Town of Ridgefield News: Affordable Housing, Cannabis Prohibiting Ordinance, ARPA Update
Affordable Housing Plan Update The Board of Selectmen met with the Affordable Housing Committee this week to come to an agreement on a final draft of the Affordable Housing plan. The agreement comes after months of deliberations, countless revisions and continued consideration of the public’s input. The final plan will be voted on by the Board of Selectmen at their September 21st meeting. If the vote passes, the plan will be submitted to the state. The meetings can be viewed on the ridgefieldct.org website.
Cannabis Ordinance Review At the September 7th Town Meeting, the residents of Ridgefield voted 144 to 43 to adopt the Cannabis Prohibiting Ordinance presented by the Board of Selectmen. The ordinance prohibits the sale and cultivation of cannabis in Ridgefield. Per State Statute, the Town must continue to allow the possession, delivery, and use of cannabis in nonpublic areas. Cultivation for personal use is permitted as long as there are no more than 12 cannabis plants growing at any given time per household. The full Cannabis Ordinance can be viewed here.
ARPA Update The Town has received $7.4 million total in ARPA Funds. To date, $6,279,103 of those funds have been allocated for the following purposes:
· $1,550,000 to the FYE 22 Budget
· $2,922,477 to the WPCA Project
· $344,480 for the purchase of COVID test kits for the Town
· $1,229,168 for Capital Items
· $232,978 for the Reimbursement to the RVNAhealth
The Board of Selectmen recently approved to move forward with an allocation in the amount of $45,000 to the Boys & Girls Club to help with the construction costs associated with their expansion. The request will go before the Board of Finance at their September 20th meeting and then to a Town Meeting for a vote. All ARPA allocations must be approved first by both the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance, and then by the residents of Ridgefield with a vote at a Town Meeting.