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New Canaan wetlands commission debates website upgrade, realtor outreach and school education
Summary
Commissioners discussed expanding public education about wetlands through an improved town webpage, realtor outreach, flyers, newsletter placement and possible school outreach; Sandy Redden will contact IT and Don Macternardi will seek realtor feedback.
At its Dec. 15 meeting, the New Canaan Inland Wetlands Commission devoted much of its agenda to strategies for increasing public awareness about inland wetlands and when homeowners need to contact the town before doing work.
Miss Holland, the commission’s wetlands agent, said most recent permit-related projects are in the upland review area and noted the office already distributes a flyer and fields frequent phone inquiries from realtors, homeowners and contractors. Commissioners recommended two parallel efforts: (1) improve the user experience of the town’s inland-wetlands webpage so answers are easier to find (suggestions included clear Q&A, a chatbot or pop-ups to prompt users), and (2) drive reach by distributing materials through the board of realtors, an annual open-house at Town Hall and periodic newsletter items. Sandy Redden volunteered to check with IT about the municipal web platform’s capabilities; Don Macternardi agreed to solicit realtor feedback about what content they find useful. Chair Angela Jameson asked members to review the website and email suggestions in the coming weeks.
Participants discussed costs and staffing: several commissioners said low-cost options exist (volunteer web help or low-cost contractors), while others noted that Greenwich and larger towns have bigger budgets and more polished sites. Commissioners emphasized focusing on project-driven information that homeowners need when they’re planning work—practical, bite-sized guidance rather than long-form presentations—and noted that some outreach could be handled as informational touches at real-estate open houses rather than formal public events. The commission also heard announcements about a Norwalk River Watershed Initiative community workshop and a drafted letter supporting a proposed wetlands conservation license plate; the commission confirmed that a support letter had been drafted and signed and forwarded to Tim Bishop, who is leading the license-plate effort.
No funding allocation was approved at the meeting; members agreed to compile suggestions, check IT feasibility, and return with a more developed plan in a future meeting.
