FEBRUARY IN NEW FAIRFIELD VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2 || February 2026

Town Buildings Will Be Closed on Monday, February 16th in Observance of the Holiday

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Presidents' Day

Presidents' Day is a national holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February.

The holiday was originally a celebration of George Washington's birthday.

The holiday became Presidents' Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create a three day weekend and to honor all of the Presidents.

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The FY 2026/2027 Budget presentations by the Board of Selectmen and Board of Education will be presented to the Board of Finance on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., at the Senior Center, followed by Public Comment and Board of Finance Review.

You can find the dates, times and locations (Zoom or in-person) for the Board of Finance Budget discussion meetings, beginning in March, on the calendar at www.NewFairfield.org or click below:

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Black History Month

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The last day to pay your real estate and personal property taxes without penalty is Monday, February 2, 2026

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TAX RELIEF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

Please see the information from the Assessor below to see if you may qualify:

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BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS

Appeal forms for the 2025 Grand List assessment of Real Estate and Personal Property and 2024 Grand List Supplemental Motor Vehicles must be submitted no later than February 20, 2026.

Application forms are available online at: www.NewFairfield.org under the "Assessor's Office." Only those submitting completed forms will be given a hearing by the Board of Assessment Appeals. Accepted applicants will be notified of the time and date of their hearing, which will take place in March.

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FROM THE SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT-CT ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

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EVERBRIDGE ALERT SYSTEM

In 2024, the Town moved from Alert Now to Everbridge for town wide emergency alerts. Unfortunately, we have become aware that most contact information did not transfer properly from the old system to the new one. As a result, we are only reaching about 700 contacts with each message sent, compared to about 5,000 contacts reached with Alert Now. As we are in the winter weather season, the Town’s ability to communicate information about weather, shelter and storm recovery to our residents is critical. If you have not already signed up for Everbridge, please go to www.newfairfield.org and click on the “Sign up for Emergency Alerts” button on the homepage. (Tip: to view the desktop version of the website on your mobile device, turn your device to the horizontal position).

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WELCOME TO JILL RUSSO IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT

Please join us in welcoming Jill Russo to the Town of New Fairfield as Accounting Clerk – General Ledger!

Jill brings over 30 years of experience in accounting, payroll, and financial management across nonprofit and public-sector organizations. She has a strong background in financial analysis, compliance, and process improvement and looks forward to supporting Town departments while helping ensure the accuracy and efficiency of the Town’s financial operations.

She is excited to join the team!

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A REMINDER ABOUT WINTER PARKING, SAND & SALT, AND SNOW REMOVAL AND MAILBOXES

Wintertime Parking Ordinance

Sec. 9-27 wintertime parking:

(a) There shall be no parking on any town road at any time while the town or its agents are engaged in snow plowing, sanding, ice control, or any other weather or storm related emergencies to keep or make the public roads of the town in a safe, passable condition. Parked is defined as having at least one (1) tire of the vehicle in question in contact with the paved portion of the road, without a driver in the vehicle, for any length of time.

(b) Violations of this section are subject to a fine of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) which shall double if not paid within fifteen (15) days. Vehicles found to be in violation may be towed at the owner’s expense in addition to the fine. Appeals may be made under the process established by the Board of Selectman.

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Salt and Sand at Drop Off Center

Salt and sand are available for use by private communities and tax districts and each Association is billed accordingly for this service. Residents are welcome to pick up salt/sand for personal use at the Drop Off Center during regular business hours at no charge. There is a limit of two 5 gallon pails per resident per storm. (No commercial/business use)

The Drop Off Center is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and on Thursdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

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Mailbox Replacement Policy

It is the policy of the New Fairfield Department of Public Works that if any mailbox or post is damaged as the result of snow removal operations, the responsibility for making repairs shall be borne by the property owner. The Department of Public Works will not be responsible for mailbox damage from snow being discharged by snow removal equipment.

When a mailbox or post is damaged as a result of direct contact with our snow removal equipment, the following steps will be taken.

The Highway Foreman will inspect the mailbox/post to determine the cause of the damage.

The Highway Foreman will determine who is at fault (improper installation of mailbox, or plow operator error).

Following investigation, the mailbox or post will be repaired or replaced if the plow operator is found to be at fault.

Decorator mailboxes and posts that receive direct contact from snow removal equipment will be replaced with a standard mailbox and post.

*The majority of mailbox and post damage is the result of improper installation or maintenance. A properly installed and maintained mailbox will withstand the snow removal operations that occur during the winter months.

*It is uncommon that a mailbox comes in direct contact with snow removal equipment. The average number of mailboxes that come into direct contact with snow removal equipment during a snowstorm is less than one percent. Non-contact mailbox knockdowns may average more than one hundred or more per snowstorm.

*The Public Works Department will assist elderly or impaired property owners with repairing damage to their mailbox or post.

You can contact the Public Works Department at 203-312-5628.

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Radon Test Kits Available in Limited Quantity from the Health Department

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New Fairfield Veterans Association

Upcoming February events for the New Fairfield Veterans Association:

-February 1, Soup Sunday, Putnam Lake VFW, 1-3 PM, Putnam Lake, NY, $12/person

-February 4, New Fairfield Veterans Association monthly meeting, Senior Center, 7 PM, public invited

-February 8, Brewster VFW Breakfast, Brewster, NY, 8-11 AM

-February 12, NFVA Board of Directors Meeting, Senior Center, 7 PM

-February 15, NFVA Honor Guard Practice, Senior Center, 1 PM

Please contact Commander Bob Ballas with any questions at: buck100@aol.com

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Free Income Tax Preparation

Mondays from February 2nd through April 13th

9 a.m. to noon

Appointment needed

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A Pitch From Satchel Paige by New Fairfield Resident Jim Keller and Loren Keller

Monday, February 2nd at Carnegie Hall

See below on how to purchase tickets!

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Community Service Club Crafting Day