Town of Greenwich Community First

 

The Greenwich Department of Social Services serves as a bridge connecting residents to the essential resources of the community.  These resources provide support such as food, shelter, educational and employment opportunities, personal safety and access to health care services.  The available services are diverse and support all ages. The Department  operates under the direction of a 7 member Board and Commisioner of Social Services Our services are provided by a dedicated professional staff and a network of community providers. 

 

In addition to Town Residents we are also available to assist  Town employees with confidential information and referral services

 

Our Mission: to enhance the quality of life of Greenwich Residents through support in

meeting basic human needs and promoting services that foster self sufficiency and economic independence.

 

 In 2011-2012 we served 3,484 clients through a variety of programs:

 
Our Admissions and Case Management services include:

•          Assessment of needs and establishment of a service plan;

•          Information and referral to community agencies;

•          Assistance with Federal, State and local benefit and entitlement applications including: HUSKY, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, ConnPace, subsidized housing, food, clothing, medication, energy assistance, and any other special needs;

•          Home eviction and utility shut-off prevention and mediation;

•          Budget and money management counseling;

•          Temporary (emergency) Housing and energy assistance;

•          English as a Second Language classes (ESL);

•          Assistance in enrolling in vocational/employment training and education programs; and

•          Support to persons with medical, developmental and psychiatric disabilities.

 

The Community Gifts Program is supported by private donations and Salvation Army funds to support various forms of assistance throughout the year.  Donations are overseen by an independent 503c fiduciary and are tax deductible.

Boots and Shoes: Provides vouchers for children ages 5-14 entering school for back to school footwear.

•          Holiday Aid: Provides food vouchers, food baskets and children’s gifts during the holiday season. A key feature of our Community Program is our Youth Programs.

•          Campership: Provides camp scholarship, registration and transportation    for children ages 5-14 years old and senior 55+.

We provide services to Greenwich children and youth through two unique programs.

•          Byram Archibald Neighborhood Center (BANC): A licensed after-school program serving Byram students ages 5-12 attending New Lebanon Elementary School. The purpose is to promote positive youth development and educational enrichment through participation in educational, recreational, and arts activities.  

•          Greenwich Youth Conservation Project (GYCP): Provides short-term summer employment and training for youth ages 14-15. Four consecutive groups spend two-week sessions doing outdoor work projects at Greenwich parks, nature preserves, managed conservation areas, and Town facilities.

We participate in federal and state sponsored programs offering financial assistance with energy and housing costs.

•          Energy Assistance Program: Provides assistance to clients for their energy costs. Client eligibility is based on income, family size and expenses. Payment is made directly to the fuel or utility company. Operation Fuel Program: Privately funded, not-for-profit fuel bank are privately raised and “add a dollar” program via utility payments.

•          Renters Rebate Program: State funded program for disabled adults and senior citizens based on a graduated income scale and amount of rent and utility payments made in the prior year.

 

Our Homemaker Services are provided to Greenwich residents who are having difficulty with everyday activities or need help during times of illness or disability.Our Homemaker staffs are available after an in-home evaluation is completed by one of the Department’s professional staff who establishes need, and develop a Service Plan with the client and/or family.  Our Homemaker services include:laundry,meal preparation, dressing assistance, bathing assistance

An additional service that is offered to residents is Escorted Transportation. Such services are provided to disabled individuals and senior citizens who are clients of the Department. The service includes door-thru-door transportation to medical and legal appointments, Neighbor-to-Neighbor food delivery, benefit application appointments, and language class attendance, including ESL classes offered by the Department.  

 Client Satisfaction

 

The annual client satisfaction survey revealed that: 

98% of clients agreed that staff treated them with respect 

93% of clients felt that their ideas were considered in developing a plan to assist them with their needs 

94% of clients agreed that the staff helped them with their needs

92% rated their overall experience as excellent or good

 

Director: Allen L. Corry, CAPP
Phone: (203) 618-3060 
Fax: (203) 618-3065 
Email: Parking Services Department
Location: Town Hall - ground floor
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Closed on Town Holidays

The History of Greenwich Parking Services

The Town of Greenwich Department of Parking Services was founded in 2004 at the direction of First Selectman Jim Lash to help the municipality deal more effectively and consistently with matters related to parking. Establishment of such a department was suggested in a 2002 study of municipal parking completed by the consulting firm Desman Associates.

The department represents a consolidation of municipal assets that had formerly been assigned to several diverse organizational elements of town government. Resources and responsibilities previously assigned to the Police, Finance and Public Works Departments formed the foundation of the municipality’s newest department.

The Department of Parking Services is responsible for:

• Managing municipal parking infrastructure and resources throughout the Town of Greenwich.
• The issuance of municipal and railroad station Parking Permits
• Encouraging appropriate parking through the issuance of parking Violation Tickets
• Collecting revenue from and maintaining the municipal parking meter system
• Providing fiscal stewardship over the Town’s Parking Fund

The Department of Parking Services occupies office space at Town Hall. The office serves as a single point of contact location for all municipal parking services including the sales and recharging of smart cards for easy payment at parking meters, the issuance of parking permits, payment of parking violation tickets, and the rental of metered parking spaces to facilitate construction.

· General Information
· Frequently Asked Questions

· Parking Lot Permits
· Placement on waiting list
· Parking Ticket Payments
· Parking Ticket Hearings
· Municipal Parking Lots
· Residential Parking Program
· Meter Rental

The Greenwich Department of Health has been serving the residents of Greenwich for over 125 years.  During that time our commitment has remained the same: to create a healthy and safe environment within Greenwich, so that all residents may have the opportunity to enjoy full, active and healthy lives.

The Greenwich Department of Health is responsible for protecting, promoting and improving the health of Greenwich residents by implementing the provisions of essential public health services.  The core activities of public health services include monitoring the public’s health status, investigating and responding to disease outbreaks, enforcing laws and regulations to protect the public’s health, developing health policies to improve the quality of life, identifying critical health needs, educating the public about public health issues, allocating health resources and planning for public health emergencies which may require a public health response.

The Office of Administration and Public Health Emergency Preparedness is overseen by the Director of Health who manages the day to day activities of the Department of Health and executes the town’s wellness strategies in an effort to provide a healthier lifestyle for residents. The Director also advocates public health policy changes to the Board of Health to enhance the quality of life in the community. Public health emergency preparedness activities are also carried out by the Department’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinators through designing and updating public health response plans, training department staff, and coordinating with community agencies that respond to disasters. The Emergency Preparedness Program is a local liaison to state preparedness activities and offers education to the general public, business, and local agencies. Being prepared to prevent, respond to and rapidly recover from public health emergencies is critical for protecting and securing the community of Greenwich.

 

The Business Office serves as a major support function in the area of personnel, payroll, and finance. The office is responsible for planning, organizing and delivering business services to all Divisions of the Department. The main focus of the business function is to maintain operations within budgetary parameters and prepare grant applications for State and Federal funding so that health programs can be provided.

 

The Office of Special Clinical Services is the primary HIV/STD prevention program in the Town of Greenwich. The office collaborates with the Greenwich Hospital to provide risk assessment, counseling, testing, referrals, and treatment to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) and pregnancy. Additional responsibilities include the Director providing blood borne pathogen training and assessing occupational exposures for Town of Greenwich personnel. The Director also collaborates with the Red Ribbon Foundation, Stamford CARES, AIDS Alliance of Greenwich, Greenwich Department of Social Services, the Greenwich Board of Education, CT Department of Public Health STD Program to provide programs and services to clients and the community.

 

The Division of Family Health has two major components: the Adult Health Program and the Maternal and Child Health Program. The overall nursing program focuses upon health promotion and disease prevention in order to maintain and improve individual health status of Greenwich residents. The services of this Division are provided to enable individuals to achieve and maintain optimal physical, emotional, and social health. Components of all programs (the Home Health Maintenance Program, Senior Health Program, Tuberculosis Prevention Program, Maternal and Child Health Program and Day-care Licensing Program) include preventative health care sessions, early identification of health problems through screenings, health maintenance, health education, home visits, consultation and communication with the medical and social service community.

 

The Dental Health Program strives to apply the principles and practices of preventive dentistry through an oral health program of services to Greenwich children, adolescents, the elderly, and to those who do not have sufficient access to oral health care. One main program goal to prevent oral disease is directed mainly to children in the public school system. This program provides dental screenings for early detection, periodic assessment of oral health problems, and conducts educational sessions to stress the importance of preventative health care measures. A fluoride rinse program is also offered to students in first through fifth grade. The overall program serves eleven elementary schools and three middle schools. In addition to the public school curriculum, the dental health program serves community and school based pre-schools, seniors in the community, Headstart programs, and the Department’s Well Child Clinic.

 

The Division of Environmental Services has two major subdivisions: Environmental Health and Laboratory.

            The Environmental Health Program focuses mainly upon regulation enforcement of facilities that provide services to the public (in example: restaurants; body care facilities). In addition the program oversees many other areas of environmental health such as sewage disposal installations, conducts water sampling of public pools and beaches, and investigations of a wide variety of complaints.

            The Laboratory performs environmental and clinical testing on various samples and serves the public in providing tick testing, radon in air testing, and well water testing. The Laboratory also supports town agencies in their need to comply with certain regulations.  

            Both programs function in tandem to help support the health status of the community. The services of both divisions are provided to protect the public from potential health hazards, illness and disease. This is achieved through programs such as health education, environmental inspection, sampling and testing, clinical screening, licensing, permitting and consultation with the social service community.

 

The Department of Health continues to dedicate itself to providing strong leadership for the advancement of health in the community.

 

The Department of Parks and Recreation is comprised of professionals in all facets of public service who deliver high quality leisure time opportunities through safe, well-organized and affordable programs across a comprehensive network of parks, playgrounds, marinas, beaches, athletic fields, neighborhood community centers, ice skating rink, municipal golf course and open spaces to promote the mental, physical and social well-being of our residents.  We foster a sense of community spirit and civic responsibility through the use and preservation of the Town’s natural resources for the enjoyment of current and future generations.

The Marine and Facility Operations Division of the Department of Parks and Recreation is accountable and responsible for the operation and budgeting of all municipal beaches, ferry services, off-shore islands and boating facilities.  Boating Facilities consist of four marinas: Byram, Cos Cob, Grass Island, and Greenwich Point.

The Parks Division provides quality grounds maintenance of 2000 acres of land inclusive of park land, open space, school campuses, and athletic turf. The division is also responsible for removal of leaves, ice, and snow of all recreation areas. In addition, the Parks Division works cooperatively with community groups on various special park improvement projects that are in accordance with the Master Plan for the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The Tree Division is responsible for the care and maintenance of all trees on roadsides, in parks, schools, and all other Town owned properties. The Tree Department is trained and equipped to provide a complete range of tree care services for the Town of Greenwich. Tree care services include tree removal, stump grinding, safety pruning, maintenance pruning, bracing, cabling, tree planting, insect & disease control, hazard tree evaluation, and tree value appraisal.

With the most recent storm; Hurricane Sandy, Parks and Trees personnel in conjunction with other departments, divisions and agencies worked around the clock coordinating efforts to clear downed trees across Town and ensure that residents were safe.  On several occasions throughout the storm Parks and Trees employees came to the aid of police, fire, and GEMS personnel trapped on roads by downed trees.   These employees spent time away from their families and post storm conditions at their homes to ensure the safety and well-being of Greenwich residents.

The Recreation Division is responsible for the implementation of a diverse program base of both active and passive recreation and leisure programs to meet the needs and interests of the Greenwich community.  The Recreation Division plans and assists with approximately 100 special events throughout Town during each fiscal year.  Additionally, the Division issues field permits available to residents and Town organizations for various games and activities. Normally, the permit season runs from mid-April through October.

The Griffith E. Harris Golf Course, the “Griff”is the Town’s only municipal golf course. The Department of Parks and Recreation oversees operation of the 18-hole golf course, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones and dedicated in 1965.  The Griff operates on a revolving fund, or self-supporting and strives to maintain affordable fees for its membership.  The Griff is a course that can be enjoyed by recreational golfers yet challenging for more advanced players.  The staff works very hard at maintaining high quality greens, fairways, rough and other areas of the course.

In summary, we work hard so you can play hard.  For more information or program registration, please visit our website: Parks and Recreation.

The Department of Public Works is one of the largest departments in Town with six divisions: Highway, Waste Disposal, Building Construction and Maintenance, Building Inspection, and Sewer, all being supported by DPW Administration. Over 165 employees report to the Commissioner of Public Works. Our various divisions are responsible for Town infrastructure including bridges, sidewalks, roads, town buildings and sewers. 

The DPW - Highway Division maintains 265 miles of public roads, 30 off-street parking areas and the structures within its right-of-way including stormwater drains, curbing, approximately 130 miles of sidewalk, 130 trash receptacles; provides leaf collection on public roads in R-20 building zones and below; maintains traffic signals; and installs signs and pavement markings. The Highway Division provides many other services to the Town. These include snow and ice control, street sweeping, maintenance of certain Board of Education infrastructure as will as important ongoing capital programs such as paving maintenance and highway maintenance. This latter program includes work to maintain over 10,000 catch basins, sidewalks, curbs, fences and guiderails across the Town. Altogether, the Highway Division functions as a well organized and dependable service provider for the town. 

The Waste Disposal Division of Public Works provides solid waste disposal services to the public.  Services provided include: disposal of solid waste materials - regular household and commercial trash, over-sized bulky waste (construction & demolition material), organic waste (yard waste), single stream recyclables, other recyclables, and household hazardous waste. This Division conducts outreach to its customers and its work with resident participation in the recycling area has led Greenwich to have one of the highest rates in the state.  Holly Hill is an extremely busy facility which operates efficiently with a small number of full time staff. 

The Building Construction and Maintenance Division (BC&M)  is responsible for the administration, planning and execution of all construction and maintenance activities for town owned buildings; except marine docking facilities and buildings assigned to the Board of Education. BC&M deals with 136 locations throughout Town, including Town Hall, the Metro-North Railroad sites, Town buildings leased by outside groups and many other facilities. This Division is constantly “rolling with the punches” accommodating and re-modeling various departments and buildings as needs and staff grow and evolve. 

The Engineering Division has responsibility for the planning, design, and construction administration of Town capital improvement projects and for providing professional engineering services for comprehensive reviews and reports on private development plans submitted to the Town’s Land Use Commissions.  Engineering handles traffic engineering, the bridge program (75 bridges), stormwater planning and improvement design, and other capital projects to better town infrastructure such as sidewalks, drainage, dams etc.. Engineering coordinates with Highway and many other stakeholders to arrive at maintainable, practical, and safe designs. We are fortunate to have well-trained engineers on staff who are often tapped to help other DPW divisions when their expertise is needed. 

The Building Inspection Division is responsible for the administration (and State mandated enforcement) of the Connecticut State Building Code and all other codes and standards referenced therein.  These responsibilities include reviewing applications for building permits (including monitoring other Town agency approvals prior to permit acceptance), reviewing plans for code compliance, issuing building permits and associated trade permits, inspecting work done under said permits, monitoring building permit conditions as well as other Town agency approvals and issuing a Certificate of Occupancy/Compliance for each permit. This Division follows strict and not always popular regulations; but they are adept at dealing with the public in a polite and professional way. 

The Sewer Division is responsible for operation, maintenance and repair of 185 miles of sewer lines, 29 pumping stations, over 350 individual grinder pumps currently installed in the Milbrook and North Mianus sewer extension areas, and the Grass Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, all of which must comply with federal and state regulations.  The Sewer Division works to implement additional compliance outreach programs to control fats, oils and grease entering the sewers from food establishments and stormwater from illegal connections.  All this work leads to an excellent record of complying with treatment plant discharge limits to protect human health and Long Island Sound. 

DPW’s complement of professional and administrative staff are committed to the proper and effective maintenance of the town infrastructure and facilities. It is due to the diligence of our staff that the sewers function properly, the roadways are paved and bridges are safe. DPW staff are often times unsung heroes during storms both major and minor removing tree debris or snow from roads, keeping sewers running during power outages and inspecting houses for safety. Hurricane Sandy was a true testament to the fact that our staff are a critical component of the Town’s backbone. All of us in DPW take our jobs seriously and work as a team to keep the Town running smoothly in both fair and foul weather.

        The Office of the Registrars of Voters administers fair and honest elections for municipal, state, and federal offices.  By state law, there are at least two Registrars, one from each of the two major political parties. Greenwich has one Republican and one Democrat Registrar of Voters. Once sworn in, the Registrars provide assistance to all eligible citizens and residents in the Town of Greenwich, regardless of political party affiliation.  The department also has two full-time staff employees who are designated as Assistant Registrars. 

Cooperation and teamwork has always been a hallmark of the department.  It has to be.  We are the only department with co-department heads.  All decisions are made jointly by the elected Democratic Registrar and a Republican Registrar.  To manage the process, the department relied on its own staff, new technologies, and the support of many other departments in town, all of whom help us to accomplish the task of managing 35,000 registered voters, 3 elections, and more than one hundred thousand votes cast in 2012.  All in a department with only 2 full-time and three part-time staff. 

As stated above, our small department can not accomplish the task of running elections without teamwork from other departments.  This year, we were blessed to leverage the skills of many other departments in order to make things happen.  To manage the process of identifying the thousands of voters whose State Representatives changed due to a statewide redistricting by the legislature, we relied heavily on the GIS Department.  Maps were plotted which allowed us to independently examine every individual property in the areas which were redistricted.           

To allow people to look up their voting information, the IT department created a new online application for us, which allows people to check their information at any time of day or night.  There is no way we could manage the set-up of any election without all of the members of Building Construction and Maintenance who move our voting equipment to a dozen locations around town, and set up appropriate signage at every polling place.  Administrative Services makes hundreds of poll books for us, and has the unenviable task of bumping someone out of a room reservation if a summer primary means we need it for elections or election preparation. 

Due to the separation of duties in state statute, we also work extremely closely with the Town Clerk’s office who orders all of our ballots, and coordinates the distribution of thousands of absentee ballots, and this year, hundreds of special Presidential ballots.  The Town Clerk and Assistant Town Clerk stay with us right to the bitter end on election night, which can often mean midnight and beyond. 

Finally, for the upcoming Presidential election, almost 250 town residents are added to our team as poll workers.  They work a 14 to 16 hour day. 

Everyone in our office finds their job quite fulfilling.  We like to think of ourselves as the “first department”, because with fair and honest elections we elect the individuals who set the priorities that make Greenwich a great place to live and work. 

To check on your voter registration, or to get information on registering to vote or applying for an absentee ballot, please visit www.greenwichct.org/vote

 Fred A. DeCaro III – Republican Registrar

Sharon B. Vecchiolla – Democratic Registrar

 

            The Human Resources Department for the Town of Greenwich is dedicated to the recruitment, selection, development and retention of a diverse group of individuals capable of meeting the ever-changing needs of the community.  In order to achieve this end, the process for recruitment starts with the careful design of a job description.  The job description is the joint effort of the hiring department and Human Resources, and lists the required knowledge for the job, the skills needed to perform the job, both safely and efficiently, and any other minimum qualifications the position would require.

            After a job description has been approved, the open position is posted online using NEOGOV.  NEOGOV is an electronic applicant tracking system.  Accurate tracking of candidates is particularly important for the Town because of the rigorous testing process applicants undergo between their application and their potential hiring.  Finally, Human Resources generates an employment register, which lists candidates in order of their ranking.  This list is forwarded to the hiring authority and leads to an appointment to the vacancy.

            After hiring, Human Resources remains a presence throughout an employee’s career, as employees apply for transfers or promotions, which are tracked again by NEOGOV.  And to help employees be ready for transfers and promotions, Human Resources identifies training needs and designs programs to meet those needs.

            Another way Human Resources assists employees throughout their tenure with the Town is through its benefits administration. The Benefits Department administers health and welfare benefits for all Town and Board of Education employees, as well as administering retirement benefits for Town employees.  The department works to strategically design and deliver a competitive benefits package to employees while maintaining strict compliance with state and federal regulations.  The department staff provides one-on-one assistance to employees helping them navigate complex benefit issues while facilitating direct interaction with carriers.  Recent initiatives to this end include opportunities for employees to directly meet with Diversified, the retirement plans administrator, and the Town’s Cigna Representative.  Even as the department works to foster employee self service, it also advocates for employees, managing carrier relationships and overseeing the day-to-day administration of the plans.   

            One of the most significant ways in which Human Resources stays connected to the Town’s employees is through the Payroll division.  The Payroll Division works to provide accurate and timely pay to all employees.  Payroll personnel collect, format and audit all of the time and attendance information for the Town’s approximately three thousand employees.  Payroll is responsible for tracking and paying benefit days such as vacation, personal time, sick time and holidays, as well as, keeping track of shift differentials and overtime.  A major challenge to the department in meeting its goal is insuring that the multitude of time cards and/or time sheets from throughout the Town and Board of Education are submitted to the department in a timely manner.  As a result of the efforts of the payroll staff, all employees can count on receiving a biweekly paycheck.

            In summary, the Human Resources department is responsible for the care of employees from initial hire to retirement, and even beyond.  Glad to be there at every step for so many great people.