September Meeting of the West Norwalk Association
Monday, September 9th, 2024
7:30pm
Fox Run Elementary School
Attendees:
52 residents in attendance plus four government officials (State Rep Lucy Dathan, Board of Ed member Mary Ellen Flaherty-Ludwig, James Frayer on behalf of Lisa Shanahan, and council member at large Josh Goldstein).
Board VP Ken D’Arinzo led the meeting.
Lucy Dathan spoke first. Dathan discussed the recent increase in Eversource energy bills via the “public benefit” line item.
- Public benefit is a direct result of the Millstone Agreement circa 2017.
- Dathan wants to investigate opportunities for a power purchase agreement, which would be a mutli-state energy purchase which would lessen the consumer’s burden
- Wants to encourage towns/cities to do aggregate purchases (municipal energy)
- “Eversource has one obligation and that’s to its shareholders”
- Dathan suggested a deductible for consumers
- There are no immediate fixes to this problem
- The larger question here is: how do we use less energy?
- Look into different energy providers, look into solar energy (particular community solar energy), geothermal energy, hydroelectric power (James River)
- Can Eversource be forced to create a rainy day fund?
- For more information please view Lucy Dathan’s presentation *(need this attachment)
Jim Frayer spoke next.
- New schools will have solar that gives energy back to the city.
- Looking into solar in parking lots
- Overview of Route 1 Corridor improvements and touched upon Complete Streets program
- Audience participant spoke up to share dismay at how busy neighborhood streets are due to overwhelming development, expressed concern with lack of attention paid to the likely onslaught of neighborhood traffic due to Wegman’s and Target
- Public meeing with TMP in October, public should attend
- Audience participant asked about Wheels2U program reducing amount of cars on the road. The program is effective but needs more funding from the state to reduce wait times. Public is urged to try it and to communicate with reps and common council about efficacy. More voices and support will help obtain necessary funding. Please request a ride! More riders means more funding.
- NPD has increased traffic cop numbers
- New law allowing school buses to have speed cameras
- New speeding signs on West Norwalk Rd
- Audience participant suggested Nursey Rd be looked at because the sidewalks are nonexistent, in disrepair, and their kids are afraid to go trick or treating in the neighborhood due to sidewalk negligence and speeding cars.
Mary Ellen Faherty Ludwig
- Key word is collaboration
- Norwalk’s school facilities received 21.5 million grant from state of CT to upgrade HVAC systems in Norwalk’s 22 schools
- Cranbury Elementary will be completed this year
- SoNo will have its own school
- Audience participant spoke up and expressed extreme dismay at the inability to communicate with the school board as well as the Superintendent regarding serious issues within Silvermine Elementary and the Norwalk public school system. No way to contact board members or Superintendent. Participant emphasized that substitute teachers are teaching classes full time. Nobody on the board is concerned with student achievement, the participant is tired of window dressing (i.e. new facilities) when achievement is not even discussed. Student achievement is not listed on website, no information. Child was retaliated against due to parent speaking up about the substandard education.
- Mary Ellen will return to a future meeting as Fox Run was closing and our meeting had to end.
Next meeting:
Monday, October 21, 2024