WestCOG's Monthly Newsletter

Western Connecticut
Council of Governments

Welcome to the WestCOG monthly newsletter. It's a great place to find updates and opportunities in the region. You can also get information in real time by following us on Twitter or liking our Facebook page.

WestCOG Has Moved

As of September 1, WestCOG no longer has two offices, but has moved into one, consolidated office in Sandy Hook. Our new address is: 1 Riverside Rd. Sandy Hook, CT 06482. Phone numbers are changing but email addresses remain the same. We will be sending out new phone numbers in the near future. A ribbon cutting and open houses are planned for October.

Project Updates

Branchville TOD: The transit oriented development planning process for Ridgefield's Branchville Station area is proceeding towards completion. Evaluations of water supply, wastewater service and market potential are all in place. For more information, visit the project's webpage.

Upcoming Events

TAG Meeting & Planners' Lunch
September 14, 11am
Wilton Community Center

WestCOG Board Meeting
September 15, 12:30am
Bethel Library
*MPO Meetings have been canceled

IT Working Group Meeting
September 26, 1:30pm
Wilton Community Center

CRS Kickoff Meeting
September 28, 10am
Wilton Teen Center

Economic Advisory Group Meeting
September, 29 12:30pm
Wilton Community Center

TAG Meeting
October 6, 11 am
Wilton Community Center

Columbus Day
October 10
WestCOG Closed

WestCOG Board & MPO Meetings
October 20, 11:30am
Ridgefield Library

For more, visit the WestCOG Calendar

TAG Meeting and Planners' Lunch: On September 14, members of the TAG and municipal planners can attend each other's meetings in back to back sessions at the Wilton Community Center. First, the TAG will hear a staff presentation on MS4 and other informational items. Then, after lunch, Planners will hear from various speakers about the issues surrounding small cell telecommunications.

Stamford Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Open House: On September 17th from 11 AM to 2 PM at Downtown the Farmer's Market and Arts & Crafts Festival on Bedford and Forest Streets in Stamford, there will be an open house to meet the project team and learn more about the study. The Stamford Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan will analyze and recommend ways to improve the safety, accessibility, and mobility of bicyclists and pedestrians in Stamford.

IT Working Group Meeting: Members will meet on September 26 at the Wilton Community Center to discuss opportunities for group purchasing of municipal software and the application of WestCOG's regional GIS Program.

CRS Meeting: WestCOG is hosting the CRS Regional kick off meeting Sept 28th. The efforts of this service will provide improved flood resilience and reduced flood insurance premiums for property owners in Western Connecticut.

Economic Advisory Group Meeting: The Economic Advisory Group will be meeting on September 29 at the Wilton Community Center to discuss the data analysis in for the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and next steps in the CEDS process.

Overdose Prevention Day: On August 31st, WestCOG staff and several Drug Task Force members participated in an informational event in Stamford hosted by Communities 4 Action, and in a panel discussion organized by Representative Shaban at Weston Town Hall.

Agenda for the Upcoming COG Meeting: Available here.

MPO Meetings are canceled for September.

Staff Profile: Kristin Hadjstylianos

WestCOG welcomes Kristin as an Associate Planner. Kristin assists the WestCOG team with transportation and community planning services. Her projects include the Stamford Bus & Shuttle Study, the Stamford Bike & Pedestrian Plan, and the Darien-Noroton Heights TOD, among others. Prior to joining WestCOG, she worked as a Transportation Planner at AECOM and URS, as well working as an Associate Planner at the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency. Kristin graduated with a B.A. in Geography with a specialization in Planning from Central Connecticut State University.

Regional News & Events

A hearing on proposed transit fare hikes is planned for 4 - 6pm and 7 - 9pm on September 15 at the UConn Stamford Campus Auditorium.

CERC & CEDAS are booking future dates for their free Municipal Economic Development Training, which is custom tailored to specific town(s) and designed to help those who impact economic development to work more collaboratively together. Contact Courtney Hendricson with questions and to schedule a training.

UConn CLEAR has decided to take the NEMO workshops and Land Use Academy Training on the road to make it easier for land use commissioners to attend. WestCOG will be helping towns organize these free joint classes. Please contact Liz at eesposito@westcog.org for more information.

Do you have news or events you would like to share with the rest of the region? Send your updates to Liz at eesposito@westcog.org.

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