Boards & Commissions

Affordable housing is an important resource the city would like to continue to expand and emphasize its importance. Ad Hoc Affordable Housing Committee is a temporary subcommittee of the Common Council that helps guide affordable housing initiatives including the formation of the affordable housing ordinance and fund, with the expectation a permanent committee will form to regulate this ordinance.

The Norwalk Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing the city's financial reporting and internal control processes. The committee works to ensure accountability and transparency in the management of public funds and provides recommendations to improve the city's financial performance.

The Ad Hoc Sustainability and Resiliency Committee will advise the Norwalk Common Council in its discussion and actions regarding initiatives including, but not limited to, clean energy, resiliency, and conservation efforts.

Norwalk is working on an Affordable Housing Action Plan to assess the City’s affordable housing needs and address their potential economic, environmental, and social equity impacts. The Affordable Housing Action Plan will help the City to identify the different levels and types of affordable housing needed, while providing guidance and direction on how to achieve those levels. While the City needs to complete the plan to comply with CT General Statute 8-30j, the City views this planning process as an opportunity to fully understand the City’s housing needs at all income levels and develop strategies to ensure there are housing options available to all who seek to live in our great City. This committee will help guide this plan through the planning process.

The Aquifer Protection Agency (APA) regulates certain high-risk land uses that occur within the defined Aquifer Protection Area that contributes water to the city's public drinking water supply wells. The agency protects the city's drinking water supply by requiring best management practices are used for these high-risk uses and minimizing the chances of contamination of our valuable drinking water.

The Commission serves as stewards for the City of Norwalk’s public art collection and cultural assets. The Commission also promotes the educational, cultural, economic, and general welfare of the public through the marketing of arts and cultural attractions, as well as encourage, facilitate, and cooperate with artists and artistic and cultural enterprises and organizations for the development of the creative, performing, and visual arts as well as cultural activities in the City of Norwalk.

Established in 2017, the Norwalk Bike/Walk Commission supports bicycling and walking as safe, accessible, and sustainable forms of transportation and recreation that increase the City of Norwalk's livability and economic vitality, and improve public and environmental health.

Our Mission is to provide a fully independent and fair review of taxpayer appeals. The board has 3 regular members and 3 alternate members. Number of alternate members can be increased to 7 during revaluation years.

The Board of Estimate and Taxation serves as the City's fiscal authority and budget-setting body. The Board consists of six (6) appointed members, and the Mayor serves as an ex-officio member. The members of the Board are appointed to overlapping four-year terms by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by the Common Council. No more than two appointed members can reside in any one Council District, and not more than three appointed members shall belong to the same political party. The appointed members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation must be electors of the City of Norwalk, and they serve without pay.

This board is responsible for rendering advisory opinions concerning ethical questions, investigating ethics complaints, and, if necessary, conducting hearings on those complaints.

The Norwalk Board of Health is a group of 6 appointed members – all residents of Norwalk – focused on the prevention of disease and the promotion and protection of health and wellness across the City of Norwalk. They advise the Health Department on its policies, programs, and projects, ensuring that Norwalk maintains accreditation with the Public Health Accreditation Board and continues to commit to best practices. They also oversee the development and enforcement of local ordinances regulating the preservation of public health.

The Building Board of Appeals determines the suitability of alternate materials and methods of construction, acts as the appeals board for the city’s construction codes (building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical codes) and for sign, fire and housing codes.

The Charter Revision Commission is responsible for making recommendations for important changes to the City’s Charter that affect the City of Norwalk’s government. In September 2024, the Common Council established a new Charter Revision Commission to build upon the work of the 2022-2023 Charter Revision Commission by considering ways and means to improve public access and understanding in the operations of its municipal government. The Charter Revision Commission will be meeting biweekly.

The Norwalk Commission on the Status of Women aims to review progress and assist in the elimination of gender-based discrimination to help improve the status of women, girls and other marginalized gender identities such as transgender people and gender non-conforming people in the City of Norwalk. The Commission considers the multiple, intersecting forms of discrimination that affect women, girls and other marginalized gender identities by conducting programs of education, study, and research.

The Common Council is the legislative branch of government for Norwalk, CT. Comprised 15 elected members – five at-large and two from each of the 5 districts in the city, the Common Council is the representative voice and advocate for all people who live, work, and visit Norwalk.

The Norwalk Community Services Committee is responsible for addressing the needs of the city's residents by providing programs and services that promote well-being and quality of life. The committee focuses on issues such as housing, health, education, and social services to enhance the overall community welfare. The ordinance committee is a subcommittee of the Common Council.

The Conservation Commission advises the City on the use, development and conservation of natural resources and open space throughout the City. The Commission also acts as the Inland Wetland Agency, a regulatory land use board that decides on permit applications for work in and adjacent to inland (non-tidal) wetlands and watercourses.

The Economic and Community Development Committee is a subcommittee of the Norwalk Common Council that focuses on all activities related to development, permitting and licensing, parking, business development, tourism, planning, zoning, and transportation. Reporting City Departments/Agencies are the Department of Transportation, Mobility, and Parking, the Department of Planning and Zoning, the Department of Building and Code, the Department of Business Development and Tourism, and the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency. The committee also opines on Capital Budget requests for all departments and oversees all significant planning processes and economic development activities of the City.

The FHAC is responsible for monitoring private and public housing practices for compatibility with fair housing laws and objectives, identifying problem areas, making recommendations to the Mayor, Common Council and Housing Site Development Agency and other appropriate City agencies and Commissions.

The Norwalk Fair Rent Commission is a city commission that has the power to decide whether a rent increase or the rent charged to a tenant is unfairly high. The commission has 14 members. It is empowered by state and local law to address the rent paid by an individual tenant who files a complaint regarding the amount of rent or rental increase for the apartment occupied by that tenant.

Work directly with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to review and approve items of a financial nature and make recommendations to the Common Council for final approval. Key actions include the review of the operating budget, operating budget cap recommendation, tax collection and assessment, special appropriations, overseeing expenditures, and the purchasing of goods and services.

The Norwalk Fire Commission shall consist of four Electors appointed by the Mayor. In addition to the four Electors, the Mayor shall be, ex officio, a voting member and chair of the Commission. Monthly meetings are held to discuss various operations of the Fire Department. The Fire Chief reports directly to the Fire Commission.

The Norwalk Five Mile River Commission is responsible for promoting the conservation and restoration of the Five Mile River watershed. The commission works to protect the river's water quality, natural habitats, and recreational opportunities for the benefit of the local community. All members appointed by the Connecticut Governor.

Harbor Management Commission is a 9-member commission that oversees operations of the Norwalk Harbor and conducts studies of the conditions of the harbor. They are held responsible to enforce, update, and implement the Harbor Management Plan. They work with public, private and other organizations that provide service or other facilities based on the harbor.

Historical Commission is an 11-member commission that designate sites and buildings acquired by the City as historic land sites and approved by the Common Council. They commission is charged with the control, development, management, operations, improvement, and maintenance of historic land sites. The commission oversees four city cemeteries (Brookside, Kellogg, Mill Hill, and Pine Island), various collections and archives of the Norwalk Museum, and nine historic properties owned by the City of Norwalk.

Norwalk Housing, established in 1939, provides affordable housing both in our residences and through Section 8/Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV), and rent subsidies in the form of housing assistance payments in rental apartments. In addition, NH owns and manages 18 properties throughout Norwalk helping over 2,000 families citywide.

The Norwalk Human Relations Commission works diligently with local officials to initiate programs to help people understand and comply with the laws of equality. The commission encourages all groups to work together to achieve mutual respect for each other, and to improve the quality of life in Norwalk.

This committee focus on existing and future land use along the waterfront, taking public access and recreation into consideration.

Land Use and Building Management Committee is a subcommittee of the Norwalk Common Council. It is also the designated Norwalk School Building Committee in the City Charter and recognized by the State for school construction projects. The Committee’s responsibilities include oversight of capital improvements for all municipal facilities including school development and construction, property acquisition, property disposition, property leasing and municipal building maintenance and operations.

Public Library Board of Directors , in liaison with the Library Director, sets organizational goals and policies; adopts the operating and capital budgets, and represents the Norwalk Public Library in the community.

The purpose of the Norwalk Mayor’s Water Quality Committee is analyze objectively the waters of Norwalk Harbor and its watershed, provide a continuing forum for discussion of water quality issues, and to suggest measures to protect and improve the integrity of its waters. Findings and recommendations formulated by the Committee shall be shared with all appropriate City authorities/agencies/commissions, notably the Norwalk Harbor Commission and the Norwalk Shellfish Commission which act as the environmental guardians of Norwalk Harbor.

The Oak Hills Park Authority is established under Connecticut General Statutes Sections 7-130a through 7-130w. Its principal office is at Oak Hills Park. The Authority's purpose is to acquire, construct, operate, maintain, and manage Oak Hills Park, including its golf course, tennis courts, and related facilities.

Per the recent charter revision, there is a requirement to hold a joint (City and NPS) public hearing on or before October 1st of each year for the Operating and Capital Budgets.

The ordinance committee is a subcommittee of the Common Council. This committee is responsible for reviewing, amending and updating ordinances that exist in Norwalk’s City Code. The committee is also responsible for drafting new ordinances to be inserted into Norwalk’s City Code.

Park Norwalk is an advocate for downtown development and commerce supporting mobility, sustainability, growth and improvement while creating easy to park and pay options through mobile platforms and wayfinding systems. Park Norwalk’s mission is to enhance economic development using best practices and provide opportunities to the community through financially balanced parking programs, Smartparking technologies, security systems and community collaboration while overseeing the management, operation, facilities, and maintenance of over 4,000 on and off-street parking spaces.

The Pension Board perform the duties of the Trustees of the Norwalk City Employees' Pension Fund, relating to the management of such funds, except that the City Comptroller shall have the care and custody of all such funds and shall have the power, with approval of the Board, to invest such funds in securities legal for investment for trust funds.

The Planning and Zoning Commission advises the City Council on planning-related matters, conduct hearings, make recommendations, and perform such other duties required by law or as may be assigned to the commission from time to time by the City Council.

Five-member board consisting of the Mayor and four Mayoral appointees that shall have control, management and supervision of the police of said city and all property belonging to or used in the Police Department.

Public safety and general government is a subcommittee of the Norwalk Common Council. The Committee’s responsibilities include approval of the Police and Fire department action items and requests. The Committee moves action items from Personnel and other City departments that have broader safety related impacts. The Committee discusses issues that impact safety and quality of life and work in the City.

The Committee shall have jurisdiction over the Director of Public Works and all activities assigned to the Public Works Department.

In accordance with federal and state laws, the City is tasked with redistricting the five (5) Common Council Districts and the Board of Education Districts every ten (10) years. After reviewing all relevant data, and holding at least one (1) public hearing, the Reapportionment Advisory Committee shall draft a written report and provide it to the Common Council with their redistricting recommendations.

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Monitors the conditions of local parks including programming, renovations, services, and enforcement issues. It works with City Parks on enforcement issues and hears complaints regarding use and abuse of parks.

The Norwalk Shellfish Commission was established February 9, 1971 by local ordinance passed pursuant to enabling legislation previously passed by the State of Connecticut. That ordinance is in the Norwalk Code as article 111 of Chapter 45 (sec 45-26). The primary purpose of the commission is protection of public health, as an arm of the Health Department, by regulation and inspection of the harvesting of shellfish from the waters under our jurisdiction. The Commission was given charge of all the shellfisheries and shellfish grounds in Norwalk designated as natural beds in the Superior Court order of December 12, 1882, not leased to others, and not controlled by the State Shellfish Commission (since succeeded by the Aquaculture Bureau of the State Department of Agriculture).

The Board of Police Commissioners serve as the Traffic Authority of the City and have all the powers and perform all the duties conferred upon or assigned to a traffic authority by the provisions of the Connecticut General Statue. The Traffic Authority reviews traffic related concerns and requests from citizens, neighborhood organizations, staff and other for the installation of traffic control devices, pavement markings, and crosswalks. The traffic authority also approves on-street parking restrictions and street closings for parades and other events within the public road right-of-way.

The Norwalk Transit District is responsible for providing public transportation services, managing transportation infrastructure, and ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal regulations within the City of Norwalk, Connecticut, and surrounding areas.

The Tree Advisory Committee (TAC) advises the Tree Warden, the Common Council and the Mayor on tree and shrub related policies in the City and promotes awareness of tree and shrub care, Norwalk's arboreal heritage, and the benefits of an urban forest. The TAC recommends policies concerning the selection, planting and maintenance of public street and park trees within the City, as well as tree related community educational programs. The TAC is composed of five (5) members (residents of the City) nominated by the Mayor and approved by the Common Council.

The Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) for the City of Norwalk, an enterprise fund, was established in 2002 to construct, reconstruct, operate and maintain the Sewerage System for the City of Norwalk. The Sewerage System for the City of Norwalk includes three primary components, an extensive collection system that includes over 205 miles of pipeline, 22 pumping stations, and a 18 million gallon per day (MGD) advanced secondary wastewater treatment plant located at 60 South Smith Street. The WPCA Board of Directors consists of nine (9) voting members. The Chief of Operations and Public Works and the Chief Finance Officer serve as ex officio members without the right to vote.

The Zoning Board of appeals Hears and decides appeals of orders, requirements or decisions made by the zoning staff. It varies zoning regulations where there are practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships. It hears and decides applications for certain types of specials exceptions, grants and special permits.

The Zoning Citation Hearings are heard before an independently appointed City Hearing Officer. The purpose of these Hearings is to determine if a violation exists, if liability is owed, and what, if any fines should be assessed. The Hearings provide an arena for property owners who have been issued Zoning Notices & Citations to appeal the findings of the Zoning Department/Officers, and for members of the public and community to testify and voice their concerns over matters being heard.