10 thoughts on “New Canaan Committee Conducted Illegal Meetings, State Official Says

  1. Kudos to NewCanaanite.com for being so astute and working to bring clarity to the law where it may have been murky. I think New Canaan and its citizens will be better for it. However, it is easy to see how the co-chairs of the committee might not have understood “that the work of the [2-person] subcommittees would be subject to the same requirements of the FOI Act as would the work of the full Committee,” as the state Freedom of Information Commission hearing officer, attorney Valicia Dee Harmon, put it. Perhaps more important to note is the fact that Ms. Harmon determined in her decision that the committee co-chairs “wanted to comply with the FOI Act.” New Canaan is blessed with an almost uncountable number of highly capable, well-intentioned volunteers who give tirelessly of their time and talents for the benefit of us all. The members of the Building Evaluation & Use Committee are among those to whom we owe a debt of gratitude for such service. Thank you all.

    • People who break the law have no place in our government. That document is probably now void as it was created by an illegal process. The ramifications are far reaching.

  2. First it illegally withholding documents, now illegal meetings.

    The ability to freely access public information and allow its citizens to have an open and honest debate is a sign of a healthy town—one where there are no “backroom” handshakes, unsaid agreements on voting, or “cooked” deals. Taxpaying New Canaan residents deserve full transparency from their government officials where their interests and rights are respectfully considered and protected—not a white wash. Anyone who tells you differently or thinks they should decide what public documents you can see, what you can hear or debate belongs in a different type of government. Any elected or appointed town official or town employee who engages in willful blindness and continues to advocate for an illegal practice or directs others to violate the law has no place in our town government.

    The illegal conduct that has come to light continues to demonstrate the need for change by our town officials and employees. Immediate action needs to be taken by our Board of Selectmen, and there should be a zero-tolerance policy implemented for these types of transgressions.

  3. Congratulations to the Newcanaanite for bringing this issue forward.
    Government is the conduct of the public’s business……..especially when the allocation of limited dollars is routinely decided as much by preference as utility.

  4. It’s great that a small growing town such as ours is on top of things. Now let’s get on top of what’s happening in the white house.
    N. Jensen

  5. If memory serves me correctly, we had a similar situation with the Fields Building Committee, established by the Board of Selectmen in late May of 2017. Minutes were posted 2 months late and, in one instance, the agenda was posted on Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 8:30 pm for a meeting the following morning Friday, September 15, 2017 at 8:30 am.

  6. Where is the report with photos of the buildings involved? I thought I saw the report online and now can’t find it. These were smaller buildings throughout town. Where is this inventory listed now?

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