Government

Town Enters $20,000 Service Contract for ‘RRFB’ Maintenance and Repair

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Town officials on Tuesday approved a three-year annual maintenance and repair contract with the company that makes New Canaan’s push button-activated pedestrian crossing signals. The $20,000 annual contract with Brown Deer, Wisc.-based TAPCO is “severable at one year” and covers all 16 locations of rapid rectangular flashing beacons or “RRFBs” throughout town, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. “Because they are a specialized piece of equipment, you either have to hire a signal technician or have someone in your staff to be able to take care of it,” Mann told members of the Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. He continued: “And then with this, for every unit that they maintain, they will extend the warranty. So if there are parts that fall under the warranty, the year that they’re still servicing it, they’ll extend the warranty even if the warranty is expired.

Business

‘Paws and Provisions’ Pet Store Planned for Elm and Grove Streets

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About one year after the plan emerged, the installation of a pet store in a long-vacant commercial space in New Canaan appears to be moving forward, according to documents filed with the town. After approving changes to the New Canaan Zoning Regulations about one year ago to allow for the businessat Elm and Grove Streets, the Planning & Zoning Commission in April issued a Special Permit for a pet store with grooming services. At the time, it wasn’t clear what company was planning to come in. (Pet Pantry Warehouse is located on the same block, at 21 Grove St.)

According to a new filing with P&Z and Connecticut Secretary of the State records, the company behind the store is “Paws and Provisions Inc.” and its managing principal is a New Norwalk Road resident. (A pet store company by the same name is located in San Francisco, according to its website.)

P&Z is scheduled to take up a request for sign and site plan approval, as well as some changes to the brick building’s facade, during its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Government

Former Finance Department Worker Accuses Town of Retaliation, Discrimination

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Town officials last week received notice that a former town employee is claiming that the municipality retaliated against her in violation of state and federal law. Filed with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities or ‘CHRO’ by a woman who worked in the town Finance Department, the complaint accuses the town of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The complainant has an autoimmune disorder and, as a result, “is substantially limited in her major life activities including, but not limited to, driving, sleeping, walking and moving,” according to the CHRO complaint, received Dec. 9 in the Town Clerk’s office. In June 2024, it said, the complainant “became concerned” about the wellbeing of a coworker “based on prior comments,” and—following an exchange with the Human Resources Department—reported the information to police.

Board of Finance

First Selectman: Town Has Received ‘A Lot of Interest’ from Prospective New Operators of Playhouse

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The town has already received strong interest from prospective new operators of the movie theater on Elm Street, officials said Tuesday night. Bids are due Jan. 7 to a town-issued RFP for a new operator of The Playhouse and “we’ve been getting active interest in the RFP,” according to First Selectman Dionna Carlson. “We have a lot of interest [from] additional operators to come in and hopefully continue to run it for the enjoyment of the community,” Carlson told members of the Board of Finance during their regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. The comments came as the finance board took up two agreements with the current operator, CinemaLab, that Carlson has already signed: a lease termination agreement and management services agreement.

Government

Town Upholds $30 Ticket Issued to Elm Street Worker

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Town officials last week upheld a $30 ticket issued to a local retail shop worker who overstayed in a Main Street parking space. The Parking Commission voted 4-0 to uphold the ticket that had been issued to Vanessa Brown. During an appeal hearing at the appointed body’s regular meeting, Brown said that she parked on Main Street after dropping off her child and intended on moving the car but got there just 15 minutes too late. 

Brown told the Commission that it was raining out on the Monday morning in question and that overstaying in the space “was not intentional.”

“I had to run into work to open the store and then I was going to move my car at the appropriate time and then got stuck with a customer,” Brown said at the Dec. 1 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. During the appeal hearing, commissioners asked whether Brown was working at the time the ticket was issued (yes), how far away from Main Street she works (at The Linen Shop on Elm Street, so not far), whether she always parks on the street (not always), whether she knows about the free parking permits in the Center and Locust Lots that are available for downtown workers (yes but it’s hard to get one from the business owner and a bit of a hike to the store), 

Commissioner Katie O’Neill said, “On behalf of merchants I will only add that taking customers’ parking is frowned upon.” 

Brown responded that she understood, though some Main Street merchants park on the street “all day without getting a ticket.”

O’Neill said, “They should not be tolerating it from each other, especially implementing our new parking initiatives….