Government

Parking Downtown: Town Weighs Changing Main Street to Paid Spaces

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Town officials say they’re thinking about installing eight more parking kiosks in downtown New Canaan, on Main Street and possibly part of Locust Avenue. An expansion of the new paid system that took effect on Elm Street and South Avenue in October, the kiosks on Main would cost $90,774, officials said during Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting. At first, the town didn’t think it would be able to convert Main from two-hour to paid spots, according to First Selectman Dionna Carlson. “We didn’t think we could do it on Main because it’s a state road, and then in further discussions realized that you can, because it’s not part of the roadway,” Carlson said during the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “So it’s just a discussion to start and if we even want to potentially pursue those, we’d have to have it in the budget.”

If added to the budget, the approximately $90,000 cost for the kiosks would be bonded, town Budget Manager Ryan Stacy said. 

The comments came during a discussion of capital projects in the area of “general government”—namely, the Affordable Housing Committee ($225,000 proposed for professional fees), Information Technology and Parking.

Charter Revision Commission

Charter Review: Town Officials Weigh Elected vs. Appointed P&Z

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Town officials charged with recommending possible changes to New Canaan’s founding document are hearing from residents on both sides of a divisive question, namely, whether the Planning & Zoning Commission should change from an appointed body to an elected one. Noting that towns such as Darien, Westport and Wilton already have elected P&Zs, those in favor of the change say it would bring greater accountability to commissioners, would make them more likely to listen to neighbors and those directly affected by decisions and would bring another layer of checks and balances to local government. Advocates for an elected P&Z say the question of a change should go to the town’s electorate. Those opposed to the change say it would draw single-issue candidates, would disrupt P&Z applications mid-review, would place financial and time burdens on prospective members that would limit the pool of commissioners, would undo the strong mix of backgrounds and technical expertise now in place and would amount to overhauling a system that works well as-is. Opponents say the electorate isn’t informed enough to make a decision on such an important change.

Government

The Playhouse: Feb. 9 Public Hearing Scheduled for New Operator’s Lease

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New Canaan’s highest elected official said this week that municipal officials have interviewed all parties interested in operating The Playhouse movie theater and the town “will be ready very soon” to take next steps. 

“We were encouraged by The Playhouse RFP responses,” First Selectman Dionna Carlson told members of the Board of Finance during the appointed body’s regular meeting, held Tuesday night at Town Hall and via videoconference. “We’ve had so many people interested in the RFP, [Department of Public Works Superintendent of Buildings] Bill [Oestmann] has been taking potential applicants through the building regularly,” Carlson said. The comments came during Carlson’s general update to the finance board. The following notice of a public hearing before the Town Council—scheduled for 7:30 p.m on Feb. 9 at Town Hall—appeared this week on the Elm Street movie theater: “To consider, hear public comment upon and take action on a proposal to lease the building known as The Playhouse, located at 93 Elm Street, New Canaan for a theater operator.

Government

Town Approves Contract for NCPD Elevator Work

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Town officials last week approved an approximately $14,000 contract for work done as part of the recently completed New Canaan Police Department renovation and addition project. The Board of Selectmen voted 3-0 in favor of the contract with Trumbull-based KONE Elevators during its regular meeting, held Jan. 6 at Town Hall and via videoconference. As part of the project, the building’s elevator was “taken out of service,” according to Joe Zagarenski, senior engineer in the Department of Public Works. “The elevator’s power, telephone and fire alarm connections were disconnected, and then it was treated like a new elevator, so we had to bring in the new services,” Zagarenski said.

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.