Bill Oestmann

‘I Enjoyed My Work’: Buildings Superintendent To Retire After 31 Years

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New Canaan’s buildings superintendent, a 31-year employee of the Department of Public Works, is retiring next year. In his highly visible role for the past dozen years, Bill Oestmann has been responsible for the safety and integrity of all town-owned buildings and structures in New Canaan, scheduling, planning and overseeing their maintenance. 

“Time has gone by so fast, but I enjoyed my work and the people here in New Canaan,” said Oestmann, who added that when his March 31 retirement date takes effect he will have worked for the town for 31 years and four months. He started with the town in 1995 as assistant superintendent of the Highway Department, responsible for town vehicles and equipment. Asked about highlights of his career here, Oestmann said he “modernized the fleet and added much needed equipment” during that period. 

“I was also involved with relocating the Highway [Department] to its new and current location,” he said. “I assisted with building repairs and upgrades, and managed FEMA Storm recovery costs.”

In 2012, he took the position of buildings superintendent and soon took on the renovation and expansion of Town Hall during the administration of then-First Selectman Rob Mallozzi.

Government

Town Approves Contracts for New Lampposts at Center School Lot

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The Board of Selectmen during its most recent meeting approved a $97,743 contract with a Norwalk-based company for 23 new lampposts and fixtures for the Center School Lot that serves New Canaan Library. The town will re-use existing footings for lampposts in the busy lot while switching to a softer LED light that uses less voltage, according to Bill Oestmann, superintendent of buildings in the Department of Public Works. “We’re not going to dig up the parking lot,” he said at the Board’s meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. Oestmann continued: “We’re going to actually go to the left and to the right of the entrance—so right across the library, where the lights end—we’re going continue from there and go right around the perimeter, put the new footings in, and then pull all the wiring.”

The wiring will go “through the grass,” Oestmann said, “so we’re not going to rip up any asphalt.”

The town also will be able to use existing conduits for the two “islands” in the lot. First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll voted 3-0 in favor of the contract with F&M Electric Supply for 19 single and four twin lampposts.

News

‘The Worst That We’ve Ever Seen It’: July 21 Flash Flooding Damaged Waveny House Basement and Three Other Town Buildings

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The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. Four town-owned buildings sustained flood damage during the July 21 storm that dropped roughly four-and-a-half inches of rain in approximately 35 minutes on New Canaan, with Waveny House suffering what one town official called the worst basement flooding ever recorded there. “This is the worst that we’ve ever seen it where it flooded the whole basement,” Buildings Superintendent Bill Oestmann told the Board of Selectmen at its regular meeting Aug. 4 at Town Hall. “We got it all cleaned up and dry.”

Government

Town Approves Contract for Graffiti Removal, Repainting at Talmadge Hill Train Station 

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The Board of Selectmen last week approved a $12,000 contract with a Stamford-based company to remove graffiti and repaint parts of the Talmadge Hill Train Station. Metro-North Railroad currently has a shutdown on weekends “so we want to try to take advantage of it,” Bill Oestmann, buildings superintendent in the Department of Public Works, told the selectmen during their regular meeting, held April 21 at Town Hall and via videoconference. He continued: “They [the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Metro-North] requested that we try to do some of this work during the weekends. So our first request is going to be with Talmadge Hill. There’s graffiti.

Amy Murphy Carroll

‘That Just Wasn’t Honest’: Selectmen Call for Full Accounting of Delayed Waveny Elevator Project

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Saying delays and cost overruns on the Waveny House elevator project are unacceptable, members of the Board of Selectmen this week called for more transparency from Public Works officials, a specific number for how much it has already cost and regular updates on the widely anticipated installation. 

Everyone is “frustrated” with the project, described as being on track for completion this month then just one week later pushed out to July-August, Selectman Amy Murphy Carroll noted. “I’m incredibly frustrated with this, because since I was on the Board of Selectmen and I have asked at least once a month, ‘Where are we in the elevator? Are we okay? Are we on time?’ ” Murphy Carroll told DPW Buildings Superintendent Bill Oestmann during the regular selectmen meeting held Tuesday at Town Hall and via videoconference. “Two weeks ago, we were told to be done by the end of April,” Murphy Carroll continued.