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F U T U R E    T H I N K    DATA
Can a post-COVID-19 new reality work for Weston?  How does this fit with Millennial page?  How about with the SELECTMEN?  MARKETING & COMMUNICATION ...ABOUT WESTON?

CONTENTS:









"About Weston" website uses young man as symbol of hope and change...
Whenever we begin a new sub-page there is always a reason.  What is discussed will be different from anywhere else on this website. 
Check out racism in the theatre here:  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/23/theater/robert-ohara-torrey-townsend-off-broadway.html





Board of Selectmen 2021-2023 :  Amy, Martin and Samantha ("Sam")







Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee to the Board of Selectmen

We attend three meetings (April 12, March 29 and opening one November 23, 2020)...and have made almost all since...not since mid-2021, however.


D.E.I. met Monday 1-31-22 at 7pm on Zoom for an hour plus...











D.E.I. COMMITTEE MEETS TO ORGANIZE PRESENTATION TO BOARD OF SELECTMEN AT 7pm
Thursday Jan. 20, 2022.  DRAFT items attached above.






D.E.I. Tues. Nov. 30, 2021 - working session one hour long - gives high marks to police for doing "PEP" program!!!  Plan to quarterly brief their appointing authority.




D.E.I. established 4 recommendations for Selectmen to consider at next meeting they have.

AGENDA MONDAY MAY 10, 2021, 7:30pm - 8pm plus.  Public chimes in - great job by Chair.
D.E.I. ADVISORY COMMITTEE 3 recommendations for action plus one other - unanimous:
1.  Civilian Review Board
2.  Police Engagement
3.  Local action to add calls to 911 not be referenced to race and penalties for doing so -  enforce this bill https://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/SUM/2007SUM00106-R03HB-07270-SUM.htm


For reference here is 2020 Special Session Police Accountablity legislation:  https://www.cga.ct.gov/2020/act/Pa/pdf/2020PA-00001-R00HB-06004SS1-PA.PDF





D.E.I. cancels Special Meeting at 6:30pm before rescheduled Police Commission. May 6, 2021,   see above Police Commission...First Selectman, r.



D.E.I. Advisory Committee 7pm Monday May 3rd at 7pm - 9pm and raw and real comments by various social groups of all manners of true angst in Weston revealed.


Discussion with Sen. Haskell Monday evening ran from 7pm to 9pm.  Complaint discussed and will be watched by 4-dozen attendees.  Chair. of Board of Finance, 2nd Selectman present.

POLICE COMMISSION Zoom next night flooded by those and others (see above).  A 21st Century sit-in?
Too many flood the call and limit of 100 reached.  And on another note, Easton holds budget referendum, approved, resolution linking racism and public health goes down. 







EVC RE-BORN THANKS TO ORIGINAL EVC CHAIR POINTING OUT THERE WAS NO "THERE THERE" IN CHARGE TO FIRST GROUP


NOTE:  Economic Vitality Committee met for "2.0" launch - 2nd Selectman Nestor emphasizing that the new charge is more what the Selectmen meant in the first place.





VERY IMPORTANT LINKS TO SPECIAL SESSION AUGUST 2020

Judiciary Committee and Planning & Development Chairs. join forces.  While Finance Revenue & Bonding Co-Chair says this.
https://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/archives/entry/20200619_senate_democrats_seek_to_expand_agenda_for_special_session/#more

RESEARCH:  https://assets.website-files.com/6076e3f57e39855392637f16/60b907efe9209f948631f690_Wethersfield%20Border%20Discontinuity%20Analysis%20Report-%20Released%206-3-21.pdf




TOWN PLAN 2020 INSIGHTS


DOES WESTON THINK SMALL?  Perhaps because of this fact?  What's a "Village District?"
      
New Weston Town Plan of C&D calls for it...Ridgefield code language handy reference.  How does the Village District relate to city densities?



DOWNTOWN, WHERE ALL THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT, MAYBE.  PETER'S MARKET IN THE DISTANCE.
From the ONION BARN:  Link to the views to the East (to Town Hall), the North (Hurlbutt) and the South (Norfield Corners Historic District)

HOW DOES FORM-BASED ZONING WITHIN A VILLAGE DISTRICT WORK?








How to implement stuff?  And how to use design of urban spaces to foster community expression?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________






2021 WESTON TURNOVER REPORT:  https://patch.com/connecticut/ridgefield/where-are-all-people-who-moved-ct-during-pandemic





MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
We have never attended one of this entity's meeting, so we'll drop in virtually tonight!  Question:  Who is "on" MCAC?  Answer just below.
Marketing & Communications Committee (2 year term) as stated in LWV of Weston "Know Your Town"
Andrew Palladino, Chair., Jon Achar, Gavin Guerra, Leslie Riback, Ilene Richardson, Agata Tria, vacancy, alternate.


Do they relate to other entities?



Marketing & Communication Advisory Committee
June 10, 2020, 7:30pm via ZOOM;  AGENDA

Present:  Andrew, Leslie, Ilene, Agata

Minutes approved.

Brief discussion of George Floyd rally last weekend and "how this might inform future endeavors of the community"
How can MCAC include footage in its presentations.  How does June 29, 2020 report in CT Mirror apply?  For more click:  CT Mirror article.


Real estate Marketing Presentation
Being finalized.


Update on Town website relaunch
June 15th?  News feed...Randi "gatekeeper"


Compilation of assets
As we know, Weston is drop dead gorgeous - they want pictures.

Adjourn 8:10pm.













OUR SCHOOL ROAD BASE MAP.  HOW MANY DIFFERENT BOARDS, COMMISSIONS & COMMITTEES ARE INVOLVED IN ITS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT?

Have we missed any?  Oh yes, the Facilities Optimization Committee.   As well as Town Meeting - which controls the purse strings beyond the budget process.






We used the U.S. Census of Retail Trade to confirm some trends in New Bedford, MA (not shown here).



SUBURBAN MALLS APPLYING FOR RE-USE, TOO!
In 2021 while large cities are arguably shrinking, can CT lead the way in re-use of building forms designed for a prep-COVID-19?





NEW TOWNS CAME FIRST.
EARLY ON IN GRADUATE SCHOOL I WAS STILL THINKING ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTIONS TO MAKING A PERFECT CITY.  HISTORIC AND ARCHITECTURAL LAND MARKS IS HUDSON  NEW YORK AND DESIGNING A PLAN TO MAKE HUDSON BASE ITS GROWTH UPON ITS RICH ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY WAS WHERE I ENDED UP UPON COMPLETING THIS TRAINING.
 
STREET CORNERS CAME NEXT...AND NOW RETURN AS WE BEGIN OUR RESEARCH PHASE FOR AN ABOUT TOWN VERSION OF THE WESTON TOWN PLAN FOR 2020.
FAST FORWARD TO PHD STUDIES...I BEGAN RESEARCH BY VISITING THE CONCEPT OF HUMAN INTERACTION USING ONE CORNER OF MAIN STREET, WESTPORT, AND THE OLD LIBRARY...

PEDESTRIAN MALLS WERE WHERE WE SETTLED.
THIS BECAME AN ORIGINAL IDEA CONSIDERED ACADEMICALLY "ORIGINAL" AS WE EXPANDED IT NATIONWIDE.  TEN MEDIUM SIZED CITIES THAT CLOSED STREETS TO TRAFFIC TO CREATE DOWNTOWN PEDESTRIAN MALLS IN THE MID 1960'S, WAS OUR TOPIC.  MEASURE LAND USE CHANGES IN ALL FLOORS OF BUILDINGS IN MALL STREET, PARALLEL STREET AND CROSS STREET.  FIVE YEARS BEFORE MALL OPENED, FIVE YEARS AFTER THE MALL OPENED.
 


ABOUT TOWN RESEARCH  - CHAPTER WAS INCLUDED IN SHOPPING CENTERS U.S.A.:
https://books.google.com/books?id=pggsCvRaXJcC&pg=PA229&lpg=PA229&dq=downtown+pedestrian+malls+wirtenberg&source=bl&ots=IwmMNH3HdV&sig=cis53qsJ7cdey11OQbz0J2uJtpQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6EWXVbnGLcP2-AGT54GgCQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=downtown%20pedestrian%20malls%20wirtenberg&f=false





ZONING ATTACKS
https://ctmirror.org/2021/06/20/no-children-allowed-are-wealthy-ct-towns-building-elderly-housing-to-keep-out-poor-families/







BILL TO BE REVIVED IN UPCOMING SESSION(S)?
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6988580/Anwar-Bill-2020LCO03508-R00-BIL.pdf





Former Rep. Camillo now First Selectman of Greenwich
https://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Selectmen-meet-Thursday-to-decide-on-Greenwich-15300687.php?src=gthpcp



As ex-Gov. Malloy branded CT..."still revolutionary after all these years."  Or something like that.


WHO'S LOOKING TO THE FUTURE?
https://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-stefanowski-coronavirus-connecticut-economy-0528-20200528-b4imxcfp4ba2dbjnc7p6ai3gdm-story.html








SO MANY CREATIVE IDEAS ALONG WITH...FOOD!
Speaking of re-imagining things, how about a Cobb's  Mill Inn come again for the new reality if living and working in the woods?


DEMOGRAPHICS





A thoughtful study by PBS:  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/3-ways-that-the-u-s-population-will-change-over-the-next-decade








CANCEL CULTURE


So now we know...
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/11/opinion/defund-police-cancel-rent.html




WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC FUTURE OF WESTON?



L-R - Survey/Research, Economic Vitality (2 - only 1 shown), Senior Services Director, Library Director


THE PLAN:
Re-revitalizing cities as well as creating nimble industry.  Secretary of Housing & Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson brief video





Tracking by Apple.  And Google, their methodology:  https://www.gstatic.com/covid19/mobility/2020-03-29_US_Mobility_Report_en.pdf

A MUST READ THOUGHT PIECE
From the NYTIMES 5-24-20:  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/opinion/sunday/the-end-of-the-new-world-order.html




And in case you missed this COVID-19 news:  https://nypost.com/2020/05/24/wuhan-lab-admits-to-having-three-live-strains-of-bat-coronavirus/



COVID-19, 5-12-20:  There are good things about advancing communications technology.  Can we make a better world with it?  Maybe?

NOTE "POPULATION" clip from long article
Maybe Weston knew how to plan for the future after all?




IF "1984" THE NOVEL WAS A LONG TIME AGO, SO IS "2001" THE MOVIE
On another note, just as Westport brought us the first COVID-19 cases, they were the first to put their toe in the water on (l) another future-think topic.