Selectmen Advance Cos Cob Veteran Banner Plan

Board of Selectmen · Meeting of October 22, 2026

GREENWICH — The Greenwich Board of Selectmen advanced two first-read proposals: a Cos Cob veteran banner pilot and a park pavilion dedication for the late Richard Kriskey. Teachers Melissa D'Amato and Chris Powers pitched hanging 20 to 30 "Hometown Hero" banners along the Post Road, funded privately, with First Selectman Fred Camillo saying he would seek a Connecticut Department of Transportation permit review since the corridor is a state highway. Griff Harris and Debra Hess asked the board to name the Cos Cob Park pavilion for Kriskey, who chaired the Board of Estimate and Taxation for ten years and helped found Greenwich Emergency Medical Service; Harris called him "the most generous person with his time." The board also discussed extending the four-month dog season at Greenwich Point and voted unanimously, 3-0, to nominate Alan Tubb to the Julian Curtiss School Building Committee.

In the full story:

• Minutes and Routine Business
• First Selectman's Updates
• Selectwomen's Updates
• Cos Cob Hometown Hero Banner Program, First Read
• Cos Cob Park Pavilion Dedication for Richard Kriskey, First Read
• Discussion on Extending Dog Access at Greenwich Point
• [00:53:43] — First Selectman Fred Camillo
• Naming Rights and Gift Policy Threshold
• Appointment: Julian Curtiss School Building Committee
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,470 words

Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of October 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.

The Full Article

Minutes and Routine Business

The board opened by approving the minutes of the Oct. 8, 2026 regular meeting unanimously, with First Selectman Fred Camillo, Selectwoman Lauren Rabin and Selectwoman Rachel Khanna all voting yes. No old business was listed on the agenda, though Camillo later added a short item on the naming rights and gift policy before moving to new business.

First Selectman's Updates

Camillo opened his report by praising new Bruce Museum Executive Director Mary Kate O'Hara for an exhibit he attended the prior night, and thanked the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce and Andrea Bloom for organizing his State of the Town address at the Greenwich Water Club. He said the town remains one of about 15 of Connecticut's 169 municipalities with a AAA credit rating and the state's lowest mill rate, and cited an outside ranking placing Greenwich 10th safest in the nation. He credited realtor Brian Amen with reporting a tightened housing market, down from a six-year average wait for backcountry listings to a matter of weeks. Camillo also described a flood-warning sensor project presented by a student he referred to as Erie Pelopoulou, which Department of Public Works engineers reviewed with interest, and congratulated local business owner Mike Zodi on a citizenship award. He noted the death of a former Greenwich First Selectman, remembered in the meeting under several different transcribed spellings, whose wake and funeral were scheduled that week, and said he would deliver a tribute at the Representative Town Meeting. Camillo closed with routine notices: the Department of Public Works is seeking national accreditation, early voting is underway ahead of the Nov. 3 election, and residents should report hanging utility wires to Emergency Operations Director Joe LaCella. He also addressed a lengthy back-and-forth with Rabin on campaign and nonprofit signage on public property, reaffirming that political signs are protected by the First Amendment and cannot be banned, while nonprofit event signs require prior approval from the Office of the First Selectman and are subject to removal if they obstruct sightlines.

Selectwomen's Updates

Rabin reported that the Selectmen's AI Task Force, assisted by an employee she identified as Lisa Waller and risk manager Megan D'Amato, is drafting a townwide artificial intelligence policy for adoption by Dec. 1, and that the task force has begun interviewing department heads about current and potential AI use. She said the Riverside School Building Committee recently selected Arcadis as owner's representative and expects updated cost estimates in the coming weeks, to be reviewed alongside the capital plan in late November. Rabin also raised, informally, whether the town should revisit enforcement of its sign ordinance after seeing a satirical sign near the Lake Avenue traffic circle.

Khanna reported that early voting runs through Nov. 1 at Town Hall, with extended hours Oct. 27 and 29, and recapped a renewable-energy forum hosted by the Conservation Commission featuring officials from New Canaan, Manchester and Ridgefield. She said Julian Curtiss School's cafeteria renovation is complete and the building committee is planning a fourth phase focused on ADA-compliant classrooms, expected to go out to bid in December or January. At Old Greenwich School, she said a temporary certificate of occupancy was issued in August, a new playground and accessible gym entrance opened, and crews recently poured the foundation slab for a new addition targeted to open in fall 2027. She also previewed a slate of upcoming community events, including a Oct. 28 candlelight vigil, Halloween activities on Greenwich Avenue and a Nov. 7 veterans ceremony in Cos Cob.

Cos Cob Hometown Hero Banner Program, First Read

Background and stakes: Cos Cob School has for years held a Veterans Day tradition of student tributes to local veterans. Teachers Melissa D'Amato and Chris Powers brought forward a proposal, backed by a written project plan, to extend that tradition into a physical, town-approved banner program along the Post Road corridor.

The question before the board: whether to grant conceptual support and authorize town staff to explore feasibility, locations, permitting and funding with Cos Cob School, veterans groups and the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

Substantive content: The project plan calls for an initial 20 to 30 banners, each showing a veteran's photograph, name, branch of service and the identifier "Cos Cob Honors Our Veterans," displayed from Memorial Day to Veterans Day on an ongoing basis. It proposes a public-private funding model so no veteran's family would have to pay, with startup costs potentially covered by the town and ongoing costs by sponsorships, donations and grants. Because the proposed location is U.S. Route 1, the plan flags that CTDOT's encroachment-permit system treats banner installation as a reviewable permit category, and that pole ownership must be confirmed with the applicable utility before any hardware purchase. The presenters are targeting installation in May or June 2027 so banners could be displayed through early summer events, and said they have already reached out to Commander LeBeau of American Legion Post 29 for veteran eligibility and outreach support.

The deliberation: Camillo said he met with the Department of Public Works the day before the meeting and found strong support, but cautioned that Cos Cob's Post Road segment may lack usable light poles. He offered Greenwich Avenue, where flag-banner stanchions already exist from a prior privately funded initiative, as a fallback location that could later be supplemented by neighborhood-specific sections. Rabin, who helped fund the earlier Greenwich Avenue flag banners through the nonprofit Greenwich Forward, offered to help contact CTDOT contacts directly. Khanna said she had seen similar programs in other communities and called it "a nice tradition." D'Amato pressed for clarity on the process: "Just to clarify, the next step is to go to CTDOT. I just want to understand the process." Camillo responded that he would initiate contact with the state "tomorrow or early next week" and keep the teachers informed.

Procedural steps and outcome: No formal motion was made. The board's consensus was verbal conceptual support, with Camillo directing staff to pursue a CTDOT permit inquiry and alternate site review along Greenwich Avenue if the Post Road location proves infeasible.

Implications and what is next: The program's timeline depends on a CTDOT permit decision with no stated deadline. Camillo said if approvals come through in time, Cos Cob School students could take part in an unveiling before the end of the 2026-27 school year.

Cos Cob Park Pavilion Dedication for Richard Kriskey, First Read

Background and stakes: Richard "Dick" Kriskey, a longtime Greenwich volunteer, died in the weeks before the meeting. Camillo said he worked with town staffer Joe Siciliano and the Kriskey family to identify a fitting tribute under the town's naming rights policy.

The question before the board: whether to advance, as a first read, a request to name the pavilion at Cos Cob Park in Kriskey's memory, pending Representative Town Meeting advisory comment and a second read.

Substantive content: A written family request detailed Kriskey's record: six years on the Board of Education, ten years on the Board of Estimate and Taxation where he served as chair, and sixteen years chairing the Board of Assessment Appeals. He was an early member of Greenwich Emergency Medical Service, serving more than 20 years including as chair, a justice of the peace who officiated more than 100 weddings, a Greenwich Library board member, past president of the Greenwich Lions Club, and a volunteer with the Boy Scouts and Hill House. The family's request proposes a plaque or ground engraving at the pavilion, located near the Twin Towers monument, citing Kriskey's lifelong boating and 14 years living near the waterfront.

The deliberation: Former Parks and Recreation Board member Griff Harris, speaking in person, called Kriskey "the most generous person with his time," recounting that Kriskey officiated his own wedding and describing him as a mentor for decades. Debra Hess, joining by phone from Florida, said Kriskey "had a way of making everyone around feel noticed, listened to and special," and noted her brother and sister-in-law were among the couples Kriskey married. Joe Siciliano, who said Kriskey sat on the panel that hired him for a town job in 1980, called him "a good guy all around." Camillo asked whether the naming would apply to the pavilion structure itself or a broader area; Harris and Siciliano said the family would choose between a few proposed names for the pavilion once finalized.

Procedural steps and outcome: No formal motion was made. Camillo said the board would seek Representative Town Meeting advisory comments at its next meeting, with a Selectmen second read to follow in roughly two weeks.

Implications and what is next: If the second read proceeds, Camillo said a dedication ceremony could be held before the end of the year, pending the exact wording of the naming request and cost, which officials said would be minimal.

Discussion on Extending Dog Access at Greenwich Point

Background and stakes: Greenwich Point, known locally as Todd's Point, currently permits dogs for four months starting Dec. 1. Camillo said he has fielded repeated resident calls asking for an earlier start, particularly during mild fall weather when the beach sees little other use. A prior citizen petition seeking an earlier start date failed at the Representative Town Meeting, according to Camillo and Rabin's recollection.

The question before the board: whether to begin examining an extension of the dog season at Greenwich Point, and if so, how.

Substantive content: Camillo said some other towns allow six months of dog access; he said he would be satisfied with even a partial extension, such as moving the start date to Nov. 1. He noted that any change requires coordination among the Conservation Commission, Shellfish Commission, Parks and Recreation Board and Health Department, a wider set of stakeholders than when the policy was first set in the 1990s. He floated an alternative of allowing dogs only during early morning hours, 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., in the fall as a middle option.

The deliberation: Rabin asked how the current proposal differs from the earlier student-led petition; Camillo and staff recalled that the prior effort sought a shorter, narrowly defined window tied to Thanksgiving travel and ultimately failed after amendments at the Representative Town Meeting. Camillo acknowledged that a full two-month extension, which he said he would personally prefer, is unlikely to gain approval, and said he intends the discussion to unfold over "several conversations" rather than a first-read, second-read process.

"I don't expect this is going to be a lengthy discussion. I don't think everybody's going to agree on it."

[00:53:43] — First Selectman Fred Camillo

Procedural steps and outcome: No motion was made. Camillo said he would continue gathering input from affected boards and commissions before bringing a specific proposal back to the board.

Implications and what is next: Any extension would need buy-in from multiple commissions and, based on past precedent, may require Representative Town Meeting approval. No date was set for a follow-up discussion.

Naming Rights and Gift Policy Threshold

Background and stakes: Preparing the Kriskey dedication request, Camillo said he learned from town counsel that the current naming rights policy requires Representative Town Meeting review for any gift-related naming request, regardless of dollar amount, even though town code otherwise only requires Representative Town Meeting approval for gifts of $5,000 or more.

The question before the board: whether to amend the naming rights policy's language to align with the existing $5,000 threshold in town code.

Substantive content: Rabin confirmed she had previously proposed this exact change in redlined edits that were apparently overlooked. Camillo said the inconsistency meant even nominal naming gestures, like the Kriskey plaque, would otherwise trigger a full Representative Town Meeting review unnecessarily.

The deliberation: Rabin and Camillo agreed the fix is narrow: strike the language requiring Representative Town Meeting review for gifts under $5,000 specific to the naming rights policy, since the Board of Selectmen, as the policy's original author, has authority to amend it directly. "That's what Fred's addressing now," Rabin said, confirming the scope of the edit.

Procedural steps and outcome: No vote was taken. Staff will draft exact amendment language for the board to review and potentially approve at a future meeting.

Implications and what is next: Camillo said the fix is not time-sensitive but could be finalized before the end of the year, potentially clearing the way for the Kriskey dedication to proceed without full Representative Town Meeting review of the gift itself.

Appointment: Julian Curtiss School Building Committee

Rabin moved to nominate Alan Tubb as a regular member of the Julian Curtiss School Building Committee with no stated term expiration. Khanna seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 3-0, with Camillo, Rabin and Khanna all voting yes.

WHO WAS THERE

• First Selectman Fred Camillo, present, presiding.
• Selectwoman Lauren Rabin, present.
• Selectwoman Rachel Khanna, present.
• Ken Borsuk, Recording Secretary, referenced directly in discussion of sign policy, presumed present.
• Megan D'Amato, town risk manager, mentioned as contributor to the AI policy; attendance not confirmed.
• Melissa D'Amato, Cos Cob School teacher, presenting the Hometown Hero banner proposal.
• Chris Powers, Cos Cob School teacher, presenting the Hometown Hero banner proposal.
• Griff Harris, former Parks and Recreation Board member, presenting the Kriskey dedication request in person.
• Debra Hess, presenting the Kriskey dedication request by phone from Florida.
• Joe Siciliano, town staffer, spoke in support of the Kriskey dedication; surname spelled inconsistently in the transcript.

ORGANIZATIONS AND DOCUMENTS REFERENCED

• Cos Cob School: proposed and presented the Hometown Hero banner pilot program.
• American Legion Post 29: veterans group contacted for banner-eligibility and outreach input; Commander LeBeau cited as contact.
• Connecticut Department of Transportation: permitting authority for banner installation on the Post Road, a state highway.
• Greenwich Department of Public Works: reviewed banner feasibility and praised the proposal; also cited regarding the student flood-sensor project.
• Representative Town Meeting: to provide advisory comment on the Kriskey pavilion naming and to review any future change to the dog-beach season; also the body whose prior petition on dog-beach hours failed.
• Greenwich Emergency Medical Service: organization Richard Kriskey helped found and later chaired.
• Board of Estimate and Taxation, Board of Education, Board of Assessment Appeals: prior volunteer boards on which Kriskey served, cited in the dedication request.
• Selectmen's AI Task Force: drafting a townwide artificial intelligence policy targeted for Dec. 1.
• Riverside School Building Committee: selected Arcadis as owner's representative, cited in Rabin's update.
• Cos Cob Veterans Hero Banner Program executive summary: packet document outlining the pilot's scope, funding model and CTDOT permit requirement.
• "Request to Honor Dick Kriskey's Legacy at Cos Cob Park": packet document detailing Kriskey's volunteer record, cited throughout the dedication presentation.
• Town naming rights policy and town code's $5,000 gift threshold: cited by Camillo and Rabin as the basis for the proposed policy amendment.