Jayme Stevenson State of the Town 2020

State of the Town: First Selectman: Darien’s Strengths Will Help Us Weather Challenges

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First Selectman Jayme Stevenson’s State of the Town report to the Representative Town Meeting Monday night was long and covered a lot of topics, including the impact of COVID-19 on town spending, operations and its affect on local business; continued interest by state lawmakers in overriding local zoning; and the possibility of state laws on the town budget. She also touched on the events of the past year and praised the town’s accomplishments. Here are some of the highlights (with the full text of her speech, as prepared, below; Darienite.com will add the Darien TV79 video when it becomes available):

Stevenson gave this COVID-19 statistical update: “As of today (Dec. 7), 492, or 2.26% of Darien residents (21,775) have tested positive for COVID since the first week of March. Twenty-one residents have been hospitalized and sadly, five of our residents passed away due to COVID complications.

First Selectman Chamber breakfast Ten Twenty

Jayme Stevenson Speaks to Chamber of Commerce About the State of the Town

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Town officials are hoping to extend another natural gas line up Mansfield Avenue to Ox Ridge School. The Legislature will approve some kind of plan for tolls, possibly just for big trucks, in Connecticut. Expect parking lots and a walking path at the Highland Farms property (just north of Ox Ridge Racquet and Riding Club), improvements (including a walking trail) at Weed Beach Park, a slow and careful review of ideas for improving Pear Tree Point Beach. Those are some of the topics coming up in 2020 that First Selectman Jayme Stevenson spoke about at a breakfast meeting of the Darien Chamber of Commerce Thursday morning. In her wide-ranging talk, Stevenson also told the 40 or so people in the audience at the Ten Twenty Post restaurant to expect future traffic delays as the town’s three big construction redevelopments get built, that town officials are working on removing improper connections to the septic sewer system and they’re hoping more people will recycle food scraps.