• MEETING(S) COMING UP  (that "About Town" plans to attend);
  
• Our brief Selectmen's Meeting notes - click here.
• What's next at the Capitol in Hartford?

• Property tax reform - like the Brooklyn Dodgers used to say, "Wait 'til next year!"
• Local tax matters; and  studies by others.
  

• People;  ethics in government, perhaps an oxymoron?  What is ethical in the 21st century...an example of what is not (in the opinion of this webpage).
• Environment and Land Use...
• Education.

• Board of Selectmen, CANCELED - Thursday August 19, 2010, 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room -  next meeting September 2 - notes
• Building Committee, Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 7:30pm, Commission Room at Town Hall - notes.
  
• Board of Education, Monday, August 23, 2010, 7:30pm, Weston Library.
• Board of Education Policy Commitee, Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 11am, Central Office Conference Room.  Agenda includes discussion/decision re: various policies related to school buses and discussion and identification of other policies to be reviewed at future meetings.  Report and "1st reading" by September meeting - draft to be discussed at August 23 Board Meeting.
  
• Board of Selectmen, Thursday, August 5, 2010, 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
  
• Building Committee, Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 7:30pm, Commission Room - notes.
  
• Capital Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday morning August 4th at 7:30am in the Town Hall Meeting Room - general discussion of capital needs;  specifics for Town and School.
  
• Board of Education moved from July 19 to Monday, July 26 at 7:30pm in the Weston Library.
• Cemetery Committee to meet Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 7:30pm, Commission Room at Town Hall.
• Board of Selectmen, CANCELED for Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 7:30pm - next meeting August 5th.
• Building Committee site inspection of the Middle School Roof Saturday, July 17, 2010 at 9am.Building Committee/School Building Committee on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 7:30pm, Commission Room - notes.
  
• Board of Selectmen, Thursday, July 8, 2010, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes
  
• Cemetery Committee, Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room.  Discussion of draft report to the Selectmen.
  
• Special Board of Finance, Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 7pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes
• Special Planning & Zoning, Monday, June 28, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Annex Meeting Room.  Adoption of the Town Plan of Conservation & Development 2010
  
• TOWN PLAN 2010 PUBLIC HEARING, Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 7:30pm in the Weston Library -  2 hours, 13 speakers.
  
• Building Committee, Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes .
  
• Planning and Zoning, Monday at 6pm, Town Hall Annex conference room:  "Town Plan Discussion with the Board of Selectmen."  Then at 7:15pm, regular P&Z meeting, including discussion of   Proposed Zoning Regulations for a special permit Town Cemetery as well as Family Cemetery special permit.
  
• Board of Selectmen, Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
  
• Cemetery Committee, Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 7:30pm in the Town Hall Commission Room - agenda: discussion of a town cemetery.
• JOINT MEETING OF SELECTMEN, EDUCATION AND FINANCE BOARDS:  Monday, June 14, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
• Special Board of Finance, Monday, June 14, 2010 at 7pm in the Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
• Building Committee (Special Meeting) - Monday, June 7, 2010 at 7:30pm, Commission Room - "About Town" will not be attending this meeting, but found out that no action was taken to award contracts.
  
• Board of Selectmen - Thursday, June 3, 2010, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
  
• Special Board of Selectmen, Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
• Board of Finance, Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 8pm in the Town Hall Meeting Room - notes
  
• BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING, May 12, 2010 7:30 PM, TOWN HALL COMMISSION ROOM 
• Cemetery Committee, "walk" of Fromson-Strassler, Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 2:45pm, beginning at the end of Upper Parish Drive, closest to the site.
• Joint Meeting, Board of Selectmen and Planning and Zoning, Monday, May 10, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room.
  
• Board of Selectmen, May 6, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - agenda.
  
• Board of Selectmen, Community Meeting to discuss Referendum vote, Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 7pm, Town Hall Meeting Room.
• SWRPA Referrals Committee, Monday, April 26, 2010 at 2pm, Stamford Government Center:  Is Weston Town Plan on this agenda?  It wasn't, but it got added.
  
• REFERENDUM on the FY'11 Town and School operating budget "on the machines" April 15, 2010, 6am to 8pm, WMS Gym.  ALL OVER NOW!  BUDGET PROCESS FY'11 END IN REFERENDUM
  Town of Weston Official Results here.
• Board of Selectmen, Thursday, April 15, 2010, Town Hall Meeting Room - agenda.
• Annual Town Budget Meeting ("ATBM") Wednesday, April 7, 2010, 8pm, Weston High School Auditorium to vote on Capital Budget and Debt Service Budget and discuss and vote on individual line items (39) - will there be a move to cut the Education budget?  If there is, it will be a hot time in the old town tonight!  Referendum or machine vote on Town and Education budgets set for Thursday, April 15, 2010, 6am-8pm, WMS gym  - more about this process.
  
• Board of Selectmen, Thursday, April 1, 2010, 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
  
• Special Board of Finance, Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 7pm, Town Hall Commission Room - "Discussion/decision re: resolution for approval of the Certificate of Determination for the new bond issuance of $6,600,000 for various school and municipal projects and transaction expenses totalling $6,926,000, and for the refinancing of a portion of current outstanding debt" Bruce Chudwick, Shipman and Goodwin.  Approval of the minutes of Jan. 14, Feb. 11, 22, Mar. 11, 19/we stayed long enough to see that they were going to issue $6 million in bonds..
  
• Building Committee, Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 7:30pm, Commission Room -notes.
• Board of Finance deliberation meeting, Thursday, March 25, 2010, 8pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - $30k cut to Selectmen, $127,500 to Board of Ed
  
• Board of Finance Public Hearing on the FY11 budget, Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 8pm, W.M.S. Cafeteria - longer than usual.
  
• Special Town Meeting Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 7pm, Weston Middle School (W.M.S.) Cafeteria OK's @$7 million bonding
  
• SPECIAL BOARD OF SELECTMEN’S MEETING TUESDAY MARCH 23, 2010, 5:30PM, TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM - grievance by Highway and Dispatchers unions continues.
• Special Board of Selectmen's meeting, Monday, March 15, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room;
  
• Board of Selectmen "Informational Meeting" Monday, March 15, 2010 at 7pm, Town Hall Meeting Room
• Board of Finance Special Meeting (at 7:30pm instead of 8pm) Thursday, March 11, 2010 - notes.
• Cemetery Committee, Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 7:30pm, Commission Room at Town Hall.
  
• Board of Selectmen, Thursday, March 4, 2010, 7:30pm - notes.
  
• Building Committee, Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 7:30pm, Commission Room
  
• Joint Meeting of P&Z and the Selectmen, Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - to discuss the forms of regional planning (COG v. RPA)
• Board of Selectmen, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
  
• Board of Finance reviews the Board of Education budget. Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010 at 8pm, Town Hall Meeting Room (Town TV).
  
• Board of Finance reviews the Selectmen's Budget, Monday, Feb. 22, 2010, 8pm at Town Hall Meeting Room (on Town TV);  they finished at 11:15pm Monday, so no continuation 'til Tuesday.
  
• Board of Education, Monday, Feb. 22, 2010, 7:30pm, Weston Library - regular monthly meeting/FORUM covering this.
• Building Committee, CANCELLED for Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 7:30pm - recheduled for Feb. 17th at 7:30pm, Commission Room - notes.
  
• BOARDS OF FINANCE & SELECTMEN MEETING NOTICE:  Thursday Feb. 11, 2010, 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - agenda includes discussion of bond refinancing propoasal and issuance of new bonds for school and/or Town capital projects;  monthly status report on General Fund investments - notes.
  
• Special Board of Selectmen, Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
  
• The issue this year is...what shape and color to make the "Speak Up!" Onion Barn sign!
  The LWV of Weston's 19th Annual SPEAK UP! - "The Town's Business Is Your Business:  Direction From the People to Their Government" coming Saturday, Feb. 6, 10:30-12noon at Norfield
• Board of Selectmen, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
• FY2011 BUDGET REVIEW BY BOARD OF SELECTMEN AT 7:30pm:  First Selectman's budget reviewed Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010;  Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010, Board of Education.
  
• Building Committee, Wednesday, January 27, 2010, Commission Room.
  
• MULTI-BOARD MEETING:  2 Special Meetings Tuesday, January 26, 2010:
  #1 - Joint Board of Finance, Board of Selectmen at 7pm went on until 8:22pm (5 members of Finance, full Board of Selectmen) - paying off prior bond and refinancing of $47 million  of existing bonds so as to benefit from present low rates (to net a savings of @$2 million) - both Boards voted individually to approve this after discussion.  Then they talked about a future Town Meeting soon to finance the replacement of the Middle School Roof and three (3) boilers at schools and Library in a new bond issue.  HOW BIG?  Some members of the Board of Finance wanted to float at least $6 million and include Middle School windows (not yet priced out in detail, as we understood it). 
  #2 - Special Board of Selectmen OK's Valley Forge Bridge - ready to go in April! ( this was a Special Board of Selectmen, RESCHEDULED from Jan. 21, to... Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.) Special Joint Meeting of the Boards of Selectmen and Finance, Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 7pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - Discussion/decision regarding approval of general bond refinancing issue and consideration of new bond issue - read the full public notice here.
• Capital Planning Committee, Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 7:45am in the Town Hall Meeting Room.
  
• Board of Education Meeting, Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at Weston Library - FY2011 budget OK.
• EDUCATION BUDGET PUBLIC MEETINGS: At Weston Library, Monday, Jan. 11, 2010 at 7pm - 1.57% increase proposed.
  
• SELECTMEN'S PUBLIC HEARINGS Thursday, January 7, 2010, beginning at 7pm, Town Hall Meeting Room, on Fuel Efficient cars (7pm) and Tax Relief for the Elderly changes (7:15pm) at the Board of Selectmen, which meets at 7:30pm, after Pubic Hearings - do you think it will start on time?  IT DID!  Will the Public Hearings be televised on Channel 79?  THEY WERE!
  
• Cemetery Committee, Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 7:30pm in the Town Hall Meeting Room - discussion of what is next step.
• Capital Advisory Committee, Tuesday January 5, 2010 at 7:45am, Town Hall Meeting Room.
• Board of Education, Monday, December 21, 2009, Weston Library - notes (observed this meeting on Channel 78).
  
• Capital Advisory Committee, Monday, December 14, 2009, 7:45am, Town Hall Meeting Room
  
• Board of Finance, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 - notes
  
• Building Committee, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 at 7:30pm, Commission Room at Town Hall - notes
  
• Special Board of Selectmen, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 at 6pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
• Board of Selectmen, Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes
  
• Cemetery Committee, Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - "open public meeting" on possibilities for a non-denominational town cemetery (televised live with reruns to come, perhaps)..
  
• Capital Advisory Committee, Monday, November 23, 2009 at 7:45am, Town Hall Meeting Room
• WESTON BOARD OF EDUCATION NOV. 21, 2009 "OPEN MEETING" PRE-BUDGET NEWS.
  BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET MEETINGS, WESTON LIBRARY:  Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2010 at 7pm, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2010 at 7pm and Friday, Jan. 15 at 8am.  Budget OK'd at fairly brief Board of Ed meeting Jan. 19 - $44,697,023
• Weston Board of Education Public Forum  Saturday, November 21, 2009, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM - WIS Cafetorium
• Board of Selectmen, Thursday, November 19, 2009, 7:30pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - notes.
  
• Special Board of Selectmen, Thursday, November 19, 2009, 7:15pm - to go into Executive Session over heart & hypertention claim.
  
• SPECIAL TOWN MEETING NOVEMBER 19, 2009, 7pm, TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM - Food Pantry - approved
  
• O A T H    O F    O F F I C E     C E R E M O N Y    T U E S D A Y     A T    6 P M    I N    T O W N    H A L L
  The public notice is there - 6pm on November 8, 2009 in the Town Hall Meeting Room to witness the swearing in of the new members of Boards and Commissions
• SPECIAL MEETING:  Monday, November 9, 2009 at 7:30pm, W.H.S. Conference Room;  Boards of Selectmen/ Education/ Finance discussing the Budget 2010-2011.

CONNECTICUT GENERAL ASSEMBLY:   2010 SHORT SESSION OVER.
Who are YOUR government representatives?  Did you know that these offices will be up for election this year?  Links to info:  http://www.firstgov.gov/
Weston now represented by John Stripp in the House (not running in 2010), John McKinney and Toni Boucher in the Senate.

Bond Commission withdraws funds, citing cash flow problems
Greenwich TIME
Ken Dixon, Staff Writer
Published: 10:32 p.m., Tuesday, August 17, 2010

HARTFORD -- The normally placid State Bond Commission erupted in controversy Tuesday morning amid charges that the state is facing a major cash-flow problem because of diminished tax revenues and less federal support.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell sided with state Treasurer Denise Nappier and down-played the potential danger of converting more than half a billion dollars in bond funds sold for short-term operating costs, into longer-term notes.

But Republicans led by Rep. Vincent J. Candelora of Branford, Sen. Andrew W. Roraback of Goshen, and House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr. of Norwalk, warned that in black-and-white terms, the state is spending more than it is taking in and could be unable to pay monthly bills of $600 million by the middle of next year.

The controversy centered on $580-million in short-term debt approved last year by Rell under her executive powers that Nappier now wants to convert to $520-million in long-term general obligation (GO) bonds.

"The spigot that has the tax revenue is not flowing," Cafero told reporters, charging that the state is in a crisis. "It's dripping. We are getting less money than we've ever gotten before. However, the ladles of water for which we pay all those things are still the same amount of money..."  Full story here.

• So how "wealthy" are Weston families?  Click here for University of Connecticut data center.
• LINKING TRANSPORTATION AND POPULATION, BY SWRPA TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS ZONES ("TAZ")
• Census data source for South Western Connecticut: http://www.swrpa.org/
• How to use the U.S. Census mapping capabilities:  U.S. Census Bureau On-Line
• For early overview: In Weston, the population as of April 1, 2000 was...10,037 persons (16.1% increase over the previous decade).  This is really big news, demographically speaking. We are still the smallest Town in the sub-region of Weston, Westport, Wilton (10.3% increase) and Norwalk;  we were growing the fastest...

• SWRPA Regional Plan 2006-2015 "not inconsistent" with new State Plan of C&D - providing a basis for future updates of Town Plan;
  
• Interactive land use/land cover data over the period from 1985 to 2002 available for viewing here: http://clear.uconn.edu/. This series of maps shows the loss of open areas and introduction of roads. (Very busy because many planning agencies and others are downloading the GIS data--interactive users also on hold for a while.)
• The really most accurate data in small towns comes from two places:  the Town Clerk's records and the Assessor's Office.  Check out some of our sources here.
  
• We're no University or think tank, we don't have satellite imaging or graduate students working for us...but we have access to real subdivision and zoning. information--and "drive-by" land use survey opportunities.  A different techique for determining land use.  So how has Weston fared between 1986 and 1999 (the years for which we had data) according to our mapping techniques?  Please check our maps and data HERE.

l
Imperviousness...what is it?
Click on the picture of Connecticut to the upper left.  What about installing more impervious surfaces on School Road (is the Sports Complex proposed surface and drainage any less permeable than the existing "Great Swamp" natural drainage system) ?

Should we start looking at this report again - especially since it addressed the issue of limitations regarding watering fields?  We did!  And now the School Building Committee has retained the firm which did the report (below) to draw up a working plan for water supply for our School Project.

NEMO visits Weston January 2005 and agrees with P&Z regarding need to care for groundwater resource;  FIRST (EARLY) GROUNDWATER FEASIBILITY STUDY OF WESTON PUBLIC SCHOOL CAMPUS: summary, conclusion and recommendations--click here.

And do you remember this from YR2000?
Wastewater Public Hearing Notes--May 25, 2000 continued to June 13, 2000 (by now some "old news"):
From the first night:  Weston resident Christopher Plummer, who attended the meeting on May 25, spoke for us all in a letter to the Editor of the 5-31-00 Westport NEWS, part of which is quoted below:

"We live in America because she allows us the freedom to improve and protect our land according to the rules of nature.  In short, she allows us privacy in cohesion with nature."
 

CT. D.E.P. "CONSENT ORDER" SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED (as announced at Special Town Meeting 5-24-01);
WATER COMPANY LANDS, WATER QUALITY...REMEMBER THE DROUGHT?  HTTP://www.drought.state.ct.us/

Go to the links below for H20 Quality and Quantity Data:
USGS in Connecticut...the best there is when it comes to mapping, etc. The "umbrella agency" for hydrologic data as well.  Please find the "estimated use of water" 1995 report along with the chapter on "Wastewater Release:  Wastewater Treatment" which shows that States with heavy return of treated wastewater to surface water are Illinois and Ohio...but the big reclaimed wastewater States are Florida, California and Arizona.

Connecticut ranks in the middle in terms of amount of public water treatment release to surface water.  But in 1995, in CT Publicly Owned treatment facilities, there was zero--none-- re-use of treated wastewater ("reclaimed").

WESTON has plan for water recycling for high school and middle school...and the voters approved water conservation plan for high school and middle school at machine vote on June 28, 2001.  PROGRESS:  Nettleton contractors finishing up summer '02 on this job.  Connecticut SURFACE WATER conditions are reported (click below).  Nearby monitoring points are: the Saugatuck River (in Redding) and Sasco Brook (in Fairfield):

Surface water news to think about...red tide next?
USGS Surface Water Information--State Maps
Click below for USGS graphs measuring flow status in current "historical" period:
Average Daily Streamflow Conditions Plots for Connecticut
For future reference:  Ridgefield Water Company (part of Kelda/Aquarion) taking out water from the Saugatuck--December 7, 2000 Board of Selectmen's meeting discussed this matter.

• AQUARION (a.k.a. BHC) - and from their WEBsite, quick link to map of where their lands are:  in 2002 - Towns in CT.  Latest map showing additions in CT:  http://www.aboutweston.com/ctmap.html
• Westport Weston Health District Home Page--link here to environmental and health agency serving our Town... if you look, links can be found here to NYC, Center for Disease Control (CDC), CT. Department of Public Health (great site).