Town of Brookfield Spotlight - December 2022

It’s hard to believe a year has passed since I was sworn in as First Selectwoman. On December 3rd 2021, I said “Today I take an oath to God that I will faithfully discharge the duties of first selectman and dedicate, for all to hear, the next two years of my life to Brookfield and her residents. The gravity of such an undertaking is not lost, and rest assured that every discussion, every meeting, every negotiation, and every decision in which I participate will be with a single objective in mind…to make our beloved Brookfield better.”

So much has happened this past year: We tackled Covid; we underwent a revaluation; we formed a Charter Revision Commission; we allocated ARPA funds; we committed armed security to our schools; we retired some town employees; we on-boarded new employees; we sadly said goodbye to two of our colleagues and friends, Anne Trenck and Stephanie Kulowiec; we faced inflation and the challenges that come with increasing prices; we joined in the excitement of several of our Brookfield athletic teams as they won regional, state, and other local tournaments; we honored our Veterans; we took care of our aging population; we supported our food pantry; we provided the tools necessary for our first responders to accomplish their mission; we welcomed many new businesses; we plowed and paved our roads; we kept our grounds and parks looking good. And so much more!

Needless to say, there has been a lot to do, but thanks to the wonderful people who keep town services going, we've been able to accomplish so much. As I said last year at my swearing in “As your first selectman, I am committed to you, the electorate, in doing everything I can to give you the Brookfield you deserve - a town of excellence, a town of beauty, and a town of mutual respect and cooperation. All of these things I will work towards for you, so help me God.” I promise you that I will continue to do that every day in my second year.

We bid a final fond farewell to Ginny, who has selflessly given to the Town of Brookfield for 32 years, 27 of which as the Executive Assistant to the First Selectman. She has served through eight administrations - always graciously and with a smile! Ginny, thank you for all you have done for Brookfield. You deserve nothing more than to go, travel and enjoy! We will miss you.

Happy Holidays Brookfield! I wish you peace and joy.

Yours in Service,
Tara Carr
First Selectman

Mark Your Calendar

Ring in the Holiday Season with the Brookfield Girl Scouts

Annual Holiday Tree Lighting

Saturday, December 3, at 5:00 p.m., outside at Brookfield Town Hall.

Board of Selectmen Meeting

Monday, December 5, at 7:00 p.m., Meeting Room 133. The meeting agenda will be posted on the town website the Friday afternoon prior to the meeting, and will be live-streamed and recorded for viewing.

American Red Cross Blood Drive

 Sponsored by the Brookfield Lions Club

Wednesday, December 28, from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Congregational Church. See the flyer on the town website.

36th Annual New Year’s Day Brookfield Lions Run for Sight 4-Miler

Sunday, January 1, at 11:00 a.m.

The first of four races in 2023 “Four Seasons Challenge Series.” Participants who complete the New Year’s Day

Run for Sight, WeCare Mother’s Day 5K, Brookfield Lions Strides to Cure Diabetes 5-Miler, and the 5K Halloween Run, will receive a commemorative gift to be distributed during the awards ceremony at the 2023 Halloween Run. Further details on the Four Seasons Challenge Series and Registration Form can be found on the town website. 

Board of Selectmen Coffee with Community

Will not be held in December. The next Coffee with the Community is on January 28 at Jesters Coffee located at 331 Federal Road. We encourage you to stop by with any questions or concerns for the Board of Selectmen.

Police Department 8th

Annual Toy Drive

Saturday, December 17, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., at 84 Federal Road - the parking lot next to Five Guys/Kohl’s. Look for the huge banner in the sky! See the flyer on the PD Facebook page or town website.

Important Alerts

Assessor

If you no longer have your vehicle, please email our office the plate receipt and proof of what happened to the vehicle to [email protected]. If you closed your business in town, instructions and forms are on the town website

Economic Development

Check out the new Community Video on the home page of the town website. Note the links to the six segments covering education, downtown, parks & recreation, business, public safety and community organizations.

Public Works

The cold weather is here and the snow will soon follow. Our salt dome is stocked and our plow trucks and crew are ready to go.  

Still River Greenway
The Still River Greenway Extension Study is complete and will be posted on the town website next week. THANK YOU to all the residents who participated in the public information meeting. Your feedback is appreciated and was critical in selecting the recommended route.

Tax Collector

Supplemental Motor Vehicle Tax Bills will be mailed towards the end of December. Second installment real estate, personal property (bills were mailed in June) and motor vehicle supplemental bills are due January 1, 2023. The last day to pay is February 1, 2023. We will only be accepting cash up to $500. You may make payment by check or through our payment portal. Please see our website page for additional information.

Call or email the office if you have any questions at [email protected] or

203-775-7304.

Social Services

My HomeCT Mortgage Assistance

Help for Homeowners!

A new CT homeowners’ assistance program has been created using monies from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). It is called MyHomeCT, and is available to eligible CT residents who have mortgage delinquencies or defaults that occurred because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The CT Department of Housing is the responsible entity for the program and has designated the CT Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) to administer it on its behalf. Mortgage and non-mortgage grants are awarded to eligible homeowners as either one-time assistance, which brings the homeowner’s bills current, or as ongoing assistance to pay bills going forward (up to 12 months). Non-mortgage assistance includes, but is not limited to non-mortgaged real estate taxes and insurance, condominium or HOA fees, water and sewer liens, HOA and/or condominium assessments.

For more information, please go to https://www.chfa.org/myhomect/ or call the MyHomeCT call center, 877-894-4111 Mon-Fri from 10am-8pm EST, or the WorkPlace in Bridgeport at 203-610-8580. See attached flyer here. 

Senior Center - Scam ALERT

Recently the Social Security Administration issued a scam alert to warn about a new scam fraudulently offering individuals benefit increases in exchange for personal information. See attached flyer here.

Senior Center and Fire Marshal
The Town Fire Marshall’s Office has partnered with The American Red Cross and Brookfield Senior and Social Services for disaster and fire preparedness. The program includes an assessment and installation of smoke detectors and batteries for seniors, handicapped and those in need. For more information, please contact Ellen Melville, Director of Brookfield Senior and Social Services at 203-775-5308 or Brookfield Fire Marshall’s office at 203-775-7306.

Library

Whether you are crafty, techy, a reader, or a lover of movies …the Brookfield Library has some wonderful holiday-themed programs to offer during the month of December! Check out our Events Calendar for details here. Kids can enjoy storytimes, STEAM programs, Science Explorers, or yoga, and they can also make ornaments or gingerbread houses. Adults can make ornaments or cards, or color, watch Elf or Maverick at our movie showings, join a book club, learn about the financial market, or “felt” a snowperson. Our Chess Club is now for ALL AGES. Young or old, all lifelong learners can find programs that will get them in the spirit of the season.

As with other Town Offices, the Library will be closed on Saturdays, December 24 and 31; Sundays, December 25 and January 1; and Mondays, December 26 and January 2, for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Happy New Year to all of our patrons! We look forward to seeing you in 2023! 

Park And Rec

Click here for Parks & Recreation’s special events and upcoming programs for December.

Brookfield Public Schools

Click here for the Brookfield Public Schools update on the Superintendent's three main points from the Board of Education regular meeting on November 16, including the School District Security update.