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New Canaan charter panel meets with Zoning Board of Appeals on membership, terms and public outreach
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Summary
Group 2 of New Canaan's Charter Revision Committee met with Zoning Board of Appeals members to review charter language for the ZBA, discuss whether appointed posts should be electors, consider lengthening appointment terms, debate the number of alternates, and plan a resident survey postcard.
Group 2 of the New Canaan Charter Revision Committee met with members of the Zoning Board of Appeals on Feb. 26 to review the ZBA section of the town charter and gather feedback on possible clarifications or changes.
The committee opened the meeting by explaining that Group 2 is responsible for the zoning board-of-appeals section and invited ZBA members to comment on the existing charter language, including membership qualifications and term lengths. Cynthia Dole, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, said she had been "reading through the charter" and raised a question about whether appointed positions are required to be electors of the town. A participant read the charter language aloud noting that the ZBA is "composed of five regular members together with a panel of three alternate members, all of whom shall be electors of the town," which the group took as clarifying that ZBA members must be town electors.
ZBA members described the current composition as effective. Rich Karatou, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, said the board benefits from a mix of practical and legal experience among appointees and that five regular members has worked well. Alex, also a ZBA member, agreed and suggested only minor wording changes for clarity in a separate part of the charter.
Committee members and ZBA participants discussed several specific topics the committee said it will consider. On term length, the committee pointed out that many appointed positions currently have two-year terms and asked whether that is sufficient. ZBA members said longer terms support continuity; one participant recommended three years, and Cynthia Dole suggested four years to allow alternates and new members time to become effective. On alternates, participants noted an open alternate seat that has been vacant for some time; the group debated whether two or three alternates is preferable, observing that three alternates is common across other town commissions and helps ensure minority-party representation.
Administrative support for the boards also came up. Cynthia Dole praised town staff assistance, saying the ZBA secretary receives minutes promptly and that "Sarah and her team, Lola, they're right on it right away," describing the current level of staff support as reliable.
The meeting turned to public engagement and avenues for resident input. Committee members and attendees described public hearings, agendas and direct contact with town officials as primary ways residents raise concerns. The committee announced it will send a postcard inviting residents to complete an input survey and asked ZBA members to send any follow-up thoughts by email.
The discussion concluded with routine next steps: Group 2 will prepare reports and recommendations based on the outreach, and participants were encouraged to provide additional written feedback. A motion to adjourn was made and seconded informally; no formal roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript, and the meeting concluded.
The committee indicated it will circulate proposed language changes after consolidating feedback from ZBA members and other commissions.
