New Canaan commission members ask to clarify inland-wetlands authority, party limits and term lengths in charter

Members of the Town of New Canaan’s Charter Revision Commission met jointly with the Inland Wetlands Commission on Jan. 26 to review proposed charter questions and hear the wetlands commissioners’ experience under the current charter.

“I think it was a very good thing that it was,” Angela Jamieson, chair of the Inland Wetlands Commission, said of including the commission in the town charter, noting the commission was first added about 10 years ago. Jamieson cited Connecticut law requiring municipalities to establish an inland wetlands agency and said that inclusion in the charter helps residents understand the town government framework.

Jamieson urged the Charter Revision Commission to consider adding more-explicit language to the charter about the wetlands commission’s foundational roles. She called for the charter to list ex officio participants — for example, identifying the first selectman as an ex officio member who casts a tie-breaking vote while the town engineer serves as a nonvoting ex officio — and to “add including the authority to make inland wetlands and water courses regulations for the town,” language she offered to provide in writing.

Commissioners also flagged inconsistencies between the charter and town ordinances. Jamieson pointed to a discrepancy in eligibility rules: the charter bars IWC members from holding other town offices, while the ordinance bars holding office at town, county or state levels, a difference that could cause confusion if both documents remain unchanged.

Several commissioners proposed structural changes intended to broaden the candidate pool. Jamieson recommended charter language to prevent any single political party from holding more than a bare majority on town boards and commissions, saying that would open seats to unaffiliated voters, who now comprise the largest registration group in town. “I personally would like to think about having a structure in the town charter whereby no political party can have more than a bare majority on a board or commission,” she said.

The group debated whether commissions should be elected or appointed. Multiple members said elections would politicize appointments and deter otherwise-qualified candidates. Several speakers favored keeping inland wetlands as an appointed commission. Jamieson and others also recommended extending member terms from the current two years to four so commissioners have time to develop expertise: “I think it would be better if we had four‑year terms,” she said, citing the learning curve for understanding wetland definitions, protections and regulations.

The Charter Revision Commission took these comments as guidance and asked for suggested language to be submitted in writing by email. The CRC indicated it will compile recommendations, send a report to town council, and the council may ultimately present charter changes to voters.

What happens next: commissioners were asked to send suggested edits to the CRC contact email; discussion on specific draft language and ordinance consistency is expected to continue as the CRC prepares its report.