Housing Authority OKs Paving, Door Repairs
Other Committee · Meeting of September 23, 2026
New Canaan Housing Authority approves paving and Building 33 door repairs after tenants air months of complaints. Commissioners Tim and Mike moved and seconded the authorization to hire All-Star Paving for the Millport complex and to replace entry doors that resident Mark said have failed to lock since April. Building 33 tenant Sheena Stevens told the board she still lacks documentation for a 48-hour notice demanding $299 in back rent, prompting Westmount property manager Amy to arrange an in-person meeting.
Tenants also pressed Westmount on hallway cleanliness, camera coverage and a possible garbage-mishandling fine schedule. "It's not only embarrassing, it's depressing, it's degrading," Mark said of the hallways. The board also heard that Frontier is discontinuing copper landline service by November 30, pending FCC approval, affecting some residents' internet options.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,683 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of September 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
Approval of Minutes
The Housing Authority opened its special meeting with four of five commissioners present. Chair Scott waived a formal reading of the prior minutes; commissioner Tim moved to accept them and commissioner Mike seconded. The board approved the motion by voice vote with no discussion, and no commissioner voiced objection or requested changes.
Tenant Comment: Tree Work and Routine Maintenance
Millport resident Wendy opened public comment by asking about the status of recent tree removal near her building, pest control timing, filter replacements and the pending parking lot paving. Rick, working with Westmount on capital projects, explained that a dead tree on Millport property had already been removed, and that a separate tree on the adjacent doctor's office property fell into the phase-two parking lot earlier that day; the neighboring property owner sent a contractor who cleaned it up that afternoon. Property manager Amy told Wendy that extermination service, previously expected this month, has been pushed to October 15 and 16 — October 15 covering Millport's first phase and October 16 covering the mills building — and that sprinkler-system inspections by contractor MJ Daily are scheduled for September 29, with additional visits at 59 and 61 Millport Avenue on September 28 and 29. This is a routine, low-stakes exchange that consumed only a few minutes but set the tone for a public-comment period that ran long.
Rent Documentation Dispute: Sheena Stevens and Franca Vittigliano
The board's chair introduced two Building 33 residents who had joined together: Franca Vittigliano and Sheena Stevens. Stevens raised the meeting's most pointed procedural question: when a tenant receives a 48-hour notice for unpaid rent, what documentation backs up the amount claimed? Stevens said she received a notice demanding $299 in back rent but has not been given a breakdown of how that figure was calculated, despite asking. Amy said she personally delivers all 48-hour notices and that the amount reflects whatever balance is on the tenant's account, but acknowledged she could not recite an individual tenant's balance from memory during the call. Rick, joining the exchange, told Amy directly that the issue was not whether rent was owed but the absence of any supporting statement, comparing it to standard merchant billing practices: "The question is why there's no documentation supporting where you got that figure from." Amy said any resident can request a detailed accounting by scheduling an office appointment, and Stevens said she had been trying to get that appointment for days. Rick pressed further, noting Stevens had texted Amy about scheduling and not received a response; Amy said she had been occupied with a visiting regional manager and offered to meet immediately. Stevens confirmed she would go to the office directly after the call. The exchange did not produce a policy change, but it surfaced a process gap — Westmount confirmed it does not proactively provide a rent ledger with each notice — that the board did not formally resolve during the public session.
Building 33 Entry Door: A Five-Month Safety Complaint
Mark, a Building 33 tenant, told the board the building's front entry door has failed to lock consistently since April, a period during which he said Westmount staff — he named maintenance workers Gunnar and Leonard — attempted repeated repairs that did not hold. He said the building houses several older residents, including a man in his 80s and Mark himself, 67, and that the unsecured door has left him afraid of being followed inside. Rick told the board a contractor had already visited the property and returned a quote, which he stated as $441, to replace doors across both Millport phases; the figure and scope were not further itemized during the call. Rick said the expenditure requires board approval because it exceeds the dollar threshold Westmount's on-site staff can authorize independently, and that he could not commit to an installation date until the board approves the spending and he confirms contractor and material availability, which he estimated informally could take a minimum of several weeks. Mark and fellow commenter Debra pressed for a firm timeline; Rick said he did not yet have one because he had not asked the contractor. Board members did not commit to a date but agreed, through the evening's later formal vote, to authorize the repair work to proceed.
Hallway Cleanliness and Lease Enforcement
Mark's second complaint concerned building upkeep: he described recurring garbage spills in stairwells, an oil stain running down the north stairwell from the third floor, and carpets he called filthy, citing a visitor's comment that the halls looked "depressing" by comparison to his own apartment. He asked whether Westmount has hallway video surveillance to identify repeat offenders. Amy and Rick said Millport currently has camera coverage at building entryways and elevators but not in hallways themselves, and said adding that coverage would depend on whether existing wiring supports it. Mark and Debra, another tenant who spoke later, pushed the board on whether Westmount can fine tenants for garbage mishandling. Rick, describing his own prior experience as a landlord, argued tenants who damage property forfeit certain protections; Mark went further, arguing rules without enforcement "are meaningless." Amy said Connecticut tenant law limits what management can do without catching violations directly or having them listed on a formal published charge schedule, and that Westmount can send warning letters to identified offenders but cannot issue a fine unless the conduct appears on that schedule. Debra, who said she has lived in the building for eight or nine years, argued that a lack of consistent consequences means costs — implicitly, cleanup and repair expenses — get passed back to all tenants through rent. Board members, including Scott, asked Westmount directly whether garbage mishandling could be added to the property's fine schedule and current lease-renewal paperwork going forward; Westmount agreed to look into it. The board separately confirmed there is no fixed number of lease violations that triggers eviction — that determination is made by a judge — but agreed dollar-based fines might create a more consistent deterrent than warning letters alone.
A Resident Thanks Management
One additional tenant, unidentified by name in the recording, thanked Amy for responding quickly after she reported smelling what she believed was marijuana in her building, saying Amy "acted on it right away" once notified. The comment was brief and offered as a counterpoint to the evening's otherwise critical tone.
Visitor Parking and the North Millport Fence
Franca Vittigliano asked whether the pending paving project would address a shortage of visitor parking, noting a space once available for visitors had since been converted to resident parking. Board members said they intend to maximize available parking under the new paving plan but did not commit to restoring dedicated visitor spaces. Separately, a Millport resident who said he lives at the property's north end asked the board why there is no pedestrian entrance near the north parking area, forcing residents — he described two fathers walking children and belongings daily — to walk the full length of the property to the single building entrance. Rick and Scott said the layout was intentional: routing all foot traffic through one entrance reduces security risk, and a perimeter fence was added at the north end after a prior legal or insurance matter, which Rick said may have involved a slip-and-fall liability claim. The board agreed to add the idea of a north-end walkway to a periodic property review rather than commit to construction.
Fiber-Optic and Landline Service
Jim Westlake, whose connection was unstable during the call, asked about the status of fiber-optic internet access and any piping installed during paving work. Rick told him Frontier and Optimum both run fiber to street-side pedestals near the buildings but have not agreed to extend fiber interfaces into the buildings themselves; he said research by residents Peggy and Rich Townsend and others had not produced traction with providers. Rick noted that because the Housing Authority and Westmount are not the service subscribers, they have limited standing to negotiate directly with the providers. Westlake said he had received a letter from Frontier, dated September 8, 2026, stating the company is discontinuing copper landline service and that affected customers will be offered a switch to fiber or wireless alternatives; a discontinuation date of November 30 is cited, pending Federal Communications Commission approval. Rick said the notice appeared to affect only Frontier landline subscribers, not Optimum customers, and encouraged residents to contact Frontier individually to request the fiber switch.
Old Business: Security, Fines and the Capital Plan
Returning to board business after public comment closed, Scott asked Westmount whether hallway surveillance could be added under the property's planned security upgrades; staff said yes in principle, pending a review of existing wiring. Scott also asked whether garbage-mishandling language should be added to the fine sheets and lease documents Westmount recently redrafted; staff agreed to incorporate it. On enforcement, Westmount confirmed there is no cap on the number of lease violations before an eviction case can be pursued, but that any eviction requires a judge's decision, a process the board acknowledged can take a long time and involve significant legal fees. The board asked Westmount to review the property's long-term capital maintenance plan, last updated in 2024 on a five-year outlook, ahead of the October meeting, alongside a broader financing discussion: Westmount noted that whichever funding source is used for the paving project could free up money in the Millport operating account to accelerate hallway painting and repair work.
Management Reports: Millport, Canaan Parish and Riverwood
Amy delivered the Millport report: three units are currently vacant, two with applicants pending and repairs underway; two additional units are expected to become vacant in coming months. She confirmed the MJ Daily sprinkler inspections for September 29 and extermination service October 15 and 16. She also reported Westmount has purchased fencing to install between buildings along Millport Avenue to stop pedestrians from cutting across the property and rock walls, and is waiting on installation clips.
Amy separately updated the board on an ongoing insurance claim tied to flood damage handled by contractor AP Construction. She said Canaan Parish has directly incurred about $140,000 in costs, with the insurer releasing roughly $100,000 so far and an additional subrogation request of about $40,000 outstanding; the larger unresolved question is whether AP Construction will bill Westmount directly for its own and its subcontractors' work, which would then be forwarded to the insurer for a separate subrogation fight. Board members asked Westmount to push AP Construction to file its own insurance claim rather than route the cost through the authority's policy. On a related capital item, Amy said window replacement work is tied to a settlement reached with window vendor Anderson, and that AP Construction's framing subcontractor has quoted approximately $330,000 for its portion of the work; whether that work is completed this year or delayed to spring remains undecided. A contact identified only as Jason is awaiting final paperwork from Anderson before scheduling can proceed.
Marilyn delivered the Canaan Parish report. She said staff treated a bee and wasp nest found along balconies in the property's north building, and that the property currently has two vacancies: unit 201, where a new resident was expected to move in around September 25 pending final verification, and unit 313, being turned over with new carpet and wall repairs, estimated at a two-week turnaround. She reported an air-conditioning unit at 203 failed repeatedly during recent heavy rain due to a frozen compressor and capacitor, which maintenance staff repaired, with Westmount monitoring for recurrence. A key-fob reader for the south building's front door has a replacement part on hand pending final connection. Marilyn also said she met with Susan, a New Canaan EMS responder, to issue key fobs and train her on the property's Butterfly entry system after a prior incident in which the responder could not recall her access code. Annual unit inspections for both Canaan Parish buildings are expected in November, after Thanksgiving.
Commissioner Tim gave a brief update on Riverwood, a separate property connected to the authority's portfolio, reporting occupancy near 90 percent and stabilizing, with all nine October lease renewals completed. He said management company Greystar recently hired a new on-site community manager who started that day, chosen after interviewing with both Greystar and principals identified as David and Catherine Saburoff, and that Riverwood is seeking a temporary full-time leasing agent and assistant leasing agent. Tim said capital costs at the property remain an ongoing challenge.
Executive Session and Formal Votes
The board voted to move into executive session, a motion seconded by Mike and approved by voice vote, and thanked the assembled tenants before continuing privately. Returning to open session, the chair stated the formal motion on the table: to authorize Westmount to contract with All-Star Paving for the Millport complex paving project and to initiate the previously discussed door repairs at Building 33. The motion was confirmed and seconded, with the board approving it unanimously by voice vote. No specific contract dollar amount was stated on the record during the public portion of the meeting. The board then voted to adjourn, a motion seconded by Mike and approved unanimously.
Implications and What Is Next
The paving and door-repair authorizations clear the way for two capital projects tenants had been asking about for months, though neither has a confirmed start date pending contractor scheduling and material lead times. The board's October meeting is expected to revisit the property's capital maintenance plan and funding sources for both projects, along with any Westmount follow-up on hallway camera feasibility and a revised fine schedule addressing garbage disposal.
Scott, Chair, presided over the meeting. Tim, Commissioner, moved to accept the minutes and gave the Riverwood update. Mike, Commissioner, seconded each motion taken during the meeting. A fourth commissioner was present to establish a four-of-five quorum but was not individually identified in the discussion; a fifth commissioner was absent. Amy, Westmount property manager, answered tenant questions on rent notices, pest control, sprinklers and hallway maintenance, and delivered the Millport management report. Rick, Westmount capital/maintenance liaison, addressed the tree incident, the Building 33 door repair quote, and board questions on lease enforcement and camera coverage. Marilyn, property manager, delivered the Canaan Parish management report. Shandrita, a property manager, was called on for a report but did not respond and was passed over in favor of Marilyn. Wendy, Millport tenant, raised questions on tree work, pest control, filters and paving. Cindy, tenant, spoke briefly, deferring to other speakers. Franca Vittigliano, Building 33 resident, asked about visitor parking. Sheena Stevens, Building 33 resident, raised the rent-documentation dispute. Mark, Building 33 resident since at least 2018, raised the entry-door safety complaint and hallway cleanliness complaint. Debra (also heard as Deborah), tenant, spoke on lease enforcement and fine accountability. Jim Westlake, resident, asked about fiber-optic and landline service. An unnamed tenant thanked Amy for responding to an odor complaint.
Westmount — the property management company operating under contract to the Housing Authority, present throughout via Amy and Rick. All-Star Paving — vendor authorized by the board's formal vote to repave the Millport parking areas. MJ Daily — contractor conducting sprinkler inspections (September 29) and extermination service (October 15-16) at Millport. AP Construction — contractor handling flood-damage restoration and door/window repair work; subject of an ongoing insurance subrogation discussion. Anderson — window vendor involved in a settlement tied to replacement-window work. Frontier — telecommunications provider whose September 8, 2026 letter announcing discontinuation of copper landline service (effective as early as November 30, pending FCC approval) was cited by resident Jim Westlake. Optimum — telecommunications provider serving most building subscribers; not affected by the Frontier discontinuation notice. New Canaan EMS — emergency medical service whose responder Susan was trained on the property's Butterfly entry system. Greystar — property management company for the Riverwood property, involved in hiring its new community manager. Riverwood — a separate residential property connected to the authority's portfolio, reported near 90 percent occupancy.