New Canaan Council Votes 8-4 to Ban Summer Gas Leaf Blowers

Town Council · Meeting of May 20, 2026

New Canaan Town Council votes 8-4 to adopt a seasonal ban on gas-powered leaf blowers. The council also approved a $360,000 special appropriation for the Board of Education to prepare for a kindergarten enrollment surge at West Elementary School, reduced from an original $500,000 ask after a roughly $140,000 state grant. A contentious 10-2 vote approved an audit engagement letter with PKF O'Connor Davies, base fee $117,950, over objections from council members Kim Norton and Christina Ross that the town's Audit Committee never reviewed it.

Opponent Councilman Eric argued the leaf blower ordinance "impacts 100 percent of our residents at the request of 2 percent of those residents," while backers pointed to an unusually high volume of public letters. A large landowner, Weed Farm, sought an unadopted 20-acre exemption. Minutes from an April 22 meeting were tabled after a member disputed two votes recorded as unanimous.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 952 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of May 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

NEW CANAAN — May 20, 2026 — The New Canaan Town Council voted 8-4 Wednesday to adopt a seasonal ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, ending more than four years of debate over noise, landscaping costs and exemptions for large properties.

The council also approved a $360,000 special appropriation for the Board of Education to prepare for a kindergarten enrollment increase at West Elementary School, and voted 10-2 to approve an audit engagement letter with PKF O'Connor Davies over objections that the town's Audit Committee had not reviewed it first.

The Full Story

The leaf blower ordinance, drafted by the council's Bylaws and Ordinances Committee, restricts gas-powered leaf blower use during the summer months, with limited exceptions including a single gas-powered unit on hard surfaces and use by the Department of Public Works. Council member Hillary Orman, who led the committee, made the motion to adopt the measure "as set forth in Exhibit A." During public comment, David Aruchi and a Weed Farm employee identified as Sean asked the council to add an exemption for properties over 20 acres, arguing large agricultural and estate properties like the roughly 33-acre Weed Street farm operate under different conditions than small residential lots. The council did not add that exemption before voting on the ordinance as drafted.

Council member Eric, who voted against the ordinance, argued it was overreaching and pointed out that emails supporting the ban came from fewer than 2 percent of residents. Council member Janet and Bylaws and Ordinances Committee chair Hillary Orman countered that the volume of public input on the issue was unusually high for the council. The council's presiding chairman noted before the vote that the town's existing noise ordinance, set at 45 decibels, appeared stricter than levels typically produced by electric blowers, raising a question he said he could not fully resolve. An initial roll-call count of 7-5 was recounted twice before officials certified the final tally as 8-4 in favor.

"We can do better and we should hesitate in creating a new law that impacts 100 percent of our residents at the request of 2 percent of those residents." — Councilman Eric

"What I think is un-American is not being able to enjoy your property in peace." — Councilwoman Janet

On the school appropriation, a district administrator identified as Dr. Lutzy told the council that enrollment growth at West Elementary School, up more than 30 percent in kindergarten this year, requires moving two pre-kindergarten sections from West to South Elementary School, where enrollment has dropped. The $360,000, drawn from the general fund, will pay for an estimated $200,000 playground refurbishment at South and roughly $50,000 per classroom to outfit additional kindergarten space, with the remainder available for staffing and supplies if needed. The original request was $500,000 before a state DRIP grant of about $140,000 reduced the town's share. The council approved the request unanimously.

The audit engagement letter drew sharper debate. Council members Kim Norton and Christina Ross objected that the Audit Committee had not reviewed the letter, which sets a base fee of $117,950 for the fiscal year 2026 audit under PKF O'Connor Davies' existing three-year contract. The town's chief financial officer told the council the engagement letter is a standard annual document, separate from the multiyear contract, and has not historically gone before the Audit Committee. Audit Committee members Robin Frier and a resident identified as Roy raised similar process concerns during public comment. The motion, revised on the floor by Orman to correct language in the published agenda, passed 10-2.

"I think it's important as public servants for us to be able to record votes correctly and accurately." — Council member Kim Norton

Earlier in the meeting, Norton disputed language in the draft minutes of the council's April 22 meeting describing two votes as unanimous when she said she had voted against them. Other members said no roll call had been taken at the time, but agreed the record should reflect her dissent; the April 22 minutes were tabled to the council's June meeting for further edits, while minutes from a May 11 special meeting were approved unanimously. The council also heard an early-stage presentation from New Canaan Museum and Historical Society Executive Director Nancy Giri on a proposal to relocate the Gores Pavilion from Irwin Park to the museum's campus, and held an extended discussion, without a vote, on Charter Revision Commission recommendations ahead of additional special meetings.

Why It Matters

The ordinance changes how landscaping crews and homeowners can maintain properties during the summer starting June 1, and its exemptions, or lack of them for large estates like Weed Farm, remain unresolved. Opponents raised the possibility of forcing the question to referendum, a path available under the town charter with roughly 500 petition signatures. The school appropriation reflects a broader enrollment shift district officials say is driven by families moving to New Canaan before having children, a pattern that could keep pushing capacity pressure between West and South elementary schools in future years.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Adoption of proposed ordinance on gas-powered leaf blowers (Exhibit A) Tally: For: 8, Against: 4, Abstain: 0, Total: 12

- Vote: Board of Education special appropriation of $360,000 for enrollment-related expenditures Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Engagement letter with PKF O'Connor Davies for fiscal year 2026 audit, base fee $117,950 Tally: For: 10, Against: 2, Abstain: 0, Total: 12

- Vote: Approval of minutes for the May 11, 2026 special meeting Tally: Approved unanimously

• Action: Minutes for the April 22, 2026 regular meeting, including disputed vote records — Tabled to June meeting

Source

Town Of New Canaan: Town Council meeting, May 20, 2026