Community Conversations Meeting
By Greg Reilly
Moderator
The November 15th Stratford Community Conversations meeting was notably helpful, as a few raised issues were met with ideas for positive steps that may be taken to address the issues, and one concrete project where attendees volunteered to execute a public safety program. The meeting was held at Sterling House Community Center..
Meeting Highlights:
- To combat the occurrences of dog walkers, joggers, other pedestrians, and bicyclists wearing dark clothing during dusk and evening hours, suggestions were creating a media campaign and educating parents, as well as young people, about the need for greater visibility.
- A group of attendees, including the owner of Little Pub and The Surfside Hotel and members of Stratford Rotary, offered to work together to obtain and distribute free of charge highly visible reflective armbands for people out in the evening and collars for dogs being walked. The Stratford Night Safety Program is being developed, and has a goal of having the reflective items available by December 21st, the day with the least amount of sunlight.
- Community members who have a complaint or suggestion related to traffic on the streets of Stratford may send a Request Form to the Stratford Traffic Authority, which consists of members of Stratford Police, the Mayor’s office, and the Department of Public Works. The form may be found at stratfordct.gov / Boards & Commissions / Traffic Authority. The next Traffic Authority meeting is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on December 19th at Town Hall, room 213, and is open to the public.
- Residents with road safety concerns may also contact the Stratford Police Traffic Division directly by calling 203-385-4100.
- Miscellaneous Outdoor Suggestions: When streetlights burn out from normal usage, replace them with LED lighting for energy efficiency. And, the triangle curb at the intersection of Cutspring Road and Main Street could be painted a bright color for enhanced visibility.
- The Fire Prevention staff at Stratford Fire Department welcome opportunities to visit residences to conduct fire safety assessments and even install smoke detectors for no charge. Call (203) 385-4073 for information.
- The public may get involved with the Stratford Zoning Regulations Update project, which is underway through the Town Planning and Zoning Department. The next in-person public engagement event to talk about Zoning changes is scheduled for February.
- The subject of Zoning Regulations came up when a couple of residents told the Conversations group about their quest to find out the rules for garbage dumpsters on apartment building properties. They were hoping to learn the rules so they could speak with authority as they try to rectify a recurring dumpster situation where they live.
Stratford Community Conversations meets every three weeks at various venues to discuss local issues in a positive, non-critical way. All Stratford residents, businesspeople, community leaders, government leaders and staff are invited. Attendees may simply listen or join the discussion. There is no charge to attend.
Community Conversations has now attracted over 100 different members of the community since the program’s inception in April. Total attendance is over 260 people, including repeat attendees, across the nine meetings.
The next Stratford Community Conversations is set for Wednesday, December 6th, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Our Lady of Peace Church, Gilmartin Hall, on Ivy Street in Lordship.
For more information, contact resident and moderator Greg Reilly at GPReilly@optonline.net.
