Election 2026

Town: ‘Good Turnout’ of Early Voters in New Canaan

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Election officials say they’re seeing strong early voter turnout in New Canaan. As of Monday morning, the Registrars of Voters had received 1,578 early votes, according to Lis Orteig, the town’s Democratic Registrar of Voters. “That is slightly more than 10% of our registered voters,” Orteig told NewCanaanite.com in an email. “We are getting a good turnout, much higher than the municipal election, perhaps not as high as a presidential [election].”

Connecticut instituted in-person early voting in 2024. That year, New Canaan had 5,511 early voters in a presidential election, Orteig said.

Government

Town Approves $98,000 Contract for Water Infiltration System in Waveny House Basement 

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Town officials last week approved an approximately $98,000 contract to remove part of the concrete floor in Waveny House’s basement in order to protect the public building against water infiltration. The historic mansion has had “some problems over the years, gradually, with water infiltrating” in the basement, according to Bill Oestmann, superintendent of buildings in the New Canaan Department of Public Works. This past summer it saw two heavy rainfalls that “were severe enough where it flooded the entire basement,” he told the Board of Selectmen at its regular meeting, held Oct. 20 at Town Hall and via videoconference. Oestmann added: “What it’ll entail is actually doing an interior footing drain.

Government

Temporary Repaving of South Avenue To Start Next Tuesday

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The closely monitored, temporary repaving of South Avenue will start next Tuesday and the state wants to wrap up by Halloween, officials say. Delayed and botched by the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s contractor, the repaving of South Avenue, which doubles as state Route 124, is part of Aquarion’s yearslong, protracted water main installation from eastern New Canaan to Farm Road and South Avenue. The contractor will “come and do a two-inch mill-and-fill” on South Avenue running south to Farm Road between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. “That’s the permit time,” Mann told the selectmen at their regular meeting, held Tuesday at Town Hall and via videoconference. “And they’ll come out here, mill it, and fill it on a day.

Government

Town Sells Leftover Mulch To Local Contractor for $18,000

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The Board of Selectmen at its most recent meeting approved the sale of composted leaf mulch to a New Canaan-based company at $9 per cubic yard. The figure is down from a high of $13 just three years ago, but still far higher than other bids that have come in in the recent past of $2 to $4 per cubic yard, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. “It’s time for us to empty the leaf mulch site,” Mann told the selectmen at their Oct. 6 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference

He referred to the rows of mulch that the town creates in a cleared area off of Lapham Road, technically part of Waveny Park, after collecting leaves each fall. Until 2013, those seeking to pick up the soil used to collect it directly from the “mulch pile” at Waveny.

Government

Parks & Rec To Propose New Fee for Out-of-Towner Use of Lapham Center

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Saying there’s wide support among adults who use Lapham Community Center, recreation officials are proposing a new fee category for nonresidents who use the facility and avail themselves of some programs there. Officially, the one-story building in Waveny Park is set up to serve New Canaan adults, offering a wide range of education courses, health and exercise programs and special events. 

Yet for many years, “there’s been a number of out-of-towners” who also use it, according to Parks & Recreation Director John Howe. “We’re looking at a policy to allow out-of-towners to come to Lapham,” he told members of the Parks & Recreation Commission at their regular meeting, held Oct. 14 at Lapham and via videoconference. Howe continued: “Most likely, there’ll be a yearly fee for an out-of-towner to use, but residents don’t have to pay, and there’d be an extra charge on any program that does cost where they could do that.