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New Canaan Park & Rec tells charter panel appointments work better than elections
Summary
Park & Recreation commissioners told the Charter Revision Commission they prefer appointment over election for Park & Rec seats, described how vacancies are recruited and recommended clarifying charter language on membership numbers, DPW consultation and master-plan advisory roles.
Park & Recreation members told the Charter Revision Commission on Jan. 31 that appointed seats have delivered steady, qualified volunteers and that elections would likely deter some candidates.
“We are more of a consultative advisory committee,” said a Park & Rec member, arguing the commission lacks authority to hire staff and that the appointment process has worked well. Members described referring prospective appointees to the first selectman’s office and the town’s party recruitment committees for vetting and noted a practice goal of maintaining political balance across seats.
Commissioners raised several charter items that appear inconsistent with practice, including the statutory membership range. The CRC read a clause stating no fewer than seven and no more than eleven members, while Park & Rec said the body currently operates with eleven members and a quorum of seven. Members asked the CRC to align the charter language with town ordinances to avoid ambiguity.
Park & Rec representatives described several operational practices commissioners asked the CRC to retain: the commission’s advisory role on capital projects (Department of Public Works must consult Park & Rec before new park construction, per c 17-7), an annually suggested advisory report to the board of selectmen (members said they do not submit a standalone annual report beyond budget materials), and their use of a flexible rules-and-regulations document to manage spectator behavior and issues such as e-bikes on turf.
On the Kiwanis Park master plan, Park & Rec said the committee’s work is temporarily on hold pending a statement from the first selectman’s office and legal review about pond use; when completed, the master plan will remain advisory and be shared with neighbors and a larger committee before being presented to the commission. The YMCA’s long-standing summer-camp contract — described as a productive partnership — is nearing its final contract year, members said.
The CRC asked members whether maintenance should stay under DPW or be shifted under Park & Rec oversight; members said both models have pros and cons and recommended adding charter language that preserves current consultation requirements while allowing future flexibility.
The panel closed the Park & Rec portion with an invitation to propose specific charter wording that would update membership ranges, clarify advisory and budget reporting expectations, and restate the DPW consultation clause under the Park & Rec article if the CRC decides that ‘belt-and-suspenders’ clarity would be useful.
