Charter panel sends divided P&Z election proposal to full commission

Other Committee · Meeting of February 25, 2026

New Canaan charter subcommittee splits over electing the planning board. Group One Chairman Joe Paulo argued that New Canaan's 36 appointed land-use officials oversee decisions affecting a $10 billion grand list with no voter recourse, citing data showing the town's P&Z reaches only 50 percent of its own stated professional-diversity goal versus 70 to 83 percent in Darien, Ridgefield, Westport and Wilton. Commissioner Angela Jameson objected sharply, saying she disagreed "with most of the conclusions" and with how the data was used, particularly an extrapolation of a 38 percent survey response to more than 6,000 townwide voters, which Paulo agreed to remove.

The group also discussed requiring Town Council confirmation of P&Z appointees, mirroring the Board of Finance process. Minutes were approved unanimously and the presentation heads to the full Charter Revision Commission as Paulo's individual work, not Group One's position, ahead of the panel's May 4 report to the Town Council.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 838 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of February 25, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

NEW CANAAN — February 25, 2026 — A subcommittee of New Canaan's Charter Revision Commission split sharply Wednesday over a chairman's proposal to ask voters whether the Planning and Zoning Commission should become an elected body, with one commissioner calling the analysis behind it biased and "tendentious."

Chairman Joe Paulo, leading Charter Revision Commission Group One, presented roughly 20 slides arguing that data undercuts Planning and Zoning's own case for staying an appointed board. Commissioner Angela Jameson objected strongly, and the group agreed to send the presentation to the full commission only as Paulo's personal work, not as Group One's recommendation, ahead of the commission's May 4 report to the Town Council.

The Full Story

Paulo told the three-member quorum, which also included Commissioner Lebrris, that New Canaan has 36 land-use decision makers across five departments who are entirely appointed, overseeing a town where roughly 15,000 residents and voters own an estimated 87 percent of a $10 billion grand list. He contrasted that with the Board of Finance, a mixed appointed-and-elected structure, citing Town Council member Penny Young's description of a system that pairs an elected Board of Selectmen, an appointed Board of Finance and an elected Town Council.

Paulo walked through Planning and Zoning's January 16 letter defending the appointed model, which argues appointments protect professional balance, limit politicization and better withstand legal challenge. He countered with research he attributed to Commissioner Holmes showing New Canaan's P&Z reaches only 50 percent of its own stated goal for professional diversity on the board, compared with 70 to 83 percent in Darien, Ridgefield, Westport and Wilton. He also cited a former 16-year P&Z member and chairman, identified only as Mr. Goodwin, who told the commission in January his background did not match the criteria P&Z laid out. Paulo said Fairfield County towns that elect their planning boards average 81 percent owner occupancy similar to New Canaan, while appointed-model towns average about 54 percent, and he noted Ridgefield recently switched from appointed to elected.

Paulo also cited early survey data showing 38 percent of 69 respondents favored change at P&Z, though he acknowledged the sample was too small to be statistically reliable.

Jameson pushed back hard, saying the presentation should not go forward as Group One's position. She and commissioner Kathleen, who serves elsewhere on the Charter Revision Commission, both objected to an illustration in the slides depicting a house with a wind turbine, calling it unrealistic, and to Paulo's extrapolation of the 38 percent survey figure to more than 6,000 townwide voters. Paulo agreed to remove the extrapolation and reconsider the graphic but defended the rest of the material as factual.

"I disagree with most of the conclusions that you reach, and I disagree with the way in which you have used that data." [-] — Angela Jameson, commissioner

"The case for keeping P&Z appointed is mostly anecdotal and frequently contradicted by the data." [-] — Joe Paulo, chairman, Charter Revision Commission Group One

"I am very conscious about what's published in the public packet, because once it's put out there, it becomes the record which may only reflect one person's view." [-] — Kathleen, Charter Revision Commission member

Separately, a commissioner identified as Chris proposed amending Article 16 of the town charter to require Town Council confirmation of Planning and Zoning appointees, mirroring the process already used for the Board of Finance, while keeping planning and zoning combined in a single commission. He also proposed clarifying language in Article 16-7 to ensure alternate-member rotation accounts for minority-party representation limits. The group agreed to hold off finalizing that language pending further input.

Why It Matters

The commission's May 4 report to the Town Council will shape whether New Canaan voters get a direct say on how the town's most powerful land-use board is chosen, a body Paulo says makes zoning decisions affecting a $10 billion tax base with no current checks from the council, selectmen or voters. The dispute also touches the town's Plan of Conservation and Development, which Paulo said opens the door to future mandatory renewable-energy standards, including wind turbines, without resident recourse under current rules.

Because Group One could not agree on a unified position, the underlying elected-versus-appointed question is now expected to go before the full Charter Revision Commission, potentially at its March 3 meeting, where members from other subgroups will weigh in before any recommendation is finalized.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approval of February 18 Group One meeting minutes, as amended for typographical corrections Tally: Approved unanimously - Action: Advance Chairman Paulo's elected-versus-appointed Planning and Zoning presentation to the full Charter Revision Commission — sent forward as Paulo's individual work, not adopted as Group One's recommendation - Action: Draft potential Article 16 amendment requiring Town Council confirmation of Planning and Zoning appointments — Continued, pending further drafting by Commissioner Chris - Vote: Motion to adjourn Tally: Approved unanimously

Source

Town Of New Canaan: Charter Revision Commission, Group One special meeting, February 25, 2026