Buoyant Rilling issues State of the City address

The state of the City of Norwalk is “absolutely fantastic,” according to Mayor Harry Rilling.

“November 21, I was sworn in to begin my sixth term as Mayor. I’m happy to share that since taking office 10 years ago, crime is down. Our grand list has grown. We’ve invested in new schools and updated facilities for our students. Our tax rate is the lowest compared to similar towns and cities in Connecticut. The major rating agencies reaffirmed Norwalk triple A bond rating, and people are noticing Norwalk more and more,” Rilling said Tuesday in the Common Council Chambers.

Rilling was joined for his State of the City address by City employees and elected officials, who he credited for working hard to bring Norwalk to its “absolutely fantastic” condition.

The address summarized his administrations’ initiatives, some of them dating back years, while also promising more work.

“As I begin my sixth term, I continue to have big plans to ensure Norwalk keeps moving in the right direction. And I know that together, we can achieve them on behalf of our residents,” he said.

Rilling touted his administration as the first in Norwalk’s history to be majority woman-led, “with respect to my Cabinet and department heads.”

With LaToya Fernandez leading the City’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office, “We are working towards ensuring city government operates in an equitable manner that appropriately advances all our core values of organizational diversity and inclusion, and striving to meet those goals,” he said. “I’m proud to share that in 2023, the city received a score of 100 from the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, a national assessment over 500 cities regarding policies and practices that support the LGBTQ-plus community.”

The Norwalk Fire Department just held an entry level exam and of the nearly 1,000 people who signed up for the test, 30% were minority community members and about 100 were Norwalk residents, he said.

The Norwalk Police Department includes 27% people of color and has a LGBTQ liaison, he said. “We’ve also increased the number of Spanish and Haitian Creole interpreters.”

Delivering the address as the City begins tough budget deliberations, Rilling said he supports schools.

“That’s why year after year under my administration, we have increased the operating budget for our schools at a rate far greater than any previous administration. It’s also why my administration has prioritized the first major school construction projects in decades,” he said.

He listed:

• A newly renovated Ponus Ridge Middle School opened in 2020
• The completely renovated Jefferson Elementary School opening in 2022
• The brand-new state of the art Cranbury Elementary School, the city’s first new school in over 50 years, opened last year

“This year, we will continue to build on our commitment to new and improved schools for our children. This spring, we plan to break ground on the new Norwalk High School and begins construction of the South Norwalk school. The South Norwalk school is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025 and will be the community’s first neighborhood school in over 40 years,” he said.

“We are grateful to the state for the 60% reimbursement rate that Norwalk is receiving for the construction of the schools. We also couldn’t be happier to be receiving an 80% reimbursement rate from the state for the new Norwalk High School, which is projected to welcome students in 2027,” he said, crediting the leadership of State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-25).

In addition, Norwalk has invested “almost $2 million to support mental health services for our students and their families within the past year.”

Looking ahead

“Another area of focus for my administration is addressing the threats of climate change…. I am determined to make Norwalk, the greenest city in the state of Connecticut,” he said.

The City is working on its first sustainability and resilience plan and is creating an Office of Sustainability, he said. “We’re also developing a flood resilience plan that better serves our community for coastal flooding and enhances natural resources.”

Investments are being made in electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the city, at City Hall, the police department and the Public Works Smith Street facility and “We will be expanding the city’s electric and hybrid vehicle fleet,” he said.

The Norwalk Transit District under new CEO Matt Pentz is undergoing a facility renovation, to be completed later this year, “after which electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be in place and electric buses will be added to their fleet,” he said.

Sidewalks are a priority and “in 2023, we installed over 41,000 linear feet, almost eight miles, of new sidewalks,” he said. This year, new sidewalks are planned for Beacon Street, Berkeley Street, Hunt Street, Rowayton Avenue, Soundview Avenue, Taylor Avenue and West Rocks Road. Biking infrastructure is being built and last year, more than nine miles of bike lanes were installed.

“The bus services provided by Norwalk Transit District combined with the city’s newly installed sidewalks, bike lanes and bike racks, has allowed us to continue increasing walkability and connectivity while protecting our environment by reducing the city’s carbon footprint,” Rilling said.

Food composting efforts include the third drop off location, in Cranbury Park, he said.

“We’ve increased our conservation efforts by enhancing our wastewater system infrastructure to ensure our collection system and wastewater treatment facility have sufficient capacity for all new projects. And they do,” he said.

Other achievements

RIlling listed:

• The new 10-year Recreation and Parks Master Plan
• Efforts to create a Norwalk Community Recreation Center at 98 South Main St.
• Expanded outdoor recreation facilities, including eight new pickleball courts at Rowayton Elementary School, four at Ludlow Park and five at the Norwalk Senior Center, and new playgrounds
• A Neighborhood Improvement Team to enhance blight enforcement

“We know that enhancing the quality of life for residents also means bringing people together,” he said. “… Too many people, including children, are not going out socializing enough in person. To help change that, we’ve invested in more free events where people can come together, and have fun.”

• The reinstated Commission of the Status of Women helps the City address gender-based discrimination
• “Last year, the Fair Rent Office has served 426 households in the city, and has invested nearly $1 million in initiatives to provide housing stability”
• An affordable housing study is underway
• A community resource hub helps people find services
• The City “recently invested $170,000 in workforce development to coordinate with local employers and help Norwalk residents identify the skills needed to secure living wage jobs”
• $150,000 is being invested in a “innovative equity driven South Norwalk community plan”

Efficiency Study recommendations are or have been implemented and the unprecedented administrative reorganization created several new departments “and helped us imagine reimagine what was possible in the city of Norwalk,” he said.

The new Transportation, Mobility and Parking Department (TMP) is “developing a complete streets plan and reimagining what future designs of our streets will look like,” in accordance to community input, he said.

“The City of Norwalk is determined to redesign the streets to better incorporate the safety, mobility and accessibility needs of all road users regardless of age, ability, or their choice of transportation mode,” Rilling said.

With State and Federal funding as support, Norwalk expects to spend $27 million on improvements, he said. Wall Street phase one will begin this year, between Brooks and Main Street, and the Yankee Doodle Garage will be improved.

Also, the Business Development and Tourism department, created in 2018, has committed over $4.7 million to support local businesses through city and federal funding,” he said.

And, “We now have a newly adopted modernized zoning code and a brand new City Charter.”

About that budget

“My final major priority for my sixth term has been consistent throughout all of my terms: I want to do everything we can to keep property taxes down for our residents,” Rilling said. “…I’m proud that in the city of Norwalk, we have maintained the lowest mill rate or tax rate compared to other similar towns and cities including Bristol, Danbury, Hartford, Meriden, New Haven, Stamford and Waterbury.”

The Grand List grew more than 15% from 2013 to 2022 and the Rainy Day Fund remains strong, factoring into Norwalk’s continued Triple A bond rating, he said.

“It is our residents’ input and continued active participation in our democracy that makes our government work,” Rilling said. “So residents of Norwalk, thank you for instilling your confidence in me as we work together to build a brighter future for every single community member.”