News From Wilton First Selectman's Office - Dec. 18, 2024

**News Release Submitted by First Selectman Toni Boucher**

Dec. 18, 2024

Season's Greetings to one and all. I hope your days have been merry and bright as 2024 comes to a close. We at Town Hall have been busy preparing for the upcoming budget negotiations. Because future Town and School Building projects will be top of mind this budget cycle, we thought it would be interesting to take a look back at how Wilton developed as a town, and how our Town Hall came into being.

A Bit of Town Hall History, Past and Present

The story of Wilton's Town Hall comes to us from the former First Selectman, and professional historian, Robert Russell in his wonderful book, Wilton Connecticut, Three Centuries of People, Places and Progress, (Wilton Historical Society, 2004). As Mr. Russell tells it, almost from the first town meeting, held in 1802, the quandary over investing in government infrastructure has been a bone of contention for Wilton residents. At that time, the Congregational Church served as an adequate town meeting house. Local leaders wrestled with the problems of wandering livestock, road and bridge building and repair (some things never change), and the care of the town’s poor. The idea to build a town hall was first voted on in 1808 and was roundly rejected, twice, until 1818, when the state constitution necessitated an official town-business meeting place that was separate from the church. It took nearly a decade for serious planning to get underway, when a proposal that may sound familiar to today’s electorate was debated: Should an already existing building (the Wilton Academy) be expanded to accommodate the school and a Town Hall, or should the town undertake a greater expense and build a whole new structure? It was decided that a freestanding Town Hall should be built on land donated by the Comstock family. The ground was broken in 1828. But, due to delays caused by fiscal shortfalls, the first Town Hall was not completed until 1832. For nearly a hundred years, town meetings were held there, but if you had any business with the Town Clerk you had to go to Belden’s store, where Major Samuel Belden kept the records of signed deeds, land records and notes from town procedures. As secure as this must have been, the growing accumulation of records eventually required a bigger storage space. The situation became untenable when rent for this room went from $12.50 a month to $16 in 1926.

This was also the time when Wilton started thinking more like a united town instead of ten independent neighborhoods. Like today, there were huge cultural and financial shifts happening and, again like today, it was generally recognized that the old town hall was outdated and ill-equipped to meet the needs of Wilton’s future. The movement away from private schools toward a centralized public school system was becoming popular, more businesses were migrating to Wilton, as were more families who commuted to work. This necessitated a new railroad station, but also answers to other modern problems, like zoning, garbage disposal and river pollution.

Those currently serving on similar committees will immediately recognize the process by which the new town hall came into being. First, there was a search committee to find the appropriate land upon which to build. This search committee then became the building committee. They hired the architect, but the funds to actually construct the building had to be approved by voters at the Annual Town Meeting in April 1930. The cornerstone, with items sealed inside, was laid that August. A very exciting provision required that this cornerstone could not be opened for a century. That means we can all look forward to unearthing these treasures in five years!

In 1931, the new Wilton Town Hall was state of the art and the center of town life. When the offices of the selectmen, town clerk, tax collector and treasurer closed for the day, the hall turned into a popular place for dances, minstrel shows and musical performances. It also served as a courtroom for local justice trials until 1961, and was large enough to host town meetings. Today, we can still enjoy a spectacular piece of history from this period. Preserved on our front entryway walls are beautiful murals painted by well-known Wilton artists, Thomas Herbert Smith and Frank Fleming, who, in the bitter winter of 1933-34, were commissioned by the federal government’s Public Works of Art Project to paint scenes of Wilton. They chose to paint panels of the town during different seasons, highlighting the natural wonders that make Wilton so special. In January, 1941, the basement of town hall was set up as a firing range, where young men could practice their sharpshooting skills while they waited to be called up for service in the world war America had just entered. A bronze plaque, also in the front hall, is dedicated to the 400 Wilton residents who went to that war. Although that number may be an incomplete accounting, Wilton had a population of 2,829 residents at the start of World War II, so even this level of participation is astounding.

By the late 1950’s, the town’s administration had already outgrown the building. The meeting hall (and entertainment center) had to be chopped into offices, while the new police station moved into the basement with a separate entrance. A Town Clerk’s vault was added onto the building in 1970.

More office space was needed by 1984, and renovations to accommodate this, plus adding a new rear entrance, were finished in 1986. At the same time, the old DPW garage that had been built in the 1930’s was converted into the Annex, which became the offices of the DPW, the Town Planners, the Health Department, and the animal shelter built behind it. Nearly 40 years later, this is how the building stands today.

The parallels in Wilton’s Town Hall stories are uncanny. Every hundred years, it seems, the town undergoes such massive changes that not only is a new, or significantly renovated, town hall desperately called for, but multiple other challenges have to be addressed at the same time. In the late 1920s and 30’s, the First Selectmen were tasked with not only building a new Town Hall, but also brand new schools for an entirely new school system. There was such an influx of residents then, that problems with roads were a constant headache, with old farming families reluctant to chip in for an amenity they hardly used, but that new commuter families deemed a necessity. Also present, were the questions that arise during a boom in construction: Namely, how to control all of this growth. People had been resisting the idea of any kind of zoning laws because Wiltonites prized their individualism above all else. But the consequences of having a gas station built in front of a beautiful home, a metal foundry opening in town, plus contaminated, dead trout floating in the Norwalk River, caused people to rethink their position. A zoning law was passed in 1938 that declared Wilton a residential zone, with the town Selectmen given power to review any commercial applications and zoning permits. Today a wholly elected Planning and Zoning Commission of nine members makes all of the town’s development decisions. The Board of Selectman no longer has a role.

Finally, there was the question of sewage and garbage. Today, we negotiate with the city of Norwalk to process our sewage, which is another complication born out of rapid expansion. But in the ‘30’s, similar levels of expansion created issues with trash disposal. The town was moving away from its origins as an agricultural village when many pigs disposed of the town’s waste. People dumped their bottles and cans into swamps, which was acceptable for town residents, but tensions arose when non-residents started dumping their garbage there, too. Private dumps were created but were often shut down after complaints of smells, rodents the size of dogs and the threat of disease overwhelmed the neighborhood.

For a while, it looked like the town would need to rely on New Canaan’s incinerator to deal with the problem and negotiations were started that closely resemble our current talks with Norwalk’s mayor over access to their sewage treatment plant. Various solutions were tried, including the common practice among Wilton households of burning their trash, which continued until 1970 when it was outlawed. Luckily, this occurred about the time a transfer station was built and the town refuse could be handed over to professionals.

It is remarkable how often history repeats itself. When we consider Wilton’s past, an interesting pattern emerges about our own times. There is population growth that keeps the town renewed with energy and possibility, but also changes the landscape and character of town life. There are the fiscal hurdles the town has routinely overcome, like schools and town facilities that must be built or renovated in the same year. There are seemingly intractable problems that morph into new problems, like wandering pigs destroying the neighbor’s crops, to not enough pigs to take care of the town’s waste. Too many zoning rules stifle healthy growth, but too little control leads to unsightly developments. And, as always, there are the roads and bridges that need constant attention.

One thread running through Wilton’s history is the need for a place to hold our collective memory: The deeds, the meeting rooms, the ballots in the vault, the murals and photographs on the walls, all tell the story of our town. Town Hall is filled with the spirit of those who took great risks, who shouldered burdensome financial responsibility, who worked tirelessly for pragmatic solutions, because they believed Wilton was worth the investment. In that same spirit, there were others who gave their land or their fortunes to help build the town. I find it comforting to know that they have been where we stand now. Together, I hope we can all call upon their strength, generosity and foresight to shepherd Wilton into its next exciting chapter.

Today’s Wilton Town Hall is in serious need of renovation and additional working space. Its only meeting room has now been cut into small cubicles. Its antiquated windows are still wrapped in plastic, an ineffectual solution that leaves most offices cold, and working conditions difficult. IT personnel are housed in a closet, as is the staff "kitchen." A staff break room is mandated by union rules for municipal employees, but is missing from our campus because of the lack of space. The Annex offices have rusted out bathrooms. Much needed additional maintenance and DPW staff cannot be hired as there is no space to seat them. A small office built for one employee has three employees crowded into it. Here are just a few photos from today’s Town Hall, which I hope will serve as a reminder of how critical our municipal building needs are:

The employee kitchen at Town Hall

The IT “department” closet at Town Hall

A ceiling tile that has fallen in the Annex bathroom

The Department of Social Services

Wilton has a long history of looking out for its neighbors in need. In 1831, over half of the town’s expenses went to supporting local families and individuals with charitable gifts. According to town history, this was a concern that was addressed at every town meeting throughout the 19th Century.

Today, Wilton’s Social Services Department serves as the critical nexus of information and aid and is professionally managed by the newly appointed Social Services Director, Stephanie Rowe. Stephanie has a passion for engaging with vulnerable populations, which she thinks began in the second grade when, through a school assignment, she became pen pals with a woman living in a nursing home. Their friendship grew beyond their letters and the two kept a regular date for tea. Her engagement with the elderly continued when she was 16 and worked as a kitchen aide at Chestnut Grove, a New Milford Independent Senior Living facility. At 20, while she was earning her undergraduate degree in Psychology, Stephanie joined the Woodbury Senior Center as the Program Assistant. She has since gone on to complete two master’s degrees, in Recreation Management Administration and Social Work, with a concentration in Direct Clinical Practice. While working on these advanced degrees, Stephanie found an internship with Horizons, an outreach service organization that works to advance education equality in underserved communities. Stephanie went from serving the senior population to working with kids in Horizon’s after school programs. She was an invaluable asset to our community during the Covid pandemic, when the Senior Center was shut down and isolated Wiltonites needed information, resources and materials to see them through the crisis. She managed all of this as a new mother to a toddler and a newborn, and credits her husband for helping to make it all possible. Altogether, Stephanie’s experience working with the very old and the very young members of our community, coupled with her extensive academic and clinical work, means Wilton’s Social Services Department is in extremely capable hands.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

The holiday season is a particularly busy period for this department, with an uptick in donations to the food pantry, for instance, but also an increased call volume from people seeking help or information during what can be a stressful time. The department has wide- ranging collaborations with other outreach organizations, which means they can provide all different kinds of aid. Local food drive initiatives in the schools are an enormous help with the food pantry, but the department also works with organizations like the Wilton Women’s Club, Wilton Encore Club, Kiwanis Club of Wilton, Georgetown Lions Club, Wilton Rotary Club, the HEAL Group (Health, Empathy, Altruism and Love), a volunteer service organization for teenage girls in Wilton, the Faith Community and the Wilton Youth Council. For mental health services, they have a broad network of mental health professionals they can draw from for referrals. Everyone who calls the office asking about counseling is given at least three names of therapists to start with, with an exhaustive list they can return to until the best match is found. The office also partners with Positive Directions, a nonprofit behavioral health center, and the Domestic Violence Crisis Center. In short, one phone call to Stephanie’s office (203-834-6238) can unlock of a trove of support with energy and food assistance, insurance coverage and application help, short and long-term counseling and addiction issues, care options for elderly family members, and after school programs. If you have a teen at home who would like to volunteer, they have a program where high school students help the Senior Center attendees with computer and technical support, and decorate the Center for the holidays. They offer webinars that are open to everyone on subjects like gambling addiction. They organize groups of volunteers to help at animal shelters. They maintain an emergency contact list of senior citizens living independently so that this population can receive safety checks during storms, power outages or other town-wide emergencies. And should a senior citizen decide that they’d like to move into assisted living or have more in-home care, Social Services can help navigate that process. Stephanie’s advice is to begin exploring the options for elder care before it becomes necessary, as the wait list for elderly housing can be as much as a couple of years.

All that’s required to receive any kind of material aid is proof of residency in Wilton. And the department guarantees the privacy of any services’ recipient. Access to the food pantry, for instance, is entirely discreet, as it is located behind a door in the Comstock Center. Anonymity is assured with the crowds that are always coming in and out of the building for a variety of reasons. Moreover, the help offered by Social Services is not income based. Stephanie stressed that no one should assume that the available support is not for them. The first step is to make the call (203-834-6238).

Finally, the office is also a referral service for anyone in the area, and not just Wilton residents. They are happy to guide all callers to the appropriate agency, organization or specialist who can provide the help they need.

From it’s very beginning, Wilton has invested in the safety and well-being of our neighbors. Fortunately, today’s Department of Social Services is run by professionals like Stephanie, who has devoted her life’s work to the care of our community’s most vulnerable. Thank you, Stephanie, for all that you do on our behalf. Please, the Department of Social Services, take a bow.

Induction of Wilton’s New Police Officer

Officer Robert Klein officially joined the Wilton Police Department this month, after previously serving with the Weston Police force for 25-years. Officer Klein comes to Wilton with a reputation for hard work and dedication to public safety. At the induction ceremony, Chief Tom Conlan noted that his years of experience will be a great asset to our community. We are grateful for his commitment to public service at a time when Police work presents substantial challenges. Officer Klein’s wife, Amanda, his daughter, mother, brother, and several other relatives attended the ceremony, and we extend our thanks and warm welcome to them, as well.

Thank you, Officer Klein! Wilton is lucky to have you.

Drones In the Area
Local news reports and social media have been consumed with the drones that have been hovering in the air in the last few days. Our Chief of Police, Tom Conlan, says that although no Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have been detected in Wilton, if they are observed they should be reported to the Connecticut Suspicious Activity Reporting Portal, Suspicious Activity Reporting Form.

When reporting UAS sightings, like drones, to law enforcement, residents should include the following information, if available:

• Date/Time of the Sighting,
• Location of the Sighting (Observer’s location and UAS location)
• Description of Event; (Sounds, color of lights, etc.)
• Direction/Duration of flight path (compass directions are helpful),
• Considerations: UAS impact on Critical Infrastructure
• Photo or Video documentation - Attempt to have landmarks or visible identifiers in any images.

Winter Power Outages

Winter weather is on our doorstep and we would like to remind everyone that in the event of a power outage you must call Everource’s emergency number: 800-286-2000. Calling their customer service center directly logs the outage into their system, which provides important internal records for the company. This link to the Eversource emergency alert page contains complete information on how to sign up for outage alerts, recommended emergency preparedness and more.

Town Communications

If you would like to receive direct communication from town boards or government departments, this link will take you to the E-Subscribe page on the town website where you can click next to every sector you would like to hear from. For example, clicking on this link will take you to the Board of Finance web page where you will find all of their latest news. If you click their box on the E-Subscribe page you will receive an email any time this board publishes new material. This will keep you well apprised of the town’s financial picture during the important town budget season. I have personally subscribed to all of the E-Subscription options to stay as informed as possible about town updates.

Menorah Lighting

The Thursday, December 26th, Menorah Lighting on the Wilton Town Green will mark the 18th year that the Schneerson Center has hosted this special occasion. The festivities start at 4pm, with the kindling of Wilton’s Community Menorah, followed by live music, dreidels and gelt for everyone. All are welcome!

May the light of the menorah fill your home with joy and peace. May your heart be filled with love this Hanukkah and throughout the year. Chag sameach!

Holiday Stroll

This is also the season when we celebrate and feel grateful for the town we live in. It was another magical night of festivities and fun at the Wilton Chamber of Commerce Holiday Stroll, also sponsored by Kimco Realty in partnership with the Town of Wilton, the Wilton Fire Department, the Wilton Volunteers Ambulance Corps, and several retailers and businesses in the Town Center. If you missed the singing, marshmallow roasting, shopping, tree lighting and visits with Santa, here are some photos to give you a flavor of how bright and cheery the evening was.

From Town Hall to your home, wishing you all a safe, healthy and joyous holiday season!

With all best wishes,

Toni Boucher
First Selectman

Town of Wilton