Greenwich Selectmen Uphold ADA Ruling, Deny Merchant Marine Flag Request
Board of Selectmen · Meeting of April 23, 2026
Greenwich selectmen uphold ADA ruling, deny flag request, advance $400,000 traffic safety plan. The Board of Selectmen, with First Selectman Fred Camillo, Selectwoman Lauren Rabin and Selectwoman Rachel Khanna all voting unanimously, upheld Human Services Commissioner Demetria Nelson's findings against a Title II ADA grievance filed by resident Laureen Taylor and again refused, for the third time, to authorize a flag raising sought by resident David Wold for U.S. Merchant Marines Day, with Camillo saying "we are not going to be going back and forth every two meetings with new flag raises." The board referred a five-year office lease for the Old Greenwich-Riverside Community Center Inc. to the Planning and Zoning Commission and approved five board reappointments.
DPW's Michael Kiselak presented the final Safe Streets Greenwich Safety Action Plan, built on a $400,000 federal grant, with formal Board endorsement needed before a May 26 funding deadline. Sgt. James D.
Smith updated the board on the town's suspended speed camera program, still under review.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,213 words
Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of April 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
GREENWICH — April 23, 2026 — The Board of Selectmen upheld a decision rejecting a resident's disability discrimination grievance and, for at least the third time, denied a longtime advocate's request to raise a flag for U.S. Merchant Marines Day, at a meeting that also advanced an office lease for a longtime Old Greenwich community nonprofit and approved five reappointments to town boards and commissions.
First Selectman Fred Camillo, Selectwoman Lauren Rabin and Selectwoman Rachel Khanna were all present and voted unanimously on every formal item before them. The board also heard an update on the town's suspended school zone speed camera program and a presentation on a federally funded Safe Streets Greenwich traffic safety plan, though it did not take a final vote on adopting that plan Thursday.
The Full Story
Assistant Town Attorney Lisa Waller was on hand as Camillo read into the record the board's written decision on an ADA and Title VI grievance filed by resident Laureen Taylor. The decision upheld the findings of Human Services Commissioner Demetria Nelson and found that neither the town nor the Planning and Zoning Commission had violated Taylor's rights under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The board directed the town to review its practices to ensure all departments understand their ADA obligations, and noted the Planning and Zoning Commission has begun posting ADA accommodation information on its public notices since February. Camillo said the decision, dated April 22, had been agreed to by all three board members in advance.
Assistant Town Attorney Rosemarie Barretta presented a second read of a request to refer a lease of office space at the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center to the Old Greenwich-Riverside Community Center Inc. to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The lease runs an initial five years with two five-year renewal options. Rabin made the motion to approve the referral, Khanna seconded, and it passed unanimously with no board questions.
Byram Veterans Association member John Macri Jr. appeared by Zoom to update the board on a temporary closure of Veterans Way for a May 24 Memorial Day block party. Macri said the group still had not reached a tenant in the apartment above Burgers, Shakes and Fries whose car may need to move, but had a contingency plan to keep half the street open if needed. The board approved the closure unanimously.
Town resident David Wold, appearing on behalf of the Sons of the American Revolution, again asked the board to authorize a flag raising for U.S. Merchant Marines Day on May 22, citing the occasion's 250th anniversary and the story of Revolutionary War-era privateer Samuel Lockwood. Camillo said the request must go through American Legion Post 29, whose current commander had already told him the post did not support it, and said he would not revisit the town's flag policy on a case-by-case basis. No motion was made on the request.
"We are not going to be going back and forth every two meetings with new flag raises," Camillo said. — Fred Camillo, First Selectman
DPW Civil Engineer III Michael Kiselak presented the final draft of the Safe Streets Greenwich Safety Action Plan, developed under a $400,000 federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant. Kiselak said the plan incorporates feedback from a March 12 public meeting attended by about 30 residents in person, plus more than 50 written comments, and added a recommendation for case-by-case parking studies in the villages. He said DPW is seeking Board endorsement at a future meeting to stay eligible for the 2026 round of federal implementation funding, due by May 26.
"We know it's not a one-size-fits-all solution for these different neighborhoods," Kiselak said. — Michael Kiselak, DPW Civil Engineer III
Greenwich Police Sgt. James D. Smith gave an update on the town's school zone speed camera program, which has been suspended with cameras turned off since a procedural issue was identified. He said 64 percent of pedestrian deaths in traffic crashes nationally occur during school hours, and that the department is negotiating with vendor Blue Line to extend the window to contest a ticket from 10 days to 30. Every flagged violation is reviewed by an officer before a citation is issued, he said.
"It's not carte blanche, everybody's getting a violation," Smith said. — Sgt. James D. Smith, Greenwich Police Department
Sustainability Committee co-chair Janet Stone McGuigan presented the committee's annual report, noting the panel now organizes its work into eight sectors and that Rabin chairs its business sector. Resident Peter Alexander spoke during public comment, praising the speed camera program and suggesting the town consider a special tax on commercial parking spaces to discourage additional car traffic.
Why It Matters
The ADA grievance ruling closes out a monthslong dispute over how the town handles disability-related complaints and reaffirms the process the ADA coordinator's office already follows. The Safe Streets Action Plan carries a harder deadline: DPW must secure Board endorsement before the May 26 cutoff to remain eligible for the next round of federal implementation grants tied to the $400,000 planning award the town already received. Meanwhile, the flag policy fight with Wold, now a recurring item at Selectmen meetings, signals the board intends to keep routing all military flag requests through the American Legion rather than individual residents, even during the town's yearlong America 250th anniversary observances.
Key Motions & Votes
- Vote: Approval of minutes, Regular Meeting of April 9, 2026 Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 3 - Vote: Approval of minutes, Special Meeting of April 9, 2026 Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 3 - Vote: Municipal improvement referral to Planning and Zoning Commission for OGRCC office lease at Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 3 - Vote: Temporary closure of Veterans Way on May 24, 2026 for Memorial Day event Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 3 - Action: ADA grievance decision regarding Laureen Taylor — Board upheld Human Services Commissioner Demetria Nelson's findings; decision previously agreed to by all three members, no vote taken at this meeting - Action: Request to raise flag for May 22, 2026 U.S. Merchant Marines Day — No motion made; request not advanced - Action: Safe Streets Greenwich Safety Action Plan — Presented for review; Board endorsement continued to a future meeting - Vote: Nomination of Rick Brooks to Alarm Appeals Board, term expiring June 30, 2030 Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 3 - Vote: Nomination of Blaise Punturo to Fair Rent Commission, term expiring June 30, 2029 Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 3 - Vote: Nomination of Maryann Ramos to Board of Health, term expiring June 30, 2029 Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 3 - Vote: Nomination of Patricia Roberts to Board of Human Services, term expiring June 30, 2029 Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 3 - Vote: Nomination of Brad Radulovacki to Board of Nathaniel Witherell, term expiring June 30, 2029 Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 3 - Vote: Adjournment Tally: For: 3, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 3
Source
Greenwich Community Television: Board of Selectmen meeting, April 23, 2026