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Board of Selectmen review FY2027 fee changes; approves several vendor contracts
Summary
At its Jan. 27 meeting the Board of Selectmen reviewed proposed FY2027 fee changes — including a proposed curb‑cut (driveway) permit increase to $500, a $10-per-square-foot street-opening fee, and a $300 sewer disconnect permit — and approved multiple vendor contracts for IT licensing, electrical services and tree work.
The Board of Selectmen met Jan. 27 in New Canaan to review department fee memos and to consider several vendor contracts ahead of a final budget vote Thursday. Chair opened the meeting at 10:34 a.m. and the board approved the agenda unanimously.
Town staff reviewed permit and fee proposals across the building, public works and transfer‑station operations. The building department presented an unchanged permit schedule: residential permits remain $75 for the first $1,000 of project value and $10 per additional $1,000; commercial permits remain $75 plus $12 per additional $1,000. Staff explained higher demolition fees for buildings older than 50 years reflect additional remediation and monitoring costs for older structures.
Public Works recommended targeted fee adjustments intended to better reflect current inspection and administrative effort. Maria, a DPW staff member, told the board the curb‑cut/driveway permit — last updated in 2020 — is proposed to increase from $250 to $500 “given the amount of engineering and site visits” needed for sight‑distance reviews and curb‑cut modifications. Board members asked staff to provide historical permit counts and an analysis of projected revenue before the board’s Thursday vote.
DPW staff also reviewed street‑opening and sewer permits. The current street‑opening charge is a flat $10 per disturbed square foot (established when the town moved permitting into the OpenGov system); staff said they are not proposing a change this cycle but will provide a comparison to the prior $7.50 rate at the board’s request. The sewer disconnection permit — historically $100 — was proposed to be raised to $300 to match the sewer connection permit, which DPW said is necessary because both inspections require similar staff time.
Transfer‑station managers reported no immediate change to tipping fees (current contracts run through July 2026) but proposed raising the residential sticker for households without private haulers from $75 to $100 to better reflect per‑household tipping costs, which staff estimated at roughly $165 per household for 1.5 tons.
In the meeting’s consent and contracting business, the board approved three vendor agreements by voice vote. The board approved a contract with Presidio for virtual‑desktop access Microsoft licenses (co‑termed with other Microsoft licenses; amount as on the agenda). It also approved an on‑call agreement with Darian Electrical LLC for day‑to‑day and emergency electrical repair and upgrade services through June 30, 2027; staff provided hourly and overtime rates by license class and said time tickets will be signed to verify work. The Tree Warden’s low‑bid contract with Olmstead Tree and Shrub Care for multiple town locations ($13,640) was approved; the warden noted a sugar maple that fell in Carter Street Cemetery had damaged headstones and required follow‑up work that staff will coordinate and fund from capital set‑asides.
The board approved tax overpayment refunds for automobile vehicle taxes as listed on the meeting tablet. Several board members thanked DPW, highway and parks crews for storm response following a recent snow event.
Next procedural steps: staff agreed to provide requested fee‑by‑fee analyses (driveway permits, street openings and transfer‑station sticker revenue comparisons) for the board’s Thursday vote. The board adjourned following unanimous votes on the agenda and the listed contracts.
