Selectmen approve $560,000 in contracts, OSHA safety fixes
Board of Selectmen · Meeting of April 7, 2026
New Canaan selectmen approve $560,000-plus in contracts led by OSHA-driven safety fixes. The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to spend $17,600 on safety guards for exposed wastewater treatment plant pump shafts and $38,510 on a new addressable fire alarm system at Waveny House, triggered after the state reclassified the building's elevator as a full elevator rather than an open lift. A public works staffer said crews "can't afford to shut these pumps off" and need removable stainless guards instead.
The board also approved $293,650 for repaving of Dunning Road, Garrish Lane and Summer Street, fully reimbursed by Aquarian Water Company, and a $50,000 stormwater mapping contract with Tighe & Bond that drew pushback from Selectman Amy, who called the consultant's roughly $300-an-hour rate "not an inexpensive rate." Michael Burns was removed from probation in the Parks Department, and Art Berry was appointed to the Historic District Commission, replacing the late Tom Nestley.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,139 words
Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of April 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
NEW CANAAN — April 7, 2026 — The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday to approve more than $560,000 in town contracts and purchase orders, a slate dominated by safety upgrades ordered after a recent OSHA inspection of town buildings.
The board approved $17,600 for safety guards on exposed wastewater treatment plant pumps, $38,510 for a new fire alarm system at Waveny House tied to a state reclassification of its elevator, and a $10,000 increase to the town's contract with safety compliance firm Has Compliance LLC to update workplace training programs. Board members also signed off on $293,650 for road repaving that will be fully reimbursed by Aquarian Water Company and a $50,000 stormwater mapping contract that drew pointed questions about consultant costs.
The Full Story
The board's Department of Public Works staff told selectmen that a routine OSHA walkthrough of town buildings this spring, the first since 2017, found the wastewater treatment plant's eight pumps, installed in 1999, have about two inches of exposed drive shaft on each side that OSHA flagged as a safety hazard. Selectmen approved a $16,000 contract with Hardcore Iron Works, plus a $1,600 contingency, for a total of $17,600, to fabricate stainless steel guards around the pumps. A wastewater treatment plant staffer, identified in the meeting only as Nick, said the plant cannot shut the pumps down and needs the guards to be removable for repairs.
"We can't afford to shut these pumps off," a public works staffer told the board, explaining the safety cage must still allow quick access for repairs.
Separately, the board approved $9,800 plus a $980 contingency, for $10,780 total, to Hussy Brothers Excavating for bollards and a concrete containment pad around a new fuel tank at the parks garage, part of a fuel storage consolidation project. A public works presenter said the parks tank gives the town a backup fuel source if the highway department's pumps go down and ends the practice of parks staff hauling gas caddies from the highway garage.
At Waveny House, the state's elevator inspector reclassified what had been designed as an open-air "lift" as a full elevator, triggering a requirement for an addressable fire alarm system tied into the elevator's operation. The board approved $36,675 plus a $1,835 contingency, for $38,510 total, to Silent Watchman to replace the building's fire detection system, covering an estimated 51 smoke detectors throughout the historic building. Public works staff said the Waveny elevator's structural framework is about 99 percent complete and should be substantially finished by an April 18 wedding at the property, though the elevator itself will not be fully operational until closer to the end of April.
The board also approved $293,650, including a $26,500 contingency, to FGB Construction to repave Dunning Road, Garrish Lane and part of Summer Street following water main replacement work, with the full cost to be reimbursed by Aquarian Water Company. And it approved a not-to-exceed $50,000 contract with Tighe & Bond to expand the town's stormwater infrastructure mapping, prioritizing the Five Mile River watershed. One selectman questioned the consultant's roughly $300-an-hour field rate.
"That's not an inexpensive rate," Selectman Amy said, noting the hourly cost exceeded what the town pays its attorneys.
In personnel and appointments business, the board removed Parks Department employee Michael Burns from probationary status, appointed Art Berry to a full term on the Historic District Commission to replace the late Tom Nestley, named Brett Dockwell to an alternate seat on the Zoning Board of Appeals, and reappointed Laura Bud as marketing associate for the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce. The board also approved $18,000 to Munistat Services and $24,000 to Moody's Investors Service ahead of a bond issuance expected next month.
Why It Matters
The wave of OSHA-triggered spending, more than $66,000 combined for pump guards, fuel tank safety work and updated compliance training, signals the town is catching up on federal workplace safety requirements after a five-year gap between inspections. The Waveny House fire alarm project shows how a single state regulatory reclassification can force a full building overhaul; officials said the elevator itself remains on track for substantial completion around the April 18 wedding booked at the property, even though it will not be fully operational that day.
The $293,650 repaving project costs New Canaan taxpayers nothing directly, since Aquarian Water Company is reimbursing the town after replacing water mains under Dunning Road, Garrish Lane and part of Summer Street last year. Residents in that area should expect paving work as early as May.
Key Motions & Votes
- Vote: Approve agenda amendments adding a granite curbing item and correcting a Zoning Board of Appeals appointment Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Approve agenda as amended Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Approve March 17 meeting minutes Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with Hussy Brothers Excavating for parks fuel tank bollards and concrete pad, $10,780 total Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with Hardcore Iron Works for wastewater treatment plant pump safety guards, $17,600 total Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with Silent Watchman for Waveny House fire alarm system, $38,510 total Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Purchase order increase with AC Auto Body for vehicle repairs, $13,359.38 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Purchase order increase with Has Compliance LLC for OSHA program updates, $10,000 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Purchase order increase with Bardinelli Tires, $10,000 additional (total $25,000) Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with Almstead Tree and Shrub Care for pruning at Mead Park, $15,840 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with FGB Construction for repaving of Dunning Road, Garrish Lane and Summer Street, $293,650 total, reimbursed by Aquarian Water Company Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with Tighe & Bond for townwide stormwater mapping, not to exceed $50,000 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with Swenson Granite for granite curbing materials, $18,460 total Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract with PA Corsetti, Inc. for playground repairs at Kuanas Park, $27,000 total Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Contract increase with Hussy Brothers Excavating for pool water line replacement, $14,186.25 total Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Remove Michael Burns from probationary status, Parks Department Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Purchase orders with Munistat Services ($18,000) and Moody's Investors Service ($24,000) for upcoming bond issuance Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Approve tax overpayment refunds Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Appoint Art Berry to Historic District Commission, term ending November 15, 2027 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Appoint Brett Dockwell as Zoning Board of Appeals alternate, term ending December 1, 2027 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Reappoint Laura Bud as marketing associate, New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, term ending June 6, 2029 Tally: Approved unanimously - Vote: Adjourn meeting Tally: Approved unanimously
Source
Town Of New Canaan: Board of Selectmen meeting, April 7, 2026