Wilton’s Board of Selectmen (BOS) kicked off 2024 with a meeting Monday night, Jan. 8, when members discussed the Town’s Civility, Respect and Understanding Proclamation (CRU), the timeline for creating the BOS budget for FY2025, and other ongoing business matters.
Reaffirming CRU
Wilton’s proclamation on civility, respect and understanding was first adopted in 2017, following a resident-led effort for Town officials to formally express their commitment to the values of diversity and inclusion.
Last year, the BOS agreed in principle to re-visit the Town’s proclamation on civility, respect and understanding (CRU) each year, or with any changes in board membership.
First Selectman Toni Boucher, who was not a board member last year, read the proclamation aloud at the Jan. 8 meeting:
“We the Selectmen of Wilton, Connecticut, do hereby affirm our Town’s commitment to strive for civility, respect and understanding and to value the diversity of those who live and work and visit Wilton, without regard to gender, religion, sexual orientation, race, national origin, ethnicity, disability, political views, or social or economic status.
We encourage all of our citizens to participate fully in our town government as envisioned in our Town Charter. Our commitment to inclusion of all citizens informs our values and enriches our community.
We further resolve that the principles of civility, respect and understanding will guide the actions we take as Selectmen.”
Each of the selectmen then signed the proclamation.
Selectman Ross Tartell suggested, and Boucher agreed, that all Town boards and commissions were encouraged to similarly adopt the proclamation and embrace its ideals.
The CRU proclamation came under close scrutiny in 2022, when some residents requested a proclamation specifically in support of the LGBTQIA+ community. Lynne Vanderslice, then first selectman, denied the request on the basis that it did not meet the criteria she had established for such proclamations. At that time, the selectmen reaffirmed the CRU but opted not to modify any language.
Proposed Budget Schedule
The selectmen have agreed upon a timeline for developing the FY2025 BOS budget (which is separate from the the Board of Education budget.)
The schedule includes key dates for budget presentations by various Town departments, important deadlines and other milestones. All regular meetings, special meetings and hearings are noticed on the Town website, along with their respective agendas. Meeting times, Zoom links and more specific topics of discussion will be provided on the agendas. [Meetings are in bold]
- Jan. 23: Library budget request and presentation
- Feb. 1: BOS deadline to set date of Annual Town Meeting
- Feb. 2: Receipt of budget books
- Feb. 6: BOS member budget questions due
- Feb. 8: Special Meeting — Police and DPW budget review
- Feb. 12: Special Meeting — Fire and other departments budget review
- Feb. 15: BOF deadline to schedule public hearing date
- Feb. 20: BOS adopts FY2025 budget
- March 1: Submission of FY’25 budget to Board of Finance
- March 4: BOE bonded capital; municipal bonded capital
- March 8: BOS and BOE budget submissions to BOF
- March 12: BOF budget discussion
- March 19: BOS discussion of bonded capital requests
- April 1: Referral of bonded capital requests to BOF
- April 2: Final date for public hearing
- April 9: BOF – Discussion – Bonded Capital Requests
- May 7: Annual Town Meeting
- May 11: Referendum on annual town budget (adjourned vote)
More BOS News
After Boucher’s Dec. 28 announcement that a Special Town Meeting planned for Jan. 9 would be cancelled, the board agreed to postpone the vote on a proposed liquor ordinance change to allow breweries until the Annual Town Meeting in May.
The board approved a bid to begin demolition of a structure on the Town Hall campus (the “grey house”) as part of the new police headquarters construction project.
In the public comment portion of the meeting, the selectmen heard from resident Sara Curtis, who identified herself as speaking on behalf of group of Cannon Rd. residents, who had previously raised concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety along Cannon Rd. Curtis expressed disappointment and frustration with having received “little to no meaningful action or response” to residents’ concerns. Boucher said she acknowledged Curtis’ concerns and assured her there would be follow-up.
The selectmen made the following appointments (or reappointments):
- Town Administrator Matt Knickerbocker was reappointed to serve as representative to the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA), the regional waste management and recycling authority, for a three-year term (with Toni Boucher as a voting alternate)
- Kevin Smith and Forrest Close will serve as BOS liaisons on Trackside Teen Center‘s board of directors
- Tom Shimko was appointed to the Economic Development Commission (Boucher noted that additional candidates will be considered for other open positions on the EDC)
- John Hall was reappointed to Wilton’s Fire Commission
- Kathy Dhanda was appointed to the Inland Wetlands Commission
The BOS held a confidential executive session to discuss the Wilton Library Association private partnership agreement as well as personnel and property matters, including pending litigation about a blighted property.