Board of Selectmen
NCPD

Town Approves $140,000 for License Plate Readers for Police

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Town officials last week approved a five-year, $140,000 contract with an Atlanta-based company for license plate readers for the New Canaan Police Department. The Board of Selectmen voted 3-0 during its regular meeting Oct. 3 for the contract with Flock Safety for hardware and software services. NCPD currently has 10 license plate readers, Police Chief John DiFederico said at the meeting, held in Town Hall and via videoconference. “They’ve proven useful for us,” he said.

Affordable Housing Committee

‘There’s Too Many People Making a Political Storm’: Selectmen Unable To Appoint Affordable Housing Committee 

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Though more than one dozen residents raised their hands to serve on a committee that’s expected to guide New Canaan’s affordable housing strategy, town officials said this week that they still can’t agree on which volunteers to appoint. Under a newly written Section 4B of the Town Code, the Affordable Housing Committee is to include one member each from the Planning & Zoning Commission, Housing Authority, Town Council and Board of Finance, as well as five members of the public. 

It would be appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The following people have expressed interest in joining, according to the town’s response to a public records request filed by NewCanaanite.com: 

John Goodwin [Note: Goodwin withdrew his name in early October.]
Dave Harvey
Christine Hussey
Gail Lavielle
Krista Neilson (P&Z member)
Hilary Ormond (Town Council member)
Julia Portale
Robert Strong
Michael Sweeney (Housing Authority member)
Maria Weingarten (Board of Finance member)
Jeff Stein
Jane Stoddard Williams
Jeff Williams
Christopher Wilson

During Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, Selectman Kathleen Corbet asked when the Committee would be appointed. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said, “From what I understand, we don’t have consensus aroniud nominees, so I’m not sure how we’re going to move this forward. And for the same reasons we’re talking about, it’s probably better that the new team decide.”

He appeared to refer to the Board of Selectmen that will take office following the local election on Nov.

Board of Selectmen

With a Prospective Buyer Interested, Town To Solicit New Offers for Vine Cottage

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Two members of the Board of Selectmen voted this week to solicit offers from potential purchasers of a town-owned, ca. 1860-built Victorian gothic revival building downtown. The turreted, yellow Vine Cottage next to Town Hall on Main Street currently is used for the offices of the New Canaan Health Department. 

The historic building had been put out for RFP four years ago and the town has not accepted any offers, including one made in December 2021. Shortly thereafter, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan suggested that the town may seek to retain the space for the Health Department. On Tuesday, Selectman Nick Williams raised the prospect of reissuing an RFP to solicit offers again.

Government

Town Redoing ‘Splitter Island’ at Mead Park Exit As Part of Sidewalk Project

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The Board of Selectmen at its most recent meeting approved an approximately $13,000 contract with an East Otis, Mass.-based company to acquire granite curbing for a new “splitter island” in Mead Park, among other projects. The selectmen voted 3-0 in favor of the $13,469.86 contract with Williams Stone during the elected body’s Sept. 19 meeting. The traffic island where the access road through Mead Park exits onto Richmond Hill Road divides motor vehicles turning left or right at that point and the granite curbing for an improved island “need to be specifically made for that piece,” according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. The splitter island is “very small with basically two signs in it that say ‘one-way’ or what have you,” Mann told the selectmen at the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.

Government

Major Paving Project To Start Next Week

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The town is poised to start a major paving project next week, encompassing many of the roads along the South Avenue-Main Street corridor. Public Works Director told members of the Board of Selectmen during their most recent meeting that he’s hoping the approximately $1.6 million paving project starts Oct. 1 so that it’s wrapped up well ahead of Thanksgiving. The town is to be reimbursed by utility companies for paving that will include Farm Road, South Avenue, Brooks Road, Crystal Street, Elm Place, Grace Street, Hawthorne Road, Kelly Green, Leslie Lane, Meadow Lane, Orchard Lane, Park Place, Selleck Place, Whitney Avenue, Woodland Road, Autumn Lane, Douglas Road, Fairty Drive, Orchard Drive, Southwood Drive, Tommy’s Lane, Green Avenue, Maple Street, Oak Street, Locust Avenue and Grove Street. The town is hiring Norwalk-based FGB Construction to do the work, and will be reimbursed by Eversource and Aquarion, Mann said.