Town Upholds $30 Ticket Issued to New Canaan Woman Who Used Town Hall Lot

Officials this month upheld a $30 ticket issued to a New Canaan woman for parking at Town Hall without any legitimate reason for being there.

The one-hour spaces in the parking lot behind Town Hall are only for those using the government building. 

Aria Guo told members of the Parking Commission during their regular meeting on July 9 that she had gone to pick up flowers from a friend across the street and then had planned to return and enter Town Hall on matters related to her taxes.

After an hour-long discussion that multiple members described as uncomfortable, Commissioners Nancy Bemis and Katie O’Neill voted 2-0 to uphold the ticket issued to Guo on June 2. Commissioner Kevin Karl recused himself from voting, saying he is a neighbor of the appellant.

“We need to reinforce that there is no parking at Town Hall tolerated outside of Town Hall business,” Bemis said at the end of the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.

Parking Enforcement Officer Michael McCargo, who issued the ticket, detailed the sequence of events to the commission.

“Guo walked past Town Hall and into Ching’s Table,” McCargo said. “Twenty or 30 minutes later, she returned with two big bags, which she put into the back of her car. She closed the door and was preparing to leave when she realized she had gotten a ticket.”

He continued: “Guo then walked into Town Hall and went straight to the parking department to ask about the ticket. After finishing her appeal, she went to the tax office…she was in Town Hall for about 10 minutes.”

McCargo used CCTV footage to confirm the timeline. 

In her appeal, Guo said her tax questions were why she was in the parking lot.

“I was at Town Hall today for tax inquiries,” Guo wrote in a June 2 appeal. “I briefly crossed Main Street to greet a friend who brought me flower seedlings. When I returned to put them in my car, I realized I had a ticket.”

However, Parking Director Stacy Miltenberg explained at the meeting that parking in the Town Hall lot has become an issue.

“In general, a lot of people use that lot and do not come into Town Hall,” Miltenberg said. 

“It has been asked of us to monitor that lot and make sure anybody parking there comes into Town Hall.”

Miltenberg continued: “Every part of what we’ve looked at and based the facts on indicates that her initial reason for parking was not to come to Town Hall…she only came in after she got a ticket.”

The two voting commissioners, Bemis and O’Neill, eventually decided that the ticket should be upheld as an example that parking in Town Hall without reason is not tolerated.