Charter Revision Commission weighs survey outreach as responses remain low

Commissioners on the New Canaan Charter Revision Commission said the public survey posted in the meeting packet had returned 49 responses as of Feb. 3 and discussed strategies to boost participation.

The group reviewed options including mailing a postcard with a QR code to every household, asking party caucuses to distribute links, using the voter registry rather than property tax rolls, and leveraging local institutions — the library, senior center and civic groups — to reach residents. Several commissioners favored a short postcard with a direct QR link to the survey to reduce friction.

Members debated timing. Some urged immediate distribution to broaden the respondent base; others argued the commission should wait until there are more substantive draft proposals for residents to react to, fearing an early mailing could produce low-quality or premature responses.

The commission asked staff to develop cost estimates for a postcard mailing and to continue multi-channel outreach; commissioners also asked party caucuses and community organizations to share the survey link. The commission set a target to close the formal survey process near mid-March but left timing flexible to accommodate further deliberations.

Next steps: staff to return cost estimates and sample postcard language; commissioners to coordinate with civic groups and media to increase participation ahead of the next meeting on Feb. 17.