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Committee forwards renaming of Norwalk Public Library children’s room for Celeste Wiggar after family and library board speak
Summary
The Land Use and Building Management Committee moved two separate resolutions to the full council to accept a $100,000-or-more gift and to name a 200-square-foot children’s reading room at the Norwalk Public Library for Celeste Wiggar. Library board members and family members spoke in favor; the committee also asked the law department to clarify ordinance language about naming and donations.
The Land Use and Building Management Committee on March 4 voted to send two resolutions to the full Norwalk City Council to (1) authorize the mayor to accept a gift of $100,000 or more for the library and (2) name a publicly accessible, 200-square-foot children’s reading room at the Norwalk Public Library the “Celeste Wiggar Children’s Reading Room.” Chair Colin Host read the resolutions and the committee approved them by voice vote to forward for council consideration.
Library board president Moina told the committee she and the board support the naming, saying Wiggar "made a significant contribution to the community through public service," taught in the city’s schools and had family ties in Norwalk stretching more than a century. Family member Randall Gar and library treasurer Janie Williams provided biographical detail, including Wiggar’s status as a longtime local educator and patron of the library.
Darren from the law department reviewed the city’s naming ordinance and told the committee the ordinance distinguishes between individual and group naming; he said the current language permits the proposed resolutions as drafted but suggested the ordinance language could be clarified in the future. Chair Host proposed, and the committee adopted, a conservative approach: splitting the item into two resolutions so the city can both accept the gift and separately act on the naming.
Committee member Jan Denshine moved the amended package and the committee voted in favor. During the discussion Randall Gar noted the original draft referenced a Celeste Wiggar trust that he said has been dissolved; staff agreed to confirm and correct the donor or trust name in the final motion prepared for council. The committee recorded no public opposition in the meeting and moved the two resolutions to the full council for consideration at the next council meeting.
The committee’s action forwards the matter to the full council; the family and the library board asked that staff ensure final motion language correctly identifies the source of the contribution.
