Setting aside past differences and occasional acrimony, the three members of the Board of Selectmen during their last meeting Wednesday thanked each other, municipal workers, fellow officials and residents for their support in helping make New Canaan a special place.
Three-term First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said toward the end of the Board’s regular meeting, held at Town Hall, that “it’s been a true honor and privilege to serve our wonderful town of New Canaan for the last six years as first selectman.”
“Six years ago as a sitting member of the Town Council, I challenged the incumbent Republican first selectman because I was frustrated with the progress that was being made with improving cell service and bringing natural gas to town,” he said. “After retiring in 2009 from a very gratifying 35-year career as a Wall Street attorney, I never dreamed of running for public office or being first selectman. I did not expect to win in 2017 because Rob [Mallozzi] was such a popular and engaging friend to nearly everyone. And as you know, I barely won both the Caucus and the general election that first year. For my first year in office, I actually called myself ‘the accidental first selectman.’ Serving as first selectman is in some ways an easy job because New Canaan is such a fortunate town, filled with educated, talented and generous residents, so many of whom volunteer their time in local government service and with the many nonprofits that make New Canaan the special place that it is. I want to thank all the men and women who volunteer their time on our many boards and commissions as elected or appointed officials that make our local government run, especially those who have served on the Town Council, the Board of Finance, the Board of Education and the Audit Committee. It has been a pleasure and an honor to have served with all of you.”
Moynihan also thanked Selectmen Kathleen Corbet and Nick Williams, as well as municipal workers, and listed many accomplishments during his time in office (see below). The selectmen spoke during a portion of the meeting dedicated to general matters before the town.
Corbet thanked her fellow selectmen, saying, “Nick, you and I have been working together now for three years, and I have to say, I couldn’t ask for a better fellow selectman. I’m just thinking quickly over the things that we’ve worked on together over the last couple of years, but I really appreciate the professionalism with which you have operated and really appreciate your friendship, as well. And Kevin, you and I have actually worked together for seven years on the Town Council and now here on the Board of Selectmen. And as I look back, I’m actually probably most proud of the work that we did together on the Town Council, when we put together the Audit Committee and the Ethics Board and lots of other things we’ve worked on together and it’s always a privilege to do that, working with you. And even on the Board of Selectmen, I have to say, while I oftentimes had to be the counterbalance, I always appreciated the fact that we would always respect one another at the end of the day, even though our differences were clear.”
She also thanked Moynihan for his service to the town, saying there are “many things” and “too many to mention” for which she’s grateful.
“I just wanted to thank you as a citizen for all of those services, and I wish you well as you go forward in your next journey,” Corbet said.
She also thanked those who serve the town.
“Every name, I could point to each person and tell you how much I love each one of you and what you’ve done for our town,” Corbet said. “You are the connective tissue of our town. You’re the ones that hold it all together and almost sort of the silent asset that we have in our town. And I’m most grateful for all of you.”
Corbet also thanked the selectmen’s spouses—her husband, Randy, as well as Mim Moynihan and Whitney Williams, all in attendance—“for the time you’ve put up with us in terms of the times we had to spend working on the Board as Selectman and the other areas.”
“We are most grateful to each and every one of you,” she said. “And then finally, I’d like to thank the community. We’re here to work for you. And I really think about every single constituent that we work for in our town. And I’ll just end by saying, when I look at the new Board of Selectmen, I’m very proud to say that these new three very talented people are coming in. Congratulations to Dionna [Carlson] and to our fellow selectmen. Steve [Karl], you’re on the line. Amy [Murphy Carroll], you’re somewhere there too. I’m just going to end with something that is sort of my north star, and that is from one of my favorite poets [Maya Angelou], it says, ‘At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or what you did. They’ll remember how you made them feel.’ So I ask that you consider that as you go forward working on behalf of all of our constituents in this wonderful community of New Canaan. Thank you so much.”
Williams noted that he’s spent 16 years in volunteer roles with the town (and district), including 12 as selectmen.
“It has been my great honor and privilege to have served this incredible community,” he said. “Kathleen, I think you ticked all the boxes. I’m looking out to employees and friends that I’ve made and made my life all the more better. This is an incredible town. This is an incredible town with fabulous employees. And that’s really special. I want to thank Whitney, my family, my kids for putting up with this over the years. You’ve been incredible, and as Kathleen said, all the spouses out there that are married to folks who volunteer in our community, thanks to them. Thanks to all who have made this community better. This Board of Selectmen has achieved a lot, Kevin and Kathleen. We’ve had good times and maybe some not-so-good times. But I think we’ve achieved a lot. The legacy of this Board of Selectmen is, I think, outstanding and will be perceived as that and should be going forward. Thank you to the constituents, the community. We had an election yesterday with an incredible turnout. We’re going to be succeeded by a fabulous Board of Selectmen, with two women, which I think is great. So thank you to all. I love you. This may not be my last swan song, but if it is, God bless you. God bless the town of New Canaan. Thank you.”
Moynihan said that since he started in the town’s top job, “the most pleasant part of the job has been working with our talented town employees, the managers in Town Hall who proudly serve our residents, and through their efforts to make New Canaan such a remarkable and beautiful place to live.”
“All of our employees take great pride in their work, and I want to thank all of them for being colleagues in service to New Canaan,” he said, and then added, his voice breaking up: “I especially acknowledge and thank the person I regard as our MVP, Tiger Mann. No employee is more talented, works harder or is more dedicated to this town than Tiger.”
Moynihan also singled out three “special teams,” as he called them, in emergency services, New Canaan Public Schools and his fellow selectmen.
New Canaan Police, Fire, EMS and Public Works “protect our residents from every imaginable harm every day, and especially during emergencies and who literally risk their own safety to serve our residents,” Moynihan said.
He also singled out Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi “and his amazing team of educators and administrators who, as Bryan would say, do ‘the most important work on the planet’ of educating our youth and doing it exceedingly well.”
“And third, our Emergency Management, medical advisors and health director, who helped us through the COVID pandemic better than most any other town or city in Connecticut,” Moynihan said. “Last but not least, I want to thank my two fellow selectmen, Nick, Kathleen and [former Selectman] Kit [Devereaux] before, for their service as partners in overseeing our government. You have served well.”
The first selectman closed by saying he’s “very proud of the body of work, the many accomplishments that we achieved together over the last six years.”
“I’m especially proud of our infrastructure improvements, such as natural gas, cell service, sustainable energy equipment, the public-private partnerships with Waveny Park Conservancy, New Canaan Athletic Foundation, Land Trust, Friends of Bristow, New Canaan Public Library, the Cinema Lab investment partners in the Playhouse,” he said. “Silver Hill Hospital with the Urgent Assessment Program. Waveny LifeCare Network with telemedicine, the New Canaan YMCA, the co-owner of the 220 Elm Street home for the Board of Ed. And the many, many nonprofits such as the Town Players, Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan Community Foundation, Chamber of Commerce, New Canaan CARES and the list goes on. Thank you to everyone who has helped make New Canaan the best town we can be. And thank you to our residents who gave me the opportunity to serve. God bless New Canaan. Thank you.”
Williams and Corbet embraced at the dais desk after the meeting, and the town hosted a party in the meeting room for the selectmen and municipal workers.
The new Board of Selectmen—Carlson, Karl and Murphy Carroll—is scheduled to convene its first public meeting Nov. 21.
[This article has been corrected to show that the final selectmen meeting was held Wednesday, Nov. 8. We originally had Tuesday.]
Thank you all for the time and effort you have dedicated to our town.
I was out of town for the last meeting of the Board of Selectmen, so I would like to add my admiration, appreciation and applause for their devotion to the Town of New Canaan, each in her or his own way.
I would like to put in a pitch for a charter revision that would provide proper compensation for all three selectpersons. This would ensure that deliberations and decisions have the benefit of all members and diverse perspectives as partners in progress and protection of our remarkable community assets.
Kevin accomplished a lot in his three terms but perhaps his greatest accomplishment was to bring natural gas to New Canaan. It had been talked about for years but nothing got done. I thank Kevin everyday when I have plenty of hot water and every month when I look at my utility bills.
Thank you Kevin for all you have done for New Canaan.
Thank You Kevin… You should be proud of what you accomplished for this town. It’s unfortunate that people focus on issues that they may have disagreed with you on and not the good you have done for the town. You have steered us through some pretty tough times, including what is hopefully the worst of Covid. Some may have disagreed with your perspective or approach, but never questioned that you were trying to do what you thought was best for New Canaan. Very best of luck and enjoy the peace and quiet.