Selectmen Approve $113,000 EMS Vehicle and Sidewalk Contracts
Board of Selectmen · Meeting of June 2, 2026
New Canaan selectmen approve $113,253 EMS fly car and $243,600 sidewalk contract in packed session. The Board of Selectmen unanimously backed the new paramedic vehicle after New Canaan EMS members Troy Haney and Tony Kalanka agreed the volunteer group would cover $28,253.52 of the cost beyond the town's $85,000 budget, prompting one selectman to note, "that's a huge number here." The board also awarded a $221,600 sidewalk contract, plus contingency, to newcomer VBV Industries for Southwood Drive, approved $88,871.93 for PAVE 2026 line striping, $50,836 for Town Hall carpet, and hired Anna Bouts as staff accountant starting June 18. Public works staff said state repaving of Route 106 began this week and will bring months of daily closures into New Canaan by August.
Lacrosse tournament organizer Chip, defending his club's low fees, told the board, "just because we live in a wealthy area doesn't mean people are stupid."
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,052 words
Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of June 2, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
Agenda Additions and Minutes
The Board of Selectmen opened its regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting by adding three items to the agenda: a fire department purchase order increase, a human resources purchase order increase, and the PAVE 2026 line-striping contract. Both the amended agenda and the minutes of the board's May 19, 2026 meeting were approved without discussion.
EMS Fly Car Purchase
New Canaan EMS members Troy Haney and Tony Kalanka came before the board to request approval of a new "fly car," the paramedic response vehicle that reaches emergency calls ahead of an ambulance. The question before the board was whether to approve contracts with four separate vendors for the vehicle and its equipment, since public works staff said purchase-order rules required individual vendor approvals rather than a single blanket authorization.
The vehicle itself, a 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe 4x4, will cost $57,210.26 through Colonial Municipal Group under a state bid contract. Equipment fit-out costs add $21,373.24 from Norcom, $29,670.20 from Specialty Warning Systems and $5,000 from Ganon Signs for graphics, for a combined total of $113,253.52. The town's approved capital budget covered only the $85,000 base vehicle cost; New Canaan EMS, a volunteer organization, agreed to reimburse the town $28,253.52 to cover the difference, similar to an arrangement used previously for an ambulance purchase.
Board discussion initially stalled over confusion about whether the board needed to approve the full contract amount or only the town's $85,000 share, since the agenda listed the lower figure. A town finance staffer identified only as "Ann" was called in to clarify that the board should approve the full amount, with the motion noting EMS's reimbursement obligation so the budget could be adjusted accordingly.
Much of the deliberation focused on the vehicle being retired: a 2015 model with just under 43,000 miles that has required no major repairs. One board member said, "I'm not worried about the age. I'm worried about the mileage. I mean, that's a really low mileage vehicle," and questioned whether the five-year fly car replacement cycle, paired with a three-year equipment rebuild cycle, was too aggressive given how much longer modern vehicles can last reliably. Fire department staff said the schedule is driven less by unreliability than by the difficulty of sourcing parts for aging vehicles and by rising equipment costs; one staff member noted upfit costs have roughly doubled recently, calling a nearly $30,000 warning-equipment bill "unbelievable."
The board did not resolve the scheduling question at the meeting but asked that a working group, including representatives from police, fire, EMS and public works, be formed to study vehicle replacement schedules townwide, with a board member identified as "Steve" agreeing to participate. A board member also credited EMS's cost-share: "I think we need to thank the EMS for, you know, basically they're kicking in $30,000, and that's a huge number here." The retired 2015 vehicle will be listed for sale through GovDeals; staff estimated it could fetch around $10,000.
The board approved the full $113,253.52 request across the four vendors, with the motion noting EMS's $28,253.52 reimbursement to the town.
Fire Apparatus Repairs
Fire department staff, joined by intern James McCall, a New Canaan High School senior, and Lieutenant Vetty, the department's fleet supervisor, requested a $13,000 increase to a previously approved purchase order with Gowen's Knight to cover two recent apparatus repair invoices. One repair involved a leaking master intake valve and faulty pressure gauges on Engine 1, discovered during annual pump testing; the other addressed an ongoing generator issue on Rescue 5. A staff member who answered technical questions, identified as "Kevin," said the generator problem may require further repair work to be discussed separately. The board approved the increase without extended debate.
Liquid Sodium Hydroxide Contract
Public works staff, presenting the item, requested approval of a one-year contract with Bordan & Remington to supply liquid sodium hydroxide, used for pH control at the town's water pollution control facility. Three bids were received; Bordan & Remington's price of $1.3786 per gallon was the lowest, compared with competitors ranging up to roughly $2.50 a gallon. The town uses about 20,000 gallons annually, and the new price represents an increase of about $972 over the current contract. Staff said Bordan & Remington, the town's supplier for roughly the past three years, is also the closest geographically to New Canaan, unlike competitors based in Florida and New Jersey. The board approved the one-year contract.
Transfer Station Scale Software
Parks and public works staff requested approval of a contract with Creative Information Systems for new scale software at the transfer station, replacing a roughly 20-year-old system that came installed with the facility's scale and is no longer compatible with Windows 11. The agreement includes a one-time $2,300 installation fee and an annual licensing cost of $3,999.60, for a first-year total of $6,299.60, funded through the transfer station's operating account. Staff said the majority of transfer station scale operators nationally already use the same "Turbo" software platform. Board members questioned why a weight-calculation tool required an ongoing license but ultimately approved the contract, noting the cost will factor into future disposal fee calculations once new hauling contracts for recycling, brush and construction debris are finalized.
Gauntlet Lacrosse Tournament Food Trucks
Parks and recreation staff, joined by a colleague introduced as John Howe and his daughter Sophia, presented a request for two food trucks to serve the Gauntlet lacrosse tournament scheduled for June 27-28. Tournament organizer Chip, whose for-profit lacrosse club pays the town $10,000 to rent fields for the weekend and roughly $25,000 to $30,000 total over a summer, told the board the tournament draws about 950 participants and, across three sites including New Canaan and Westport, 130 teams from as far away as California, Florida, Ohio and Texas.
Chip said tournament proceeds, which he estimated at $225,000 over the past decade from his club alone, help fund turf field replacement, subsidize scholarships and financial aid for military families, teachers and families facing job loss or divorce, and keep the club's fees among the lowest in the country. "I grew up in New Canaan. Just because we live in a wealthy area doesn't mean people are stupid," Chip said, describing the club's pricing philosophy. He said officiating alone cost the club $52,000 last year.
Board members raised a broader question about how frequently the town is asked to approve food truck requests for town events, though members said they had not received complaints from local restaurants about lost business. Food trucks will be staged near the auxiliary gym to avoid blocking traffic flow. The board approved two food trucks for June 27 and 28 only, after clarifying no trucks were planned for June 26.
Town Hall Carpet Replacement
Public works staff requested approval to replace worn carpet tile on the administrative floor of Town Hall, the first phase of a broader renovation. Staff worked with Frank Higgins, operating under a state Sourcewell contract, and a staff member identified as "Dion" on selecting a thicker, sound-dampening carpet product expected to last up to 15 years, longer than the current carpet's 10-to-12-year lifespan. The $46,215 contract, plus a $4,621 contingency, for a total of $50,836, covers the selectman's office, human resources, finance, and adjoining conference rooms, with installation planned for August. Staff said a second phase covering the building's lower level, including the tax office, would be scheduled separately, likely in winter to avoid disrupting departments during their busiest periods. The board approved the contract.
Southwood Drive Sidewalks
Public works staff requested approval of a construction contract for sidewalk replacement along the entirety of Southwood Drive and Southwood Circle, off Gower Road below South School. The town solicited bids from 11 contractors and received five responses ranging from $221,600 to $353,000. VBV Industries, a contractor new to New Canaan currently working on a ramp project at the nature center, submitted the low bid of $221,600, undercutting two contractors, identified as Peter Lonnie and Stumpers, that had won the town's two previous sidewalk bids. With a 10 percent contingency of $22,000, the total contract cost is $243,600, funded through the town's sidewalk capital account.
The roughly 2,000-linear-foot, all-concrete replacement project involves no new sidewalk, only replacement of existing walks, and requires no new granite curbing except at handicap ramps. A board member noted that because VBV Industries is new to residential-neighborhood work, unlike its current nature center job with no adjacent neighbors, its interactions with Southwood residents during construction will be closely watched. Staff said they had discussed that expectation directly with the contractor. The board approved the contract.
PAVE 2026 Line Striping
Two Department of Public Works interns, Emma Rolfie, who will study civil engineering at RIT, and Gavin Denning, headed to Northeastern, presented the line-striping component of the town's PAVE 2026 pavement management program, a project staff said the interns handled from research through final memo. The board was asked to approve a contract with Safety Markings Incorporated, the sole bidder and, staff said, effectively the only regional contractor available under the relevant state district maintenance bid, for removal and reinstallation of roughly 66,000 feet of line striping, not including stop bars or crosswalks. The contract totals $80,871.93, plus an $8,000 contingency, for $88,871.93.
Staff said the town restripes roads on a five-year cycle tied to reflectivity standards set by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which recommends restriping every three to five years; New Canaan stretches to the five-year mark. Roads receiving new striping this year include Brushy Ridge Road, most of Carter Street, and portions of Hickok, Jelliff Mill, Ponus Ridge and Silver Mine roads, along with double-yellow center lines on Main Street, Farm Road, Woodland and Harrison. Staff said the town periodically evaluates whether double-yellow lines remain necessary on lower-traffic roads but found none to eliminate this cycle, citing emergency-access needs on all of the roads reviewed. The board approved the contract.
Project Updates: Route 106, Irwin Park, Lapham Center, Town Hall Elevator
Public works staff called the state's repaving of Route 106 "the biggest one which will have the largest impact" among current projects. Crews began work this week between Old Boston Road in Wilton and Canoe Hill Road, a project expected to take about three months. The first two months of work will occur in Wilton, with roads closed daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the same detours used during earlier water pipe installation will remain in effect. Crews are expected to move into New Canaan in early August, working through the Valley Road and Silver Mine Road intersection, described by staff as the most difficult segment, before continuing to Canoe Hill. Staff said the intersection will alternate between periods allowing only left-hand turns and periods allowing only right-hand turns, since through-traffic will not be possible during construction. Once that work concludes, the same crew is expected to begin repaving Farm Road and South Avenue from Harrison Street to Farm Road in mid-September, with closures from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Staff said the repaving involves removing up to 12 inches of existing pavement and rebuilding in roughly four-and-a-half-inch layers, requiring full road closures rather than lane restrictions.
At Irwin Park, staff said final excavation work is expected to begin within about a week, with roughly three additional weeks of work after that; crews are currently trucking in topsoil. Bids for envelope-sealing work at the Lapham Community Center are due back June 18, with staff hoping to bring a recommendation to the board June 23; staff estimated at least three months before that work is complete. The town's paving contractor is expected to begin crack-sealing this week, with milling and paving of listed roads to follow, and chip-seal and micro-thin overlay work scheduled around the Fourth of July holiday.
On the Town Hall elevator project, staff said two glass panels failed quality control and are being remanufactured in Ohio, a process expected to take three to four weeks, but said the delay should not push back the overall installation timeline since the remaining glass is already shipping. The elevator contractor has finished modifying door-closure headers with an offset issue and was on-site installing them. Staff said disruption from the project, including early Monday morning setup work, has eased as installation progresses.
Weed Street Tree Screening Proposal
A board member raised, without a formal vote, the idea of planting trees along Weed Street and Elm Street outside the stone wall near the South Avenue lot, where future construction is anticipated, to provide screening during what could be a multi-year building process. Other board members agreed with the concept but said planting should wait until a definitive site plan is available, to avoid conflicts with construction access points, driveway locations, or the stone wall itself. The board member pressed for the idea to be treated as a town priority once site details are known, noting funds exist in the town's annual tree budget.
Human Resources Items
The human resources director, whose name was not stated in the meeting, presented three personnel items. The board approved hiring Anna Bouts as a staff accountant in the finance department, effective June 18, 2026, selected from 20 applications and six interviews. Bouts currently works as a deputy tax receiver for South Salem, handling billing, receipts and tax deposits, and previously served as a business manager at St. Thomas Church from 2014 to 2021 and in an accounts-payable and payroll role from 2009 to 2014. She holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Northeastern University.
The board also approved removing recreation department employee Nancy John from probationary status; staff corrected an agenda error that had listed her name with an extra "s." Staff praised John's work on billing coordination with the finance department. Separately, the board approved a $15,000 increase to a purchase order with PERMA to cover Board of Education liability-related deductible expenses through the end of the fiscal year, which staff said are difficult to predict annually because they depend on ongoing case activity.
Other Business
The board approved the reappointment of Alan Bedaines as an alternate member of the Board of Finance for a two-year term ending December 1, 2027, with members crediting his insurance background. The board also approved a set of contracts under $10,000 presented for review and a routine batch of tax overpayment refunds without discussion.
The tree warden presented a $13,230 contract with Davy Tree, the low bidder among two received after a mandatory pre-bid walkthrough, for pruning, tree removal and stump grinding at Irwin Park. Staff said the multi-day project focuses on maintaining specimen trees along park trails and clearing deadwood for trail safety, coordinated in part with the New Canaan Garden Club and Boy Scouts working on underbrush clearing. The board approved the contract.
Board members closed the meeting by noting a Flag Day celebration marking the start of New Canaan's America250 semiquincentennial commemorations will be held Sunday, June 14, at 3 p.m. in front of Town Hall, and previewed heavy planning underway for the town parade on June 27, which will require coordination with police, fire and parks staff given its overlap with the lacrosse tournament weekend.
Board of Selectmen members present: three members participated in discussion and voting, individually addressed in the meeting only by first name — Steve, Amy and Diana; surnames were not stated in the transcript. The presiding member who called each vote was not identified by name. Public Works Director, referred to throughout the meeting by the nickname "Tiger"; full name not given. Human Resources Director, name not given. Fire Chief, name not given; introduced Lieutenant Vetty and intern James McCall. Lieutenant Vetty, fire department fleet supervisor. James McCall, New Canaan High School senior interning with the fire department. A fire department staff member identified as "Kevin," who addressed apparatus repair details. Nick, Department of Public Works, presented the sodium hydroxide contract; surname not given. A staff member identified as "Lou," present for the transfer station item; role and surname not given. Emma Rolfie and Gavin Denning, Department of Public Works civil-engineering interns. A staff member identified as "Dion," who worked on Town Hall carpet selection; surname not given. A town finance staffer identified only as "Ann," consulted on EMS purchase-order procedure. Troy Haney and Tony Kalanka, New Canaan EMS, presented the fly car purchase request. Chip, organizer of the Gauntlet lacrosse tournament; surname not given. John Howe (spelling uncertain), parks and recreation staff, presented alongside Chip with his daughter Sophia, a Southport school student, shadowing for the day. Tucker, addressed regarding restaurant impact from food truck events; role and surname not given.
New Canaan EMS — volunteer emergency medical service that requested and partly funded the new fly car. Colonial Municipal Group, Norcom, Specialty Warning Systems, Ganon Signs — vendors supplying the EMS fly car and its equipment. Gowen's Knight — fire apparatus repair vendor for Engine 1 and Rescue 5. Bordan & Remington — awarded the one-year liquid sodium hydroxide supply contract for the water pollution control facility. Creative Information Systems — vendor for new transfer station scale software. New Canaan Athletic Foundation — leases town athletic fields to Chip's lacrosse club for the Gauntlet tournament. Explore New Canaan — town tourism website promoted to visiting tournament families. Frank Higgins — contractor awarded the Town Hall carpet replacement under a state Sourcewell contract. VBV Industries — new-to-town contractor awarded the Southwood Drive sidewalk replacement contract, beating incumbent bidders Peter Lonnie and Stumpers (spellings uncertain). Safety Markings Incorporated — sole-source contractor for PAVE 2026 line striping under a state district maintenance bid. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) — federal standard cited by public works staff as the basis for the town's five-year restriping cycle. Davy Tree — awarded the Irwin Park tree pruning, removal and stump grinding contract. PERMA — insurance administrator; purchase order increased for Board of Education liability expenses. Board of Finance — Alan Bedaines reappointed as alternate member. Lapham Community Center — town facility out to bid for building envelope repairs, expected back before the board June 23. May 19, 2026 Board of Selectmen meeting — prior meeting whose minutes were approved. America250 — national semiquincentennial commemoration; New Canaan's local kickoff event is a Flag Day celebration June 14.