From the Mayor's Desk
City News
When it comes to housing, Stamford can't afford to do nothing
My top priority continues to be creating a more equitable, affordable, and economically vibrant City where everyone can thrive and this starts with ensuring that people who want to live in Stamford have access to high-quality, affordable housing.
This doesn't just help the hard-working people who are essential workers in our City or the young people who grew up here who want to continue to live and work here as adults, but this is also vital for Stamford’s economic future.
We must not close our doors to those who make our City thrive and approving the current proposal for 35 Crescent Street will ensure that we are providing critical workforce housing as well as community space for residents to utilize.
If you believe as I do that we must make Stamford more affordable, please reach out to the Board of Representatives to urge its support for this proposal. Read my op-ed here.
Stamford joins Vision Zero initiative
On Tuesday, I was joined by City officials from the Transportation, Traffic, & Parking Department, Police and Fire Departments, the Office of Public Safety, Health, and Welfare, and local elected and community leaders to sign an executive order establishing a Stamford Vision Zero Initiative.
The Vision Zero Initiative is a multidisciplinary approach to eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all.
Our streets are the foundation of our community, connecting our neighborhoods and us as residents to everything our wonderful City has to offer. Addressing this issue head-on requires the thoughtful collaboration with a variety of stakeholders and I am excited to work with these partners on this important work.
Stamford Food Scrap Recycling Initiative
Last week I stopped by the Stamford Food Scraps Recycling Initiative to thank our hard working City employees for their work to protect our environment and make Stamford more sustainable. Food scraps are one of the largest components of trash sent to landfills and incinerators. As it decomposes in landfills, food waste is a major source of methane – a powerful greenhouse gas. But food waste is not trash; it is a resource that can be turned into compost that enriches our soil. The City of Stamford landfills 55,000 tons of garbage each year costing $75 per ton. 30-40% of our garbage is food or organic waste that could be composted. The goal of this initiative is to reduce the amount of garbage our City sends to landfills by diverting food scraps from residents’ homes and turning them into compost. Visit our website to learn more: https://www.stamfordct.gov/government/operations/recycling-and-sanitation/about/stamford-food-scrap-recycling-initiative.
Guatemalan and Mexican Independence Day Celebration
Last weekend we had a beautiful time to commemorating Guatemalan and Mexican Independence Day! Stamford’s biggest strength is our diversity and I am grateful for the opportunity to work every day to ensure our City is a vibrant, inclusive, and equitable place for all residents. I look forward to continuing to partner and collaborate with our Hispanic community to achieve these goals.
Hispanic Heritage Month
We continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which began on September 15 and continues to October 15. During this time, we celebrate and honor the contributions of Hispanic Americans in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month. The celebration began on September 15th in homage to the anniversary of the Cry of Dolores which marked the start of the Mexican War of Independence that ended Spanish dictatorship for Mexico, Central American nations of Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua.
This is just one platform where I will be sharing updates on a weekly basis, but you can also connect with me and my administration on the platforms below:
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Follow the City of Stamford on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Send me an email at mayorsoffice@stamfordct.gov and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
And of course, I will be out and about across the city every week visiting with local businesses, meeting with constituents, and hearing from stakeholders in our city – so I hope I’ll be able to talk to you in person very soon.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mayor Caroline Simmons
