Strategic Harbor Plan Steering Committee

Regular Meeting

Norwalk, CT · May 27, 2025

Minutes

CITY OF NORWALK STRATEGIC HARBOR PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE VIA TELECONFERENCE MAY 27, 2025 ATTENDANCE: Matt Gifford, Dick Harris, Alan Kibbe, Chris MacDonnell, Jason Patlis, Jerry Toni, Gary Wetmore STAFF: Steve Kleppin CALL TO ORDER Mr. Kleppin called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. The consultants introduced themselves. STATUS AND UPDATES Indigo River provided an update on their progress since the last meeting in February. They hosted the first stakeholder interview, completed a draft of baseline conditions and opportunities, and began conducting focus groups with harbor business and avid harbor users. AUDIT ON CURRENT HARBOR USES PRESENTATION Representatives from HR&A (sub-consultant) gave a presentation of the existing harbor conditions. Demographic and industry analysis findings were reviewed and found that the harbor area functions as a job hub with more commuters coming in than out. Indigo River presented data on water-dependent jobs in the harbor area, showing that many jobs fall below the living wage mark. They highlighted that many recreation destinations in Norwalk receive a high percentage of visitors from outside the city, with only about a third coming from Norwalk residents. The presented findings focused on environmental conditions, navigation challenges, and public access points. NEXT STEPS: FEEDBACK AND FOCUS GROUPS They plan to continue stakeholder outreach, conduct additional studies on mooring plans and street ends, and issue a final report with recommendations in September. Members raised questions about data collection, zoning regulations, and the impact of sea level rise, which were discussed. OPEN DISCUSSION Mooring infrastructure improvement, particularly for deep draft sailboats and commercial vessels, and including representatives from Manresa Island Corp, were discussed. There was a discussion of data related to visitation at various parks and cultural institutions in Norwalk. The group discussed discrepancies in visitation numbers, as it pertains to out-of-town and in-state visitors. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There was no public participation at this time. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 5:04 p.m. Page 1 of 1

Agenda

REGULAR MEETING – STRATEGIC HARBOR PLAN STERRING COMMITTEE AGENDA MAY 27, 2025, 4:00 PM BY ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING To allow public access, anyone may access a meeting by telephone and/or Zoom, or a recording in the City of Norwalk YouTube channel. Specific instructions and links can be found at norwalkct.gov/meetings. Members of the public may call in to participate. Callers will not be able to see the meeting participants. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, dial *9 on the phone and you will be called on by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All speakers must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are limited to three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using threatening, hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using the link above. Members of the public who wish to provide "live comments" may also use the Zoom meeting platform. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, click the “raise your hand indicator” and you will be called by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All speakers must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are limited to three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using threatening, hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using the link above. Members of the public who wish to provide public comment are encouraged to submit those via email in advance of the meeting. For these comments to be included into the record, they must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Please email Amelia Williams at amelia.williams@norwalkct.gov with the subject line “Public Comment” to provide written public comment prior to the meeting. I. CALL TO ORDER II. STATUS AND UPDATES III. AUDIT ON CURRENT HARBOR USES PRESENTATION IV. NEXT STEPS: FEEDBACK AND FOCUS GROUPS V. OPEN DISCUSSION VI. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION VII. ADJOURNMENT