Government

Town Adds Pesticide Use Disclosure to Municipal Website

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Eight months after parks officials voted in support of the move as part of a larger recommendation, the town on Tuesday added a section to the municipal website disclosing its use of pesticides on several athletic fields. Though state law prohibits the use of pesticides on school grounds through grade 8, New Canaan uses the chemicals in treating athletic grounds at Waveny, Conner Field and baseball fields at Mead Park. 

Selectman Kathleen Corbet last summer questioned why pesticides are still applied to some public fields used by young kids, and in September developed a set of recommendations for the town. Her findings included that “not very many people know about the use of pesticides in our Town,” and she said in her report that “[a]t a minimum, unless a pesticide free policy is adopted for all athletic fields, public disclosure about the use of pesticides on the natural grass athletic fields is recommended.”

During this week’s regular Board of Selectmen meeting, Corbet noted that a draft disclosure still hadn’t been posted to the town’s website. “Did we forget to do that?” Corbet asked during the meeting, held via videoconference. Public Works Director Tiger Mann responded that the town did not forget.

Board of Selectmen

Selectmen Approve $20,000 for Seeding Athletic Fields

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The Board of Selectmen las week approved two contracts worth a total of about $20,000 to seed athletic fields in New Canaan. The selectmen at their regular meeting June 15 voted 3-0 to approve one contract for the purchase of 4,650 pounds of seed ($15,337) and a separate contract for its application ($4,800). “We over-seed the fields that we don’t necessarily treat with pesticides—so Saxe, Farm Road, [New Canaan High School] track field and all Mead Park baseball fields,” Public Works Director Tiger Mann told the Board at its meeting, held at Town Hall and accessible via videoconference for presenters. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectmen Kathleen Corbet and Nick Williams voted in favor of the purchases. Corbet asked whether the approved seed represents more than had been obtained last year (the town is purchasing it now as prices are expected to rise), whether the athletic fields that that do not have pesticides get seeded twice per year (yes) and what is the plan to apply pesticides on athletic fields this year (late-June or early-July at Conner Field and Waveny’s athletic fields). 

Corbet has advocated in the past that New Canaan disclose its use of pesticides on athletic fields on the town website—a recommendation that Parks & Rec supported.

Board of Selectmen

Selectman Corbet Defends Appearance in 1913 Library Group’s Photo

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Noting that she’s received “a lot of blowback” about appearing in a photo with preservationists gathered out front of New Canaan Library over the weekend to support keeping the 1913 building, Selectman Kathleen Corbet on Tuesday said she will respect whatever the Planning & Zoning Commission decides on the library’s application to rebuild its facility, even if that means demolishing the original structure. In a possible reference to the library’s offer to move the Main Street-facing facade to a western property line, Corbet said she has been “impressed with some of the ideas that have been put forward by the library in terms of moving and paying homage to the 1913.”

“But the simplest one would be to preserve it in place,” she said during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, held at Town Hall. “But again, I think making sure that every voice is heard and we are considering that, that’s what I respect, the process from Planning & Zoning. And whatever they decide, I support—even if it includes demolition. So that’s the process I have always taken.

David Lehman

Selectmen Push Commuter Parking Permit Renewals to Sept. 1

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Officials this week decided to push to September the date for commuter parking permit renewals in hopes that by then train service will be restored to more normal levels. During a regular Board of Selectmen meeting Tuesday, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said that he hoped that express trains would soon return to pre-COVID frequency. 

As it is, the train schedule no longer includes “the four through trains in the evening, the four through trains in the morning, which effectively cancels commuter service,” Moynihan said at the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. The New York City subways opened up 24 hour service recently, and Moynihan, as he has in the past, said he hoped to pressure Metro-North Railroad to return express trains to the New Canaan branch line. “Commuters are going to want to get on the train,” he said. “A number of our residents are driving to Darien stations to commute instead.”

Moynihan and Selectmen Kathleen Corbet and Nick Williams voted 3-0 to defer the commuter parking permit renewal date to Sept.

Government

Moynihan: Town Should Pressure Metro-North Railroad To Restore New Canaan Train Service

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New Canaan’s highest elected official said this week that the town should pressure Metro-North Railroad to return commuter trains to a pre-pandemic schedule before making a decision regarding some parking permit renewals. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said Tuesday that he wants to pressure the train company before setting a renewal date for commuter lot parking permits. The subways in New York City are reopening 24 hours and “people returning to work in Manhattan may be accelerating,” Moynihan said during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, so that New Canaan can start charging commuter permit-holders earlier than a recommended Sept. 1 start date. Municipal officials have noted that New Canaan is losing $120,000 per quarter in revenue following its suspension of parking permit fees, Moynihan said at the meeting, held both in person and via videoconference.