The Newtown Board of Realtors (BOR) met at the Newtown Community Center on the morning of September 19 to discuss new business and receive a safety presentation by Newtown Police Chief James Viadero.

At the start of the meeting, BOR President David Landau informed members that the group has created a Newtown High School Scholarship Committee and appointed Robert Morey of Re/Max Right Choice Real Estate to lead the group.

Mr Landau also announced that the BOR has launched its new website, . He expressed his appreciation for all those that worked on it.newtownboardrealtors.com

Before breaking for a breakfast intermission during the meeting, Jill Wolowitz of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices presented Mr Landau with the Realtor of the Year Award.

“It’s an honor,” Mr Landau said, while holding the plaque. “I really appreciate it.”

On behalf of the Nominating Committee, Connie Widmann of Connie & Company then stood to announce that both Mr Landau and Cyndy DaSilva will be continuing their terms on the board as president and vice president, respectively.

In addition to their leadership roles, the BOR’s 2020 Slate will include Kathy Hamilton as treasurer; Michele Brown as secretary; Barbara Frey, Jackie Himmelfarb, and Robert Morey as one-year directors; Ms Widmann, Anne Stark, and Joan Salbu as two-year directors; Tricia Farin, Paul Spigener, and Lindsay Gaudioso as three-year directors; Alice Holmes as historian; and Lisa Hintzen, Sandy Anderson, and Mr Landau as state directors.

Safety Presentation

“September is Safety Month…” Ms Widmann said, leading up to the guest speaker portion of the meeting. “And we are fortunate to have Chief Viadero here today.”

After introducing himself and sharing about his background, Chief Viadero explained that Newtown was selected by the National Council for Home Safety and Security in 2018 as the second safest town in Connecticut, just behind the town of Madison.

The ranking, he said, cannot be falsified and is based on populations of towns and crime reports.

Newtown has proven to show a steady increase in its safety over the last few years, Chief Viadero added, citing that Newtown’s safety ranking had been placed third for 2017 and seventh in 2016.

The most common crimes in Newtown have do to with property and crimes of opportunity, because people take advantage of residents’ sense of safety when they leave garages open, cars unlocked or with the key fob inside, and personal items in vehicles.

Chief Viadero said that in addition to locking vehicles and homes, he also recommends having outdoor motion sensor lights and security cameras.

For realtors specifically, he said when agents get a cold call from a person looking to meet them alone at a home, they should vet out the person and arrange meeting them in a public place first.

He also says to “always have a plan for when you're alone” and know that realtors can call the Newtown Police Department to let them know if they are uncomfortable or unsure of a person or situation.

As for important safety information that realtors can share with their clients looking to move to town, they can let them know about the town’s exemplary school security.

The Newtown Police Department has 45 officers, Chief Viadero said, and each school has at least one trained, armed security officer there daily.

Another marketing point realtors can share with their clients is that the Newtown Police Department will soon be breaking ground at its new building location, 191 South Main Street.

The facility will even include a 45-person capacity community room, which Chief Viadero said could be used for a BOR meeting in the future.

Realtors in the audience thanked Chief Viadero for speaking to the group, and Mr Landau thanked First Selectman Dan Rosenthal for attending the meeting as well.

The BOR meeting concluded with the announcement of the 50/50 raffle winners, for which members had to be present to win.