Atlas Outdoor

Town Approves Contract for Trinity Pass ‘Guiderail’ Replacement

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Town officials last week moved to approve a contract with a Connecticut company for the replacement of guiderails along a narrow, windy road up in the north side of New Canaan. The Board of Selectmen at its regular meeting June 4 voted 2-0 to approve the $17,860 contract with Branford-based Atlas Outdoor. The guiderail in question “ends on a ridge that we share with New York and protects alongside the bridge and reservoir,” Director of Public Works Tiger Mann told the Board at the meeting, held in Town Hall. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectman Kit Devereaux voted to approve a request from the Department of Public Works to enter the contract, which includes a contingency of $2,680 and police protection for $2,500. Selectman Nick Williams was absent.

Kevin Moynihan

Devereaux Asks Town to Include ‘Our Most Local Bank’ in Future Bidding Opportunities

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Saying that Bankwell is a truly local bank, Selectman Kit Devereaux last week urged town officials to take greater efforts to include the company in soliciting bids for the municipality’s business. In reviewing a proposed $600,000 agreement between the town and a New Jersey-based bank, Devereaux asked New Canaan CFO Sandra Dennies whether local banks had an opportunity to bid on the project (an IT equipment lease-purchase agreement for the district). Told that banks who received an email on it included People’s United Bank, First County Bank and Chase—but that Dennies was “not certain” if Bankwell received the offer—Devereaux urged the town to include Bankwell and other local banks in the future. “I would like to request that when we make that list that, for instance, Bankwell—which is probably our most local bank—is included for the opportunity,” Devereaux said at the meeting, held in Town Hall. “It could be something that local banks can’t compete on unless they have the opportunity.”

Devereaux and First Selectman Kevin Moynihan voted 2-0 to approve the agreement, with Ringoes, N.J.-based U.S. Bancorp Government Leasing and Finance, Inc. Selectman Nick Williams was absent.

Don Smith

Town To Weigh Increase in Transfer Station Permit Fees

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Municipal officials last week discussed charging residents more for a permit required to bring garbage, recyclable materials, household and yard waste to a town facility for processing. Right now, a Transfer Station sticker costs $40 per year, according to the Board of Selectmen. Under a proposal that came before the Board during its regular meeting June 4, the fee would increase to $45 per household with a private hauler or $75 without. Don Smith, assistant superintendent of solid waste in the New Canaan Department of Public Works, brought the proposal before the Board at the meeting, held in Town Hall. Selectman Kit Devereaux noted that some families in New Canaan may have difficulty paying the increased fee.

Great Blue

First Selectman Moves To Conduct Town-Wide Survey

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New Canaan’s highest elected official said the town will meet with a Glastonbury-based firm Wednesday to discuss a widely anticipated survey that establishes taxpayer priorities. 

First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said Tuesday during a regular Board of Selectmen meeting that Great Blue is expected to conduct the survey. The town has $20,000 for the project, he said. “Depending on how the meeting goes, we will bring back an agreement in two weeks,” he said. During a multi-board workshop held in November, prior to the last budget cycle, officials from elected and appointed bodies including the Boards of Selectmen, Education and Finance, as well as the Town Council, decided to conduct a survey of residents to better understand their spending priorities. Saying they faced a lack of funds, the Board of Finance decided in January to postpone the funding of the survey until the next fiscal year, which starts July 1.

Burns Construction

Roadworks Contractor Replaced After Town Voices Frustration

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Following complaints about the condition of local roads during the natural gas installation, town officials said Tuesday that a new contractor has be hired to start this week. The utility company overseeing the project is “very much aware of our dissatisfaction,” according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. “The present contractor [Ferreira] is being asked to vacate the premises, and the new contractor will commence on the main installation services and restoration next week,” Mann said during a regular Board of Selectmen meeting, held at Town Hall. Since Ferreira, a contractor for Eversource, began patching New Canaan roads in the wake of the gas main installation, residents have been complaining about the quality of the repairs. Stratford-based Burns Construction will take over the job starting Wednesday, Mann said.