Praising the GOOD in Wilton’s Municipal Services: “A lot of really good things have happened,” Resident says

At the Tuesday, July 16 Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting, longtime Wilton resident Sara Curtis took the opportunity to make a public statement.

It was all GOOD.

“I have some good comments to make, and maybe this is also a good way to wrap up a July meeting,” Curtis began.

Curtis said she felt compelled to publicly share her recent experiences with a number of Wilton’s Town services and gave “heartfelt” praise for Town employees, starting with the Department of Public Works and its director, Frank Smeriglio, for what she called an “absolutely wonderful job” clearing Cannon Rd. of downed trees and wires following a recent storm.

“Before you could even get a cup of coffee, they had the road cleared,” Curtis said.

Curtis had similar praise for the helpful employees at the Transfer Station.

“[They’ve] just been so gracious to our seniors like me… when you need a helping hand at the Transfer Station and you’re trying to drag that recycled mattress out of the truck or what have you, somebody always comes out with a smile on their face, asks if they can give you a hand, and they’re just so gracious.”

Curtis also singled out the Wilton Fire Department after a recent call for help.

“I have to say the people who responded — and I’ve spoken with the Fire Chief — just the responsiveness, the kindness, I think that’s what struck me the most,” Curtis said. “Two of the kindest people in the world showed up here, and just couldn’t have been nicer.”

Curtis encouraged other residents to express appreciation.

“Yes, they are doing their job [but] I think when we come across things like that as residents, we need to let [Town employees] know [that] we appreciate the job they’re doing.”

Resident Feedback Has Results

Curtis also credited the Wilton Police Department for its response to the concerns raised by an organized group of Cannon Rd. residents about traffic and pedestrian safety, with particular appreciation for new stop signs along the road.

Deputy Police Chief Rob Cipolla confirmed that Wilton Police Chief Tom Conlan met with his counterpart at the Weston Police Department to advocate for the three-way stop signs that were recently installed at the intersection of Cannon Rd. and Wampum Hill Rd.

The department has also stepped up enforcement efforts on Cannon Rd. in response to the residents who spoke during the public comment portion of a November 2023 BOS meeting.

“Since October 2023, we’ve had 23 selective enforcement deployments on Cannon Rd. totaling approximately 19 hours of enforcement and resulting in 63 traffic stops,” Cipolla told GMW.

“Cannon Rd. will continue to be a location of selective enforcement for our officers,” Cipolla added. “Currently we have one of our temporary longterm speed display signs located on the road as well.” (He also noted some warning signs would be updated “at some point” as part of a state DOT project.)

Encouraging More Participation

If there were a scale for civic engagement in Wilton, Curtis might score a 10. She closely follows Wilton’s numerous board and commission meetings, and regularly avails herself of the opportunity to express her opinions at meetings, public hearings, and via email to Town officials — whether with concerns, questions, or as in this case, praise. It’s an exception to the lack of public engagement GMW often observes.

First Selectman Toni Boucher thanked Curtis for expressing her views.

“You brought up some excellent Town employees as a good example of what happens here every day, and we appreciate the fact that you’ve highlighted them,” Boucher said. “We have great employees. We have great residents, and it’s great that you brought that out.”

Reflecting on her recent experiences, Curtis summarized the GOOD things that happen when there’s a desire to work together.

“These are all good things. When we listen to one another, and the answer isn’t just automatically, ‘no, we can’t do it’ or ‘no, this can’t happen‘ — but when we really try and work together, we get a lot accomplished. And in the past month, a lot of really good things have happened,” Curtis said.