Charter panel approves minutes, advances final report toward July vote
Other Committee · Meeting of May 26, 2026
New Canaan's Charter Revision Commission approved minutes and budgeted $9,680 to publish its nearly 80-page final charter report ahead of a Town Council vote targeted for July 15. Commissioners approved the May 4 minutes 8-0 with two abstentions, on a motion from Steve Case seconded by Karen Willet. The plan pairs an $3,750 section in the Sentinel with a $5,930 run of 2,000 printed booklets from Minute Man Press.
Members standardized "12 consecutive years" term-limit language across boards and added a requirement that boards may retain outside counsel only "if deemed necessary." Chair Kathleen rejected criticism that the volunteer panel was "a joke," saying "we're here to represent the town." A public-referendum wording question on town-owned property was left unresolved for further review.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 918 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of May 26, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
NEW CANAAN — May 26, 2026 — The New Canaan Charter Revision Commission voted Tuesday to approve the minutes of its May 4 special meeting and spent most of its regular meeting walking through editorial changes to its nearly 80-page final charter report, which the Town Council is expected to vote on July 15.
Commission Chair Kathleen told members the panel intends to publish the full report, rather than just the proposed charter amendments, in a dedicated section of the Sentinel and in printed booklets, at a combined cost of roughly $9,680 that has already been budgeted. The commission also worked through dozens of line edits to the report based on comments from Town Council members, including standardizing "12 consecutive years" term-limit language across boards and adding a requirement that boards may retain independent outside counsel only "if deemed necessary."
The Full Story
The commission opened with a roll call showing 10 of its 11 members present; Commissioner Caret was absent. Members approved the draft minutes of the May 4 special meeting on a motion from Commissioner Steve Case, seconded by Commissioner Karen Willet, with two members, identified in discussion as Chris and Todd, abstaining.
Chair Kathleen told the commission it submitted its final draft report to the Town Council on May 4 and that the council has since discussed it twice, with the first of two public hearings set for Wednesday, May 27, and a second expected in mid-June. The commission's goal, she said, is to get a finalized report to the council in time for a vote at its July 15 meeting, the council's last regular meeting before summer recess. She also pushed back on public criticism that the commission was "a joke" or wasting taxpayer money, noting that all 11 members serve as unpaid volunteers.
Much of the meeting covered how to satisfy a state statute requiring the charter changes be published in a local newspaper. The commission discussed publishing an 18-page section inside the Sentinel, whose print circulation exceeds 2,200, at a cost of about $3,750, plus a separate run of 2,000 printed booklets of the full report through Minute Man Press for $5,930, bringing the total to $9,680. Commissioner Karen Willet questioned whether the commission needed 2,000 physical copies if most requests would come on demand. The panel ultimately agreed to move forward with both the newspaper section and the printed run, with extra copies made available at the town clerk's office, the library and other pickup points, including local churches.
The commission then worked page by page through comments submitted by Town Council members Eric Tunum and Hillary Orman. Changes included striking the word "council" from a 1935 reference to town meeting authority, replacing inconsistent "term limit" language with uniform wording capping appointed officers at 12 consecutive years of service, and retaining the word "agencies" alongside "boards, commissions and committees" to match state statute. The commission also removed an erroneous reference to an "appropriation provision" under the Parks and Recreation Commission section after determining no change had actually been made there.
A lengthy debate concerned whether boards such as the Audit Committee and Ethics Board should be allowed to retain independent legal counsel. Commissioner Chris argued the debate wasn't about whether boards could hire outside counsel, but under what circumstances.
"The issue here is not the absolute right of retaining counsel, but it's the ability to retain counsel if deemed necessary." — Chris, commission member
The commission adopted the "if deemed necessary" qualifier for both the audit and ethics provisions. Members also debated, but ultimately left unchanged, summary language stating that Town Council action on town-owned real property "is subject to" public referendum, after members raised concerns the wording could be read as implying referendum is automatic.
"We're all volunteers. We all work very hard. We're residents. We're taxpayers, and we're here to represent the town." — Kathleen, commission chair
Late in the meeting, the commission discussed whether informal working groups researching unrelated ordinance topics, such as an update to the town's human resources code, would need to be publicly noticed under the state's open meetings law if they report recommendations back to the full commission. One member cautioned against "scope creep" given the tight timeline on the charter report itself. The meeting adjourned on a motion seconded by Commissioner Angela.
Why It Matters
The charter rewrite is New Canaan's broadest update to its town governing document in years, and the July 15 target sets the clock for when residents could see charter amendments move toward a townwide vote. The publication cost, nearly $9,680, is public money already budgeted to meet the town's legal obligation to notify residents before any vote. The term-limit and independent-counsel language debated Tuesday will directly shape how much authority future town boards have and how long members can serve, while the still-unresolved referendum wording could affect how future council decisions on town property are challenged by petition.
Key Motions & Votes
- Vote: Approval of May 4, 2026 special meeting minutes Tally: For: 8, Against: 0, Abstain: 2, Total: 10 - Action: Full final charter report, not just proposed amendments, to be published in the Sentinel and via printed booklets — Approved by consensus, no formal roll-call vote taken - Action: Referendum-language question on page 18 of the draft report — Tabled for further review, no date set - Vote: Motion to adjourn Tally: Approved unanimously
Source
Town Of New Canaan: Charter Revision Commission meeting, May 26, 2026