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New Canaan Volunteer Fire, EMS Leaders Seek Town’s Help To Bolster Recruitment, Retention 

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Saying they need to improve recruitment and retention, leaders from New Canaan Fire Co. No. 1 and New Canaan Emergency Medical Services are asking the town to offer members incentives such as tax abatement, Waveny Pool membership and use of the Transfer Station. Surrounding towns already offer plusses such as property tax relief, pool passes and fuel reimbursement to volunteer emergency responders, according to New Canaan Fire Co. Assistant Chief Russ Kimes and New Canaan EMS Capt. Phil Sheibley. 

The volunteer ranks of their organizations have declined, as they have elsewhere, and now stand at record or near-record lows, Kimes and Sheibley told members of the Town Council at their March 24 meeting.

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Letter: Town Council Vote Also ‘Disheartening’ for Our Democracy

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The Town Council’s vote is disheartening, not just for healthy start times but for our town’s democracy. 

Assuming everything in this article is correct, which I have no reason to doubt, the Town Council made a decision against the choice taxpayers have overwhelmingly expressed and against the best interests of children in our town, in the latter case by flouting clear supporting scientific evidence. And questioning whether to consider the support expressed through a letter-writing campaign? What leads you to such an outrageous comment? Letter-writing campaigns are a time-honored and constructive method of effecting change. 

Councilman Tom Butterworth’s articulate letter in this newsletter on April 2 identified all of the reasons why this vote should have passed—despite the fact that the Town Council had hoped it would not be left to them. And the message that you simply vote on the budget and not how it is spent is not only vacuous but dismisses the hard work done by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi and the many others who devoted time, intelligence and pragmatism to design a sensible plan to address a real health issue. 

If the budget had been sliced substantially due to the current crisis, one could understand that.

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Town Council To Push State Officials for ‘Passing Lane’ on New Canaan Rail Line

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Creating a short passing lane along Metro-North Railroad’s New Canaan branch line would double hourly train service to and from Stamford, a key step toward boosting the town’s desirability and quality of life, a resident told members of the Town Council last week. With a relative decline in jobs in Stamford post-financial crisis, access to Manhattan “is more important than ever,” Giacomo Landi said during the legislative body’s regular meeting Wednesday. “I encourage each and every one of you to reach out to our [state] senators, representatives and governor saying that this is a vital town priority,” Landi said during the meeting, held at Town Hall. “In terms of who pays, New Canaan already pays a good multiple of our population in state income tax, but I am sure some wheeling-and-dealing will need to be done.”

A New Canaan resident since last summer, Landi added: “I am new to town, I don’t have all the background on why we are where we are. But we are here.

Board of Education

‘It Is Beyond Time’: Councilmen Urge Board of Ed To Reach Decision on Drug-Sniffing Dogs in Schools

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The Board of Education has put off a decision on allowing drug-sniffing dogs in schools for too long, according to a longtime and prominent member of New Canaan’s legislative body. Advocates have been urging district officials to give access to a New Canaan Police Department K-9 dog for years, Town Councilman Steve Karl said Wednesday night. “And I understand that there are two sides of this, but you have to come to some sort of decision and compromise at some point,” Karl said during the Town Council’s regular meeting, held at Town Hall. “The citizens of this town want this done. They do.

Election 2019

Election 2019: NewCanaanite.com Endorsements for Town Council 

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This year, seven candidates—four Republicans and three Democrats—are seeking election to six seats on the Town Council, New Canaan’s legislative body. Those six seats currently are held by four Republicans and two Democrats. First, Republican incumbent Steve Karl has earned re-election to a fourth term. A fourth-generation New Canaanite and local business owner whose family is deeply involved in the community, Karl has been a thoughtful, collegial and effective councilman. As Karl noted during last week’s debate, former Councilman Dick White many years ago told him when he took the reins of the Bylaws and Ordinances Committee, “Kid, don’t screw this up.” He hasn’t.