New Fairfield’s Board of Selectmen (BOS) held a Special Meeting on Wednesday, August 3 during which a proclamation was issued for New Fairfield Free Public Library’s Director Ms. Linda Fox, who reached the milestone of working for the Town at the library for fifty years. First Selectman Ms. Pat Del Monaco said, “the New Fairfield library has always been a part of Linda’s life. S he began going to the library when it was a small room in Town Hall with her grandmother, Martha Fairchild, who was the Town Librarian for over forty years.”  Linda worked for the library during the summers after graduating from high school, and part time as a library aide while in college. She graduated from Western Connecticut State College and was officially hired by the town to work full time on July 1, 1972. She assumed the Library Director position in 1986 after having received a Master of Library Science degree. Del Monaco pointed out that Fox has overseen great change at the library, especially in terms of technology. In addition, it was noted that she has always advocated for updates an d renovations for the library.

Del Monaco expressed, “appreciation and gratitude to Linda Fox for her outstanding service and 50 years of dedication to the community. We extend our best wishes and congratulations to her and wish her continued success at the library and in life’s pursuits.” Fox confirmed that she will continue to serve and that she appreciates the Town “recognizing my 50 years. I don’t know how it got to be that long. But here we are.”

BOS members voted unanimously to adopt a revised debt policy. Town Treasurer Terry Friedman walked the group through the four proposed amendments. The first updated the amount of debt, which was last updated in September of 2019 before the school building bonding. The other three changes align the debt policy with the way that recent bondings have worked. The updates relate to bond payments, credit ratings, and how to split the amortization amounts of premiums and discounts on bonds.

There will be a Town Meeting held on Tuesday, August 30, 7:00 p.m. to vote on an appropriation of $195,500 from the General Fund Unreserved for paramedic EMT services, a police vehicle, an SRO salary for the elementary campus, and Communication Center salaries.

There was a public hearing prior to this meeting and a follow up at the meeting regarding the possibility of selling property at 32 Calverton Drive and 39 Fulton Drive. A Town Meeting to vote on the sale is scheduled for September 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the Senior Center. It was noted that New York residents Mr. Brandon Turco and Ms. Christy Gotto would like to beautify the border property and remove debris that currently sits on the lot. “We live down the road…basically right next to the property,” Turco explained, saying that, since the previous owner passed away, “it’s pretty much gone downhill a little bit.” They plan to clear the space of invasive species, remove some dead trees, and plant flowers and grass. Del Monaco said that the matter will be discussed at the next Planning Commission meeting before being presented at a Town Meeting.

The September 8 Town Meeting will also include a vote on amendments to the Animal Control Ordinance—as approved by the Board of Sele ctmen on November 23, 2021—to remove the word “Regional” and update the reference to simply “Animal Control.” New Fairfield has left the regional animal control group. 

The BOS approved new hires for Town Beach lifeguards. Del Monaco was pleased to announce their hires, saying, “We have had some comments about the beach and both sides not being open but that is because we have a shortage of lifeguards, so we’re grateful to see some people step up.”

The BOS appointed New Fairfield resident Ms. Katerina Fa stano to the Town’s Parks & Recreation Commission, following the announcement in a previous meeting that Mr. Steve Burfeind is stepping down from his position. Fastano wrote to the BOS to express interest in a spot on the Commission, saying that she had moved to New Fairfield a few years ago with her husband and two children. “We love this Town and have had many beautiful experiences attending the events organized by the Parks and Rec Department. My children in particular love the Town Beach and the Town Camp. They had a truly memorable experience, and this made me interested in ways I could serve our community.” Del Monaco said, “I think it’s wonderful to see someone volunteering…a mom of a young family. I think that that’s something that is critical to our Parks and Rec Commission to get that kind of input.”

The BOS also appointed Mr. Daniel Jowdy to serve as the Sub-Registrar of vital statistics in town. He will work closely with the Town Clerk and his term will expire on January 5, 2026. In this role, Jowdy will fu lfill certain duties of the Town Clerk, if for some reason the Town Clerk cannot, such as marriage licenses, birth certificates, and death certificates.

The next regular Board of Selectmen meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 11, 7:30 p.m.

By Sarah Opdahl