Greetings Greenwich friends and neighbors.
Guidance for filing FEMA assistance applications
Now that Fairfield County has received the presidential approval for a disaster declaration, I want all of our residents (homeowners and renters) and business owners who suffered damage and losses from tropical storm Ida to have the access to all of the information that they need to apply for federal assistance.
Generally, there is a 60-day window to register for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). To begin the process online, please use this link. Assistance also is available by calling the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., seven days a week. The TTY number is 1-800-462-7585.
Here is a link with information on how the application process works. For information on the Individuals and Households assistance programs that provide financial help or direct services to people with needs that aren’t met through other means, please use this link.
Here is the link to frequently asked questions.
To help provide as much information as possible, please take the time to review the Disaster Resource and Recovery Guide that was organized by the office of U.S. Rep. Jim Himes.
COVID-19 update
As the downward trend in COVID diagnoses and hospitalizations continues, on Monday, November 8, there will be an easing of restrictions at Town Hall.
Employees and visitors will no longer be required to wear a mask in Town Hall. Other Town facilities including libraries, the Senior Center, and schools will continue to operate with their respective restrictions.
Social distancing requirements will be eliminated in conference and meeting rooms which will be fully open for meetings. The policy may be adjusted in the future, depending upon needs and conditions.
Health Director Caroline Baisley reports there are now a total of 5,879 residents who have contracted COVID-19. There are 23 active cases being monitored by the Greenwich Health Department.
As of today, Greenwich Hospital was treating three COVID-positive patients, none of whom is unvaccinated. The patient is in the ICU. In Greenwich Public Schools, there are a total of four cases. According to the district’s data tracker, all four cases involve. None of the cases involve in-school transmission.
Thankfully, there isn’t a change in the number of residents who died from the disease. It remains at 96 residents.
Here are the latest vaccination rates for our residents. The vaccination rates continue to increase incrementally week to week. The one age category that did not have any increase is 25- to 44-years-old.
Here are the latest vaccination rates as reported by the state Department of Public Health, as of October 28:
- Age 12 – 17: 87.17% of 5,449 residents
- Age 18 – 24: 81.1% of 4,037 residents
- Age 25 – 44: 66.55% of 13,580 residents
- Age 45 – 64: 81.42% of 18,950 residents
- Age 65 +: 91 % of 10,466 residents
To find a vaccination site near you, please use this link.
Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) and Greenwich Hospital are administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for long-term care residents and those 65 and older, 18 to 64 with underlying conditions, and 18 and older at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure. All vaccinations are by appointment only and to find out which booster is available and to make an appointment, log onto the YNHHS website: www.ynhhs.org/covidvaccine.
Property reassessments are in the mail
The Assessor’s Office has completed the preliminary assessments for the October 1, 2021 revaluation. Each property owner should receive a notice of their assessment change sometime after November 8.
The new assessments reflect the value of the property as of October 1, 2021. That assessment will be reflected on the July 1, 2022 tax bill. All municipalities in Connecticut conduct a revaluation of property every five years. The last revaluation was for the 2015 Grand List. The revaluation was to have taken place in 2020, however, because of COVID-19 restrictions, the state Office of Policy and Management granted Greenwich an extension to complete the required revaluation in 2021.
Taxpayers to contact the revaluation companies with any comments, questions, or concerns about their new assessment and urge anyone to schedule an informal hearing with these companies between mid-November 2021 to mid-January, 2022. There will be plenty of opportunities to schedule an informal hearing, including some evenings until 7 p.m. and Saturdays until 5 p.m. The informal hearings will be held at Town Hall.
Information about scheduling an informal hearing can be found at: www.greenwichct.gov/2021Revaluation.
Green Your Halloween
Instead of trashing your pumpkins and squash after Halloween, you may bring them to Holly Hill Resource Recovery Facility for composting. This helps to reduce our waste stream and returns valuable nutrients to the soil. Pumpkins may be dropped off at the designated area next to the yard waste area on the operations field across from the trash transfer building. Undecorated pumpkins only - no glitter or paint - and please remove any candles or lights.
“Kiss the Ground”
On Tuesday, November 9, Food Rescue US - Fairfield County, The Foodshed Network, Greenwich Conservation Commission, and Waste-Free Greenwich will host a screening of “Kiss the Ground” followed by a panel discussion, "Regeneration & Beyond: Exploring Our Food System" at the Performing Arts Center at Greenwich High School. The event will celebrate the launch of the Greenwich Food Matters Initiative, a new program to reduce food waste in our community. It begins with an environmental fair at 6 p.m. followed by “Kiss the Ground,” at 7 p.m. The panel discussion featuring local leaders from the nonprofit and business sectors will focus on food insecurity, composting, and food waste. For more information and to register, please click here.
Honoring our veterans
Please join me in honoring our veterans. There are several events planned. The Cos Cob VFW Post 10112 will hold its memorial service at the Cos Cob VFW memorial on Strickland Road, across from the Bush-Holley House, at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, November 6.
On Veterans Day, November 11, there will be a program at the memorial at McKinney Terrace at 10 a.m. That will be followed by the American Legion Post 29 walk on Greenwich Avenue. The walk will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Amogerone Crossway and Greenwich Avenue, proceed down the Avenue to the World War I memorial at Havemeyer Place for a ceremony.
The Byram Veterans Association will conduct a brief march from Veterans Way, down Delavan Avenue to the front of the Byram firehouse for a wreath-laying ceremony at 7 p.m. Veterans Day.
In observance of Veterans Day, Town Hall will be closed.
Holly Grove cleanup
The Friends of Greenwich Point and our Parks & Recreation Department will conduct a cleanup of Holly Grove at Greenwich Point at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, November 6. They also will be cutting vines and planting flower bulbs. Meet at the grove and bring your own garden gloves, water bottle, and clippers. The rain date is November 13.
Puzzling Greenwich
Last year it was a Greenwich version of Monopoly released before the holidays. This year, it’s the popular Greenwich CT Town Map. It is now available as a jigsaw puzzle. Visit Greenwich CT has made the Town map into two 500+ piece puzzles before the 2021 holiday season. One map includes Old Greenwich and Riverside and the other map includes Cos Cob, Central Greenwich, Glenville and Byram. Visit https://www.visitgreenwichct.com/ for a list of stores selling the puzzle. A video about the puzzle can be found here.
Time to fall back
Don’t forget that we fall back to Eastern Standard Time at 2 a.m. Sunday, November 7. This is a good time to test your smoke alarms and, if needed, to replace the batteries. Anyone who has questions about their smoke detector should contact the Greenwich Fire Department non-emergency number, 203-622-3950.
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And a gentle reminder that the Town’s Election-Related Campaign Signs Policy requires the removal of election-related campaign signs within 48 hours after the election. The entire policy can be found here.
Stay safe and
All the best,
Fred