New Canaan council sets July 25 referendum on gas-powered leaf blower ordinance after debate over certification

The New Canaan Town Council voted 10–1 on June 30 to set a referendum for July 25, 2026 on an ordinance that would restrict the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in town between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Kim, the meeting chair and a council member, raised concerns before the vote that the council should not set a date until the town clerk issues a certificate of sufficiency verifying petition signatures, which she said the Secretary of State had advised her was required. "I called the Secretary of State to ask this question," Kim said, and reported the clerk had processed about 550 signatures so far against a threshold she described as a little above 700.

Other council members disagreed that the certification must come first. Hillary Armand said the town charter (C4-16) requires a referendum to be held "not later than 30 days after the filing of such petition" and that the council is empowered to set the date; she said she had not seen statutory language that precludes setting the date before the clerk's written certification. "I don't see any issue with going ahead and setting a date tonight," she said.

Eric Tunam proposed a compromise-style motion (and supporters an unconditional motion) to set the date now so voters and advocates would have maximum time to prepare and educate residents about the referendum. "The quicker they get an understanding of the date of the referendum, the quicker they can get to work educating whatever positions they feel they need to educate on," Eric said.

Janet Fam seconded the motion to set the referendum for July 25. Some council members questioned holding the vote on a Saturday rather than a customary Tuesday; one member suggested July 21 as a Tuesday alternative, while others argued a weekend date could allow more flexibility for engaged residents. "It gives more flexibility to people who are really engaged on this issue to come out and vote on a weekend," one councilor said; another said turnout could be lower during a summer weekend.

The council called the roll. The tally recorded ten yes votes, one no (Kim), and one absent (Mike Rogers). The chair announced, "The referendum will be held on July 25th." The council then adjourned.

Context and next steps: The petition to force a referendum was filed in late June; at the meeting some members said the petition was handed in on June 25, which would require the referendum to be held within 30 days under the cited charter language. The town clerk must complete signature verification; if the clerk's subsequent findings or a court determines the council acted without authority, any set date could be voided and the council would reconvene to correct the schedule.

Authorities and references discussed at the meeting included Charter C4-16 of the Town of New Canaan and Connecticut General Statutes §7-9, which council members cited during discussion. The ordinance at issue places seasonal restrictions on gas-powered leaf blower use in New Canaan between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

What to watch: The town clerk's certificate of sufficiency and any written opinions from the Secretary of State or town attorney could affect whether the July 25 date stands; if the date is voided the council said it would reconvene to set a compliant date.