Board of Selectmen

Saxe Playing Fields To Be Surveyed for Artificial Turf Installation

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Faced with a need for more playing time, officials this week approved a contract to kickstart a look into installing turf fields at Saxe Middle School. The Board of Selectmen at its regular meeting Wednesday—its last as currently composed—voted 3-0 in favor of a contract with New Canaan-based RKW Land Surveying to survey the grass fields at Saxe. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectmen Kathleen Corbet and Nick Williams voted in favor of the $13,900 contract. The cost will be borne by the New Canaan Athletic Foundation. A recommendation to study the Saxe fields “for the potential to install turf fields” emerged because “some of the fields at Saxe are a little bit too wet for a gym class to go out, given the fact that the grass we’re not able to play on as much as we would like,” according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann.

Board of Selectmen

Board of Selectmen Members Bid Farewell at Final Meeting

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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.

Board of Selectmen

Police Chief: Three Additional SROs on Track To Start Next School Year

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Town officials said last week that they’re hoping to hire three additional school resource officers for New Canaan Public Schools in time for the start of the next academic year. 

The district already has SROs at New Canaan High School and Saxe Middle School, as well as a roving school resource officer for the elementary schools. Discussed in executive session for months as part of a larger safety initiative, the new officers are expected to serve the elementary schools full-time. “We interviewed people last week, so we’re doing the hiring process, and we’re slated for three seats in the Police Academy,” Police Chief John DiFederico told members of the Board of Selectmen at their Oct. 17 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “It’s a process that we can’t rush,” DiFederico said.

Board of Selectmen

Selectmen Seek Input from Successor Board on Vine Cottage

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Municipal officials say they’ll wait for input from members of the next Board of Selectmen prior to soliciting offers from prospective buyers of an historic town-owned building on Main Street. The sitting selectmen also said at their most recent meeting that they need to consider additional updates to a 2021 version of an RFP for Vine Cottage—a ca. 1860-built Victorian gothic revival that currently serves as home of the New Canaan Health Department—before reissuing it. 

Earlier this month, Selectman Nick Williams raised the prospect of issuing an updated RFP because he discovered there could be a credible buyer. “I don’t want the town to lose the opportunity…for a credible bidder who, for whatever reason, wants to move quickly,” Williams said at the selectmen’s Oct. 17 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.

Government

Town Purchasing Two Solar-Powered Speed Sentries

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The Board of Selectmen at its most recent meeting approved an approximately $27,000 contract with a Bethel-based company to purchase two solar-powered devices to monitor motor vehicle speeds in New Canaan. The selectmen voted 3-0 at their Oct. 3 meeting to approve the $26,783.54 contract for two speed sentries from East Coast Sign & Supply Inc.

The town has “seen a definite benefit to having them out on the street, let’s put it that way, either to gather data in certain sections where we’re having residential complaints or as a permanent installation for the future,” according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. The solar-powered sentries will relieve the town of switching out batteries and moving the devices around town, Mann said. “If we have a situation where we think we have a permanent speed problem, we put these up and then we don’t have to necessarily change out the battery,” he said at the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.