was awarded honorable mention.
The award ceremony, which was run by Donate Life CT, awarded took place at the state capital in Hartford on April 5.
A poster submitted to Donate Life CT by RHS junior Timothy Porter.Melanie Kardos’s poster which received honorable mention.Dylan Zappala’s poster
