First Selectman Toni Boucher attended Monday‘s (Dec. 4) Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting for the first time in her official capacity as Wilton’s top official.

The agenda included several items of business in the transition of Boucher and other Town officials into their posts, as well as next steps on a several ongoing matters.

School Building Needs Assessment

The selectmen picked up the discussion of the recently-completed School Buildings Needs Assessment.

The assessment was discussed at length at the Nov. 27 tri-board meeting of the BOS, Board of Finance (BOF) and Board of Education (BOE). That meeting revealed the long-range plan for school building repairs and upgrades — at an estimated cost to taxpayers of roughly $105 million — could be feasible from a financial standpoint, but would require significant planning and collaboration among the three boards. That meeting also identified a critical need for the BOS and BOE to reach an understanding as to the project management responsibilities for their respective boards.

At the Nov. 27 meeting, the former first selectwoman, Lynne Vanderslice, had recommended the creation of a committee composed of members representing all the key boards to take the long-range plan to the next steps, as well as the creation of a new fund that would help to facilitate the work process.

Boucher says more discussion is needed before those decisions are made.

“It seems to me that we’re a little premature to really move forward until we have a more thorough understanding,” she said. “We need to involve the BOE and BOF, in my view, to discuss the actual lists of projects and their priorities. This deserves further discussion.”

“The most important thing is, we know we have to do something,” Boucher continued. “We know there is a list of number one priorities, number two, and number three [and] we know a 10-year timeframe may not be feasible — that it’s more likely it would be 15 years.”

She suggested “more informal meetings with the other boards together to hash this out and map out a way forward.”

DPW Director/Town Engineer Frank Smeriglio and Chief Financial Officer Dawn Norton both urged the BOS to resolve the question of project responsibilities: for any given project, which department has ownership, who is responsible, and where do the funds come from?

Smeriglio and Norton described the operational complexity they routinely encounter when dealing with projects at the schools, which would only be exacerbated by the scope and scale of new projects envisioned over the next several years.

Smeriglio emphasized that, with BOS and BOE budget planning already underway, the questions about project responsibilities need to be resolved as soon as possible.

Breweries

The selectmen agreed to schedule a Special Town Meeting on Jan. 9, 2024. Voters will consider a proposed change to Wilton’s liquor ordinance to allow breweries. A public hearing will be scheduled in advance.

Town officials began considering the question of breweries in August, when the owners of a craft brewery approached the Town about a possible ordinance change. Wilton’s ordinance currently allows the sale of liquor in county clubs, restaurants, and package stores.

With input from Town counsel, the selectmen discussed a possible change to the ordinance that would allow the sale of liquor under brewery permits.

A beer manufacturer must first be permitted by the state. The same general statute also applies to manufacturers of wine, cider, and mead.

New Terms

The selectmen took action on a number of items as new terms begin across the Town government.

The board unanimously approved a resolution authorizing Boucher to sign State of Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security documents and execute agreements.

The board also voted unanimously to give the First Selectman and the Town Administrator authority to approve expenditures for budgeted items, up to $10,000.

The board unanimously voted for Josh Cole to reprise his role as Second Selectman.

The BOS made the following appointments for Dec. 1, 2023 to Nov. 30, 2025: 

  • Town Clerk: Lori Kaback
  • Registrar of Vital Statistics: Lori Kaback
  • Assistant Town Clerk: MaryEllen Demers
  • Assistant Registrar of Vital Statistics: MaryEllen Demers
  • Emergency Management Director: James Blanchfield
  • Assessor: Hollie Rapp
  • Tax Collector: Hollie Rapp
  • Tree Warden: Lars Cherichitti
  • Deputy Tree Warden: Nicholas Lee
  • Chief Financial Officer: Dawn Norton
  • Treasurer: Dawn Norton
  • Town Counsel: Ira Bloom (Berchem Moses)
  • Health Director/Sanitarian (for a four-year period, through Nov. 30, 2027): Barrington Bogle

The BOS also voted to reappoint the following individuals to serve on Wilton board and commissions:

  • Ethics Commission: Thanh Tsoi
  • Inland Wetlands: Rem Bigosinski
  • Conservation Commission: David Silvia
  • Deer Committee: Jeffrey Runge and Donna Merrill
  • Historic District & Historic Property Commission: Catherine Lipper
  • Parks & Recreation Commission: Alix Korpan and George Schmidt
  • Investment Committee: Charles Ruffel and Paul Von Steenburg

The BOS interviewed Mark Kaduboski in confidential executive session before voting to appoint him to the Wilton Library Association, filling a vacant position with a term ending June 30, 2025.

More BOS Business

  • Early voting grant: The BOS accepted a state grant in the amount of $10,500 for early voting in next year’s election. The grant is awarded to each municipality for costs related to implementing and conducting early voting, such as labor costs, printing costs, location-related expenses, voter education, or equipment and supplies.
  • BOS meeting schedule: The board approved a schedule for 2024 regular meeting dates. Meetings generally fall on the first Monday and third Tuesday of each month, with exceptions to avoid holidays.