Rowayton’s official name is the Sixth Taxing District of the City of Norwalk (6TD) and I am one of the three Commissioners that are elected to run the 6TD. While the winter season is typically a quiet one for Rowayton, your Commissioners have been hard at work.

• The 6TD’s fiscal year starts on July 1 and, following our town-wide vote in March, we approved a budget for the coming fiscal year. The Rowayton share of your taxes (about 5% of your total property tax bill) will increase 2% this year. While we wanted to avoid any increase in this environment, we felt that a number of repair projects could no longer be deferred.
  
  
• With Yankee frugality, the 6TD has spent very little over the years looking after our properties. Unfortunately, this could not continue forever – particularly with older buildings such as the Pinkney House (1820), the Bayley Beach Pavilion (1914) and the main building at the Community Center (1910).
  
  
• Today’s 6TD realizes that our properties are in need of investment and creative ways have been used to fund this work. The rebuilding of the sea wall and house at Pinkney Park was funded with proceeds from an asset sale; work is about to begin on the first phase of the Community Center with a matching grant from the State of Connecticut’s Historic Restoration Fund.
  
  
• The Community Center, built in 1910-12, was bought by the 6TD in 1966 and has been almost untouched over the last 45 years – except for the interior renovation of the Library in 2006. Three years ago, the 6TD formed a long term planning committee for the property – this team of volunteers envisions a renovation plan taking place in a series of phases.
  
  
• Residents voted at a special meeting in October to proceed with the first phase – the restoration of the original 100 year old slate roof. This work will be paid for with a combination of a state grant and 6TD funds. The job was put out to bid and we expect work to start in April. The next phase will address the replacement of the Center’s windows and doors (many original, few insulated) while the third phase will look at the role of the building and the needs of the community going forward.
  
  
• It is worth nothing that, out of our $1.3 million approved budget for FY 11/12, the three biggest parts of the budget include: 26% for garbage pick-up and disposal, 20% for payroll and 12% as our contribution to the Rowayton Library’s budget.
  
  
• Smaller projects that are budgeted for the coming FY include: 1) the re-placement of the decrepit boardwalk at Bayley Beach; 2) the construction of kayak racks at Bayley (to be rented out to interested residents); 3) the installation of better lighting in the Community Center parking lot: and 4) the replacement of the cracked macadam path leading up to Pinkney House.
  
  
• Would you like to lower your property taxes? Recycle! The 6TD spends $82/ton to dispose of 2,355 tons of garbage each year. At the same time, the City of Norwalk gets paid $75/ton for each ton of garbage they recycle. Use your blue bins for plastics (now 1-7), metals and glass and the new green bins for all paper products. Need a bin? Come buy one on Trash Bash Day!

The 6TD’s Commissioners have a public monthly meeting on the second Wednesday of every month at 8pm at the Community Center – all residents are encouraged to come, participate and see your local government in action. The agenda for each upcoming meeting is posted at this page on the RCA’s website.

Please feel free to contact our District Clerk, Andrea Woodworth, at 854-5066 to schedule use of District facilities, get on the agenda for our monthly meetings or ask any District related questions.

With longer days, warmer temperatures and the arrival of April, it will not be long before we all start to see more of each other around town. I look forward to seeing all of you.

Thank you.

Mike Barbis
Commissioner, Sixth Taxing District
mbarbis@sixthtd.com

RCA Committees  

Website
Kelly Brewer

Currents Newsletter
Jennifer Hassell, Ali Kreiter

Database, Volunteer Cards
Karen Casey

Decals Distribution
Karen Casey

Land Use
Patrick Steele

Marketing/Fundraising Committee
Kat Curtin, Jill Klein, Ted Hildner,
Barbara Yallop, Andy Schadt,
Kelly Brewer, Lori Goertz

 

RCA Events

Easter Egg Hunt 
T.G. Diamandis

Comedy Night
Kat Curtin, Jill Klein

Spring Spruce-Up
Wendy Ford

Memorial Day Parade
Lynne Pratt

Summer Music Festival    
Chris Sovak, Andy Meyerson

Father’s Day Fun Run   
Erica Merrill, Gail Jaques

Fireworks
Greg Saum, Wendy Ford

River Ramble    
Carlyn Painter, Ginny Grant,
Kelly Brewer

Ladrigan Swim Races
Ted Hildner, Mike Barbis

House Tour
Barbara Yallop, Jill Klein,
Ali Kreiter

Halloween Party
Barbara Yallop, Peter Gatt

Holiday Lights
Patrick Steele, Wendy Ford

Santa Run 
Ginny Grant

Nativity Pageant 
Greg Saum

Soccer Program
Dan Scovel, Andy Schadt,
Peter Gatt

Underground
Youth Center
Ted Hildner, Mike Barbis