Council accepts six charter amendments for ballot, rejects term limits

Town Council · Meeting of July 15, 2026

New Canaan council sends six charter amendments to November ballot, rejects term limits 4-8. Chairman Michael Mauro's council also unanimously approved $150,000 in ARPA interest earnings for repairs at Schoolhouse Apartments, where board president Steve Hoover described hallway temperatures reaching "82 to 85 degrees" after three years of management turmoil. Waveny LifeCare Network CEO Dr.

Russell Barksdale Jr. unveiled a proposal for a 150-unit senior living community on 20 acres of town parkland west of Lapham Road, requesting "no financial contribution from the town"; member Penny Young recused herself as a Waveny board member. Accepted amendments include Town Council confirmation of Planning and Zoning appointments (12-0), council approval for town land sales (12-0), ending the Board of Finance property-ownership requirement (9-3), and adding alternates to the Ethics Board (10-2). Member Kimberly Norton objected that a "technical" catch-all amendment quietly altered personnel-dismissal rules for part-time workers and police and fire grievance procedures.

The council also approved the Health and Human Services Commission's bid for an AARP Age-Friendly Community designation, honoring the late commission chairman Jim Lisher.

In the full story:

• Substantive content and the deliberation, by amendment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,911 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of July 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

Public Comment and the Charter Preview

Before any formal business, resident Melanie Hearn of 82 Arrowhead Trail used the public comment period to preview her position on the charter amendments the council would take up later in the meeting. She supported requiring managerial officials to follow the same conduct rules as the employees they oversee, supported broadening Board of Finance eligibility, but opposed the 12-year term limit, arguing it would force out the sitting chairs of the Board of Finance and the Planning and Zoning Commission "in the absence of evidence that the current appointment process is failing." Housing Authority Chairman Scott Hobbs, of 48 West Road, and resident Sarah Lohman, of 107 Old Stamford Road, both spoke in anticipation of the Waveny LifeCare Network presentation later on the agenda, previewing the evening's two major threads before the council had formally opened either topic.

Health and Human Services Commission: AARP Age-Friendly Application

Background and stakes: The Health and Human Services Commission's Senior Behavioral Health Subcommittee spent roughly a year analyzing a 2025 community health and well-being survey and running focus groups with residents 60 and older. The effort was proposed by Jim Lisher, the commission's chairman for a decade and also longtime chair of the Aging Commission, who died in November 2025; council member Kimberly Norton, who had discussed the idea with him before his death, urged the commission to carry it forward as a way to advance his legacy.

The question before the body: Whether to authorize the town to apply to AARP's Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities and to submit an accompanying commitment letter, subject to Board of Selectmen approval.

Substantive content: Commission member John Knight, who chairs the Senior Behavioral Health Subcommittee, told the council the AARP network evaluates communities across eight domains of livability — outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, and health services and community supports. Nine Connecticut communities already belong: Greenwich, Fairfield, Cheshire, Glastonbury, Groton, Newtown, Simsbury, West Hartford and Woodstock. There is no cost to apply. Knight said benefits include national-network resources, eligibility for AARP's community challenge grant program — which he said other member towns have used for items as small as park benches or bicycle-safety audits — and marketing value for local realtors.

The deliberation: Member Eric Thunem asked what concrete benefit seniors would see. Knight said the main value is the "proactive group of people... focused on making life better for seniors" that the application process itself creates, plus future grant eligibility once the town formally joins. Member Maria Naughton asked which nine Connecticut towns already participate; Knight read the list. Chairman Michael Mauro has agreed to sponsor the application on the council's behalf.

Procedural steps and outcome: The council initially heard the presentation, then returned to it after other business for a formal vote. On a motion by Chairman Mauro, seconded by member Kimberly Norton, the council approved the request unanimously by voice vote.

Implications and what is next: The application goes before the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, July 21, and Knight said he hopes for a decision within one to two months. Knight noted that, to his knowledge, no applicant community has ever been rejected.

Waveny LifeCare Network: Parcel E Senior Living Proposal

Background and stakes: Waveny LifeCare Network has operated in New Canaan for more than 50 years under a long-term ground lease with the town, beginning with the original Waveny Care Center. New Canaan currently has only about 80 age-restricted senior units — 40 at Waveny and 40 at Schoolhouse Apartments, none of which count toward the town's affordable-housing ratio — even as more than 16 percent of residents are seniors. Sixteen nursing homes have closed statewide over the past decade, according to Waveny's leadership, adding financial pressure on nonprofit providers.

The question before the body: Whether to begin a public review process for a proposed life plan community on town-owned parkland, with no vote requested and no financial commitment from the town sought.

Substantive content: Waveny President and CEO Dr. Russell Barksdale Jr. said the proposal envisions a minimum-to-maximum range of 150 one- and two-bedroom units on roughly 20 of the more than 50 acres that make up Parcel E of the Waveny zone, an area known locally as the "mulch pile," located west of Lapham Road between the Merritt Parkway and Route 106. The site plan calls for underground parking, expanded walking trails, landscaped gathering areas and a tree-lined buffer intended to screen the development from the surrounding viewshed. Barksdale said Waveny would seek no town funding, instead relying on tax-exempt bonds, private placement, Waveny equity contributions and subordinate debt. He said the network already provides more than $3 million a year in charity and undercompensated care, including free and discounted senior housing that does not count toward the town's affordable-housing percentage under state rules, and that Waveny has committed not to negatively affect that percentage. He said the organization has priced its planning to make roughly 65 percent of units affordable to area seniors and households.

Board members Rich Townsend, a former town council member, and Dr. Mark DeWaele, a former town council chairman and former chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission, also addressed the council. DeWaele drew a parallel to the town's decision roughly 25 years ago, when he chaired the Parks and Recreation Commission, to build what is now the Steve Benko Pool inside Waveny Park over the objections of some residents who wanted the park limited to passive recreation. He also cited the town's purchase of nearly 40 acres that became Irwin Park as evidence of the same leadership group's commitment to open space. State Rep. Tom O'Dea, R-125, told the council he supports keeping "an open mind," noting statewide elder-care facility closures and his own decades of awareness of the area's senior-housing gap.

The deliberation: Council member Penny Young disclosed she serves on Waveny's board and recused herself before the presentation began, citing advice from town lawyers, though she said she would "encourage each of you to listen carefully to what is being proposed." Member Janet Fonss asked about the project's footprint and unit count; Barksdale gave the 150-unit, 20-acre figures. Chairman Mauro asked whether the project carried any town financial obligation; Barksdale said none. Member Maria Naughton pressed on site selection, asking why the "mulch pile" was chosen over other parkland; Barksdale said 30 to 40 sites had been evaluated over three decades and that the chosen corner's terrain and existing tree line would let the building "nestle" into a natural depression, minimizing its visibility. Member Jennifer Zonis asked how the project would affect the town's affordable-housing ratio, given the units would be market rate; Barksdale reiterated the commitment not to change the ratio.

"Ukanan needs to plan seriously for the people who live here, including older residents whose housing support and care needs change over time." — Scott Hobbs, chairman, New Canaan Housing Authority, public comment

"This is a community issue. It is about whether people who have spent decades contributing to New Canaan can continue to remain connected to the town they helped shape." — Dr. Russell Barksdale Jr., president and CEO, Waveny LifeCare Network

Procedural steps and outcome: No motion was made and no vote taken. Chairman Mauro closed the discussion by calling it "an incredibly worthy proposal for serious evaluation and consideration."

Implications and what is next: Waveny said it will hold public information sessions with elected officials, town bodies and neighbors over the coming weeks, with dates to be announced, and will post an FAQ page at wave.org. Any formal ground lease, memorandum of understanding, or final site plan would require future council action.

Schoolhouse Apartments: $150,000 in ARPA Interest for Capital Repairs

Background and stakes: Schoolhouse Apartments, at 156 South Avenue, houses 39 senior residents (soon 40, with a 41st unit planned) in a converted 1990s-era school building financed originally through a 99-year town ground lease and a $2.75 million HUD 202 loan. Board president Steve Hoover, a commercial real estate investor who joined the board four months before the meeting, told the council the property had endured three property managers in 36 months, including an 11-month stretch with none, and two supervisors fired and one evicted.

The question before the body: Whether to allocate up to $150,000 in interest earned on the town's unspent ARPA funds — not the ARPA principal itself, which is already committed — to reimburse Schoolhouse Apartments for capital repairs.

Substantive content: Hoover said the crisis peaked with five vacant units, a $100,000 annual operating loss and payables that swelled from $5,000 to $100,000. Eighty-four percent of the complex's roughly $950,000 budgeted revenue goes to mortgage, property management, utilities and insurance, leaving only about $130,000, or 14 percent, for all other operating expenses. Second- and third-floor hallway temperatures have measured 82 to 85 degrees in recent weeks. The requested funds would cover a heavy renovation of unit 108, conversion of the supervisor's unit to a rental, hallway and common-area renovation, and two test-replacement air conditioning units, with the board separately committing $15,000 of its own funds for contingencies. Vice President Roger Williams, a 34-year resident of 195 Putnam Road, and Treasurer Bob Spangler, formerly of the town's Board of Finance, also presented. Since March, the board has raised $200,000 in private donations in 45 days, cut vacancies from five to zero, and reduced payables from $100,000 to $50,000; a new property management firm starts August 1.

The deliberation: Member Eric Thunem asked whether the two test air conditioning units signaled a larger, unfunded need for the remaining units and whether Schoolhouse would return for more money later. Hoover said the board was working within an off-cycle budget window and would likely return for larger projects, including full air conditioning, once fundraising capacity grows. Member Heather Russell, who said she visits the property daily because her children attend its adjoining daycare center, called herself "utterly embarrassed" by the conditions residents had endured and voiced support. Member Janet Fonss questioned whether use of ARPA interest, rather than ARPA principal, was an appropriate mechanism; town officials confirmed the interest is unrestricted general-fund money.

"It's not the way we treat our citizens, our elderly neighbors. That's why I came here." — Steve Hoover, president, Schoolhouse Apartments Inc.

Procedural steps and outcome: On a motion by Chairman Mauro, seconded by member Eric Thunem, the council approved the $150,000 allocation unanimously by voice vote. Member Kimberly Norton recused herself and left the dais, citing a family member's residency at Schoolhouse.

Implications and what is next: The funds still require Board of Finance authorization before Schoolhouse can spend them. Board leadership indicated they expect to return to the town for additional capital requests, particularly full air conditioning replacement, in a future budget cycle.

Charter Revision Commission: Seven Proposed Amendments

Background and stakes: The council created an 11-member Charter Revision Commission roughly eight months earlier to conduct the town's once-a-decade charter review. The commission's final report, delivered ahead of this meeting, is now moot as a body — by statute, the commission dissolved once it submitted the report — leaving the council to formally accept or reject each recommended amendment for the November ballot.

The question before the body: For each of seven proposed amendments identified in the commission's final report, whether to accept it (sending it to voters) or reject it (keeping it off the ballot), under Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 99, Section 7-191.

Substantive content and the deliberation, by amendment

Amendment 1 — 12-year term limits for appointed board, commission and committee members, with eligibility for reappointment after a one-term absence. Member Penny Young said she opposed it because it would remove valuable long-serving members without addressing any identified problem, and that an existing informal process already handles underperforming members. Member Cristina Ross, who supported it, said the CRC treated the measure as a "compromise" alternative to electing the Board of Finance and Planning and Zoning Commission, and that "there is nobody that should be indispensable." Member Kimberly Norton favored it, framing council approval as simply "putting it in front of the voter" rather than imposing the limit outright, and citing her belief in "developmental leadership" opportunities for newer volunteers. Member Eric Thunem opposed it, arguing the town's appointment process is not broken and that pairing term limits on appointed officials with none on elected officials like the council itself creates an inconsistency. Member Michael Rodgers supported it, calling it "the only stop gap" available given that Planning and Zoning and the Board of Finance remain appointed rather than elected. Vote: 4-8, rejected, does not go to the ballot.

Amendment 2 — Subjects elected and appointed officials with managerial responsibility over town employees to the same personnel policies, ethics rules and conduct standards as those employees, with accountability to the First Selectman. Member Eric Thunem called it "plain common sense." Member Penny Young supported it, saying during her tenure the issue "has happened in several times." Member Kimberly Norton opposed it, arguing it targets checks and balances between independently elected officials rather than any request from the public. Member Cristina Ross opposed it on separation-of-powers grounds, particularly for officials with state-level duties. Member Maria Naughton opposed it as "overly complicated" for a charter document. Chairman Mauro, describing himself as a longtime employment lawyer, opposed the specific language, calling it "a Pandora's box" that layers federal, state and local law without addressing union-contract interactions, while agreeing the underlying problem was real. Vote: 7-5, accepted for the ballot.

Amendment 3 — Requires Town Council confirmation of Board of Selectmen appointments to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Vote: 12-0, accepted unanimously, with no recorded discussion.

Amendment 4 — Requires Town Council approval, subject to referendum provisions, for changes in use, capital lease, sale or transfer of town-owned real property. Vote: 12-0, accepted unanimously, with no recorded discussion.

Amendment 5 — Eliminates the requirement that Board of Finance members be real estate taxpayers. Member Michael Rodgers called it "a proper amendment." Member Heather Russell suggested any revised language be made consistent with the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause. Chairman Mauro noted voters rejected a similar change roughly a decade earlier by a decisive margin and predicted a decisive outcome again. Vote: 9-3, accepted for the ballot.

Amendment 6 — Adds three alternate members to the five-member Ethics Board. Member Eric Thunem opposed it, calling five members "plenty" given the scarcity of qualified volunteers. CRC Chair Kathleen Corbet, responding to a council question, explained the recommendation stemmed from a period when illness, a police commission appointment and a Board of Education election left the Ethics Board briefly unable to fill vacancies, with no alternates available as PNZ and the Board of Finance already have. Member Maria Naughton supported it as low-cost insurance against a repeat. Vote: 10-2, accepted for the ballot.

Amendment 7 — A catch-all of "technical and conforming changes," clarifying definitions, deleting outdated references and updating provisions to current practice. Member Kimberly Norton objected that three specific changes buried in the catch-all were substantive, not merely technical: a provision on page 63 shifting authority to dismiss part-time and seasonal employees from the Board of Selectmen to individual department heads; a provision on page 66 altering grievance procedures for the police department and commission; and a similar grievance-procedure change for the fire commission. She argued these personnel-policy changes deserved standalone ballot treatment rather than being folded into "update provisions to current practice" language voters would not understand. Member Heather Russell separately flagged a change to the Inland Wetlands Commission's ex officio membership and a provision expanding language about the town treasurer, questioning whether they were conforming or substantive. Town Counsel Nick Bamonte advised the council could vote to accept the amendments as presented and address the ballot-question wording, including whether to break out specific provisions, at a later "formulation" meeting. First Selectman-appointed Personnel Director Cheryl Pickering Jones was consulted by phone to confirm the personnel-related changes align with existing union contracts and department practice. Member Hilary Ormond argued the timing objection was untimely, since the language had appeared unchanged in the commission's draft report for roughly two months. Member Maria Naughton countered that the complexity, not the timing, was the concern, warning voters would find a bundled question confusing. Member Jennifer Zonis said she worried the council was now improvising a "monthlong" process of breaking out additional sub-questions without the now-dissolved commission's guidance. Chairman Mauro proposed voting to accept the amendment as a package now and deciding at the formulation stage whether to present the flagged provisions as distinct ballot sub-items. Vote: 10-2 (Kimberly Norton and Heather Russell opposed), accepted for the ballot.

Procedural steps and outcome, overall: Six of seven proposed charter amendments were accepted for the November ballot; the 12-year term limit proposal was rejected and will not appear. The council must still hold a separate meeting to formulate the exact ballot-question wording, at which point members indicated they intend to revisit whether some of Amendment 7's individually flagged provisions should be presented to voters as distinct questions.

Implications and what is next: New Canaan voters will decide in November whether to give the Town Council confirmation power over Planning and Zoning appointments, require council approval for town land transactions, drop the property-ownership requirement for Board of Finance members, expand the Ethics Board's bench of alternates, subject managerial officials to employee conduct rules, and ratify a package of technical charter changes that includes three personnel-policy provisions council member Kimberly Norton says were not clearly disclosed to the public. No mandatory rotation will apply to sitting appointed board chairs.

Minutes and a Council Member's Public Response

Background and stakes: The council has repeatedly struggled to finalize minutes from its May and June 2026 meetings, a recurring friction point Chairman Mauro and member Hilary Ormond both said consumes disproportionate meeting time.

The question before the body: Whether to approve minutes from the May 20, June 17 and June 30, 2026 meetings, incorporating member-requested corrections.

Substantive content and the deliberation: Member Hilary Ormond argued minutes should record only motions, seconds and vote tallies, not debate detail, and moved to call the vote regardless of unresolved edits. Members Cristina Ross and Kimberly Norton separately raised the same objection to the June 17 minutes: that names attached to charter-related straw-poll votes should be removed, consistent with a policy Norton said she was told applied to an earlier April 22 straw poll, since the council was not formally voting but making recommendations. No member objected to removing the names. Norton also asked that a lengthy passage describing a presentation on the Waveny Park Gorse Pavilion's Connecticut Historic Preservation Office easements, in the May 20 minutes, be replaced with a brief note that "a discussion was held," and that detailed language about her own statutory objection to a June 30 referendum-date vote, citing Connecticut General Statute Section 7-9, be similarly condensed. Member Ormond agreed minutes must still reflect that a debate occurred, even if condensed, "regardless of whether you agree that it's the proper thing to follow or not."

Procedural steps and outcome: The council approved an amended motion incorporating all three changes — removing straw-poll names from the June 17 minutes and condensing the Gorse Pavilion and referendum-statute passages in the May 20 and June 30 minutes to general "discussion was held" language — unanimously by voice vote.

Council member Michael Rodgers used the floor after the minutes vote to respond publicly to comments, reported in the New Canaan Sentinel after a prior meeting, suggesting newer council members' judgment carries less weight. "I've lived in this town for 24 years, and I ran for the seat because I care about getting the work done, same as everyone else here," Rodgers said, asking that colleagues engage disagreements "on their substance, not on how long someone has held the seat."

Implications and what is next: The council has no regular meeting scheduled for August. Chairman Mauro asked members to begin preparing committee reports for the fall and said a future meeting will be dedicated to formulating exact charter ballot-question language.

Michael Mauro, Chairman Hilary Ormond, Vice Chairman Janet Fonss, Vice Chairman Maria Naughton, Member Cristina Ross, Member Penny Young, Member (recused from the Waveny LifeCare Network item) Kimberly Norton, Member (recused from the Schoolhouse Apartments vote) Eric Thunem, Member Jennifer Zonis, Member Lina Lee, Member Michael Rodgers, Member Heather Russell, Member All 12 council members were present; roll call confirmed a quorum.

Nick Bamonte, town/council attorney (identified in the meeting only as "Nick") Cheryl Pickering Jones, Personnel Director, consulted by phone on charter personnel provisions Tucker Murphy, Administrative Officer, Town of New Canaan, handling meeting logistics Kathleen Corbet, chair, Charter Revision Commission (now dissolved), answered council questions

Melanie Hearn, 82 Arrowhead Trail, public comment on charter amendments Scott Hobbs, 48 West Road, Chairman, New Canaan Housing Authority, public comment on senior housing Sarah Lohman, 107 Old Stamford Road, public comment on Waveny Park land use Tom O'Dea, State Representative, 125th District, 37 Holly Road, public comment supporting the Waveny proposal and opposing term limits

Dr. Russell Barksdale Jr., President and CEO, Waveny LifeCare Network Rich Townsend, Waveny LifeCare Network board member, former Town Council member Dr. Mark DeWaele, Waveny LifeCare Network board member, former Town Council chairman and former Parks and Recreation Commission chairman

Steve Hoover, President, Schoolhouse Apartments Inc. Roger Williams, Vice President, Schoolhouse Apartments Inc., 195 Putnam Road Bob Spangler, Treasurer, Schoolhouse Apartments Inc., formerly of the town Board of Finance Jim Cole, Schoolhouse Apartments resident

John Knight, Health and Human Services Commission member, chair, Senior Behavioral Health Subcommittee Jennifer Hladick, Health and Human Services Commission member, co-sponsor of the AARP application

Girl Scout Troop 50446, of Kanan Park, led the Pledge of Allegiance to open the meeting.

Charter Revision Commission — the now-dissolved, council-appointed body whose eight-month review produced the seven proposed amendments voted on this evening. Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 99, Section 7-191 — cited as the statutory authority governing the council's accept-or-reject vote on charter amendments. Connecticut General Statute Section 7-9 — cited by member Kimberly Norton regarding her objection to setting a referendum date, discussed with the Connecticut Secretary of the State's office. AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities — the national program the Health and Human Services Commission is applying to join. Board of Selectmen — must still approve the AARP commitment letter (meeting July 21) and, separately, has a role in the Schoolhouse Apartments funding process. Board of Finance — must authorize the $150,000 Schoolhouse Apartments allocation before funds can be spent. Waveny LifeCare Network (wave.org) — nonprofit senior care provider proposing the Parcel E life plan community; cited throughout the discussion of both the housing proposal and its existing charity-care obligations. Schoolhouse Apartments Inc. — nonprofit operator of the 156 South Avenue affordable senior housing complex requesting ARPA interest funds. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) — original 202 program construction loan and continuing rental assistance payments cited in Schoolhouse Apartments' financing history. New Canaan Board of Realtors — cited by Schoolhouse Apartments leadership as a volunteer partner supporting resident events and property cleanup. New Canaan Sentinel — cited by member Michael Rodgers as the outlet that reported the prior-meeting comments he addressed at the close of the meeting.