News & CURREnt EVENts
committee updates
COASTAL RESILIENCY COMMITTEE
Important Date
Monday October 2nd
7 - 8:30 PM
Westbrook Town Hall
Council of Beach Associations
Live Program
VSCTV/In Person/Zoom
Westbrook,Clinton, Old Saybrook, Bourough of Fenwick
Plan on our future
Meeting Dates for 2023
May 1st 7pm Zoom Meeting
June 5th 7pm In Person
July 10th 7pm In Person
Aug 7th 7pm In Person
Sept 11th 7pm In Person
Oct 2nd 7pm In Person
"Coastal Resiliency Program"
in the Multi Media Room, 1st floor.
Live Broadcast and Zoom to Westbrook, Clinton, Old Saybrook and the Borough of Fenwick via VSCTV - check your TV listings.
Meetings will be downstairs in Conference Room A.
All meetings will be held at the Westbrook Town Hall unless Covid restrictions prevail.
*See Archives for Agendas and Minutes of Meetings
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Candidates' Forum Oct 4, 2021
To view video, click here.
Candidates' Forum Oct 7, 2019 -
To view video, clickhere.
Candidates' Forum Oct 1, 2018 -
To view video, click here.
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Officers:
President- Pat Marcarelli
Vice President - Cindy Howard
Treasurer - Steve Smith
Secretary - Pauline Peterson
2023 Meeting NOTICES
WESTBROOK COUNCIL OF BEACHES
The Town of Westbrook is the recipient of a grant from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) to prepare a multi town Coastal Resiliency Plan in partnership with the neighboring Towns of Clinton, Old Saybrook and the Borough of Fenwick. The Westbrook Committee will be working with a consultant and the community to analyze, coordinate, and prepare the Coastal Resiliency Plan. The plan will address the impacts of climate change, storm surge, flooding, extreme weather events, and sea level rise, and will identify projects to address the risks and hazards to infrastructure and coastal properties (public and private). Community engagement is essential to the development of a successful plan. On August 19th the consultant will hold a pop up event at the Westbrook Town Beach to obtain community feedback. This will be a great time to voice your opinions on any areas of concern. Click here to connect to the Westbrook Coastal Resiliency Committee webpage.
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Plan of Conservation & Develoment (POCD) Committee - Westbrook
Click here to review the Revised Draft of the 2021-2031 Plan of Conservation and Development.
An update of the plan is required every ten years.
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Westbrook Economic Action Initiative (WEAI)
Andy Schatz, Jim Crawford and Tony Cozza have been working very hard with this group in order to help our young, local residents to achieve their goals in both bettering themselves and preparing them to move forward in life and hopefully continue to serve our community. Leslie Carson our Career/College Readiness Coordinator at Westbrook High School is also on the Board. Click here to learn more about WEAI.
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Literacy Volunteers
Literacy Volunteers is looking for additional Tutors. They are an organization staffed mostly by volunteers, located in the Westbrook Library that teaches English to those in the area who are not conversant in English. For additional information please contact. Joanne Argersinger at 860-399-0280 or jarsinger@lvvs.org. Learn more by clicking here.
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TOWN OF WESTBROOK
Harbor Master News:
Harbor Management Happenings from John Rie, Chairman Commission Management: Click here.
Mooring Permits are $30
The Harbor Commission will be reviewing the rule regarding Moorings and will have updated information available om the Town website. Click here for online moorings step-by-step procedures to apply or renew your mooring.
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Hurricane Preparedness - For more information, see westbrookem.com
A Message from Westbrook Emergency Management. Click here.
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Animal Control Officer: Harry Plaut
203-780-1311. Click here for more information.
From the Town: Regarding Public (not private) Beaches: Ordinances - Dogs and Other Pet Animals
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Town Review of Westbrook Zoning Regulations
Westbrook is reviewing Zoning Regulations. For more details, click here.
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Planning Commission
Westbrook Hazardous Mitigation Plan
Meeting September 16, 2019--7pm
Multi Media Room, Town Hall
This is the final Public Hearing for
FEMA compliance before all findings are sent to the State of CT.
This will deal in Emergency Planning, Floods and Flood insurance.
Click here to view Public Meeting No 1 07-29-2019
Click hereto view Public Meeting No 2 09-29-2019
The Economic Development Commission & Westbrook Council of Beach Associations
PROUDLY SUPPORT
The Westbrook Merchants
Please support our local
Merchants
Visit www.visitwestbrookct.com
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PUBLIC HEARINGS
CANNABIS RETAIL
Revisit six month moratorium
NEXT MEETING
SEPTEMBER 25th
7:pm Town Hall
In December, the Westbrook Zoning Commission approved a cannabis retail establishment at 755 Boston Post Road. This approval was given even after over 100 citizens attended zoning meetings to request that the commission reject this proposal. An organization called "Westbrook Citizens" was formed, and in turn, hired an attorney and filed an appeal in Connecticut Superior Court to fight the cannabis retail approval. That appeal is currently pending.
At the upcoming zoning commission meeting on Monday, August 28th at 7:00pm, the zoning commission will continue to discuss a six month moratorium on new cannabis retail applications. A six month moratorium would end in January when many residents are not in town. We are looking for a year moratorium so all Westbrook residents can be represented and heard.
At the July 24th meeting an agreement to have a joint group meet to discuss extending the moratorium to one year.
To see a full presentation about the concerns related to the cannabis retail establishment at 755 Boston Post Road, Click Here
To learn more and/or join Westbrook Citizens, follow this link: www.westbrookcitizens.com
To access zoning commission agendas and minutes, Click Here
Please follow and make your own choice.
We as a community organization bring this to you.
The Westbrook Citizens Group is still currently accepting donations for their Legal Funds
Again this is all your choice.
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On October 3, 2022 the WCOB
hosted the Connecticut Department of Energy &
Environmental Protection (DEEP)
Kathleen Perzanowski
Environmental Analyst II
Land and Water Resources Division
Bureau of Water Protection & Land Reuse
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Brian Golembiewski (Enforcement Program Supervisor), Diane Ifkovic (FEMA/Flood management)
presented the
"Connecticut Beach Association's Guide to Coastal Activities and Permitting."
Click Here for the power point presentation or
you can click this link for the live recording of the DEEP Presentation. Thank you to the Westbrook High School students who recorded the event.
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WESTBROOK COUNCIL OF BEACHES TIDAL RISE AND STORM WATER FLOODING - JUNE 7, 2021
Special Guest Speaker Jessica Beach,
Chief Resilience Officer for the
City of St-Augustine
The town of Westbrook will begin work on a Resilience Plan next year. Please take a moment to listen to Jessica's presentation. It will be most helpful to our community as we begin the planning process. She is extremely knowledgeable and offers many resources that the town of Westbrook will be able to leverage.
Click here for powerpoint presentation
or
watch it live on the Valley Shore Community Television Click here
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Affordable Housing Subcommittee
The town of Westbrook is in the process of preparing an affordable housing plan as required by the State law. An Affordable Housing Plan Subcommittee comprised of members of local boards and agencies has started the process of preparing the plan. The subcommittee will be looking at the current and anticipated future housing needs in Westbrook and will be recommending policies and action steps to address them. Community input is an important part of the overall process of preparing the plan and your input will help the working group in developing strategies, policies and action steps.
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The Alleviating Hunger Committee
In August 2016, the Westbrook Council of Beaches established the Alleviating Hunger Committee to provide food to those in need and educate our community on hunger and poverty. Some of the initiatives include:
- Food collection for local food pantries click here Please join us on Tuesday between 1:30 and 2:30pm, at St. Mark's Church for grocery distribution.
Options for contributing food:
Bring food donations to St. Mark's between 9 am and 12 noon on any Monday.
Bring food to COB meetings, and we will bring your donation to one of the food pantries.
Get in touch with the Alleviating Hunger Committee and we will arrange to pick up your food donation.
-Consider helping out at the Valley Shore YMCA Vegetable Garden. One way you could help is letting them know if you have any cardboard that they could use to lay the wood chips on top of. If you do, please email Jon Capozzoli at jcapozzoli@vsymca.org. He is the new contact for all things to do with the garden. The Community Garden will open this year. It is vital to the Westbrook Food Pantry that they are able to grow fresh local produce for those in need. We hope
that even through the current situation you are all on board to join them for this growing season! (5-28-2020)
-COB has seven volunteers supporting the Friday Night meals at 6pm at the Westbrook Congregational Church.
-COB members can make monetary or gift card donations to support Westbrook families in need. If you would like to contribute, please contact Elizabeth Carpenter, Westbrook Social Services Coordinator at ecarpenter@westbrookct.us. Her office is in Town Hall, next to the First Selectman’s Office. Her phone number is 860-399-3090.
The Committee is always looking for volunteers. If you have an interest or would like further information, please contact us at ajcbeachboy@comcast.net Our members are Mary Polchaninoff, Barbara Alessio, Kit Bishop,Tony Cozza, Andy Schatz and Jim Crawford. All have been great resources for us. Our student members are Juliana Frabreizi, Gavin Lebrec, Jackie Grace and Seth Caslin.