Gift Tree 2015

Darien DPW Christmas Tree Pickup Schedule

Download PDF

(Originally published Dec. 27)

Here’s the pickup schedule for Christmas trees in Darien, as released by the town Department of Public Works:

THE FOLLOWING ARE A FEW IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

Christmas Trees must be at the curb by the first morning of the scheduled pick-up. Christmas Tree pick-up is conducted on public streets only. Residents are asked to refer to a Town map to determine their designated area for schedule. The schedule has been rotated from last year.

Town Hall

RTM Unanimously Approves Public Works Union Contract

Download PDF

The Representative Town Meeting on Monday unanimously approved a three-year labor union contract for 30 Department of Public Works employees, raising wages a bit, capping future pensions and adopting a high-deductible for health insurance claims.

Costs for the current fiscal year — $90,000 — have already been factored into this year’s budget, RTM Public Works Committee Chairman Mark Adiletta said in a report to the full RTM. With savings in health insurance costs for the next fiscal year, the town will spend $40,000 more than the current fiscal year, he said. When health insurance changes take effect next year, it will save the town $20,000, Adiletta said. All other town labor unions, and the teachers union, have high-deductible health insurance plans, now, negotiated in previous contracts. According to Finance and Budget Committee Chairman James Palen, who also gave his committee’s report to the full RTM, changes to union members’ health insurance won’t go into effect until the next fiscal year (the last year of the contract) because health insurance enrollment has already closed.

Development

Much of Locust Hill Rd to Close from Monday Thru November

Download PDF

A large section of Locust Hill Road from Old Farm Road, near Tokeneke School, to Settlers Trail  (see map) will be closed to through-traffic through mid-November, town officials have announced. The road is being closed in order to put a sewer line from a small housing development being constructed by developer Penny Glassmeyer at the corner of Settlers Trail and Locust Hill Road, town officials have said. The original plan had been to connect to sewers with an easement to be negotiated with the owner of some property in the area, but negotiations broke down. It is unclear how the project was approved without arrangements for sewage or if new information made a change in plans necessary. The housing development has already started.

Town Hall

Selectmen Endorse Public Works Union Contract: 2%, 2.5% and 2.5% Wage Increases

Download PDF

A three-year contract already ratified by the Darien Public Works Employees’ Union was endorsed unanimously Monday by the Board of Selectmen. The contract, for which negotiations stretched so late that the first year of it has already passed, calls for a 2 percent wage increase for the 2014-2015 fiscal year and 2.5 percent wage increases for the next two fiscal years, ending June 30, 2017. There are 26 members in the union, most of whom are at the top step of the wage scale, W. Lee Palmer, the town director of human resources told selectmen at their regular board meeting on Monday. Town Administrator Kathleen Buch said the contract will cost the town about $90,000 in increased spending for wages and health insurance. Buch told the board she estimates the town should save roughly $40,000 in the 2016-2017 fiscal year in health insurance costs.

Paving Noroton Avenue Heights Road Darien

Noroton Ave/Heights Rd Intersection Closed for Part of Friday Morning for Paving

Download PDF

The intersection of Noroton Avenue and Heights Road was closed to traffic at 10:30 a.m. Friday as Noroton Avenue was paved. The intersection of Noroton Avenue and Heights Road was closed to traffic at 10:30 a.m. Friday as Noroton Avenue was paved. The paving, scheduled by the Darien Department of Public Works, also caused detours on both streets. Noroton Avenue paving occurred between the street’s intersections with Heights Road and West Avenue. The top layer of asphalt has been stripped from Noroton Avenue between the Post Road and Heights Road in preparation of paving.

DPW Quarterly Report April to June 2015

Here’s Darien Department of Public Works’ Latest Quarterly Report

Download PDF

Here’s the Darien Department of Public Works Quarterly report for the second quarter of 2015 (also the final quarter of the 2015 Fiscal Year):

Quarterly Report, 4th Quarter FY 15

April 1, 2015 to June 30, 2015

 Bulk Pickup Program. The Bulk Pickup Program (formerly known as “Spring Pickup”) was conducted this year between April 6th and June 10th. The bulk pickup program was conceived to allow residents the opportunity to dispose of large items that they may not be able to transport to the Darien Transfer Station on their own. DPW records indicate that there were 105 bulk pickup appointments this year (114 last season). Residents are limited to one appointment per season and must have items curbside on date of scheduled pickup.

Traffic cone

These Darien Streets Will Be Paved July 13-25

Download PDF

The Darien Department of Public Works has announced its repaving schedule for 2015, with these streets or parts of streets to be paved from mid to late July. In addition to the list below, Walmsley Road is expected to be repaved after an Aquarion Water Co. line is replaced there, said Assistant Public Works Director Darren Oustafine. Here’s the announcement from the Darien Department of Public Works:
The Town of Darien paving program for the summer of 2015 is as follows [Darienite has added links to Google or Google Maps showing where each street is or what portions of the street will be paved]:

STREET NAME

FROM

TO

START MILLING

FINISH
PAVING

Harriett Lane

Tokekene Road

cul de sac

July 13

July 17

Harriett Lane East

Harriett Lane

cul de sac

July 13

July 17

Old Kings Highway South

Locust Hill Road

Tokeneke Road

July 13

July 21

Overbrook Lane

Mansfield Avenue

Brookside Road

July 14

July 22

Noroton Avenue

Post Road

Hecker Avenue

July 15

July 23

Noroton Avenue

Heights Road

West Avenue

July 16

July 23

Hollow Tree Ridge Road

Post Road

Red Cedar Drive

July 17

July 24

Miles Road

Hollow Tree Ridge

Hollow Tree Ridge

July 21

July 25

Country Club Road

Hoyt Street

cul de sac

July 21

July 25

Preparatory work will precede paving on all of the above roads.  Dates listed above include milling and paving. Road surfaces will have raised structures during these dates. Please avoid these roads if possible during these times or use extra caution if you must travel on these roads.  The above schedule is based on favorable weather conditions.  Emergency access will be available at all times.