The Legal Services Department consists of a town attorney and three assistant town attorneys.

Town Attorney…More Richard H. Saxl, who has a practice in Westport, and three assistant town attorneys are legal advisors of, and counsel and attorneys for, the town and all town departments and town officials. They provide legal services in matters relating to the town's interests and the official duties and powers of town officials except for matters covered by insurance or under the purview of the Board of Education.</p> <p>Saxl and assistant town attorneys prepare and review contracts, furnish written legal opinions, appear for the town in litigation and actions brought against the town, and settle suits involving claims for money against the town at the direction of the Board of Selectmen or, in the case of land-use appeals, by conferring with the appropriate board or commission.</p> <p>The Legal Services Department's budget in 2009-10 is $512,700.</p> <p>The town attorney does not maintain an office in a Fairfield government building. An assistant town attorney has an office in Old Town Hall, 611 Old Post Road.</p>

The Town Plan and Zoning Department administers the town Plan of Conservation and Development and zoning and…More subdivision regulations. It also addresses the standards and controls under which land may be developed. The department assists elected boards of volunteer residents who vote on development applications, such as the Town Plan and Zoning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.</p> <p>The Town Plan and Zoning Department performs inspections on possible violations to town zoning regulations and applications for developments. The department assists the town Parking Authority in the leasing and management of parking spaces by the Fairfield Railroad Station and Southport Railroad Station, which administers more than 2,500 permits for parking spaces at the railroad stations.</p>

The primary objective of the Assessor's Department is to ensure that each property owner in town bears an appropriate…More share of the property tax burden.</p> <p>The Assessor's Department also oversees townwide revaluations of property; compiles and ensures the Grand List, which is the list of all taxable property in town, is accurate; manages the town's Senior & Totally Disabled Tax Relief Program; conducts field reviews of properties that are newly constructed or remodeled in between the years when revaluations take place; and updates valuations on a database of properties in town.</p> <p>The Assessor's Department's budget in 2009-10 is $861,218.</p> <p>The Assessor's Department is located on the first floor of Old Town Hall, 611 Old Post Road.</p>

The Conservation Department operates under the town Conservation Commission, which consists of 10 volunteers…More appointed by the first selectman.</p> <p>The Conservation Department reviews development applications to determine their impact on wetlands, regulates 7,000 parcels of property that are near wetlands and watercourses, manages 1,173 acres of town-owned open space, facilitates environmental improvements, administers a marsh restoration program, and serves the town Shellfish Commission in its effort to improve public access and opportunities for recreational and commercial shellfishing in Fairfield.</p> <p>The Conservation Department's budget in 2009-10 is $1 million.</p> <p>The Conservation Department is located on the second floor of the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall, 725 Old Post Road.</p>

The Town Clerk's Office records land records and ensures the proper encumbrances of property; provides chronological…More and alphabetical indexes to documents, maps, permits and town sewer and property liens; issues, records and maintains birth, marriage and death certificates, liquor permits, notary public certificates, hunting and fishing licenses, trade name certificates, burial permits and dog licenses; publishes notices of town meetings; compiles, copies and mails the agenda and background material for monthly meetings of the Representative Town Meeting to 50 RTM members; records votes of the RTM; ensures the Code Book of Town Laws and the Boards & Commissions Book are up to date; issues absentee ballots and petitions for primaries and referendums; and is the local source for campaign finance records.</p> <p>The Town Clerk's Office also provides information to residents about government policy, structure and election laws.</p> <p>The Town Clerk's Office's budget in 2009-10 is $594,947, and revenue received by the office and deposited in the town's general fund totaled $2.5 million in 2007-08.</p> <p>The Town Clerk is an elected position and subject to re-election every four years. The Town Clerk's salary in 2009-10 is $88,620.</p> <p>The Town Clerk's Office is located on the first floor of Old Town Hall, 611 Old Post Road.</p>

The Finance Department is responsible for financial planning for the town; preparing official statements on bond and…More note issues; developing a budget for the executive and legislative branches of government; receiving, recording, depositing and reporting, on a timely basis, all monies collected by the town and achieving the maximum investment of temporarily idle funds; ensuring that all items recorded in the town's financial records are legal, properly classified and accurate and that all financial reports are timely, meaningful and in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles; ensuring that records of all financial transactions are maintained; auditing all monies received by the town; and conducting performance audits.</p> <p>The 2009-10 budget for the Finance Department is $949,301.</p> <p>The Finance Department is located on the second floor of the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall, 725 Old Post Road.</p>

The Engineering Department, which is a division of the Department of Public Works but has its own budget, prepares…More drawings and survey layouts for town-built drainage systems, road alignment and widening projects, sidewalk installation, parking lots, handicapped ramps, sports fields and bridges. It also prepares architectural plans for the renovation of some town buildings, and, for work performed by contract, the department designs plans, drawings and documents for bidding purposes.</p> <p>The Engineering Department also maintains and updates maps and drawings of road and drainage systems, subdivision layouts and grading plans, bridges, historic districts and voting districts, town buildings, the official town street map, public parks and miscellaneous projects.</p> <p>The Engineering Department also prepares easement and legal descriptions for storm sewers and sanitary sewer lines that are designed in-house, and it provides assistance to other town departments that includes surveys, benchmarks, elevations, town property lines, the design of sports fields, school bus loops and driveways, minor building renovations, grading, drainage, sieve analysis, traffic analysis, cost estimates and technical assistance related to grants and permits for town departments.</p> <p>The Engineering Department's budget in 2009-10 is $724,267.</p> <p>The Engineering Department is located on the first floor of the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall, 725 Old Post Road.</p> <p>The Town Engineer is William Hurley.</p>

The Department of Emergency Management plans emergency responses and staffs an Emergency Operations Center at Fire…More Station 2 on Jennings Road during all major natural disasters. This center becomes the central focus of emergency operations when catastrophic  events occur in Fairfield.</p> <p>The town's emergency services information telephone number (203-254-4899) is a product of the Department of Emergency Management.</p> <p>The 2009-10 budget for the Department of Emergency Management is $25,227 and 50 percent of this budget is reimbursed by state and federal grants.</p> <p>Fire Chief Richard Felner was appointed in January 2002 as the town's director of emergency management.</p>

The Information Technology Department's mission is to provide around-the-clock access to electronic information to…More town employees and residents in an efficient and cost-conscious manner.</p> <p>The Information Technology Department maintains technology infrastructure for the town and residents that includes a wide area network (for data communication: Fairfield MAN, WAN, Internet and Web), town servers (supporting town databases: e-mail, purchasing and requisitions, tax, land/GIS and Web), town personal computers (user tool for access to e-information) and a phone system (repairs, upgrades, adding, removing and moving users.)</p> <p>The Information Technology Department's budget in 2009-10 is $1.56 million.</p> <p>The Information Technology Department is located in the basement of the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall, 725 Old Post Road.</p> <p>The director of the Information Technology Department is Donald Leslie.</p>

The Human Resources Department is responsible for labor relations, personnel administration, town employee benefits,…More staff services and risk management.</p> <p>The Human Resources Department also provides advice and consultation on work- and retirement-related matters to about 500 full-time town employees, 150 part-time town employees, 175 seasonal town employees, 500 retired town employees and a dozen contract employees. The department also is responsible for retirement counseling and processing, workers' compensation oversight and risk management functions for about 500 Board of Education employees, including those in bargaining units and those exempt from bargaining units.</p> <p>The 2009-10 budget for the Human Resources Department is $4.2 million. This amount includes a total of $2.5 million in two risk management funds, $574,115 for liability insurance and $387,000 for property insurance.</p> <p>The Human Resources Department is located on the first floor of the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall, 725 Old Post Road.</p> <p>The Human Resources director is Mary Carroll-Mirylees.</p>

The Board of Selectmen is a three-member elected board (first selectman and two selectmen) authorized to initiate…More policies and decisions for the town. Each member of the Board of Selectmen serves a four-year term before he or she faces re-election.</p> <p>The three selectmen vote on town projects and legal agreements; budget and spending requests; bonding; legal claims; appointments to boards and commissions; use of town facilities; and other areas defined by the Town Charter, town ordinances and state statutes.</p> <p>The first selectman is the full-time chief executive officer and chief elected official of the town. The first selectman is responsible for compiling the annual town budget and initiating funding requests. Town departments report directly or indirectly to the first selectman.</p> <p>The office of the first selectman handles constituent inquiries on a daily basis, coordinates interdepartmental activities, and provides advice on policies and programs that enhance the quality of life in Fairfield.</p> <p>The Board of Selectmen's budget in 2009-10 is $538,514. The first selectman is paid $125,730, one selectman is paid $9,900 and the other selectman is paid $10,000. The two selectmen are part-time positions.</p> <p>The first selectman's/Board of Selectmen's office is located on the second floor of the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall, 725 Old Post Road.</p>

The Tax Collector's Department bills and collects current taxes due to the town; collects sewer use fees; collects…More interest and delinquent taxes; collects sewer assessments and carrying charges; and makes lawful adjustments to tax amounts due to the town.</p> <p>The Tax Collector's Department also responds to residents' questions on tax, use and assessment bills and notices; provides tax balances to attorneys, banks, title searchers and property owners; searches historical tax records for income tax purposes; updates addresses, ownership and banks escrowing taxes; and re-mails returned tax bills.</p> <p>In the most recent fiscal year, the Tax Collector's Department collected 99 percent of taxes due to the town, 96 percent of sewer use taxes and 40 percent of delinquent taxes.</p> <p>Enforcement measures taken by the Tax Collector's Department include issuing delinquency notices; filing liens against delinquent real estate accounts and personal property tax accounts; notifying the Department of Motor Vehicles about delinquent motor vehicle taxes; prohibiting the issuance of building permits on properties that have delinquent real estate accounts; working with the town Health Department to revoke permits of businesses that are delinquent in taxes; recommending foreclosure actions to the town attorney; defending the town against taxpayer lawsuits; transferring personal property accounts to a collection agency for further action; and issuing alias tax warrants for service by a state marshal to induce collection.</p> <p>The Tax Collector's Department's budget in 2009-10 is $667,194.</p> <p>The Tax Collector's Department is located on the first floor of Old Town Hall, 611 Old Post Road.</p>

The Department of Solid Waste & Recycling oversees the town transfer station where trash, recyclable materials…More and yard waste are brought by residents and private haulers.</p> <p>The Department of Solid Waste & Recycling also runs Household Hazardous Waste days, when residents can bring hazardous waste to a central location for proper disposal.</p> <p>The Department of Solid Waste & Recycling projects revenue in 2009-10 to be $3.69 million. The town has taken the position of subsidizing 4.32 percent of the cost of disposing of residential municipal solid waste, as opposed to a 40 percent subsidy in the past.</p> <p>The 2009-10 budget for the Department of Solid Waste & Recycling is $4.2 million.</p> <p>The Department of Solid Waste & Recycling's administrative office is on the first floor of the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall, 725 Old Post Road. The department's director is Michael Zembruski.</p>

The Department of Public Works includes an administration division and an operations division.

The Department…More of Public Works' administration division is comprised of town employees that manage key areas of Public Works, including engineering, roads, stormwater drainage systems, parks, beaches, marinas, public buildings, the wastewater treatment plant and sewer collection systems. These employees carry out the policies and objectives of town boards and commissions to protect the town's investment in its infrastructure.</p> <p>The Department of Public Works' operations division consists of field employees that work to protect the town's infrastructure and provide services to the community, including maintenance of town buildings, parks, athletic fields, beaches, streets and highways, flood control structures, municipal and commuter parking lots, stormwater drainage systems and South Benson Marina; building operations; repairs and service to the town's fleet of vehicles, trucks and construction equipment; yard and tree waste disposal; leaf collection; recycling; urban forestry; set up and take down of Christmas decorations and decorations for town ceremonies on the 4th of July, Memorial Day and Veterans Day; set up for community events that include Fairfield Day, youth events, marathons, volleyball tournaments and Concerts on the Green; set up of voting machines during elections; and construction and rehabilitation of streets, storm drains, seawalls, athletic fields, sidewalks, recreation facilities, flood control structures, buildings, offices and historic structures.</p> <p>The 2009-10 budget for the Department of Public Works' administration division is $577,245. The 2009-10 budget for the Department of Public Works' operations division is $12.5 million.</p> <p>The Department of Public Works' administration office is in the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall, 725 Old Post Road.</p>

The Purchasing Department solicits bids for town construction projects, and the town's Purchasing Authority, which is…More comprised of Twig Holland, the director of the Purchasing Department, and First Selectman Ken Flatto, selects the lowest qualified bidder for those projects.</p> <p>Bid information on town projects is able to be accessed through the town of Fairfield's Web site as part of the Purchasing Department's effort to provide suppliers with equal and timely access to information.</p> <p>Some of the Purchasing Department's accomplishments in the last fiscal year included negotiating heating and vehicle fuel prices and electricity supply and pricing; supporting the High School Building Committee and Tomlinson Middle School Building Committee in the final phases of their projects; supporting the Stratfield Elementary School Building Committee in its charge to renovate and build an addition onto the town's oldest elementary school; supporting the Special Projects Standing Building Committee in its charge to attach modular classroom annexes onto Osborn Hill School and Roger Sherman School; and bidding and buying for numerous facility improvement projects, including roofing, facade and window rehabilitation and replacement, and capital equipment and technology purchases.</p> <p>The Purchasing Department's budget in 2009-10 is $276,313.</p> <p>The Purchasing Department is located on the first floor of the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall, 725 Old Post Road.</p>

The Office of Community & Economic Development develops and administers programs to stimulate and encourage…More economic development; revitalize and strengthen neighborhoods; facilitate and promote affordable housing; and preserve and enhance the overall well-being of the community.</p> <p>The office's economic development activities focus on business retention and expansion, business recruitment, and small business development. Its overarching mission is to create jobs and enhance the town's tax base through appropriate commercial development that preserves the town's historic character and quality of life.</p> <p>The office's community development activities are focused on encouraging homeownership, expanding economic opportunities, maintaining the town's stock of affordable housing, and responding to the needs of the town's low- and moderate-income populations.</p> <p>The office also administers Community Development Block Grant funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and it oversees the Downtown Employee Parking Program and streetscape and beautification projects in the central business district and other commercial corridors.</p> <p>The 2009-10 budget for the Office of Community & Economic Development is $188,275.</p> <p>The Office of Community & Economic Development is located on the second floor of Old Town Hall, 611 Old Post Road.</p>

The Building Department ensures that all building construction and alterations in town conform to town and state…More building codes to protect the public health, safety and general welfare of residents as they relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures.</p> <p>The Building Department reviews plans for code enforcement that have been prepared by outside architects and engineering consultants and/or builders to ensure they are compliant with building codes and other laws, ordinances, rules and regulations related to construction. Once the reviews have been completed and the plans have been approved, the Building Department issues permits and collects fees per town policy.</p> <p>Field and site inspections for code enforcement and compliance include foundations, slabs, rough-in plumbing, mechanical and electrical elements, frame and masonry, insulation and wallboard. The Building Department is also responsible for inspections related to the town's Anti-Blight Ordinance, Demolition Delay Ordinance, demolition, health (motel and rooming house inspections and restaurants and residences in need of repair), tents for private parties and civic functions, pools, elevators, amusement rides, propane tanks for private and civic organizations, fire emergency call-outs and final inspections before a Certificate of Occupancy and Use is granted.</p> <p>Five inspectors in the Building Department performed more than 6,000 inspections in the most recent fiscal year, not including random complaints and calls from town residents and calls from the Fire Marshal's Office that range from 300 to 500 a year.</p> <p>In 2008-09, the Building Department received $1.5 million in revenue from fees associated with permits, and the department expects to receive $1.2 million in the current fiscal year due to the slowing economy and building and development trends.</p> <p>The 2009-10 budget for the Building Department was $693,316.</p> <p>The Building Department is located on the second floor of the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall, 725 Old Post Road.</p>

The Water Pollution Control Authority is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the town's wastewater…More treatment plant, compost facility, eight pump stations and more than 205 miles of sewer lines. The wastewater treatment plant discharges 10 million gallons of treated effluent per day to Long Island Sound. More than 95 percent of pollutants are removed and 5,000 tons of sludge are generated per year, which is mixed with discarded leaves and brush and composted into an organic soil amendment.</p> <p>The 2009-10 budget for the Water Pollution Control Authority is $4.8 million, and the Water Pollution Control Authority is designed to be self-supporting through the collection of sewer use fees. Revenue in 2008-09 was estimated at $4.8 million.</p> <p>The Water Pollution Control Authority consists of seven volunteers - a member of the Board of Selectmen and six members appointed by the Board of Selectmen.</p> <p>The Water Pollution Control Authority meets in the Honorable John J. Sullivan Independence Hall and its office, the Sewer Department, is on the first floor of that municipal building.</p>

The town's Emergency Communications Center provides for the communication needs of the Fire Department and Police…More Department, including all telephone and radio data networks and communication among firefighters, police officers and paramedics on ambulances.</p> <p>The Emergency Communications Center receives more than 125,000 phone calls and more than 170,000 radio transmissions a year and processes more than 45,000 dispatched calls for service a year. All Emergency Communications Center personnel are trained in emergency medical dispatch, which enables them to provide life-saving information to residents while emergency personnel are en route.</p> <p>The Emergency Communications Center, which operates under the supervision of the Fire Department and Police Department, consists of 15 telecommunicators and operates 24/7.</p> <p>The 2009-10 budget for the Emergency Communications Center is $1.5 million.</p> <p>The Emergency Communications Center is located in the basement of the Fairfield Police Department at 100 Reef Road.</p>

The Department of Human and Social Services assists Fairfield residents who are experiencing difficulty providing the…More basic necessities of life for themselves and their families. The department's comprehensive case management consists of an initial assessment of the needs of the household, intervention when necessary and assistance with program services.</p> <p>The Department of Human and Social Services receives referrals from other town departments, state, federal and private agencies, religious institutions and concerned individuals or is contacted directly by people in need.</p> <p>The Department of Human and Social Services also is responsible for management of the Fairfield Senior Center and its activities, amenities and transportation.</p> <p>The 2009-10 budget for the Department of Human and Social Services is $524,792.</p> <p>The Department of Human and Social Services is located at the Fairfield Senior Center, 100 Mona Terrace. The department's director is Claire Grace.</p>

The Parks and Recreation Department offers sports programs for youth and adults, schedules sports teams on town…More athletic fields, staffs town beaches with lifeguards, oversees operations at the town's two golf courses, operates the town fitness center, operates a teen theater program, offers sailing and swimming lessons, and runs summer playground, summer camp, after-school and pre-school programs.</p> <p>The 2009-10 Parks and Recreation Department budget includes four subcategories for waterfront and marina, the Penfield Pavilion complex, South Pine Creek Golf Course and H. Smith Richardson Golf Course.</p> <p>The main budget for the Parks and Recreation Department in 2009-10, which mostly includes salaries for a director, assistant director, two recreation coordinators, a secretary and an account clerk, as well as seasonal payroll and maintenance accounts, totals $826,830. Revenue from swimming lessons, use of the Tennis Center and the winter tennis concession, the rental of facilities and fees for non-residents in adult sports leagues is estimated at $219,000.</p> <p>The Penfield Pavilion complex budget, which is mostly designed to cover seasonal employment, utilities and maintenance, totals $103,945, with revenue from the rental of changing rooms and sailboat racks, private parties at the complex and concession fees estimated at $208,000.</p> <p>The Waterfront and Marina budget in 2009-10, which mostly includes seasonal payroll and maintenance, totals $458,444.</p> <p>The combined budgets for the South Pine Creek Golf Course and H. Smith Richardson Golf Course total $1.7 million, and revenue from those golf courses is $2 million.</p> <p>Administrative offices for the Parks and Recreation Department are located at 75 Mill Plain Road.</p>

The Registrar of Voters' Office operates impartially to administer fair, transparent and open elections in the…More interests of about 37,000 Fairfield voters.</p> <p>The Registrar of Voters' Office maintains the town voter registry list by adding new voters, making necessary changes to existing voters, such as changes to address and political party, and removing voters who are deceased or otherwise no longer eligible to vote in Fairfield. The office also administers elections by hiring and training poll workers, overseeing Election Day operations, counting absentee ballots, purchasing supplies and maintaining scanner type tabulators, ordering phone lines for communication and the state-mandated handicapped voter system, discarding used ballots and storing used Federal ballots.</p> <p>The Registrar of Voters' Office also disseminates town voter information.</p> <p>The Registrar of Voters' Office consists of two part-time registrars (one Republican, one Democrat) and a full-time secretary. The Republican Registrar is Roger Autuori; the Democratic Registrar is Matthew Waggner.</p> <p>The Registar of Voters' Office's budget in 2009-10 is $225,825. Each part-time registrar is paid $30,725 and is subject to re-election every four years.</p> <p>The Registrar of Voters' Office is on the first floor of Old Town Hall, 611 Old Post Road.</p>