Last night the Common Council’s Land Use & Building Management Committee received the final report of the Fodor Farm Historic District Study Committee. It said: Create a historic district. From The Hour:

“This would be a tremendous asset to Norwalk,” said Tod Bryant, Historic District Study Committee chairman. “It would also allow us to enter into the certified local government program, which would open up a pool of grants that we at the moment cannot touch. It would not only increase the value of the houses on Fodor Farm itself, but I believe that it also would increase the property values in the surrounding area.”

The council’s Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs Committee proposal, backed by Mayor Moccia, says: Leave Fodor Farm under Parks and Recs control. Both say sell the houses to private buyers subject to deed restrictions. Meanwhile, 4 commissioners on the Historic Commission have expired appointments. The Mayor, citing the city charter, says they commissions have expired and they can’t vote at the January 3rd meeting. He also has 4 resumes in addition to the 4 expired commissioners and is mulling options. The Board of Education wants to increase its bidget over last year by 7.7%, resulting in 147.6 million budget. From The Hour:

Should Corda’s proposed budget be approved, special education costs would rise 19.3 percent this year, in part due to an increase in out-of-district tuition, which came about from a change in state funding. Moccia said it may be unlikely that a 7.77 percent increase would be approved. “Given our economic conditions, an almost 8 percent increase is going to be very tough to sustain,” Moccia said. “I’ve asked other departments to come in flat. Corda’s recommendations to the budget add $1,158,399 to the budget, driving it from a 6.92 percent increase to a 7.77 percent increase. Included in his recommendations are three new teachers at Brien McMahon High School and four new teachers at Norwalk High School. Schools need these teachers in order to decrease the number of students in study hall, Corda said. Currently in Norwalk High School, 94 seniors have one study hall, 159 seniors have two study hall periods and 68 seniors have three study hall periods daily.

The Hour article reports that salaries are just under 65% percent of the budget and benefits represent about 20 percent of the budget. Considering that the school population has been basically flat for the last 15 years, yet the number of administrators has increased, the board of education would do well to consider recomending a cut in administrative staff, starting at the top.